Cloggie

I’ve got two hornby BR 3773 provincial class 156 era 8 locomotives lying around . Anybody any ideas which sound decoders to fit?

That's encouraging news that you’ve been using an Elite with 3 Selects as walkabouts. All the jargon I was reading seemed to indicate only up to and including 3. I’m hoping to use up to 6.

Thanks for the help Chris most appreciated. I’ve now got it sorted ( I think ). I’m using the Elite for one track loop, Each track loop being isolated from others at crossover positions by the point pairs. It’s then set up as another five boosters, each on isolated track loops, plus one booster solely for all the points. Then there’s a reverse loop module through a switch to use on one reverse loop and occasionally on the turntable. Fingers crossed.

Good after Chris. live got a Hornby Elite giving 3 amp. All decoders are Hornby R8247’s and there are 12 of them. All track and points are Hornby. I’ve had a good walkthrough of the display today and it boils down to having 60 points, 14 operated in pairs. And two which are for future use. At each of these sets of paired points I intend to wire some red/green leds to indicate there positions. There’s a separately controlled area with a turntable. I intend to run up to 40 trains at once, many double headed or with long wagon loads, so expect them to be power hungry, and to help I’ve got most of the tracks level. At least 16 of these locomotives have sound decoders installed. I’m veering toward breaking the display into about 6 separate areas and putting in boosters to isolated track, after looking at the point positions. Other option is to put boosters into each track isolated at crossover points to other lines. I wish I could download a schematic of the layout which would help you to gauge what’s being planned.

Hi Chris. Thanks for responding. I’ll do my best to go through the list of questions in next couple of days ( builders in causing a delay in response). Thanks for help. Bry

Hi all, thanks for previous help regarding points and PADs. I've now got the display progressing to the point of burning my fingers with solder, the layout passes the ‘rule of thumb’ frequently mentioned in that it’s 40 ft x 12 ft occupying a converted loft room and it’s now got 60 points, and that’s without another set of about 8 in an oil storage facility, along with a turntable to power. I’d looked at the bewildering explanation of the Hornby PAD online to see if I could link two points to work simultaneously. This was because I had areas of parallel tracks where I needed double sets of points to take trains from one to the other in either direction they travelled simply as trains started at my entry position and then had to be routed through to the inner loops. (This is the case for 14 pairs of points on other parts of the layout to get trains from starting positions to one of several loops.). Anyway, reading it left me hearing a whoosh sound overhead as it left me for dead. So an experiment showed I had ability to put two R8247 points into each connection point of the PADs and they operated with ease so that was solved. I’m now wondering whether to have a separate booster for the points (and their signal leds) due to the size of this layout. I’d originally planned to separate the layout into areas. Those areas with large amount of points, plus say, turntable, having one booster, other areas having boosters to help deal with multiple points and signal leds! plus being able to handle large train loads, but now wondering if it’d be better to place all points (& signal leds ) on one or two booster(s), and then separate track boosters for track taking in other areas. Anyone had any experience of best way to distribute the power on a layout this size. All comments gratefully received.

Thanks RAF & Gitter for being there to help out! Much appreciated. I'll ensure the points are working easily by hand before wiring in. Think the main problem was the Elite diagram showing red on press area of connection, yet black & white striped wire, then black to other which is - ve, to track. Then on the decoder diagram, it shows red, green and black, fiollowed by an instructional video on YouTube showing black to - ve, green to common, red to + ve, yet it needed green to + ve, red to - ve. Bit confusing. keep up the good work.

Hi gitte, thanks for reply. ive looked at the wiring shown on video on YouTube showing the green wire going into the common on the digital decoder. Liking to experiment when things aren't going right, I've just swapped wires around. using the black and white wire from from A on the Elite, black from B to track then onto the decoder as same, I then put point motor as + ve green, black C common, red - ve. Hey presto it's throwing the points correctly via the Elites 1 & 2 controls and with power. Beyond me how it works that way but, after hours scratching my head I'm happy.

Hi all, first time having to ask for help so hope someone can give some pointers. I've about 40 points to fit so knocked up a test set up which isn't going well. I'm using a Hornsby Elite controller and following instructions, I got a enough Hornby Digital Point and Accessory Decoders R8247 stamped 42/15 to control the points in sets of four per decoder, and a load of R8014 point motors. Set up using hornby instruction leaflet and YouTube video. Motors don't seem to want to respond to change of direction via selection of the Elite round control knobs 1 & 2, very intermittent response, can throw heavily one direction, little or no response other, or always wanting to throw same direction very weakly. I thought of putting in boosters in case it's a signal issue, but seems pointless as the current test set up is only within two foot of the Elite and everything else. Any one had issues with this Hornby gear? Any guidance greatly appreciated.

Harry Patch from National Railways Museum found on ebay