According to the Hornby website, with some practice one load of water should last for about 20 minutes of run time, it doesn't say how fast. There are several movies of these things running on youtube so they certainly work. I have the Flying Scotsman version on my list for Santa.

My Grandad unfortunately passed away some 14 or 15 years ago. His train collection is with my uncle currently. He was certainly old enough to remember Hornby Dublo, he had a nice collection of some old Hornby (O gauge I think) three rail stuff. The OO gauge stuff I'm thinking about was probably bought new in the 70s. I'm not sure if I would want to convert any of them to DCC, their sentimental value may mean they stay boxed.

Thanks to everyone who has responded here. It never ceases to amaze me the wealth and breadth of knowledge people on this forus have.

So far my Hornby collection is limited to the old Inter-City 125 train I've had since I was 8, a used 0-6-0 pannier tank I bought off ebay and a new 'Sir Nigel' Gresley bought recently. I have a few Bachmann US locomotives and one Proto 2000 2-10-2. One of the Bachmann has DCC on board, all others, including the new Hornby, are labelled as DCC ready. I made a point of going DCC ready to cover whatever wiring system I eventually went for. Guess that was a good decision. Hopefully it will be mainly new purchases in the future, but I am hoping to take posession of some of my Grandfathers old OO Hornby.

I'll go for installing NMRA decoders and using a US system. When, I don't know, right now my son and I are enjoying running trains over the 'Plywood Plains', past Paper Towel mountain and through 'unmade house model gorge'.

Jim, that would have been a wonderful sight, the Flying Scotsman on it's US tour I'd love it to happen again, but something tells me that's unlikely. I did see it run once as a child, a day out with my grandparents, as so many of my childhood train experiences were.

Our model railway here is going to be a wonderful international mix, with a good dose of Thomas and Friends. To quote another great knowledge base on this forum 'Rule Number One: It's Our Railroad.  Rule Number Two: Refer to Rule Number One.' - Yampa Bob.

Hi

I'm still in the dream/fantasize stage of my layout and plan to wire for DCC. My question is, as I'm a Brit living here in the US I want to be able to run both British Hornby and US locomotives (that should make some of the purists shudder!), can they both run on the same DCC systems?

Thanks
Dan

I saw this too there. Honestly if you tripped in front of it you run the risk of it dissappearing up your nose it's so tiny. I was amazed.

Robert

well happy birthday to your son. My son turns 5 tomorrow and is getting the Bachmann Gordon and coaches, Spencer and James. He already has Thomas and runs an old Lifelike diesel I had from a while ago. They say age 8 up, but he, like your son is quite gentle and certainly respectful of what he can and cannot touch around the wires. I'm not sure he's quite 'spectrum' ready yet, but a couple of years I'm sure he'll be fine. Every child is different. If your son is the gentle type then no reason not to let him (and you!) enjoy these wonderful models. The other gift you're giving is your time. Buying him something you'll enjoy together will give him some great memories.

Dan

8' x 10' with duckunder access. Only finished building the benchwork last week, laid 2 large ovals just straight on the wood so my son and I can have fun just running trains until I manage to get something a little more lanscaped done. It's on wheels in an unfinished basement. The wheels are so when I finally get around to finishing the basement (I know it's somewhere on the honey do list) I don't have to take it appart to move it around.

Dan

John's diesel is a British Rail class 52 'Western Champion'

http://paulbigland.fotopic.net/p34152997.html

Dan

Ahhh, once again we show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. The 'random uk locomotive' is in fact a class 55 Deltic diesel. Back in Blighty these beasts have a fond following, I remember watching them thunder across an old viaduct close to where I lived. They are so named after the cylinder arrangement inside the engine, 3 cylinders arranged in a triangle (the Greek symbol delta), in case anyone cares.

Dan

Sir Nigel Gresley, British A4 in LNER livery. Holds some personal memories for me, but regardless a beautiful sight.

http://www.sirnigelgresley.co.uk/pics/lge/p033.html

Rusty

I'm a member from 'across the pond' originally. Been in the good ole' US of A for 7 years now. I don't know of anyone who ran any clockwork OO trains in their gardens (yes, yard not flower bed!). I do have a friend who has recently built himself a (no idea the actual scale) large real steam ride on railway in his garden. He'd be threatening it for a number of years and now finally done it. The wierd thing is he managed it and still managed to stay married!

Dan

Wonderful! I'm wondering now if mine had something similar also that just wore off with the breaking in.

Dan

Steve

I had a similar problem with a J 4-8-4 about 6 months ago (directional lights worked, but the loco wouldn't move). I was new into the hobby then, and with the help of several people on this forum diagnosed that it just needed some lubrication and then some significant running in. Can you hear the motor inside humming when you apply power? If so then I think it's trying to work as mine was. Lubricating the coupling rods and valve gear got mine to move, but the best improvement was when I took the engine shell off and lubricated the motor gears inside.

Hope this helps


Dan

Quote from: Yampa Bob on May 01, 2009, 10:14:14 PM
I couldn't decide which link made the better point. My first thought was, "wow, here's a neat sound board for only $80", and like you said, this might work for any diesel, including Bachmann DC models.

I also thought, "why is the board listed as specific for Athearn when the prime movers are the same as the standard TSU-1000?" Then I reviewed the current listings at Caboose Hobbies and got a possible answer;  Athearn has over 500 diesel models including current, preorder and future releases, and most are DCC ready.

So...what's the point?  Someone recently wrote "change is inevitable, struggling is optional", and "resistance is futile". Therefore I offer an optional title for this thread:

"The demise of steam"  Face the facts, our beloved "Connie" is mostly history, and it possibly represented 50% of all steam model sales over the last 10 years. 

I will make a wild guess that diesel is outselling steam by at least 3 to 1. We have a few Connies and Roundhouse steamers, but have no plans for any more steam purchases. I can't "reminisce" about steamers as other members do, since I have no recollection of them.

Our roster is now 75% diesel, and by attrition may grow to 90% in a year or two.

The idea of 'the demise of steam' saddens me. Like Bob I have no recollection of the steam era to reminisce about, I'm only 35. What I do have though are lots of memories of playing with my Grandfathers collection of OO Hornby (I grew up in England) steam trains and numerous visits to preserved railways. My Grandfather basically embedded steam into me, and now I'm doing it with my son. My fondest memory was a day trip with my grandparents where we rode a 'steam special' from London to Scotland and back again being pulled by the A4 class 'Sir Nigel Gresley' (those of you unfamiliar with British steam are more likely to recognize it's sister 'Mallard'). Anyway, take a trip to any preserved railroad and people want to ride steam. I think (hope) modelling steam will be alive as long as the preserved railroads keep it so.

As for sound, personal preference, I like non-sound. Certainly helps on the budget also! I hope the non-sound versions are not discontinued, it would certainly reduce the number of locos I could buy if it was.

You're welcome. Glad to help. Let us know if you manage to fix it.

Dan