Hobby

There were issues with some of the Pacifics (not all) early on and simple fixes are also shown on videos online, or Hornby will fix them for you themselves. Like the track "issue" something that's been blown up out of all proportion. Yes I'd agree with you regarding overall popularity of the Big Four companies. But then you need to ask yourself which are the most famous British steam engines? Answer Flying Scotsman and Mallard! Hence their choice for locos that will sell well to launch the scale. Judging by those sales they are right.

Like that! I was just about to post the same, no interest to me but many people are desperate for one! But according to Sam it is all wasted effort... ;)

Judging by local exhibitions rather than specialist ones and the biggies I'd suggest that train set modellers probably make up a large percentage of railway modelling. FB are full of them whether you look at TT120, 009, 00 or N groups. That oval of track is probably the most common layout for those at home!

Perhaps this happened!

If you go to the other side of the bridge there are "no through road" signs just before the bridge. So though no signs as at the other end its clear they don't want people driving through. I suspect the Google Street view car drivers have a map of the route they have to stick to and any restrictions like this will be marked. Looking at the street view "view" at the bridge end he seems to have done a three point turn judging by those little arrows!

Oh well, not worth bothering watching this year, then... Again...

People are still buying Hornby's Railroad range... Railroad gives you some detail and is numbered/named but not the level of detail of the rest of the range. Granted people are still buying the expensive stuff, but perhaps that's because there isn't a railroad version. There's a market for both ends of the detailing/cost scale, it depends on who you ask whether the amount of detail is enough or too much. On RMWeb I'd expect the former to be more popular, the same for collectors, but there are lots of people out there who don't want of need the e level of detail we see on a lot of current offerings. Horses for courses.

Here's me thinking that "Railroad" models were just the simple ones! I suspect most people would be quite happy with railroad levels of detail, even they are far more detailed than we had in the 50s-70s, then the manufacturer could sell the extra detailing separately! I rather think that it's DCC that seems to be bumping up the costs these days, though...

It's a residents only street, this is from the other end of the road: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5868136,-3.7758335,3a,75y,139.41h,77.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sApA98C4bPzkqSr02gs3Anw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DApA98C4bPzkqSr02gs3Anw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D64.33809%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

From what I remember drain covers came loose long before ground effect came into being...

I agree with that, and someone on FB has already made some lower quadrants. It's more something that Peco would do of the major manufacturers but hasn't done yet though I'm sure they said they would. I just need upper quadrants! Some people on FB have used N scale ones (Dapol?) but they don't look very good in my eyes, same as using Metcalf N which some people seem quite happy with.

Driving on the right as well!

Talking of which, some of you may remember that we were having trouble getting our new 5 year old rescue cat to use the catflap. Well, 14 months down the line we left her outside on Sunday when we went out for the day (she wanted out!) and when we came back she was inside! She's now coming back in via the flap but we're still struggling to get her to use it going out, last night at 0130 I pointed her in it's direction and she went through without any help, so here's hoping! I thought it might take a while but not this long!!

But comes in smaller chunks... :)

None of ours have either. My Mum used to say that when going to see a cat always watch and see whether it cleaned itself before deciding which one to take.

Sign of things to come? https://www.planetf1.com/news/bizarre-scenes-38-drivers-disqualified-valencia-qualifying-session-formula-winter-series

It's so the driver has an aiming point when they go into a corner behind another car! ;)

If I was forced into a choice (and I mean forced!) and wanted it as a "daily", I'd choose the Moggie, but with disc brakes and 1300 engine/5 speed 'box upgrades. As a "classic" and just for shows/days out the A35, though I would have preferred the A40 but you didn't list it! None of them are cars I'd choose out of choice, though. You looking at one, Alastair?

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Ahhhh! You spoil them!! 😂

Not a lot regarding the 37/47, they are still there, just the way of announcing forthcoming models with set dates is ending (the "phases"), which perhaps isn't a bad thing and it also allows them to be more flexible such as launching a loco not planned initially (the much needed 0-6-0T for instance). I'm 100% certain they are not cooling on the scale, it's just that they've been caught out by the demand for it and as others have said they've probably had to do extra runs of the earlier stuff which they didn't expect which has then put back later releases (manufacturing slots), which is also linked to the "set in stone" dates in the phases and the grief they've been given on Social Media and forums about slippage of the dates. All in all things seem positive but I suspect they'll have to do a lot of future planning, perhaps even taking manufacturing slots from their 00 range or adding more in to keep the momentum going.

I suspect he's from the estate just down the road so shouldn't be too hard to find. I couldn't decide if he was giving the train driver the finger or if the guy in the car had said something! Whatever, both car drivers will have said some choice words about him as they'd have been sitting there for a few minutes longer whilst the train driver is on the radio to the signalman!

I wondered about that, if it had been stopping I'd have expected it to stop before it started to cross the crossing, the 172 brakes always seem quite good to me, so it may well have been a non stop. Looking at a cab ride you can see the crossing a few hundred yards before it's reached and the line speed isn't that high. 22:30 onwards on this video, though by the look of it from a Voyager so slightly better view. Could be either, if it'd been one of the steel trains, though...

Blakedown, released recently by NR: https://www.itv.com/news/central/2024-02-15/dog-walker-pushes-through-barriers-at-level-crossing-as-train-slams-on-brakes

Looks like that one they did in Top Gear, but that was a Panda.