DCC, sound and lighting updates

Current and Recent Projects: Click on the photos below to open the detail web page		Click below for Our Village Layout Facebook Page	Click below for Our Village Layout Website
	Thompson Class A2/3 by Hornby Adding a DCC sound system to Mr Thompson's A2/3. An ESU LokSound V5 with on-board Locoman sound software, plus 4 ohm dynamic speaker and stay-alive supercap will be fitted in the tender. ....and of course a miniature driver and fireman in the cab.
	Thompson Class A2/2 by Hornby Adding a DCC sound system to Mr Thompson's spin on LNER motive power. An ESU LokSound V5 with on-board Locoman sound software, plus 4 ohm dynamic speaker and stay-alive supercap are fitted in the tender. ....and of course a miniature driver and fireman in the cab.
	Now there are six! A summary of the largely common CV set-up and hardware tweaks now applied to the Hattons Class 66 fleet. Click on the photo on the left to learn more.
	Tinkering with the Headlights & lower markers on Hatton's DB 66. Hatton's Class 66 locos are proving useful therapy during Covid lock-downs. (This one is my 6th!) Although it's good to find all the running lights operating, it would be even better to have brighter headlights and pure white LED marker lights. So I decided to try something a little more radical on my DB Schenker variant. To simulate the new Wipac lighting modules fitted to some of the DB fleet, I've upgraded the headlights and lower markers in addition to the usual sound installation & stay-alive fit. Click on the photo on the left to learn more.
	Hatton's Large Headlight Class 66 lighting slip-up fix. If you can extract the small lighting boards near the ends of the chassis without damage, the fix is intricate but fairly quick. If the boards are so well glued in that removal without damage proves impossible..... as I found on my example.... its a bit more involved..... Click on the photo on the left to learn more.
	Hatton's Sound fitted Class 66 is evaluated and refined After a year of waiting, Hatton's spin on the ubiquitous class 66 arrived just as Corona virus lock down put us into self isolation. After a further 3 days quarantine before I dared open the package, was it worth the wait??? You bet it was!!! This is a superb model..... its not without its issues, but having worked through the problems and found solutions for all of them, this is without doubt, my best Class 66. With Bif's LokSound V5 and EM2 speaker designed in, this time I pushed the boat out and ordered a sound fitted model. In fact I still had a bit of work to do plus a bit of fun adding even more functionality to the already fairly comprehensive lighting arrangements. Click on the photo on the left to see how I got on.....
	New ESU LokSound V5 fitted to old Class 66 Bachmann Class 66 66745 acts as a test vehicle for my first experience of the LokSound V5. The Legomanbiffo V5 replaces his much earlier V4. A new comprehensive lighting arrangement makes good use of the many additional function outputs of the V5 21 pin decoder. A zener protected 6800uF supercap provides the new stay-alive capability. The original fuel tank mounted 20x40mm 4 ohm speaker is retained. For V5 YouTube video : Click here
A selection of earlier projects: A few earlier projects from my previous website are included below.... but please bear in mind that more modern decoders and other components may now offer better update options for these locos and it is unlikely that I would have used the same parts or techniques if these projects were undertaken today. *If you would like to get another look at a specific project that appeared on the old site, let me know (email is near the page top) and I'll endeavour to add it below.....*
	Hornby Brush Type 2 in BR Green Motive power for late 1950s/early 1960s coal trains through our village layout. Bif sound system installed with V4 decoder & bass reflex speaker. Stay alive, voltage protected AVX supercap circuit, cab light and driver added.
	Hornby Class A4 in LNER wartime black livery To haul diverted troop trains on our village layout A Locoman ESU sound system fitted. Stay alive supercap with protection system on board. Footplate crew assigned.
	Dapol Class 68 in the original DRS livery A pair of these mixed traffic locomotives were sourced upon the release of Dapol's initial batch. The lighting arrangements were customised to allow yard mode and mainbeam/dipped beam headlights. A V4 Bif sound system was installed with a bass reflex speaker in one unit and conventional 20x40mm speaker in the other. AVX 6800uF stay alive supercaps completed the fit. The limited bass output from the locomotives was supplemented by a third synchronised Bif decoder, driving a pair of hi-fi speakers in the middle of the loft layout.
	Bachmann Class 37 in Colas livery Obtained mainly to haul the ultrasonic test train after the demise of Network Rail's Class 31s. The lighting arrangements were customised to correct the marker lights colour & allow yard mode by separately enabling the headlights. A Zimo sound system was installed with a 20x40mm speaker in the fuel tank. (A Bif V5 with a better bass response speaker would be a preferred approach if done today.)
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating DCC sound updates to a Hornby Class 60 locomotive. Please be aware that some key components described on this page may no longer be available.
	Bachmann Peppercorn Class A2 in BR livery Memories of far off train spotting days! Front oil lamps and firebox red glow and amber flicker LEDs were fitted. A Zimo sound system was installed with a 20x40mm speaker plus AVX 6800uF supercap in the tender.
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating the construction of a Network rail Ultrasonic Measurement train including the then current Class 31 locomotive. Please be aware that several key components described on this page are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating DCC sound updates to a Hornby Class 50 locomotive. Please be aware that some key components described on this page may no longer be available.
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating DCC sound updates to a Bachmann Class 70 locomotive. Please be aware that some key components described on this page may no longer be available.
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating DCC sound updates to a Hornby Class 67 locomotive. Please be aware that some key components described on this page may no longer be available.
	A requested repeat of an older webpage illustrating DCC sound updates to a Bachmann Class 57/3 locomotive. Please be aware that some key components described on this page may no longer be available.
	A requested repeat of an older set of webpages illustrating the construction of a Network rail "New Measurement Train" including the HST power cars and 5 Mk3 coaches. Please be aware that several key components described on this page are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a DCC lighting update to the Hornby Class 142 plus application of Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a DCC sound and lighting update to the Hornby Class 142 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a DCC sound update and lighting enhancements to the Realtrack Class 144 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and some of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a DCC lighting update to the Hornby Class 156 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a DCC sound and further lighting update to the Hornby Class 156 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a lighting update to the original Bachmann 158 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of an extremely old webpage applying a lighting update to the original Hornby 153 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of an extremely old webpage applying a lighting update to the original Hornby 153 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a further lighting update to the original Bachmann 158 in Northern Rail livery. Be aware that this work was carried out several years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a lighting update to the Bachmann Class 220 Voyager. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying first a lighting update and then adding sound to the Bachmann Class 170. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a sound and lighting update to the Bachmann Class 221 Voyager. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	A requested repeat of a very old webpage applying a sound and lighting updates to the Bachmann Windhoff mpv. Be aware that this work was carried out many years ago and many of the parts used are no longer available.
	If you have not dabbled with miniature LEDs before, you might find this useful!
	If you have wondered what the implications of Hornby common negative lighting assemblies might be when changing the lighting control to work from an added DCC decoder... this might help.