Exclusive OO Gauge Class 89 produced by Accurascale

[PaulRhB 19,492]

3 hours ago, 60800 said:

IMO Rails has sat on this too long,

Well they haven’t actually lost anything by not moving on the public info have they? If anything it gives more time to spread the news in a year where they don’t have as many other outlets to promote it at shows. I spread the news to a couple of non Rmweb friends who hadn’t heard about it because they hadn’t got to shops to pick up their normal mags as sources of info. 
They will decide if it’s viable and no one is suffering financially from the wait as they haven’t taken deposits, surely the piggybank has more time to acclimatise too  

I put in my Eoi on the version I favour but I’d switch to the other intercity option if my first choice wasn’t viable. Fingers crossed it all goes ahead. 

Edited January 7 by PaulRhB

[Sir TophamHatt 5,074]

Which surprises me as:

 

Accurascale could re-use a lot of the info / stuff from the 92s.

 

If Rails want to make a go of this, get some marketing out there.

[TomScrut 1,965]

21 minutes ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

Accurascale could re-use a lot of the info / stuff from the 92s

 

I think that's said in the announcement of the EOI isn't it?

[7013 1,457]

I suppose there are a couple of things here, the longer we write about it, the longer it is kept at the forefront and the more chance of people expressing interest. Of course with no firm commitment, some people, especially if you have to save for a particular model, may decide in the absence of any news to use those funds for other models. There must be a point where the upward curve of interest flattens out and a decision has to be made, Its coming up to 8 months since the first announcement, one would think that amount of time would be enough. Of course the other factor is the modellers who would like to commit but work is being hampered by the uncertainty of Covid-19 and things like furlough/unemployment, with model railways taking a back seat to normal living expenses...strange times indeed

[adb968008 10,737]

i’d imagine most orders arrive in the first 90 days anyway. 
Certainly enough to give an indication.

Edited January 15 by adb968008

[ac1874 84]

Surely someone from Rails must be reading this thread? It has been 8 months now, surely you can either put us out of our misery or tell us how we can help promote the model?

[YesTor 1,023]

On 07/01/2021 at 13:46, MGR Hooper! said:

I still don't think it's something Hornby will touch.  

 

Let's hope not.  After all, do we really want an 8-PIN Class 89... 

 

Al

[InterCity80s 56]

I'd rather an 8-Pin Class 89 than no Class 89, personally.

[TomScrut 1,965]

1 hour ago, InterCity80s said:

I'd rather an 8-Pin Class 89 than no Class 89, personally.

 

Unfortunately that's the compromise I am having to make with 91, 60s, HSTs and the like.....

[jools1959 1,630]

18 hours ago, ac1874 said:

Surely someone from Rails must be reading this thread? It has been 8 months now, surely you can either put us out of our misery or tell us how we can help promote the model?

They could be awaiting a production slot at the factory before making a formal announcement.

[ac1874 84]

34 minutes ago, jools1959 said:

They could be awaiting a production slot at the factory before making a formal announcement.

Could be, but you'd have thought they would provide some sort of update. Otherwise risk people spending their budget on something else.

[mdvle 2,908]

4 hours ago, ac1874 said:

Could be, but you'd have thought they would provide some sort of update. Otherwise risk people spending their budget on something else.

 

I don't think there is much worry of that, if it does go ahead (or already is going ahead with nothing being said yet) there will still be plenty of advance warning as I would guess Rails of Sheffield would want to show a sample to generate sales prior to booking a production slot - there being more people willing to actually order a definite project rather than do an expression of interest.

 

 

[MGR Hooper! 3,383]

21 hours ago, YesTor said:

 

Let's hope not.  After all, do we really want an 8-PIN Class 89... 

 

Al

 

TBH a large portion if the market wouldn't be bothered about it. If they were actually bothered by it, either Hornby wouldn't be around today or Hornby would've updated to 21-pin a long time ago... 

 

An 8-pin DCC socket only bothers the "real modellers", many of whom can be found on online forums that are dedicated to modelling, these forums do not represent the vast majority of the hobby. 

[Roy Langridge 2,926]

3 hours ago, MGR Hooper! said:

 

TBH a large portion if the market wouldn't be bothered about it. If they were actually bothered by it, either Hornby wouldn't be around today or Hornby would've updated to 21-pin a long time ago... 

 

An 8-pin DCC socket only bothers the "real modellers", many of whom can be found on online forums that are dedicated to modelling, these forums do not represent the vast majority of the hobby. 

Hmm, doesn’t a real modeller convert from 8pin to 21pin? That is what I do. I have 21pin 31s, 33s, 45s, 46s, 56s, 153s... I also have Next18 class 17s. All started life as 8pin.

I think the necessity for 21pin is there more from those who want increased play value, not from those who model. 

 

Roy

[TomScrut 1,965]

3 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

Hmm, doesn’t a real modeller convert from 8pin to 21pin? That is what I do. I have 21pin 31s, 33s, 45s, 46s, 56s, 153s... I also have Next18 class 17s. All started life as 8pin.

I think the necessity for 21pin is there more from those who want increased play value, not from those who model. 

 

If they can be bothered (which is my issue at the moment), mostly because the 8 to 21 pin conversion on Hornby isn't the awkward part it's the wiring of the LEDs being common ground. TBH even with 21 pin fitted sometimes the functionality is limited although it does make rewiring more straightforward. I have had to rewire my 21 pin Bachmann 37s and 70s to have independent lighting.

 

Although it does come down to what is regarded as skills a modeler would/should have too.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of people who would regard themselves as modelers who would't be making electrical modifications to a loco. I on the other hand don't bat an eyelid at getting my soldering iron out but wouldn't tend to make modifications to the exterior of locos unless they were wrong to begin with.

[No Decorum 2,557]

5 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

Hmm, doesn’t a real modeller convert from 8pin to 21pin? That is what I do. I have 21pin 31s, 33s, 45s, 46s, 56s, 153s... I also have Next18 class 17s. All started life as 8pin.

I think the necessity for 21pin is there more from those who want increased play value, not from those who model. 

 

Roy

It isn’t only that Hornby uses 8 pin. The limited functions are odd. For example, I would have thought that it would be much more desirable to be able to switch the tail lights off than to be able to switch between day and night headlights. On the 87s, the cab light is odd as well. It’s not controllable through a decoder (not the one I’ve managed to fit anyhow) but it comes on and stays on when daytime lighting is selected by means of a switch under the loco but it doesn’t operate when night lighting is selected. I like cab lights but I think better none at all than an odd arrangement like this. All I can say in the favour of the arrangement is that at least the cab light is directional.

 

Play value, perhaps, but good lighting adds to realism.

[Roy Langridge 2,926]

6 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

It isn’t only that Hornby uses 8 pin. The limited functions are odd. For example, I would have thought that it would be much more desirable to be able to switch the tail lights off than to be able to switch between day and night headlights. On the 87s, the cab light is odd as well. It’s not controllable through a decoder (not the one I’ve managed to fit anyhow) but it comes on and stays on when daytime lighting is selected by means of a switch under the loco but it doesn’t operate when night lighting is selected. I like cab lights but I think better none at all than an odd arrangement like this. All I can say in the favour of the arrangement is that at least the cab light is directional.

 

Play value, perhaps, but good lighting adds to realism.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not being derogatory by saying play value - I love have all the right lighting modes on my models. It is all part of recreating the past.

Roy

[TomScrut 1,965]

27 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

Play value, perhaps, but good lighting adds to realism.

 

It's actually more important when a train is moving at speed than a lot of the other details manufacturers and modellers strive to perfect.

 

A Bachmann 66 tootling around with 1 headlight and the top marker on sticks out like a sore thumb compared to a Hattons one with proper markers.

[YesTor 1,023]

On 26/01/2021 at 03:54, Roy Langridge said:

Hmm, doesn’t a real modeller convert from 8pin to 21pin?

 

 

Some will, naturally, but as others have said it surely depends on the skills of the individual?  There will of course be those who are competent at many areas of modelling, however many appear to naturally gravitate toward one or two specific areas or subjects to 'master' - one may be the best-on-the-block with an airbrush, woodworking, or whatever, but absolutely rubbish at electronics... 

 

I've had many a conversation with individuals at exhibition layouts and paid compliment on what have clearly been highly professional standards of modelling (whether it be painting, scenics etc), only then to ask the same person a question regarding say, electronics or woodworking, for which the reply may often be, "Oh, that's so-and-so's department, screwdrivers and the like aren't my thing..."

 

I guess we can't all be good at everything... 

 

Best

Al

Edited January 28 by YesTor