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Well it's got me beat . . . I can find no reason for the photo not loading. Can you join the OOLS site forum and try both the cover image and profile photo there You will need to create a new login for that site

Hi Mike I didn't realise that. What solution have you found then? NW

That's a great idea Maurice and I'm in favour too. Would it be too expensive just buy the track?

I think it is a good job Adrian,,,,,the only caveat I can see is the point about ‘erratic running being almost always due to the track’! This may be fine advice for someone on a lash-up with out of the box track etc but once a person has followed the advice to add droppers and a bus etc, the running faults will almost always be then, due to a worn or maladjusted loco as we have discovered on the layout. I know your not overly familiar with the deep workings, but these marvels are riddled with possible faults and only the best maintained ones will perform with little fault. My own locos have gone down hill over the last two years to prove this point. Maybe a note about ‘a high standard of routine maintenance will result in a consistent and favourable running locomotive’ could be added also.

yes thats good but very pixelated. i guess it has to be de-ressed to a certain size to be accepted by the prog.

OK something went wrong - keys and copy paste wouldn't work We should have done this years ago - failed in our main objective What I propose we say is as follows ************************* IMPORTANT ERRATA TO THE HORNBY LIVE STEAM OPERATOR'S MANUAL It is likely that you will crash your Hornby Live Steam locomotive if you follow the Operator's Manual instructions and be confused about some of the locomotive's characteristics which are not fully explained. Please amend the Manual as follows. Replace “SETUP” at the top of page 11 **************************************** SETUP - IMPORTANT - ‘Run in’ the locomotive and learn the control system using a Rolling Road BEFORE running on an oval of track. If you do not have a Rolling Road you can create one using the short power supply track in the set. Put the tender on the track (where the loco draws its power), support the front bogie and let the driving wheels dangle in mid air. After 5 or 6 steamings of 30 minutes or so each you can progress to the next stage, running on an oval of track. ________________________________________ Replace after “3.1.5 Expanding the circuit” on page 13 **************************************** 'Run-in' and start learning the control system over 5 or 6 half hour steamings on a rolling road and only then continue to learn on the simple oval of track supplied in the set. ________________________________________ On page 24 paragraph 3 change ************************************* “0.5ml of oil every 4 to 5 steamings” to “a drop of oil every steaming" _________________________________________ Place at the top of page 27 replacing paragraph 3. ************************************* 3. Setting the locomotive in motion When enough steam pressure is available you can gradually open the steam valve and set the locomotive in motion, either forwards or reverse, by moving the spring loaded handle of the Speed Regulator (Fig 1) with a series of short sideways actions around one second apart making sure you hit the end stop each time. After a few flicks one of 2 things will happen; either the steam whistle will start to sound OR the light in the cab will change from red to green. If you hear the steam whistle start to sound then hold the spring loaded handle against the end stop but LET GO THE INSTANT THAT THE WHISTLE STOPS. The steam whistle indicates that you have just changed the direction of the locomotive and is designed to end just before the cab light changes. Continue individual flicks until the light in the cab changes from red to green. This tells you the steam valve is starting to open. If the cab light changed to green without the whistle sounding then the loco direction was already set in the direction you are flicking. Keep flicking and count the flicks from when the cab light goes green. The locomotive should start to move after about 5 flicks and it will go faster with each flick. SEE NOTE BELOW ________________________________________________ Place after the “PLEASE NOTE” at the foot of page 27 *************************************** IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO ACCELERATE AND CRASH A NEW LOCOMOTIVE. That is why the best advice is to ‘run-in’ on a rolling road and only take the loco onto an oval of track when you have learned how to accelerate slowly and learned how the reversing system works. Even then, make sure the loco is heavily loaded with coaches - as many as 10 if you have them. You can always reduce the train size as you gain experience. An 8 coach train is an optimum load. If your model locomotive has been unused for a long time - maybe never used since it was made between 2003 and 2008 - the whole mechanism may be very stiff. If you have gone beyond 5 flicks from when the green light came on, to 10 flicks say, then carefully use a small screwdriver in the spokes of a driving wheel to tease it into motion. 15 clicks or so is maximum speed! IT MAY TAKE 5 OR 6 HALF HOUR STEAMINGS - FAST, SLOW, FORWARD, REVERSE AND REPEAT - UNTIL THE LOCO IS FULLY RUN IN AND YOU WILL NOW BE FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTROLS. It is a sad fact that many new owners started with the oval of track, crashed their locomotives on the first run, lost confidence and put the loco away to gather dust. They never discovered the life-like joy of driving these marvels of miniature engineering AFTER they have been ‘run-in’. ______________________________________ Place over “4. Accelerating/Decelerating” at the top of page 28 ************************************* 4. Accelerating/Decelerating Once moving, to accelerate the loco, keep flicking the Speed Regulator handle in the same direction. Maximum speed is reached around 15 flicks from when the red cab light changed to green but it is highly unlikely you will ever get this far on an open track without derailing unless you are pulling a heavy train. 10 or so flicks from green should reach a good speed. To decelerate begin flicking in the opposite direction BUT THE FIRST 5 FLICKS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION DO NOTHING - they just take up the slack in the mechanism. Now start counting back and the loco will decelerate and eventually stop. Keep flicking until the red light comes on by which time you should have counted back to zero. Note which number flick she stopped at and this will help you stop accurately when out on the open track. _____________________________________________ Place over “5. Reversing” half way down page 28 ********************************************* To reverse the locomotive continue to flick the Speed Regulator in the same direction (1) as was done to stop the locomotive but, because we know that the whistle WILL sound before the valve opens (because you are changing direction) then it is perfectly safe to save time and continuously advance the Speed Regulator by holding the handle against the end stop. The steam whistle will start to sound. Keep holding the spring loaded handle against the end stop but LET GO THE INSTANT THAT THE WHISTLE STOPS. Continue with individual flicks, the red cab light will change to green and after around 5 flicks the locomotive will start to move in reverse and accelerate with each extra flick. As in forward motion a good speed will be reached after around 10 flicks and maximum after 15 or so. Flick in the opposite direction to slow down but remember the first 5 flicks in the opposite direction do nothing. ____________________________________________ On page 30 Paragraph 1. Lighted coaches have no detrimental effect. Paragraphs 4 and 5. There are references to holding the (speed regulator) lever in the 'Super Heat' position. This does not make sense. It is meant to refer to holding the lever against the end stop. Paragraph 5. The "sequence for moving the locomotive" is correct but the whistle WILL NOT SOUND unless the direction is being changed. ___________________________________________ On page 37 under "Please Note" It WILL be necessary to add booster cables. Fishplates and point blades cannot be relied upon to pass 5 amps of current. Soldered droppers from EVERY piece of track to a buss cable under the track is essential for reliable running. Erratic running is almost always the fault of the track, not the locomotive.

Nick has asked for a further supply of DVDs. The errata sheet currently included with the DVD has needed expanding for some time and I made the above suggestion. I have only had one comment for an amendment which Chris made verbally:- On page 37 "........ Erratic running is almost always the fault of the track, not the locomotive." will be changed to read:- ""........ Erratic running of a new locomotive is almost always the fault of the track, not the locomotive. Poor power connections in a well used locomotive might cause this too. " There is a major error that no-one has spotted where some text is missing. On page 27 the text ends abruptly as follows "If you were VERY slow you might " This will be amended to read:- "If you were VERY slow you might even have started the loco moving! Practice makes perfect." I will print the errata stickers as proposed above. I will now upload to the main forum for the wider membership and I also suggest that a web page is built with these errata recommendations.

Favicon changed - let me know what you think

Ok - I have reduced it in size before uploading - try again

Interesting . . . . . . can you try on the OOLS site to see if it works there

Ahhh . . the favicon. (I had no idea so I looked it up!) So much to learn . . . leave it with me The ools-com is the wIx favicon and as we are currently only using their free site it can't be changed. Of course, if we want to sigh up to a 'Premier' account then we can change the favicon. You pays your money (or not) and makes your choice . . . . .

Seems like a good idea Nick and i must try to find a way to refurbish them, I have a box full of used wheels myself. Just had a look at the stock control sheet in drop box and it looks out of date. Do you still use it?