Why didn't I think of this before

While pondering at the workbench yesterday morning, I looked at the first module, and suddenly wondered why I had not connected the power up and run things on it. After all, that's what the aim is surely. Right then, out with the file (contrary to local belief I actually own 4 of them!) and the ex-NZR multimeter to check that I've gaped all the copperclad sleepers. After 1/2 an hour of that everything seemed to be OK. Time to connect some wires at the ends of the modules. Hmm, theres that short back, should have done them one at a time. Found location of first short at the other end of the modules where the brass sleepers I had installed had yet to be gapped, which was solved in 30 seconds with a fret saw. Still a short out there. Eventually found the short in a small inaccessible nook between 2 rails, and managed to get enough of a knife blade in till the short went away.

So, finally everything seems to be happy, and its time to turn on the power. A light touch on the knob and 1431 rolls off down towards Wellington. Well, not quite. It appears that I have a dodgy pot in the controller. This means that the first twist gives full speed, which with further twisting rolls back to a dead stop, and then a slow start. This unless the controller decides to go back to full speed. After several minutes of to and fro I then tried the Ed's which also happily ran over the trackwork (though I suspect that there will be a few bits that need a bit of filing to iron out the bumps). I then put the railcar on the tracks, and discovered that there was a lose wire somewhere on board. 2 minutes to find that one and fix it.


So, I've got something that runs. I must buy some Decoders at some point so that I can get more than one loco running at once. Can anyone suggest where I can get cheap minimum function decoders? As I'm not doing sounds or lights I could theoretically get by with a no function decoder.