RFS

I don't understand how this works - it says "this item is out of stock". He has dozens more mundane books at the same price! In fact he has 256,308 items listed, but only 6 completed listings.

And saying "email for more info, timewasters will not be tolerated" is a real turn off ...

The description said it was weathered by TMC. Really? I don't recall them doing Hornby-Dublo stuff. And what TMC do weather is to a better standard than this.

Well it's free postage for UK bidders, so if you do decide to splash the cash you could save a fortune by collecting in person!

I can heartily recommend the NCE Switch-8 for Tortoises. The outputs easily cope with 2 turnouts forming a crossover - in fact I have one Switch-8 on my main station throat that has 15 Tortoises connected and there's never been a problem in 2 years. I've got 65 motors using a Lenz system, and (as Suzie said) power draw is minimal with one motor drawing much less power than a coach with lights.

It's probably no accident that all of these dodgy storage roads don't have any stock. With all the boards being 8ftx4ft it's most unlikely the layout is portable: any buyer will probably have to strip the layout in which case it's worth the second-hand value of its components which is going to be nowhere near the asking price.

Not as much as this guy! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-Williams-BAC25479-On30-Baldwin-Forney-DCC-Pntd-Unlet-/321088682489?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4ac26079f9

Within Maunsell sets I use the Roco coupling - similar to the Hornby one, but shorter, and means the ends touch on straight track. On the ends of the sets I use Kadees. The close-couplings supplied by Hornby with the Maunsells are longer than the Roco ones but work extremely well with the Bachmann MK1s.

He probably did have a BIN of £325 as well as a start price for an auction. However, once someone bids, the BIN option is removed automatically.

A bit steep indeed! Even our friend "Gostude" is undercutting him by half! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRFIX-GMR-54347-SHELL-20-Ton-PETROL-TANKER-WAGON-2373-MINT-BOXED-py-/330893343095?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4d0ac7b977

You don't even need to waste 10p - all the Meccano Magazines are freely available online - http://meccano.magazines.free.fr/

I did fancy employing a large amount of modeller's licence and using a CEP trailer to make a 3-car unit, as some class 207s were so configured for a while - eg http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/class207_2.html and also http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/class207_4.html However these units were never anywhere close to being green in this configuration! I must say the extra coach made such a difference to the unit but I've not pursued it. Incidentally, the CEP's lighting circuit is slightly different as its interior lights only worked in one direction, but all the 2H's lights (headcode and interior) displayed correctly through the CEP trailer.

He also has a "pannifer" tank too, and it's even got 1 bid even though it's invisible ....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-G-W-R-loco-pannifer-tank-/231071069882?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item35cce8b6ba

Words fail me! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lima-/281182676517?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4177cb2625

Best decoder to use for these is the NCE Switch-8 which costs around £40 for 8 ports and each port can drive two motors forming a crossover if required. I've got 60+ Tortoises on my layout driven by Switch-8s and all have worked faultlessly for the last couple of years. Once you've used slow-action motors you never want to go back to point bangers again!

A bargain from our friend Gostude? Surely not! But £10 for a Tortoise point motor + connector tab is well below RRP! Grab some if you need them .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CIRCUITRON-800-6000-O-GAUGE-ELECTRIC-POINT-MOTOR-SLOW-MOTION-SWITCH-MACHINE-mv-/360748865896?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item53fe4ed968

I think it's a typo. He previously had the item for sale at £39 with no takers so looks like a bit of finger trouble when he relisted it! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-R354-Class-08-D3010-in-BR-green-MINT-BOXED-/221282246631?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3385731fe7

Registered as a business seller so you would have thought a bit more professional if he's to succeed? But only has 5 feedbacks as a seller in the last 12 months and 2 of those are negative!

Another hugely optimistic seller - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-Gauge-Model-Railway-Station-Building-Damaged-Card-Built-Kit-/200960559722?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2eca2eca6a "This is a OO Gauge station building, built from my father from a card kit. To my untrained eye he has made a good job of it!" I beg to differ....

And now made by Dapol for slightly less .... http://www.ehattons.com/images/products/340pxwide/C037_29306_Qty1_1.jpg

I think Hatton's description is misleading: when they say they've sold all their pre-orders I'm sure it applies to the first batch. It does mention March 2013. They've now got the second batch and it's available on standard order - it does say "more than 10 in stock". I'd contact them - or use the "chat now" to ask.

£55 for a Railroad class 31 that's £44 at Hatton's and which would come with the standard warranty, unlike the Ebay one which is another Australian version judging by the photo!

He's also got a Lima Crab which he claims is "fully DCC ready", but, unlike the wagons, I'm certain this one isn't! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LIMA-PRE-Hornby-MODEL-RAILWAYS-HUGHES-CRAB-LOCOMOTIVE-MINT-IN-BOX-/281152059753?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4175f7f969

Still £5 at Hatton's, or a 6-pack for £25! RRP on the Hornby site is £5.99

Amazing how much grime has managed to stick to the engine when the track it's sitting on is spotless ....