I'm talking about Moaning and not Groaning, the latter always arrives with age and most noticeable when having to return to standing

after sitting down for a while.

I think we moan more than younger people because we've been around a long time and seen things done better. When you're young

it's easier to accept crap as you don't know better. Please discuss and comment on any supplementary reasons.

Decals, transfers ? be more specific Waterslide Transfers. The use of Americanised Decal will not cause an international incident.

The story is :- I inherited half a dozen Ratio GWR 5 plank wagons, in individual plastic bags, but no decals, or instructions. I don't need instructions

having already build quite a few. I contacted Peco who confirmed they could do me 6 sheets, but they wouldn't be posted out until the New Year.

All very efficient and customer friendly as is the usual Peco way.

The Transfers arrived on a strip, as if they were made on a roll, great !

Now I'm using Railmatch paints more than ever because Humbrol has turned into sludge. Can you really call it paint if on first opening a new tinlet you

could invert without the contents spilling out !

The new transfers are very highly glossy and printed on a full carrier film, requiring individual items to be cut out before use. Not that unusual.

My wagon sides were raw Railmatch finish, this is a fine satin sheen and usually takes transfers directly without any problem. To just help bedding

in I use a little Micro-sol and leave to dry out overnight.

The next day the transfers were barely hanging on, in fact a 'G' had fallen off !! I added more Micro-sol around the 'W' and on standing the wagon back on

it's wheels I saw gravity pull the 'W' to the lowest part of the fluid bubble - UHhh what is going on !

I do have in the emergency set a couple of bottles of Tamiya varnish, 1 gloss & 1 Matt.  I painted all the wagon sides with gloss varnish. Next day all set the

finish was hardly any more glossy than the original raw Railmatch finish. This time I proceeded with a full Micro fluid application. Adding the decals onto

a patch wet with Micro-set. When almost dry patted softly to remove any remaining moisture, when all transfers on one side gave a coat of Micro-sol.

This time it seems to have worked, more from the Tamiya varnish than anything else.

As I have so many of these wagons I needed to make up my own numbers from individual digits. These needed to stick well first time because of all the

additional numbers that have to aligned tightly alongside. I wouldn't even try with the new decals, but managed to find enough left from previous builds

to meet my needs. They were a dream, SO MUCH better to work with. What has gone wrong ?? Perhaps I should have guessed problems were coming

when I saw the super glossy finish. I did a couple of 'New' Ratio Iron Mink kits last year. For numbers and livery markings I used HMRS pressfix, but used the

Tare & tonnage marking from the Ratio transfers and yes they dried out and fell off !!

I've seen the odd bad transfers before from the hundreds of aircraft models I've made.  I doubt few people will have used more than me in my lifetime (78)

and I probably have in excess of £1K worth of aircraft transfers in my stash. What Ratio/Peco used to use were fine, these are just not up to standard. Faults ?

Too inflexible enough carrier film

Take a long time to release from backing paper

Inadequate adhesive

Are they from a new, more efficient, cheaper, source ? Another retrograde quality move !!!!

I feel better for letting that out - sent much the same to Peco, wonder if I'll get a reply ?

Post transfer line up behind the 7 mm wagon.

Geoff T.