philiprporter

Can't seem to get this layout finished (a common problem I'm sure!) but have managed to get coal loads made for 20 MGRs and I've tried to weather them to replicate the subtle stripes down the sides that come from the rubber wheels that propel the MGRs at the power station (or that's what I think is the cause?). Despite thinking I had overdone it, I'm now thinking that the effect is too subtle? Of course having stripped and cleaned the airbrush I found I had missed one(!) so I may do another misting today. Just need to pluck up the courage to start weathering some locos now!

I've just received my Pendolino - wow it is amazing!! HUGE thanks to Ben and Mike and to all at Rapido and to their amazing employees in China, who must collectively have the patience of a saint to produce such a finely detailed model - its completely amazing!! Roll on Revolution and heres to many more WCML models - fingers crossed for the 321 getting over the line and dreaming one day of a 90 or three and maybe, just maybe classes 81-85?!

Sounds good Dave.

Sounds good to me Dave.

Echoing other posts here, but I could also do without all the bells and whistles, as long as externally all looks good. No tilt is fine as far as I'm concerned and I wouldn't even be too bothered about zero internal detail as long as the window tint is there-I suspect I may be in a minority on that last point, but just to see this amazing train on an n-gauge layout would be a dream come true! I would also not be concerned by not having light bars in coaches. I would also be happy with less choice-2 sets one black window one full yellow with a couple of length options? I have to confess to being a little bewildered and confused by the choice offered and did um and err a bit when I saw the prices. Despite only modelling in n gauge I have also gone for a OO version simply because this is such a beautiful and iconic train. I'm really hoping that some tweaks to what's on offer in n gauge can make this a reality.

Looks great Jeremy!! What did you use to form the OHLE round the jig? I haven't dared try to fold mine yet!!

I was lucky enough to visit 'Euston' and see Jeremy's layout in the flesh last weekend. What an inspiration! I thought the track work and the resprays looked good in the pictures here, but they look even better in real life!!! This is going to be an epic layout and I can't wait to see it grow and develop - and seeing it in the flesh has really inspired me to crack on and do some modelling! Great job Jeremy and a real pleasure to meet you!

Yes and it is in that region - about 0.5mm or less - meshes and turns the wheels when upside down on the workbench and on the layout when not pulling or pushing anything, add a few coaches and the mesh isn't sufficient to drive the wheels properly. This isn't a Dapol issue, its a joker on a well known auction site having tinkered with something they don't fully understand and then trying to pass it off as "new and unused" - and give me Dapol gears any day over Farish and all the splitting issues!

Thanks for the help everyone. I've managed to sort the problem now. Some clown had removed the wheelsets from the front bogie and then reinstalled them the wrong way round. This had me puzzled because there was just enough 'mesh' to have them turn on the work bench under power and have me scratching my head, but under load on the layout they slip and fail to mesh fully, hence the lack of haulage power, as only one bogie was being powered properly. Swapped them out and put them back the right way and all is good. So much for the "brand new and unused" description on a well known auction site!! Thankfully I paid a sensible price rather than a "brand new and unused" price! I have to confess to being suspicious when the set arrived and the L shaped plastic clip that holds the power car in place on new Dapol HST sets was holding a MK3 coach in place! Buyer beware and a lesson learned!

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced haulage issues with their Dapol HSTs? I've managed to get hold of a brand new Virgin set and have run the power car in for an hour - no issues. However, couple it up to a rake of MK3s and it will only shift them (pushing or pulling) with much wheel spinning and no ability to get round even large radius curves. I'm guessing it could be my track, but I couple up a Farish 87 to the rake and it pushes and pulls the whole lot no issues - the HST power car does seem rather lighter than the 87, but not massively so. Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, how did you overcome it? Do I need to think about retro-fitting traction tyres? There seems virtually no space for additional weight in the body? Any suggestions much appreciated. Thanks, Phil.

Thanks Lez thats really helpful! I can borrow a compass-clinonometer from work which will give me the angle and as luck would have it, I have to travel to Manchester in the not-too-distant future! Lets hope I don't get too many strange looks or attract the attention of the local bobby!!

Not much progress to report I'm afraid, although I have been busy buying components (colour light signals, OHLE, Redutex red brick 'papers' for the Refuge Building etc.) and got sidetracked with my first attempts at respraying stock after being inspired by Cornish Trains Jez of this parish (see this amazing thread! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/98901-this-is-euston/ ) - its addictive but does prevent progress on other things!! At least this pair will look at home on the new layout

Revolution class 91, MK4s and DVT - now that is an EXCELLENT idea!!!

Mine arrived yesterday from Sheffield having been held at the PO for a few days - I don't use DCC, but even on DC the sound is just amazing!! I wasn't expecting much given the tiny size of the speaker in an n-gauge model and the fact that with DC the sound options are limited, but WOW is an understatement! If Farish produce more sound-fitted models that work on DC I shall be flexing the credit card again for sure! It seems an incredible bargain - a fantastic model of a class 40 and with a sound chip and a speaker, all for less than £200! Great stuff Graham Farish!

I'm wondering if this model breaks the all time record for duration of time between announcement and arrival in shops? How many years has it been now??

Shrink ray applied to class 85 please. 310/312 would be amazing but highly unlikely!

Nostalgic bliss Runs round tight fiddle yard curves and my uneven track without a hitch - fantastic.

Apologies for the less than ideal mobile phone shot, but here she is! First impression = WOW! Will take some shots on Standedge Tunnel later and post them here - happy days!

Fantastic news! 100% in and time to start saving!

Blue class 40 on its way to me from Sheffield today apparently - happy days!!

Apologies if I have missed this, but have Farish confirmed what elements of the sounds will work on DC?

Thanks Graham - just had a look and it seems clearer than Google Earth so thanks for that tip. One issue I'm not quite sure how to overcome is working out the height of buildings - the 'eye' height in Google Earth gives a measure but I suspect its not that accurate?

This could come in handy as look which building is at the top of the page!!.... https://manchesterarchiveplus.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/blueprints-of-a-city-manchesters-architectural-plans/

Given that Standedge Tunnel is almost complete (will post a few 'finished' pictures in a couple of weeks all being well) I've decided to start planning a new project. I lived in Manchester for a few years in the 1990s and was always captivated by the insanely long double-headed class 86 hauled freightliner trains rattling slowly across the bridge over Oxford Road. Plenty of that still going on today and with Pendolinos making the back street journey to Piccadilly on occasions and all manner of other traffic it seemed like a great location to model. I'm also wanting to do something a little unusual in that the viewer will look at the layout lengthways as if standing in the middle of the road looking towards the centre of Manchester and will only see trains as they head across the bridge; so the layout will be deeper than it is wide. Trains in the landscape is what I'm looking for - but in this case an urban landscape and that sensation you have in many urban areas of only getting brief glimpses as trains weave their way through the urban jungle. I was inspired to take up n-gauge modelling by the wonderful urban n-gauge models and layouts of Graham Hedges and so thought I had better try and tackle an urban setting, as in my view, this is much more challenging modelling than the rolling scenics of Standedge Tunnel. The wonderful Refuge Assurance Building (Palace Hotel and now the controversially re-named Principal Hotel) is going to be a big, big challenge and I guess will be the centrepiece of the layout, but I'm also looking forward to modelling the slightly grotty archway areas under the running lines and some wonderful urban buildings such as the Salisbury Pub. The station throat trackwork and the start of the platforms will be modelled but that will be all. The view up the road to central Manchester will be a photographic backscene and it will hopefully 'work' as you have the Manchester Central Library blocking the view and creating a natural 'end' - looking south, its more open and I don't think would work as well. The buildings will extend as far as the end of the Refuge Building, so will include the Cornerhouse. The southern limit will be where the River Medlock crosses under the road to the west. I'm never quite sure whether I'm allowed to post Google Earth images, but hopefully this description makes some sort of sense. Here is a full-size mock up of the area (imagination needed! The tan areas are buildings) - although some space on the right needs adding and some space on the left needs taking away so that Oxford Road is dead centre. OHLE portals have been ordered as well as some colour light signals. I hope this can come together a little quicker than Standedge tunnel and I have to say that I'm quite excited about how this may turn out - fingers crossed and I blame Revolution trains for all this (KFAs, Pendolinos etc!) and Dapol's excellent class 86 and soon to come Pacer - too many WCML/NW tempters there!

Many thanks Ben - could you let me know how I do that? Should I just order the KFAs from scratch and email Mike to cancel the PFA order? Cheers, Phil.