Hi everyone, Well, my impatience got the better of me and I bought two gressley teak coaches in the hobbystore in Dublin last week. I'll wait to see what the new Hornby ones will be like but they were selling these off cheap at ?15 so I thought, what the heck! Anyway, I've detailed the interiors and now I want to install lighting in them. Is there a kit that I can get to give an even, low flow into the led's so that the light doesn't go up and down with the power to the trains or are there any websites that describe how to do this?
Thanks everyone! Those links were a great help and will give me plenty to think about. I might even spring for some of those smoke/steam generators. By the way, has anyone come across alternatives to the proprietry oils for the generators? I've got one engine that was manufactured with one but as the nearest hobby shop is about 90 miles away it's a long way to go just to try it out.
Except that I think both of those were analogue systems as was Airfix's MTC. Zero 1 was a digital system, so may be more fairly described as a DCC pioneer.
When did Zero 1 appear and disappear from the Hornby range? It always looked really impressive, but it had a pretty short life...what did all the people who invested heavily in it do?
Does it bear any resemblance at all to today's DCC systems?
Zero 1 appeared in 1979. When it disappeared I have no idea.
Those of us that invested heavily in many cases still have it. By modern standards the train control side is decidedly low resolution - 16 speed steps as opposed to the now common 128 step control offered by DCC. 16 loco numbers was also a significant restriction and it has to be said that the Zero 1 system was particular about track cleanliness.
The point/turnout control side of Zero 1 along with the Mimic signal box system was much better and is a rather good and today a cheap way of powering your points with minimal wiring and having a Mimic board showing the position of the points. You can then use DCC or whatever to run your trains.
Zero 1 has no commonality with modern DCC systems. The signal transmitted down the track is totally different although ZTC do a range of DCC chips that will work on both systems and their chips offer significant benefits to Zero 1 users.
John
P.S. Having sung some of the merits of the Zero 1 system I suppose I can expect abuse from the lunatic fringe that often lurk on this group. Watch this space!
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