Thanks again. Both run much quieter on DC so I think I'll try upgrading the decoders. I'm very fond of the idea of BEMF control, it's one of the reasons I wanted to upgrade to DCC in the first place.

Dan

Hi Jim

yes they do have decoders in them. Not  sure what kind exactly, they are the factory fitted ones. I don't think they are particularly 'high end'. I noticed on the paper included with the Berkshire that it supported 28 step speed control with no mention on 128 step so I tried both again on 28 step speed with basically the same results, loud humming sound before it starts to  move.

Dan

I've just done it, bought an NCE powercab DCC controller. Works great with my nice new Athearn Big Boy, but the 2 Bachmann locos I have with chips in seem to struggle. I have a N+W J class and a Berkshire. Both of these exhibit loud humming when trying to start up and don't start moving until you reach about speed step 40 (in 128 steps mode). I thought I'd read something about a possible humming that could be fixed by changing the start voltage in the CVs. I tried that, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

Any advice as to how to fix this?

Thanks
Dan

Thanks everyone. Strasburg it is. We've been quite a few times, my Avatar (the little picture on my posts, I think that's what it's called) is my son and me riding in the caboose behind Thomas on one of the day outs with Thomas there. Next one is I think in June and we're definately planning on attending. This weekend my wife will be away on business so we're looking for a 'boy's day'. Thought I might try Steamtown, but looks like Strasburg will be much more enjoyable for him. Haven't made it to the Choo Choo barn before so I'm going to make a point of getting there this time.

Thanks again
Dan

Thanks everyone. Think I'm leaning towards Strasburg. Want a nice day out for my son who's 5 and I'm thinking that he would probably enjoy Strasburg more, plus it's only a total of 3 hours in the car rather than up to 6. Definately will do Steamtown one day though, maybe try and get one of their excursions.
Dan

Just want to get an opinion of someone who's been to Steamtown. We live in Southern New Jersey and go to the Strasburg railroad a few times a year. I was thinking about taking my son ot Steamtown this coming Sunday. Obviously the Big Boy would be a big plus, just wondering how the rest of it compares with Strasburg. Do they have a model store there?

Thanks
Dan

I had a similar problem with a 2-10-0 bought 18 months ago. Below is the post I sent at the time as to my fix. Just in case it's relevent here.

Regards
Dan

"Just thought I'd share my experience with my new Decapod. When I tried to run it for the first time nothing happened, lights would not come on and it wouldn't move so I immediatly suspected a short somewhere.

To cut a 45 minute investigation short what I found was the copper strips inside the body that make contact with the wheels to pick up the current were maybe 1/2 mm too long (in horizontal length) and were therefore raised up bridge like and making contact with the metal weighted base in the loco. To solve I just cut a couple of strips of paper and stuck them over the offending contacts to insulate from the rest of the loco, with a space to allow the gear to fit in it's dip. Screwed it back together and it worked a charm.

Hopefully this will help someone else who may experience the same. I may have a loco with paper inside now (actually strips of an Acme supermarket kid sticker that my son graciously volunteered for the task), but saved on sending the thing back!

Dan"

Wheel flanges are slightly larger, but I run on code 70 with no problems.

They are different scales (1/76 vs 1/87) but the same gauge, i.e. OO scale WILL run on US HO scale track. Voltage used is also the same.

Bottom line is yes UK Bachmann Branchline trains WILL run on US HO scale track using US controllers. Should also be able to run US DCC, but I don't have experience of this, only DC.

Dan

If anyone is interested the reason British model trains are 1/76 (OO) but run on 1/87 (HO) track is because when people first tried to make models of British trains in the 1920s they found that the motor technology of the time would not fit into 1/87 scale versions of British trains as they were somewhat smaller than US prototypes. So they decided to keep the gauge the same but increase the scale slightly to allow the motors (clockwork originally) to fit.

Most Brits that I know, including myself really don't care too much. I run OO and HO together and the difference is almost unnoticeable, especially given the prototype size difference. The just look a little closer on the table than they would in real life.

Dan

Try these websites. Both in Canada but will ship to the US.

http://www.britanniamodels.com/

http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/

Dan

I hardly think there are any terrorist groups who will be celebrating that we have to take our shoes off in the airport.

I recently took a flight where in a last minute rush to pack I stuffed a brand new still in it's box full size tube of toothpaste in my carry on luggage, completely forgetting about the maximum volume rules until it was found by the vigilant operator of the baggage X-ray machine. Was I upset when they confiscated it? No. I was pleased to see the security in place was effective.

Modern times bring modern threats. It's an unfortunate aspect of human nature that a small section of society will seek to exploit anything in order to further their terroristic goals and disrupt what we see as 'a normal life'. So normal has to change. It has been this was throughout the whole of history. Someone discovered fire, keeps you nice and warm and you can cook stuff. Then someone discovered you can burn villages etc.  Someone found how to forge steel, what was it mostly used for? Weapons so the soldier in the battlefield had to change their normal dress to wearing those heavy cumbersome suits of armor. Some bright spark came up with the internet, now we all need a virus checker and firewall on our computers to stop someone else invading our own little cyber worlds.

PD is right, one of the Moscow bombers was 17. So your day was a little spoiled through neither party fully knowing the laws, not as bad a day as if you were a passenger on a train which was the target of an attack. Imagine how you or your family would feel if the attack could have been stopped if a cop had been a little more 'paranoid' over someone who looked like a railfan, but was in fact surveying where to plant a bomb?

Was the cop over paranoid? Maybe. Better than risking an attack? Definitely.

Just my 2c.
Dan

Cappelli hobbies isn't a bad place. Been there a couple of times. Small store, friendly owner. He's the only model train store in the city itself (so he said).

Dan

This is what I love about this forum. One small question, the answer to which may be obvious to those in the know, precipitates a vibrant discussion revealing some wonderful gems of information because everyone here just loves to talk about trains.

Hopefully as time goes by I will absorb enough information to become more of an information giver than the question poser and pass it forward so to speak, but in the meantime thanks to everyone here for making this forum what it is.

Dan

Well that would certainly make sense.

Thanks
Dan