Silver Sidelines

My last post dealt with Hornby’s latest King George I engine and I finished with the question, what about some sound on DC? The Hornby TTS digital chip allows running on both digital and analogue DC layouts but does not provide sound on analogue DC. At the time of my last Post I had removed the Hornby TTS chip and speaker and was running the engine on analogue DC with an eight pin blanking plate. Hornby King George I King George was purchased at a discount and now I have felt able to invest in a digital sound chip that will produce sound on analogue DC. A LokSound Micro chip was purchased from Coastal DCC loaded with their own Sound Project for a King. My previous Blog Post concerned the running qualities of Hornby’s latest King George I. The current Post covers the operation of the King fitted with a LokSound Micro digital sound decoder. Hornby King George I – replacement LokSound Micro The 28mm speaker supplied by Coastal DCC had a slightly differe...

As the year end approaches a new Blog Post is well overdue. After a brief foray into the world of digital sound on analogue DC with two or three Bachmann Diesels (fitted with LokSound chips) I thought it time to investigate the possibilities of digital steam sound. I like the look and feel of Bachmann’s unrebuilt Patriots and I had been watching Giggleswick with a mind to making a purchase when I deemed the price to be right. However I was also keeping an eye on the Junction Box, run by Ian Hunter in Haltwhistle. Bachmann’s Giggleswick has an Early Emblem which is not ideal for the 1960s. How much better to buy Bachmann’s 45504 Royal Signals complete with LokSound chip and with Late Crest. Thank you Ian in Haltwhistle. Bachmann 45504 Royal Signals digital sound locomotive (in service) Straight out of the box I was not impressed. On my layout the engine struggled with five coaches on and the sounds were disjointed and spasmodic. The first task was to add some extra lea...

Continuing the north east theme I have invested in a Bachmann Deltic of the two tone green variety. I had to cancel an order on eBay when a quick check revealed that the  Deltic Preservation Society  still had ‘The Green Howards’ in stock (and many more Bachmann models) at very competitive prices, frequently below the cost of second hand items on that well known auction site. Bachmann D9008 The Green Howards – Limited Edition for the Deltic Preservation Society After recent successes with running Bachmann sound locomotives on DC Analogue I thought that a sound fitted Deltic would complement my existing Class 40 and Class 45 models. I would add digital sound to my model,‘The Green Howards’.   Speaker cavity in Deltic ‘The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment’ – Note factory hard soldered connections for cab lighting Bachmann have produced a factory fitted digital sound Deltic and the metal chassis has a shallow cavity machined in the top for a speaker. Recent B...

It was not so very long ago that I discovered that I could get digital sound on analogue DC . A chance purchase at a bargain price had given me the opportunity to run a Bachmann Digital Sound Class 40 on my analogue DC layout. You don’t get all the ‘bells and whistles’ but you do get great sound. Full Digital Control seems to me to be a step far too far, for what I ask myself? Well I was perhaps a tiny bit envious of ‘sound’ on Digital Control. However my recent excursions successfully running Bachmann Digital Sound locomotives on analogue DC confirm my long held view that I can keep my simple analogue DC system and that I do not need Digital Control for my kind of sound. First a little bit of history! D12 at Carlisle August Bank Holiday 1961or 62 I have childhood memories of train spotting at Carlisle Citadel and being mightily impressed by D12 in near ex-works condition. It would be 1982 before Palitoy / Mainline made available their Class 46 model of D52. Mainline D100 Sher...