alibuchan

The pantograph is a pose able version like the Dapol ones. It doesn’t have a spring like the Farish pantograph so can be se at any height you want Alistair

Graham It is approximately 1.8m. Alistair

I know that we have had the layout in the modeller a couple of times and we do have the pictures especially from the latter shoot a year or 2 ago. One of the Modeller chaps also took a load more photos of the Pendo on the layout at Warley for a future article that they are doing. I might start a thread on here and see if people can add any photos they have to it and I will add all of the Photos I have. On a positive spin, I have had a couple of enquiries about the layout at Warley. So it may be not be retired just yet! Alistair

Kinlet Wharf is still operated by the Wyre Forest MRC. We were planning to retire the layout at the end of the Warlay show as this was when we decided this the club was going to have our new layout ready to go. However this hasn’t happened so we are talking about keeping it out on the circuit until the new one is available. Personally I don’t want to retire it yet as I have 2 Pendolinos and a couple of 321’s coming and I want to play with them! Alistair

As the very happy recipient of a production pendolino to test run for the weekend on Kinlet Wharf, I thought I would do a bit of a review for it. First up the box. Utilising the colours as the previously released TEA tank packaging, it looks very impressive. The 5 car set will be in 1 ‘book set’ pack that I quite similar to those that Kato use, whilst the 9 and 11 will be spread across 2 books, the first book will contain the same 5 cars in as the smaller set with the second box holding either 4 or 6 coaches depending on which version you ordered. This is a pre production box the colours will be the same as each other on the final products. The couplings are a very clever design. You do have to push the cars together quite firmly to couple them up, but this gives you the feeling that they won’t come apart easily, which after 2 days of exhibition running we didn’t have the set split once. I did feel a little apprehensive when trying to couple these up, but I think this was also down to the fact that it wasn’t mine and I didn’t want to cause any damage to the model. With a bit of practice, and from watching Gareth from Rapido doing it with relative ease, I think it will become easier over time. This model has overtaken my CJM 92, as best running model on the layout. It ran faultlessly across our 23 year old track work along with home made point work. Which is much better than some models can achieve even after some adjustments. The power that the 2 driving cars give is very well balanced. I had a go at a bit of a test, I spit the set in half and set them apart using the industry standard of an SPA wagon and turned the power on to 1/4 and ran down approximately 12 foot of the fiddle yard. At the end I put the SPA wagon back in between then and whilst slightly further apart no more than about 4-6mm. It runs very smoothly, and the slow speed control is great. It accelerates cleanly without any sign of a struggle which can’t be said can be said for other models. With plenty of laps completed and many people commenting on how good it looked. I will advise everybody who has got one of these in order, please hold off on making any judgements based on looking at some pictures or videos. Wait until you have it in your hands and on your layout you won’t be disappointed! All in all, I am really looking forward to getting hold of my 2 Pendolinos, the only bad news was that I had to give it up. A huge congratulations to Ben and Mike for pushing this model from the Kickstarter campaign back in November 2014 through to the models about to leave the factory, and to the team at Rapido, Jason, Gareth and everyone else involved in producing this wonderful model.

I have used these. Not cheap but work perfectly. http://www.alurailtech.co.uk/home.html

Any freightliner, DRS, EWS or GBRf (lower numbers) class 66, most liveries of class 60 and EWS class 67s. It all depends on what freight traffic you are modelling. Alistair

Went for a quick (and rather expensive) trip to Invicta on Saturday very impressed with the selection of American models available and the fact that they did have the Athearn Bombardier coaches in stock that I wanted. Very impressed with the shop and the fact it cost me less to go down by train to collect them than the postage was a massive bonus. Will definitely be going back. Once the wallet is out of intensive care! Alistair

It will he next year at the earliest for the N gauge one only because they have just released a new run.

Hate it when that happens. Looks like a cracking set. Alistair

I still think that It just doesnt look right without some sort of yellow panel on the front. Alistair

Another cracking set of photos Jim. 66740 gets about a bit. I grabbed a photo of it coming through Oxford Parkway yesterday morning on a Bicester to Marchwood MOD trip. Hands down, one of the best threads on here.

Nothing set in stone as yet, but some options are being looked at to see if they are feasible. Alistair

Your not looking at the 00 or 0 prices are you? They are all in the same list with not much to separate them. Alistair

There was a proper operational reason which lead to the the handrails being removed and modified on the Chiltern ones (nothing to do with surfing). If I remember correctly, it's something to do with making access difficult for whatever equipment or connector is under those red boxes, when coupled to the MK3s. Alistair

68009 had a major failure 2 weeks ago. 10 and 13 have got bogie spring issues. And 15 is out for exam. 10 and 13 should be back in the next couple of days. This is why 002 and 018 have been top and tailed on the commuter slam door set. 8, 11, 12, 14 are all on the plug door sets. Been an interesting week and a bit. Alistair

So that's an 8, 10, 13. If you would do me a favour and not do any others I may want that would be great. Shutters like this will always have extra details so covering as many bases as feasible seems like the best plan. After all we are meant to me modellers as well where's the fun if we don't change them slightly. Alistair

I'm assuming that the container that was parked outside Dapol HQ today, (pic was posted by one of the staff members on their company account), with a quote of ' I wonder what's in here?' Could tie up with them having being delivered. So could be going to stockists soon. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=271557516598982&id=100012342070339 Alistair

I really shouldn't buy one but I don't think I'm going to be strong enough to resist! Wrong gauge completely but I like the look of it. Not bought a 00 loco in 7 years. But it will look nice on my shelf! God I'm so weak willed

Looks like another one I'm going to have to buy! Good choice Arran, should sell very well. Alistair

Just 00. The N gauge one will be going in for tooling once the 00 is out there. I'm assuming so that they can fix any little issues and make the an Gauge one better Alistair

This had been noted a few pages ago, but the livery is correct from delivery until the past year or so. As my layout is going to be set 2005 to current. I'm just happy that it's a Pendolino! Isn't there only a few that have had the grey door treatment? Alistair

That was the 66 that pushed the 92 and Chinese containers in to the terminal. Alistair

I wondered if it was you that went through Bicester North this morning. Made a change to the stream of units I usually get. Alistair

I would have one of those! Not sure if it's going to make the minimum though Alistair