Portpatrick

I quite agree. In the autumn of 2011 we attended a family wedding reception held in the Palm Court - basically where we we entered the complex at the weekend. Way back in the 1970s, before the fire, I sang in a few major choral concerts in the great hall. In the past I have taken layouts to the show on 2 occasions . It is an extraordinary location. On the first of those I was told to park round the back where the former railway station had been located.

Good Grief. I won't be going there!

Interesting to see comments on the car parks. I drove in at c 8.30 on Saturday and was directed by marshals into what was signed as an exhibitors area. Well I was not going to debate that one. I asked about the parking fee and how to do it and was told it was free. I supposed it might be for exhibitors? I was not going to disillusion him! Anyway up the hill I found a quite short advance ticket holders queue and was in just after 9.30. When ~I left c14.30 I noted the pay point so duly set to . It picked up my car once I had got as far as inputting the opening letters and digits and the machine completed my registration plate, so somewhere an auto reader had noted my arrival, and asked me for the £8 fee. Which I duly paid. This leaves a question in my mind about whether exhibitors were not charged and how that was achieved, as the implication seems to me that if I had not paid I would have received a rude letter! Arriving when I did, I could have been a trader or layout operator. Any way I have never had problems with the principle of paying for car parking. I do though consider that applying the £8 rate after exceeding only 4 hours is a bit excessive.

I already have 10001 which I "made" from a resin body. Cannot really justify and upgrade given the use I would make of it/Them. Though who knows?! I am surprised that the Caledonian sleepers are shown in the first livery. I would have expected them to go for either the Barbie or the Teal. I have a Deerstalker rake in each, using Adam Warr's vinyl sides. And the latest Mk 5 from Revolution.

Having emailed REvolution Support last night with my issues, they replied early this morning. Wow! All credit is due for such a prompt response. We hear so many tales of woe of lousy service, it is right that we draw attention to and commend those who like Revolution make an effort. Firstly they do strongly advice against oiling the wheel bearings in case it restricts the important electrical conductivity. Though as lighting does not bother me much this would not be a major risk. But I will avoid doing it. When I unclipped he axles I did notice some plastic flash in a few of the axle mounts. A careful few passes with my smallest round needle file removed these and the measure certainly helped unstiffen running. As I am only running 4 coaches, not 16 , a little residual stiffness is not likely to bother me. When it comes to the lights automatically coming on again after you start the train from still, this seems to be an quirk of DC operation - they reset themselves. Apparently this does not happen with DCC operation. So I learn from the N Gauge Forum. Ah well!!! What I did find was that the lighting was not overloading the controller and causing the short. I built up a load of three of the four coaches and no problem. On the forth coach I discovered eventually that a short was caused by one of the 4 axles (1 0f 16 in the whole train). I tweaked the wheel spacing and now it all works well. Though by then I had removed the lighting pick ups from the bogie so that coach no longer lights. No matter I have stored them safely. But the lights on the remaining 4 coaches do not short things out. So will try the train again on the club layout next week but we are looking good. No more orders with Revolution at present. But if/when they open the books on the Class 120 DMU I will be ordering 2 - I green and 1 blue. As a modeller of the Scottish scene,I leapt for joy when they announced that project.

My West Highland rake has arrived. It looks truly magnificent. However running is a major problem. I have emailed Revolution support, but if anyone else can add comments/solutions that would be helpful It was quite clear on the club layout when I tried to run these with both a Dapol 73, with Electra Graphics Caledonian vinyl sides and also a Dapol Class 67 in Caledonian livery, that the whole train was drawing too much current. We were using a Morley controller and it was showing red! Running was erratic with either loco. So removing the loco and keeping controller on I used the wand to turn all the lights off. Fine but as soon as I turned power on again with or without a loco on the front, the lights came on again, with erratic running from the loco. At the moment I have a £200 white elephant. So I have 2 questions 1) How do I turn the lights off such that they stay off until/unless I specifically turn them on again. ? Or is there an easy way to disconnect them.? 2) the coaches do not run as freely as, say, Farish coaches. Is it OK to lightly oil the bearings? I do have plastic compatible light oil from good sources. Since I put this question on the N gauge forum and direct to REvolution support I have noted their answer to this issue above and read the guidance on the website which I will follow.

I had a Std 5 73050 on pre order from TMC with value weathering since 2021. It arrived last week. Looks fantastic. Used it a little at the Oxford show last Sunday

They look as amazing as the Blood and Custard if that is possible. Can I justify having a few!

I was a 9.30 visitor on Saturday. Guess I left c 2.15, feeling quite tired by then. Some excellent layouts. Great to see James St in the flesh. A small handful of layouts did in my view have too little action, perhaps not making most use of the facilities modelled. Good to be able to chat to some of the traders and layout owners. As an advanced ticket holder I did not have to pay for the programme. But when seen alongside what some other shows offer, I would have felt it poor value for £1. I agree with comments about seating not being shown on the plan - an unfortunate omission. And frankly there could have been more. For example a couple of rows of chairs behind that screen at the organ end facing the refreshment kiosks. and perhaps a double row in that far left corner of the West Hall. This is an aspect where the organisers can learn from Warley.

The extra half inch radius could well make the difference. On the club layout the tightest 180 curves are c 10.5 ins. But the other 3 main lines are of course wider. Compared to my Tornado from the first release, the issue could as you suggest be made worse by the different tender on the Scottish locos. These have the tender curved at the top a la Stanier. Tornado had the type with cut ins at the top and does not have moulded doors on the front of the sides. It is these which catch on the loco cab side and cause derailment. I have to say that this new loco looks very much better than Tornado. Well done Dapol on that. Tornado had the early grey wheels and cross head screws securing the coupling rods. And the livery looks very pale to me. Firth of Forth looks like my recollection of steam locos at Kings Cross in the early 1960s. My decision now is do I sell Tornado? Or buy the Newman Miniatures 3D printed Clan body and convert it into another Scottish loco?

Having received the E mail from Hattons, I phoned Tim at Arcadia. He was still waiting for his but reserved Firth of Forth for me. He rang with them in on Fri 30th and mine arrived on 31st. A vast improvement on the Tornado I bought 11 years ago from the first release. Only small issue is that the tender design is such that it derails on my run in oval. I use R2 setrak - 10.5 inch radius. The moulded "door" with handrail on the front of the tender fouls with the cab side. Not an issue on my small straight end to end layout. But unless I para this moulding away, on the club layout the loco will be confined to the outer tracks.

I was asking at Warley. Vague answer. I want either Clyde or Forth,

The Bachman stand at Warley had examples of the Std 5 next release. I have one on order from TMC. The discounted price from TMC will be offset by the purchase of their weathering package.

Look forward to my Fort William portion rake

A brilliant announcement. My new multi period layout, Cromarty - steam via green diesel to early blue - will require 2, for running the daily service from Aberdeen. So one each in green and plain blue - I told the nice man at Warley this on Saturday. Meanwhile I have 2 units created out of Minitrix Mk1s with BHE cab ends and a Greenmax chassis. A conversion outlined in the NGS journal some 10 years ago. They do for now.