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Model Forum / General / Railroads / February 2010NEWS (?) - Makers of model trains want to return to children's rooms
Earthtimes Thur 18th Feb 2010 dpa " Model train enthusiasts rub their eyes ruefully and ask themselves which target group might start making cash registers ring again. It appears an answer has been found: The makers of model trains first and foremost want children to become enthusiastic about the hobby. " http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/309866,makers-of-model-trains-want-to-re turn-to-childrens-rooms.html > Earthtimes > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/309866,makers-of-model-trains-want-to-re turn-to-childrens-rooms.html But thats what Hornby have been doing for a while. Have the trainsets and train packs. then theres railroad, then theres the superdetail. Cheers, Simon >> Earthtimes >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Cheers, > Simon I don't envy them though, limited resources and a great many possibilities to explore but a simple, robust, reliable, relatively low cost entry level range is (I think) essential if they want people to get their kids into the hobby. If they take to it then they will look for the higher detail kit on the market as they mature. I've been looking for a cheap-ish sound system, to hook up to a DC controller for steam and diesel sounds, all generic, no need for great accuracy. Anyway only the Americans seem to cater for that as a low cost option (MCC, about 60 quid, does steam and diesel with assorted additional sounds, not ideal for UK outline though). Somewhere I have a copy of Electronics for Model Railways from the early 1980s (possibly late 1970s) which I shall have to unearth. Just putting the small sound chips of the same sophisitication as those used for singing christmas cards in things could be fun, a station platform with 'carriage doors slamming', 'single door slam' and 'guard's whistle' whould be nice (and cheap), three rubber push buttons to operate it and the job's boxed. For a signal box the same but with three different single stroke bells would be fun, an excuse to teach youngsters about the real world problems and solutions. You can no longer re-program the chips used in cards, but I believe you can buy something pretty similar from the likes of RS. I may get around to looking at that at some point. Regards Mike > >> Earthtimes > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Try http://www.instructables.com/id/Musical-Greeting-Card/ > > "simon" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Also try http://www.instructables.com/id/Greeting-Card-Hack/ > > "simon" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Also try http://www.instructables.com/id/Greeting-Card-Hack/ Thanks team - That's another excuse gone for not doing it myself, if I get it to work I'll post the details (may take a while though, currently have a stack of old laptops, most partially dead, to fettle. Regards Mike > > > "simon" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 79 lines] > > - Show quoted text - You could try one of these http://www.quasarelectronics.com/sg01m-four-train-sounds-generator.htm I got one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=31695 a couple of years ago but I did rush it, Christmas eve night !, and it did not work. Got signal to speaker but no sound ! Chris On 23 Feb, 11:52, "Mike Smith" <m...@notquitean.invalid> wrote: > "Dragon Heart" <chris.bret...@o2.co.uk> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 93 lines] > > - Show quoted text - >You could try one of these >http://www.quasarelectronics.com/sg01m-four-train-sounds->generator.htm >I got one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=31695 >a couple of years ago but I did rush it, Christmas eve night !, and it >did not work. Got signal to speaker but no sound ! >Chris Thanks for the links - May well give the Maplin one a go for a chap I am 'helping' at the moment, he is pretty deaf in one ear so a single source sound would be fine for his needs. The Quasar unit is US biased, but I'm going all-diesel for that (Bernard Taylor's articles in MRC in the 1970s or 80s seduced me away from 'light railways' in order to get improved running). It's cheap enough that I may get one for the level crossing though. If the MTL coupling system works as advertisied I may just spring for this (a lot cheaper than DCC sound in all the locos and with a tiny speaker the low rumble of a diesel would be difficult to replicate using on-board sound in N). . . http://www.modelrectifier.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=7739 Haven't found a UK equivalent yet in spite of a lot of searching. When we scrap a computer system we recover any working parts, and for deaf people we replace the speaker with an remote LED set into the display base, so I have a box full of small speakers to play with I gather Bachman is releasing an MTL style coupler for their UK 00 and N ranges this year, which would open up real possibilities for N Gauge shunting, I may yet get that light railway layout I always wanted! Regards Mike " When we scrap a computer system we recover any working parts " I have made a couple of 'pictures' out of old motherboards. I know Hornby had a stab at making a train set with sound built (Hornby R9060 Radio Control and Sound System ) in but if the report is true, and I hope for all our sakes it’s true, then they really have to make a good one ( or several ) to compete with the PC’s Playstation,s and Wii’s. Ones with a bit more action like the army based sets with helicopters etc or has the H & S lot put a stop to those type of thing ? Did find this http://www.rapidonline.com/netalogue/specs/13-0671.pdf used for ‘talking posters’. You may get what you’re after on http://www.merg.org.uk/links.htm They have the ‘Noch Sound Station 2 @ On Tracks http://www.ontracks.co.uk/index.php?page=product&prodID=84881&catID=775 Regards Chris " When we scrap a computer system we recover any working parts " >I have made a couple of 'pictures' out of old motherboards. > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >They have the ‘Noch Sound Station 2 @ On Tracks >http://www.ontracks.co.uk/index.php?page=product&prodID=84881&catID=775 >Regards >Chris Thanks, I believe we have the Rapid catalogue, I'll have a read. The MREG site is really good for links but is mainly concerned with DCC these days, which is fair enough. The Noch system is interesting, it looks like it isn't just a re-badged US system (no bell sound) so might work well with UK outline, bit pricy compared to the MRC unit but not bad for Continental outline. I hadn't seen that one in spite of much searching (should probably have used one of the more 'technical' search engines). Regards Mike > " When we scrap a computer system we recover any working parts " > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > The MREG site is really good for links but is mainly concerned with DCC > these days, That's really down to the policy of the designer in making everything freely available. Thare is a lot of non-DCC stuff as well, but you have to be a member to buy the kits or access the docs. MBQ |
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