Fitting that last boiler rod is like compiling a C program with a missing semi colon. Over and over and over again!

Hi Ian. Many thanks for this video as I have both the same loco (maybe a different livery) and decoder. Fitting the decoder will so much easier now. 😇

Thanks for sharing Ian. I'm still building up the courage to tackle this job 🤣 I need to buy magnifying lenses and lights!

Well explained Ian 😊

You did goid Sir. I qould have beoken both off 😂

"Special form of torture" 🤭 is why we love ❤️ N Gauge 😇 at least the ordeal is over 🤔 until the next one 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️

I'd never thought to use the soldering iron to shrink heat shrink. Saw Harrison over on SMT use that technique. Loco's running smooth!

Greetings, Shelfington, and hello Ian 👋 A comprehensive A to B on DC to DCC 😎 empowering 💪🤭 You really are becoming a soldering maestro 😇 good thinking leaving all that dangerous drilling action out of the video 👍 it's not for the feint of heart 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️

Great video very informative thank you for sharing 👍

Hi Ian, all those DCs and DCCs! Thanks for making it all sound a little bit simpler. Chris

One thing to consider for those using extruded (or expanded) foam on their layouts. There is an issue with the reaction that occurs between the wire insulation and the foam. The insulation on wires contains plasticisers that can leach out of the insulation and start eating the foam. In so doing if enough plasticiser leaches from the wires insulation it can become brittle and fail. These plasticisers are the reason why the wire insulation is flexible. I see that silicone insulation is becoming popular on wire so this should resolve such issues

Is there any particular reason you put the control rod up through the bottom of the horn and point. A simple S/Z in the wire at the point end will secure it and the right angle at the servo horn is all that's necessary. Also I have found that 0.8mm piano wire is stiff enough to control points especially since you are using it through a tube. By top mounting, you can lower the servo motor further within the foam.

While I am not a beginner, I found this video to be extremely informative when it comes to the use of Servo motor point control. Well done.

Hi Ian nice job with the wiring, I get worried about wiring because used to think it was too complicated but you have showed me that it can be simple when broken down. Thanks Nat 👍🚂

Very nice job Ian, i remember the manufacturers always recommended running engines in on DC, now you have the best of both at your finger tips.

Ian, I’ve not watched your video, yet, but you do that the title page has DDC (Presumably, typo of DCC)?

Excellent update and solution Ian 👍

Morning Ian, I've just entered a world spoken in a foreign language! I'll stick to telephone exchanges - they are a far easier to deal with. Simon

Hi, a handy lil install / test there. Its always handy to have DC amd DCC controllers on hand, especially diagnosing loco failures ie whether its the loco on DC or whether its the decoder etc etc etc. Fitting plugs will make life so much easier, I did the same just a different plug. Are you planning a variety of controllers for the final build, understanding you bought the powercab as a stand-in whilst the 'yammog' (forgotten) was repaired?

Great Vid Ian. 👍

Hi Ian, that's a nice neat solution. I quite like shopping for connectors of various kinds and have a stash waiting to be used to make things neater... it's been quite a few months and counting! I like how those jacks look on your panel, and it looks much more robust than what I've got, so I may do likewise.

Big hi from Western Australia. I have a smallish N about 2.5 mtr x 560 mm . Two ovals with side lines for parking and a point to point which might end up getting a tram. I have 3 locos .... 2x EF 66 and 1x EF 510. Should add they are Japanese ( Tomix ) . Great to see N, getting sick of HO.

I dccccc what you did there😂

for my old layout I needed DC or DCC control, thankfully not both at once. design choice from day one: DCC bus _only_ powers the track, if anything else wants the DCC bus to drive it, it will get its own control bus. ended up with a changeover relay to drive the "source", trigger by plugging in a control handset. not sure on auto frog stuff, but I kept the comms data away from the track bus (meant I could use JMRI to drive points and accessories while driving one loco using DC)

Evening Ian 👋. Very good bit of electrical malarkey there. Good idea to have the ability to switch between DC and DCC safely. Did you finish all the tricky bits before getting waylaid into this - I can't remember😅. Cheers Euan

Very interesting Ian. Good that you now have the flexibility you need to run both DC and DCC stock, and start fitting components. Did you prefer the flux paste to the liquid stuff? I haven’t used the liquid stuff much, partly because I find the paste so dependable. Always good to see two trains running and it is a good idea having the test track as long as you can so that you can have trains running. Stephen

I have never been good at soldering , it is voodoo to me :)

Hi Ian can you let me have details of the machine you use as I have difficulty gripping tools and cutting things out

That prairie sure does look good! I've got one of my own on the way. Pretty excited.

Morning Ian - I have been looking at automotive points for a while now and I'm just running DC at the moment but wanting to go DCC-EX in the future I'm not looking at automotive running as I like to do things manually how ever I like the idea of auto points as the layout is 6 x 5 meters and a long way to walk around LOL for my points I'm looking at removing the 3 wires from the point motor and replacing with just 2 positive and neg and using a momentary switch to move left and right and a micro switch from one arm for the green and red lights on a switch panel simply easy and cheap I suppose not for everyone but it works for me, Enjoying your videos and the trip your taking. Cheers Mark

Greetings, Shelfington, and hello Ian 👋 everyone seems to be looking forward to seeing you install the decoder in the Large Prairie 🤭 I wonder what they're expecting 🤔 Tony North Eastern is the only source you need for scratch building 😇 I'm sure he has covered everything you'd like to make 👍 and is a thoroughly nice chap too 😇 I wont comment about wagon addiction 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️

Hi Ian, nice to see that Prairie running with the wagons - looks like you just need a blue one now (there are at least some 5-plank ones out there)! I would have ordered a new orange Peco Henderson's Relish box wagon in August, since I don't have any orange wagons, if it didn't have a high price to include a useless bottle of the relish that I don't want. Maybe there'll be a second-hand one in a few years. I've become more impressed with the Large Prairie since I made the video about mine - it seems to have become even smoother over time and is a joy to watch going around 🙂 I do prefer it with a rake of wagons, even though with mine being GWR-era it should usually be pulling coaches - I think tank engines look nicer pulling wagons for some reason. Interesting about the spike suppressors - those boards look very simple - a capacitor, big resistor and something I don't recognise - maybe a diode? I've noticed when I switch my layout on there's often a brief short-circuit detected by the DCC system, which I suspect is from the Electrofrog points before their associated relays have switched (could be that the plug powering the relays is also slow to start delivering power) - I may well look into getting one of these suppressors on the layout if circuit boards are otherwise at risk!

Hi Ian a great load of stuff, like a packet of sweets, liquorice alsorts. 😊. I hope what I sent you helps. Have a great weekend. Colin

Hi Ian, a lot of nice new acquisitions there Ian but the wagons addiction may need reeling in a tad 😂. I used the DCC spike inhibitors on my layout after burning out 3 decoders. Not a single one blown after fitting of the devices, so highly recommend them! Cheers Gary

Hi Ian, some good additions there - thanks for sharing. 😁Chris

Hi Ian I've recently bought a large prairie too, as soon as I get my track plan sorted and layed I'd like to run mine too! In the meantime could you do a review if said model? Love to find out more !! Regards Terry.

Love the private wagons.

Morning Ian, I've looked at the Sonic but sadly not got the funds right now. Maybe because I already have a loco on pre order for Christmas. Nice running session at the end. Simon

Hi Ian love the prairie and wagons albeit largely red. million dollar question is how much the items cost

A great haul there Ian. So pleased to see a model of a large prairie actually running well. A lovely rake of wagons too. I do like the lamp, be interesting to see how that performs over time. I ended with a bike lamp placed in a mug. TBH it did work well with wiring tasks.

Evening Ian - I do like the RM Mk1 - very smart indeed. The Prairie tank looks a fine bit of kit and ran well on film. Definitely need to invest in some pills for you to fight the PO addiction you have 😂 cheers Euan 😊

Train-O-Matic decoders are excellent!

Looks like you've got several items that will keep you busy all weekend. Large Prairie is beautiful, runs smooth. Rolling stock, roll's well being pushed. Book recommendations, not so much from me. My grandfather in law was a sugar plantation engineer. Something I really did not appreciate until now (decades after). His book collection contains two historical type books on locomotives used in Hawaii during sugar plantation use and for people use. I can appreciate what he did and wish I could have a conversation. Some photos showed these huge trestles, seemingly wobbly. Other photos showed loco's of course, lots of field photos, a few of factories and stations. All black and white.

I just dcc fitted my Large Prairie, and although easy enough I did find the small stay bars at the front a pain. Both came off entirely, but fortunately I didn't lose either and the glued back into place no problem at all. So be careful with them Ian!

Technically the Class 31 is an A1A-A1A configuration as the centre axle is unpowered on the real locomotive.

Hi Ian question did you have music playing, I've look at the other comments no one else said anything if you did, if you didn't i need to find out were it was coming from but on our sound system it over powered your speaking i could hardly hear you, and i enjoy listening to you because it's interesting. I'm having trouble finding all the auto frogs I'll send what ive found so far, I've also found 2 bags of servos you can have them if you which, then i sore you use the three cable wire with the push fit connector I've got loads of the from 100, 150, 200, 300, i think ive got 600, 1000 lengths, if you what l can send you them you can use what you want, and we can come to some arrangement on how much and it won't be much. Sorry back to the video i think you should work for nasa, your very patient and methodical. Were both getting to the best bit laying track, I've just got more baseboards, so i can now learn how to get the points to change with LoDi and iTrains. p.s. I'll get it post on Tuesday

Great work! Well done that man. One thing, I do like the extra effort in the video production, but you might want to fade the music a little more when you're talking... its at a fine level when you're not speakikg though. I did struggle a bit to hear you! I'm playing back through a smart TV for reference.

Hi Ian, it's great to see your planning and experiments result in this successful milestone 🙂 Given that the tricky parts of the tricky bit are done, it must be easy peasy from now on! Picking up on a comment you've had on background audio - I saw a tutorial about lowering the volume of the frequencies of speech in the music (or other background things) during talking - it made a big difference and maybe might help on more devices? The video was by Alex Cameron and the title is “Make your dialogue POP over background music”.

Hi Ian, great milestone, congrats on that and great to see your first train running on the layout! The baked bean stacks to feed the dropper wires through did make me laugh but it worked great! There will be no stopping you now with the track laying! Cheers Gary

Hi Ian Good to see the bit-formerly-known-as-tricky in its place and a locomotive traversing it. As others have said dropper wires never lie as they ought or as you want them to do. That is why the almighty invented ballast. I remember how I felt when I could run a loco over the many junctions at the front of my layout and it is a great feeling to know that you have successfully wired everything in. Stephen