Maltazer

Finally, ACME... https://www.trainsdepot.org/manufacturers/pdfs/view/764/a_c_m_e_anonima_costruzioni_modellistiche_esatte_catalog_2022_pdf Unfortunately the only thing I want from this lot (1978R baggage coach in MDVC livery) is only available in a pack with two other coaches and an E646 that I already own :-(

ACME is the one I'm waiting for...

J15 - a loco that was local to the area I live now, but bought when my UK modelling interest was actually based around the Kent snows of January 1987. All of which has since been replaced by 1980's Italy still without a single track being laid!

Yeah I've still got loads of pre-orders outstanding from last year! Just the E656 a possibility for me from Roco - unless it turns out to be a re-run of a 30 year old model...

The Roco 70890 (still available new) has traction tyres on one axle. https://www.roco.cc/en/product/247130-0-0-0-0-0-0-002002-0/products.html

Hornby are saying May for the 668s. I have my pre-order in but I'm not holding my breath - their estimates are often wildly inaccurate. I would normally order from Italy rather than Margate and actually save a few pounds too, but with all the double VAT and extra delivery charges going on at the moment I've gone direct with Hornby this time. Mal

Same here - leeks, beets and marigolds sown last weekend, tomatoes, chillis and aubergines going in the propagator this weekend. A couple of weeks later than usual thanks to the very cold weather.

ACME https://www.trainsdepot.org/manufacturers/pdfs/download/475/a_c_m_e_highlights_2021_pdf Nothing there for me unfortunately. Still waiting for the E.626 promised for last year!

You might be surprised - I booked Luton-Palermo for June on EasyJet for £16 (before all the usual add-ons). That was until they changed it to Gatwick and I cancelled!

Purchase price was 244 Euro, so well over the £135 limit. There seems to be a requirement for EU firms to register with HMRC if they want to sell ex-VAT, which I'd imagine most won't want to be bothered with. That's not something I ever heard was necessary for non-EU suppliers though.

Possibly, but we seem to be in this worst-of-both-worlds state at the moment where the trade deal is making buying from the EU harder than from the rest of the world. It will be sorted out eventually, but in the meantime it looks like we'll need to be prepared for the higher costs. On the plus side it was still a next-day delivery!

I received an order from Trenietreni this morning, via DHL. Italian IVA was charged at 22%, but DHL will also be charging £47 in VAT/duty/Fees (apparently I'll get the bill sometime in the future - they didn't charge it before delivering). I did expect this double-dipping of VAT, and Trenietreni included a receipt showing it, but I don't suppose there's any way to get back that Italian part.

Hornby International releases can be found here: https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/international-brands/international-new-for-2021.html And the 2021 Piko, Roco and Fleischmann catalogues can be viewed here: https://www.trainsdepot.org/manufacturer_catalogs/ Personally I'm still waiting on several pre-orders from the 2020 ranges, so I'm almost glad to have not found anything so far in the 2021 announcements! Still holding out hope for an FS D.345 and re-release of FS UIC-X couchette carriages in grey, but that now depends on what ACME will have to offer...

Very impressive. I usually start them first week of February, along with the aubergines and tomatoes, but you're right - I do end up harvesting them quite late (apart from last year with its epic spring - the greenhouse was empty by September)

You start quite early - are you using lights? I keep my greenhouse at a minimum of 8C to overwinter various tender plants, but if I start seeds off now they'll be too leggy with these short days. Mal

I happened to be thinking along the lines of a compact (-ish) Italian train ferry layout just the other week. The attached plan shows the idea - the ferry (pink tracks) is actually a three-track cassette, with each track long enough for two carriages, enabling a variety of trains to be swapped in and out. These would be shunted from the ferry into the headshunt, and from there assembled in the hidden loop before being pushed round the loop into the 3 platform station. The entrances to the loop would be hidden by curved road access ramps and buildings (similar to those at the Villa San Giovanni terminal) with backscene behind. The ferry itself would only be partly built, disappearing into the backscene.

The breaded ham still exists (try the Deli counter in Sainsburys after the current nonsense ends). The difference is these days some customers ask for the breadcrumbs to be removed because they are gluten intolerant (the answer is 'no').

The real thing uses gears rather than gravity to keep everything the right way up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel#/media/File:FalkirkRotate04.jpg The whole assembly could get quite large with gears large enough to allow a train to pass through - maybe more space than just sticking a fiddleyard there in the first place!

The new manager of my local Sainsburys is over the moon about the increased sales. She's doing nothing to stop people buying ridiculous amounts of stuff. Never mind that it will all come to a shuddering halt once people have bought everything they need for the next 6 months.

It's an Interesting concept, because the moving section is small, lightweight, and only moves when there is nothing on it. This should make it possible to change tracks extremely quickly, compared to a conventional traverser loaded up with stock, especially when motorized and automated. The downside is the angled cuts to the exit rails which I always understood to cause big problems with reliability. I tried drawing out the same arrangement but including the reverse curves on the traverser too. It is still possible to make it shorter than the equivalent fan of points (unless you use 3-ways), especially if the fiddleyard roads are the streamline distance of 50mm rather than a setrack 64mm apart. If the entry tracks are rammed next to each other (30mm without interlacing sleepers), the required overhang is reduced too. Certainly food for thought!

English version of the Roco catalog https://www.roco.cc/uploads/news/Kataloge/20200114_Roco_Novelties_2020.pdf

I expect other manufacturers will make their announcements soon, but first we have the Hornby International brands. Personally I'm very happy to see that Jouef are planning an X4500 - The LS Models one was way too expensive! Arnold https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/arnold-n-1-160/arnold-n-new-for-2020.html Electrotren https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/electrotren-h0-1-87/electrotren-new-for-2020.html Lima https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/lima-h0-1-87/lima-new-for-2020.html Jouef https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/jouef-h0-1-87/jouef-new-for-2020.html Rivarossi https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/rivarossi-h0-1-87/rivarossi-new-for-2020.html

I tend to use the Italian site Tecnomodel the most, with the occasional purchase from Trenietreni. Shipping is fast and free (if you spend enough). I've also bought from UK retailers Scograil (Ipswich) and The Hobby Shop (Faversham). Both carry a few items of Italian stock, mostly more modern era, but they can be a good source of rolling stock from other countries that ran on FS metals. HTH Mal

ACME 2019 http://medien.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/2019/ACME_Catalogo_2019-WEB.pdf

Not my work but felt I had to post this link to an Italian layout with some impressively realistic scenery http://www.forum-duegieditrice.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=75019&start=960 and scroll down for some great weathering work too http://www.forum-duegieditrice.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=75019&start=1005 Mal