cctransuk

Since we are never going to know what is, and what is not in the licencing agreement, arguing one speculation against another is a waste of everyone's time! CJI.

Diesel / electric headcodes - usually easy to amend if so desired; sometimes with provision of alternatives. D/E loco tail lamps - in my experience, where illumination is provided, extinguishing is either switchable of easily achieved. The significant difference here is that the lamps are on a steam locomotive. Where the owners of steam locos bother to fit lamps, they almost invariably wish them to be correct for the train in question - viz. Tony Wright! CJI.

Not unexpectedly, you have responded to a personal viewpoint with totally 'over the top' extrapolations of what I actually posted. I suggested that a useful review should confine itself to reporting basic facts about the subject that would assist most potential purchasers. I made no reference to ridiculous minutae such as the orientation of boltheads - please point out where I suggested any such thing. Most members here realise that our moderators have a personal interest in publishing, but should that preclude any form of indirect criticism of that profession? As a local government engineer, I was regularly criticised in both the local and national press, including TV, for the perceived deficiences of my work, but that comes with the territory. Try arriving at your place of work to find your effigy hanging from a lampost! Please - a little less personal sensitivity! CJI.

Firstly, I would point out that current postings in this thread relate to the value of published reviews in general - you seem to be taking comments personally. My statement is based on reading model railway reviews in magazines for well over sixty years. In that time, I have read many, many reviews of dire products which studiously chose to omit the obvious deficiencies. How can it be that, over all that time, that I have never read an adverse review of a product from a producer who advertised in that magazine? Now I will concede that I cannot 'prove' that protection of advertising revenue is a factor at play, but I think that the volume of evidence available to me justifies the conclusion to which I have come. Finally, aggressive reactions such as your opening remark belong in the playground; and they did not intimidate me then, either! CJI.

I find that slant on the subject to be a bit disingenuous. A genuine review SHOULD be simply that - an unbiased commentary on the pros and cons of a product, by a person with sufficient knowledge of the subject to make a judgement. I can see no justification for 'slanting' the comments for a perceived audience - the readership is capable of making its own judgement as to whether they should purchase from the facts presented. Of course, with any 'review' being published in periodicals which rely on advertising revenue from the product producers, any adverse comments will inevitably be omitted, or at least 'softened', so as not to prejudice future advertising revenue. CJI.

Surprising, I agree - though nowadays I only subscribe to MRJ. CJI.

Way out-of-date - but I coupled my Kitmaster Blue Pullman rake with 2mm. dia. rare earth magnets set into the gangway buffing plates - two of opposing poles in each plate. Works like a dream! CJI.

No chance, moy luvver - fishermen's or cowmen's smocks would be more appropriate for a southwestern event! CJI.

They're not reviews, are they? They merely bring to the readers' attention a new product, in a way that will not upset their advertiser. As such, in these days of instant information technology, they serve little or no function. CJI.

Fortunately, that constitutes a benefit IMHO. CJI.

I'm afraid that I'd resist being bullied - submit a certified document proving when I'd started trading, and tell 'em where to stick it! CJI.

Surely, if the chippie predated the MaccyDs, the chippie had the right to trade under his own name? CJI.

Funny, that - wasn't 'just two wires' how DCC was marketed? Would it have taken off if they'd said 'a mare's nest of wires between loco and tender'? CJI.

See Cambridge Custom Transfers Sheet BL99 - can't supply one-offs, though, I'm afraid. John Isherwood.

To my mind, the adjustable length Bachmann tender coupling bar is the extent of technology required for this application. If multi-channel electronic connections are dictated by DCC, keep them separate from the physical coupling, so that we Luddites can rip them out! CJI.

Heatshrink tubing is far too rigid. Google 'PTFE microbore tubing', and choose the one that has a bore to suit your size of pick-up wire. Talking of which - what size of wire are you using? Phosphor bronze I assume? CJI.

I use microbore PTFE tubing to prevent pickups touching bits that they shouldn't. CJI.

That's not Daddy - it's Stephen Fry! CJI.

Sounds like the tail wagging the dog! I know that the UK market is not huge, but other producers seem to be able to get 'to spec' products from their factories in China. If Hornby's factory(ies) can't or won't supply what Hornby want - time to get a new factory! ...... or, Hornby are still adopting their longstanding "It'll do" attitude, and blaming the factory. Hornby need to wake up and smell the coffee - they have hard-hitting competitors nowadays who are only too ready to grab their market! CJI.

Indeed - but, unless one has the facilities to correct the balance, the flywheel is best left off. CJI.

But is it then Farish? CJI.

So received wisdom - almost never at first-hand - would have us believe! I cannot speak for their loco kits, but the DMUs are eminently buildable and, for their time, quite acceptable 'layout' models. Perhaps your friend was only accustomed to Airfix kits? CJI.

Having tried both flywheel and non-flywheel drive in otherwise identical kitbuilt locos, I am firmly of the opinion that flywheels add nothing to performance, and can cause additional noise and vibration. CJI.

Not keen on the sound or the lights - but the smoke effect is the best that I've seen. CJI.

Not Virgin Media, but we have a contractor for Wildernet ripping up every street in and around Bodmin at present! G*d knows why - Bodmin was the first place in Britain to get BT Highspeed Broadband, some twelve years ago, and we are now fully fibre connected. I cannot believe that a significant proportion of users are suddenly going to switch suppliers to Wildernet, but the works going on must be costing a fortune! CJI.