tomparryharry

Build a shed for the layout. That's it. I'm at max. No more 56's, panniers or prairies. The only one I've promised to buy is either the Dapol 63, or the 5101 class. Happy New Year, everyone. Ian.

I'll put this in as a bit of left field..... 19mm gauge track. Shamelessly marketed as 'Super 4'. Happy New Year, everyone!

Point well noted Jason, but I think you understand the situation. I'd guess the marketing skills for model railways needs to change tack, and soon. I might be the only one left in a while.... "Hey! It's dark in here.....!"

That goes back to the change in the social landscape Mike. People do indeed have family days out. Not on trains though. Into the MPV, where either Mum or dad can drive. In fact, more likely mum. That is why railway attractions are so messed up. It's the wrong target audience. I always stick to the mantra. What is your audience? So.... Clean & tidy, enjoyable, interactive, clean toilets clean cafeteria, and reasonably cheap & good quality tea or coffee. Now, I've slipped off topic, but you need to understand your clients first. Get that right, and you're halfway home. X-Box is directly advertised to the family experience. Don't believe me? Look at the telly.... I guess the next big railway thing is where the train set is operated by a games console. Cheers, Ian.

One of the biggest issues with trains (both models & heritage era ) is trying to remain the relevance of trains in an everyday setting. It's not too far away from having the same relevance between a electric motor car, and a road going traction engine. Nice, but really? I'm lucky. I grew up with the social concept. But as we know the social landscape will continue to change. "Ok kids! Put down that MP3! Let's listen to some 78's!" "What? 1978?" You get the idea..... Tough calls on model railways. A diminishing client base, and an ever diminishing niche element. An issue on this forum will occupy a dozen pages about a 'shade of red' with many & varied arguments ensue about a subject, where the only witnesses are well into their dotage. I'm one of them as well..... If you get a rivet wrong on a Western model:- God help you! "I don't know why we're having decimal currency. Why don't they let the old people die first?" It's exactly the same problem with heritage railways. The social element of steam locomotives are long gone. Driving a steamer is now, in fact, a chore. Ask any roster clerk on a heritage line, and if they are honest, they will tell you that manpower element is the hardest part to fill. Sure, you'll get volunteers, but the ones who show up at 2am on a cold, wet day are dying out fast. I know. I'm (once again) one of them. Train rides are ok, but it's the dining trains and special events like Santa that pays the bills. Asking for a niche product, in a niche market, starts to push the desired item into the never-ever land. That folks, is the truth. Production meeting scenario. "Ok team. We've got a new project, to build & sell a Taff Vale 04 class, and a new colour version of My Little Pony". "How many?" Well, they made 40-odd of the original, and we plan a sales quantity of 5,000, at around £165 retail". "My little Pony?" We predict sales around the 15-million quantity, at about £15 retail" No guessing which project gets the green light.... Sorry to be so negative, but I've been at meetings like that. Happy modelling, Ian.

Captain Kernow of this parish has done extensive surgery on said patient....

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Mike, don't despair. The world is alive with possibilities! Working water troughs. An A4, with real aniseed aroma, so you can witness a molten inside bearing first hand. For the over-18's a TTs sound, with real cussing & swearing as the loco rolls along. Fag ends being ejected from 3rd class. Hanson cabs, with real horse dung* *also available for brewery drays, bakers vans, milk floats, & dustcarts.

Is that all you've got? Nice; very nice. I'm not at all envious, you understand..... Happy modelling! Ian.

Like Mark, I tend to agree. Use your chosen screw, and glue it in with your chosen glue/adhesive. Once set, screw out the screw, and it might hopefully provide a seating for you. There is sometimes a strong tendency to overtighten the thread:- "This screw needs extra grip", but sometimes less is more. Best of luck! Ian.

There were a couple of big south Wales smelters back in the 70's One at Risca (can't remember the name) Rheola in the Swansea valley, DiAlloy (John Williams, Cardff & Caerphilly), Metal Alloys (Treforest) and my old factory, Alloy Wheels International (Cardiff). There may have been others, but I wouldn't know. We had 20-ton consignments from Baco as ingots, and cut concast billet from Norsk Hydro. As a result of this, we had a semi-continuous flow to South Wales of Aluminium ingot. Some from Scotland, others from Avonmouth, etc. Some got imported from Egypt, which was awful stuff.... Ian.

We used to have 4 wagonloads of Baco ingots every week, from Scotland to Cardiff. The final delivery being articulated lorry.

That's nice. Everyone deserves a Taff Vale locomotive......

Get another pannier on the job. You know you want to... Apart from the Penygraig branch, and Llantrisant-Pontypridd, I can't think of a 48xx on the South Wales coalfield. Broadly speaking, the South Wales coalfield is bordered by the M4 motorway in the south, and the A465 heads of the valleys road. Bucolic? Well, I did see some grass once, Cardiff Arms Park. "We used to run trips to look at it....." Cheers, Ian.

I'd guess you'll still be stuck with the topfeed. "We're the only game in town, and you're stuck with it, chum". Of course, they might try to prove me wrong, and I will stand to be corrected. Cheers, Ian.

So it is! Thanks for the tip!

Bachmann have, to their credit continue to produce the Western 5-planker, with the number 06515. Other makers do it as well. Hornby, Dapol, etc. A bit disappointed with it, actually. naturally, the wallet remains shut. Cheers, Ian. Edit; Now modelled as a 7 planker, but still with the same number. Must have had a refit! But £20? Phew!

Hello Mike, I've seen the photo of the 16xx working out of Leiners, previously known as Treforest Tinplate. The private siding backed off the down loop at Maesmawr. As you know, the marshalling yard(s) came in two sections; the first being a portion off the down loop, and the second portion being at Willowford. The curvature back from Wilowford took an almighty tight curve, and finally ended up adjacent to the Distillers CO2 plant, and Upper Boat Bridge. There are some excellent photos on the Coflein web pages, with lines of wagons leading back to the Wiggins Teape works. I assumed in later days it would be a 16xx, but I've also assumed the earlier 2021. As I've said, there is a pannier in the photo, near to the Treforest Estate station, but not clear enough to assess which type. I keep meaning to re-visit the area; I've been away for some 30-ish years, so some stuff will have changed. I'd hope that the rails are still embedded, but we shall see. Ian.

You can't really knock Bachmann: their attention to quality is by & large spot on. As a producer, it's their prerogative to release (or not) anything they wish to make. I'd guess they have underestimated the retained popularity of the 57xx-8750 pannier, which is after all, a very good model. E-bay prices remain good, with unscrupulous sellers trying it on with the Mainline model. That is itself, not a bad one either. If you look at the ratio of 8750 to 64xx, you'll see far more 8750 to 64, a bit like real life. It's a tough spot for Bachmann. The development costs can come close to wiping any potential profit they might make from the project. That then has a tendency to increase prices to cover costs. Here's where the problem starts. The increase drives it past the acceptable level of expectation of the product. A normal solution is to hang back, until the market can accept the inevitable price hike. I like the prospect of the 94xx. But it's a rather pleasant conundrum for Bachmann. "Can we sell enough 94xx?" It's a little like mirroring real life, when the introduction of the real thing happened against the backdrop of a sea of existing 8750 panniers. No, I won't knock Bachmann: There must be a pretty tough set of margins to work against. Time is, I feel, the only healer here, so we'll just have to wait. In the mean time, people will still convert the Lima model.... Cheers, Ian.

Yes, I remember the queues from being turned over from Walnut Tree to the down relief.

The standard method was to cut down a length, usually when a rail started 'dropping' at the end. A 60' length became 45', and so on. A severe dropped joint might require 4 lengths of rail to fully recover the affected joint. The railway as a whole always used short lengths of rail for a variety of jobs. Fence posts, sign posts, lintels in buildings, etc. Our neighbours always crashed into my hedge. "Sorry, but don't worry, it'll grow back". The problem stopped when I inserted 2x 6' lengths to protect the street sign. I've got a job in the new year to rebuild the fireplace at home. Naturally, it'll be a short, 5' length of 95lb bullhead....

Sorry, I think that boat has sailed, hit an iceberg.....and sunk. I don't expect to see the 94 before 2023-25. In the meantime, lots of people have woken up to the fact that the Baccy-Lima hybrid is actually a nice little item. Sure, it's out a millimetre here & there, but remember the intended clientele will run this on 16.5mm track... Baccy have said they will retool the 8750 pannier, as the tooling is in dire need of an upgrade. The onus is upon them (should they desire) to turn out an absolute top-notch to fully corner the market. A proper B-set to the same standard is an absolute winner. You can't have too many panniers!

What floats my boat is (are) long lines of 16t minerals, interspersed with the odd 7-plank wagon. The EE type 3 hadn't yet arrived, so my collection is very limited to 56xx, panniers of several types, etc. The track is 4 main lines, with up & down main, and up & down permissive. Every signal on the main was, often or not, a 'double pegged' affair. Jobs would line up at Pontypridd Junction to 'go over' from the down branch main, to the down goods. Although partially permissive, it didn't start properly until Treforest Junction, with a clear down run to Radyr. Blocking back was the norm, and the telephone was going to find out if the next down Aberdare job was a 'good un', or was he being 'turned inside'. Margins were constantly consulted. Will it clear in time? "I've got one blowing up for the board!" A 56xx job from Tymawr comes by, with a good few of the wagons banging their heads off, as the flats on the wheels meet the brake block; the unpegged brake handle jumping up & down in time with the revolution of the wheel. Maesmawr had (ISTR) the demarcation between Radyr & Abercynon jobs, although both sheds covered the diagrams on control jobs. Playing trains? Yes, I guess so really.... Kings were seen on a regular basis, on the packs of playing cards...

For me, it's still wagons: Coal, and then some. Full downhill, empty uphill. The goodly proportion of covered wagons, with any sort of small work. Flour had its own traffic, and, hops. Pontypridd had 2 breweries in recent years, right up 'til the 1960's. Cwmavon,on the Pontypool-Blaenavon line had it's own brewery, which covered a wide area. Meat traffic was widespread. Glamorgan had several slaughterhouses within the county. Although unsavoury, the 'knacker' did horses as well. Ships anchors & chain were covered here as well. Brown Lennox turned out many long-wall face cutters for the coalfield, as well as the Admiralty. I always reckon on researching the local town history first. You'd be sometimes amazed what went on. I'd dearly love to build a layout based upon anywhere between Cardiff & Abercynon, but I know full well I couldn't do it justice, and I'd get frustrated. Sometimes, you need to be true to yourself. However! I've seen many, many layouts & dioramas that will blow your socks off. Inspiration is just around the bend. Some say I am around the bend..... Ian.

So, a king on the down 'Inter City' is a bit too much, then?