luke_stevens

It is fun to joke about now but I never want to see the flickering of flames under a layout ever again! Lukr

I don't, and won't, go under their again... Luke

Being under they layout at the time I will NEVER forget that! Luke

Now that would be an exciting layout option! Smoke machine above the entry / exit boards slowly pumping a light smoke/smog/fog onto the layout. It would be SPECTACULAR, but we'd never be invited to another show!!! Luke

The only Mk3 livery avaliable so far is Executive, the blue & grey ones are scheduled for November, despite the power cars already being out. The LMS baggage car is the only thing avaliable and that is in late BR maroon. Hornby are delivering stuff, but it is in an illogical order and way behind schedule. A little healthy competition would be, er, healthy! Luke

And the next think for Paul's shopping list. https://www.nhbs.com/identification-handbook-of-trees-in-northern-china-chinese-book Luke

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_China_Plain_deciduous_forests#:~:text=The plain hosts extensive broadleaf,Daurian birch (Betula dahurica). Just to keep us on track... Luke

But is that the right sort of tree for Northern China? 🤣 Luke

Think about tooling that Hornby already have that can be used for further items: Mk1 Restaurant: the SO/SK and Full Brake are already announced but with out any liveries Streamlined Coronation: same chassis as the Duchess, just a new body tooling Deltic: Hornby already have the class 50 bogies and it would go much better with the late Mk2's than the Cl 50 Class 50 early bodyshell Easy Repaints Cl 50 in Network South East, with Mk1's - for 2026 as the 40th anniversary? Mk1's in blue and gray - would go with late steam as well as diesels 08 in Freightliner / ESW First tooling samples One of the diesels (37/47/31) Gresley teaks coaches 3d print On of the diesels (37/47/31) Collett coaches Train Set 47 with cross country Mk2 coaches There is already so much announced that having a positive progress up-date on half of it would be great :) Luke

There were some other more realistic ones out there but there weren't all the types you needed and at €25 a signal they were rather expensive... https://miniaturmodelle.net/en/1:87-h0/led-signals And, to be honest, we have enough to worry about without trying to interlock the signal operation! Luke

I tried to suggest that before we had signals in the pre-covid era... Luke

Very nice video. Interesting how much better the video is without the background noise! At exhibition the other punters & layouts don't distract, but in a video they do! I would have liked it a bit longer but it is the best I've seen so far :) Luke

And here is the link to the Lincoln Loco's Class 56 body shell, if anyone else is interested... https://lincoln-loco.co.uk/class-56/ Luke

I would like to think MTB would be first, in particular as they already have the correct bogies for the Cl 56... One of the reasons Brush got the initial contract for the Cl 56 is that they already had a Co bogie used for heavy haulage. Originally designed by Sulzer for the Swiss Ae6/6 electric locomotive it was developed into the bogie for the Romanian 060-DA, of which the initial batch were built in Switzerland. The many, many subsequent locomotives were built at the Craiova plant in Romania where the first 56's were constructed. The MTB model would need new side-frames and a longer chassis but it would be a good start. But I believe several MTB models have been produced as commission for other manufactures / shops / retailers. Hopefully someone in he UK is interested enough... Luke

On the branch I can understand, but for the China main and the bidirectional the trains are fire-and-forget. Once a train is away I can't see it until it pokes its head through the endplates or rounds the bend at the far end. Luke

Not sure you'll be able to do that at many shows! But maybe a drape / canopy over the visual parts of the layout to control external light? It worked for Dave Rowe. Luke

When your name is "Heisenberg"? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad Luke

It looks so much better now! Much more detail, much better background (good work Gordon!) and much better lighting rig! May there be many more improvement and many more exhibitions :) Luke

I remember where I was when I heard Mainline we stopping production (In Eames of Kings Cross). Luke

Even the giants in an industry can fall: think PanAm and TWA both international behemoths. I feel incredible sad for the staff there. No-one has a job for life but they must have had a expectation that the job was theirs until they decided to move on. It depressing if the hobby currently cannot support such a major retailer/ manufacturer (commissioner). Hopefully no one else follows in their footsteps. Luke

The "problem" with Rapido is it will mean something, but definitely not what we first think... SR Terrier, Highland terrier, Greyfriers Bobby (terrier)... Was there a Drummond loco class known as a Scots Terrier? Luke

But it misses all the red paint! Should the layout name plate be on a red patch? How do you feel Manchester went? Luke

Hi Mark, I see the level crossing isn't behaving it's self again :( Which day did you go on? Luke

Good to hear! maybe at some point you'll be a bit further south, especially now you've reached international fame through CM! Beijiao (the Chinese layout) had the same sort of wifi issues which is why we went back to corded throttles. Luke

I've finally had time to sit down and read the article :) My introduction to Belgian Railways was a little earlier. My first adult independent holidays was spending 11 days traveling round Belgium by train back in '87. I remember the first night sitting on the end of the platform as Oostende watching a train going to Split in Yugoslavia. Later that week I was on a diesel hauled service and as I got down out of the coach I saw that the brass foot step had "built in 1938" cast into it's surface. And my first trip on double deck stock was one of the M5's in the original maroon; looked lovely but cramped up-stairs. And Nohab's to Dinant! Pleasant memories. Luke