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February 06, 2026, 07:03:16 PM

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#11

N Gauge Discussion / Re: Double heading trains on D...

Last post by Newportnobby - Today at 02:25:06 PM

Quote from: ntpntpntp on Today at 02:17:49 PMTotally surprised. you say you've never had the body off a loco! I've been dismantling and servicing my own locos since my Triang OO days when I was about 10 in the early 1970s. Nothing to be scared of

There is when you're a cack handed idiot with 'shaky hand syndrome'!!

As a continental modeller, do the manufacturers offer 'dummy' locos?

#12

N Gauge Discussion / Re: Double heading trains on D...

Last post by ntpntpntp - Today at 02:17:49 PM

Generally I'd say to create a dummy loco remove more than just the motor: also pickups and as much of the gearing as you can to minimise drag, plus any removable weights.

If your pair of locos are reasonably well matched for speed across the range then it's fine to double-head. Mismatched locos will of course cause bucking and dragging which is no good for the mechanisms nor coupling reliability.

Totally surprised. you say you've never had the body off a loco! I've been dismantling and servicing my own locos since my Triang OO days when I was about 10 in the early 1970s. Nothing to be scared of

#13

N Gauge Discussion / Re: Double heading trains on D...

Last post by Newportnobby - Today at 02:03:54 PM

Thanks, Martyn. I reckon I could run a couple of class 24s as well

, but other than that you've either remotored or removed a motor. I'm not capable of either.
It's still a case of, if DC, do it the hard way

#14

N Gauge Discussion / Re: Double heading trains on D...

Last post by martyn - Today at 01:58:37 PM

Maybe not quite what you're looking for, Mick.

I swapped Poole motors for Tramfabriek in my pair of Poole cl 20s, and they run fine together. Much more control, no speeding up and slowing down on gradients.

I also run a split chassis 25 with a de-motored Poole one.

I have also a pair of 24s which are pretty close and sometimes double head.

And I did have a pair of Ivatt 2mt moguls which ran well together (one is now under an LNER L1).

All on dc.

Martyn

#15

N Gauge Discussion / Double heading trains on DC �...

Last post by Newportnobby - Today at 11:59:58 AM

AFAIK, DCC users can 'speed match' locos using their gizmos so this really applies to DC users

Speed matching for me is putting two locos on an oval of track and seeing whether one catches up with the other. Even if they're close, it's still not something I tend to do. Just take a motor out of one of them, I hear you say. Simples.
I've never had the body off a loco in all my 45+ years in N gauge.

Having said that, an exception seems to be Farish's Blue Pullman which is awesome.

Now Dapol, bless em, did produce a dummy Hymek and a dummy class 121 (both of which I have) so I could play out a scenario of a steamer rescuing a broken down diseasel (or vice versa in very extreme circumstances, you understand

)

Let's face it, there have been some shockingly unreliable diesels manufactured in the past – witness class 17s and 28s to mention but two (real ones, I mean, not the models).

Many moons ago, when Dave Jones was bringing out his class 17 he was actually going to sell them as twin packs, one powered, one not and I had my name down for that, especially having seen them in the flesh at the Stafford Show when DJ Models attended. That pack never came to fruition when EFE launched the class 17.

We are told the price differential between a powered model and unpowered model just makes it not worth doing as the motors are cheap as chips and it's easier to manage stocks when there's only one version. That basically says to a DC user if you buy two powered units and they don't match – tough (or remove the motor from one)

I would have loved a twin pack of the class 17 and the class 28, and I dare say if ever a class 21 was released so would purchasers of that particular class. Our models are all hand built so, potentially, every one varies from another in some respect. The chances of getting two that run close enough to double head are not high.

I'd be interested to hear other views

#16

General Discussion / Re: The angry thread

Last post by Newportnobby - Today at 10:37:49 AM

Wot - bawker??

#17

General Discussion / Re: The angry thread

Last post by Browning 9mm - Today at 09:36:18 AM

Quote from: thebrighton on Yesterday at 02:16:08 PMBarclays again! Following my fathers passing and removal from the joint account with my mum the solicitor recommended I get myself added to mums account as it would make paying ongoing bills etc after she passes easier. I already have a POA on the account but that would cease upon her death.

Simple I thought, I worked for LLoyds for far too many years so know how these things work or at least I thought I did!

Bearing in mind they already know who I am (POA) the only way to do it is to visit a branch with my mum. Sorry, can't do that, that's why I have a POA, she is housebound and has dementia. Then we cannot help but you could go online and open a new joint account. Hold on, I can open a new account for both of us online but to add me to mums account we both have to come in and are you saying the only reason you can't add me is because mum has a disability that prevents her from visiting the branch?

No, not because of her disability but because she can't come in. Sounds like it's because of her disability to me and you can't do that.

Anyhow I gave up with their "help" desk and raised a complaint although this did mean negotiating their call centre again. It got even more exciting as because I have a POA over mum I can't even open a new account with them online as technically the POA means I'm both parties to the joint account.

So, if I hadn't registered the POA with you and somehow got mum into a branch you'd just do it even though she has dementia and wouldn't know what she was doing? Erm, yes, I suppose we would have.

Suffice it to say this complaint has been escalated even further.

I think you miss spelled the word banker think it should have a W

#18

General Discussion / Re: Model Shop Directory - clo...

Last post by cmason - Today at 07:17:42 AM

Quote from: Modelrailwayquest on Yesterday at 03:41:41 PMI interviewed the owner and founder of the site yesterday soon after the closer. Here is the reasons he has given

Yes - thanks for doing that Dawn. Its a great shame Adrian has had to give up, however one can fully understand,

Colin.

#19