February « 2026 « modelrail.otenko

8Feb/260

Yamaha P-95B – No Sound – Repairs

Have been looking for a midi-enabled nice-sized weighted-key keyboard for a while and saw a P-95 on FB Marketplace going for AU$500. I felt it was a bit steep for a pretty-old piece of kit, so I googled a little... initially just to confirm it had MIDI ports.

I then stumbled across this absolute cracker of an ad for a P-95 at a local music shop:

Turns out Music Swop Shop in Carlton is a treasure-trove of 2nd-hand music equipment... and they'd decided this unit wasn't worth repairs. Likely SMD repairs, they say?...

The unit was lugged home and open-brain-surgery ensued. The keyboard would react to note presses... I could see that record would flash until a you started playing... so the keys were operational and the panel seemed ok. The main issue had to be voltage/audio amplification? It turns out that the X8828 Amplifier Board seems to fail a lot... to the point where there are multiple "send it to us and we'll fix it" services!

I popped the board out of my unit and ... it looked bad. That crap cleaned off, but I was getting a lot of shorts across a LOT of the shitty little blue electrolytic caps? This turns out to be quite a common problem! That thread is hilarious, and I must add my repair to it. So many people with so many dried up dead caps.

With some of the caps, a slight touch from the top-side would actually push the leg through and detach the pad on the bottom-side! Hacks were put in place, thanks to enough space being available inside the piano.

All caps were replaced, for good measure. When reinstalling everything you need to BE VERY CAREFUL with the ribbon cables. I don't know if it was me or the previous repair-man, but the silver wires were starting to de-laminate at the ends where the ribbons plugged into the sockets. If you then put them in at an angle you could risk folding the silver back up on itself. Just be very gentle and precise when putting it all back together... otherwise you'll do what I did and dismantle it 10 times as the unit failed to respond every time I re-assembled it!

Anyway... I eventually got the ribbons in cleanly and then it all just worked perfectly!

Even MIDI-OUT!

So yeah, if you have a vintage Yamaha like this, then replace all the caps.... as the caps that aren't dead yet won't have much life in them either.

Filed under: Code/Electronics No Comments

3Feb/260

Donnybrook (Hotel), Victoria

Since around November last year, I've been choosing to enjoy Saturday lunch times at Donnybrook Hotel, adjacent to Donnybrook Station in Donnybrook Victoria. It the first diesel-only V/Line station on the main-south (main-north?) line out of Melbourne. The station is only served by V/Line broad gauge, having the standard gauge pass by without any platform connectivity.

From the platforms, you have a great view in both directions... as well as the smoking garden at the pub.

Both directions are very easy to frame, north (southbound) from the platform and south (northbound) from inside the fence at the level crossing. But yeah, the pub?!....

Donnybrook Hotel

Great food, great staff, great atmosphere and in a perfect location! You can sit inside on the bench-window and just stare into oblivion, waiting for a train to appear.

The following shot it from the bench inside.

And so yeah, let's start with the standard services which will (usually) pass through on a 2025/2026 Saturday morning...

7MS1 - Aurizon Melbourne-Sydney Container

This train is due through Donnybrook at 11:15, but it's usually early. For 2 weekends in a row, the same ACD6057 loco was on point...

The next 2 weekends, it was ACD6073 instead.

Finally, something different... but not. CM3316 in the lead, two weekends in a row.

7MS2 - Pacific National Melbourne-Sydney Container

This service is due through at 13:30 and would only be seen if I chose to stay past the 1:04pm Southern Cross Service.

5BM9 - SCT Brisbane-Melbourne Freight

This service is due through Donnybrook at 07:40am and I've never seen it less than 4 hours late!. It's meant to stop in the loop north of the station for 15 minutes to pass a V/Line service, but it doesn't seem that the V/Los have ever had to worry. Either way, I'm not complaining as getting to Donnybrook before 8am would be hideous.

And then from the level crossing, looking north...

7MC2 - Pacific National Melbourne-Griffith Container

This one is much later in the arvo, passing Donnybrook around 15:30. Actually, it seems to have been scrapped from the most recent timetable revision... but is still running?

Unscheduled Services

Both run by SSR, and well, one is scheduled and one is not. First, the ad-hoc movement of two bulldogs:

And second, an xCMx grain train, which I've only seen come through once!

V/Line Passenger Services

From the little ones, known as Sprinters, which are now becoming very rare! I think Seymour is now the last proper-V/Line service (Metro uses them down south) where Sprinters are still scheduled.