More model ideas

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

General question: does anyone currently offer a decent BR brake van (any region) with kinetically mounted close-coupling NEM pockets? Short of going to a shop and opening boxes, it's very difficult to find out as catalogues (printed and online) and magazine reviews rarely mention this information.

In a word, no.

 

With very few exceptions (Bachmann-TMC 24.5 ton minerals / double bolsters / plate wagons, and Accurascale 21T minerals, kinetic couplers aren't generally a thing on 4-wheeled UK wagons. Possibly a few more modern prototypes, but that's not an area I follow. Several LWB NPCCS vehicles have them; Bachmann-made (some as commissions) SR CCT and PMV, BR Horsebox and CCT.

 

The usual OO fitment is an NEM pocket with a bit of flexibility, but they don't "grow" on curves so you can't have buffers touching. However. it's usually not difficult to take the basic NEM pockets and bases off and fit Symoba kinetic mounts (basically the same as the Gutzold ones you can't get any more) in their place. Cost adds up if you have too many to do, though. 

 

With Kadees I aim for a gap of 5mm under tension which isn't obvious at normal viewing distances and is much closer than what can be done using tension locks.

 

John

Edited December 24, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Dunsignalling]

Easily the two lowest hanging fruit and either/both should sell in 3-packs by the truckload:

 

LMS post-1930 fitted vans. Very numerous right through to the BR Blue era and the nearest anybody has ever got to a decent RTR one was Airfix in 1977.

 

Air Ministry (WW2) pattern tank wagon. Loads built and more potential liveries than you can shake a stick at.

 

John

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[TravisM]

How about a 4-SUB?

[TomScrut]

On 24/12/2021 at 12:58, Dunsignalling said:

kinetic couplers aren't generally a thing on 4-wheeled UK wagons.

 

I think part of it must be down to weight. Kinematics can pull the wagon about and so with a small light wagon (as most 4 wheelers are) you'd probably get more complaints about them coming off the tracks than how close the coupling is.

[Dunsignalling]

12 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I think part of it must be down to weight. Kinematics can pull the wagon about and so with a small light wagon (as most 4 wheelers are) you'd probably get more complaints about them coming off the tracks than how close the coupling is.

Cuts both ways; unless the wagon weighs getting on for 50g, kinetics are reluctant to budge off their central parking position, making them fairly pointless.

 

Most of my 4-wheeled stock that came with them now has #141 or #146 Kadees which behave much more consistently and look neater than the NEM sort.

 

John

Edited December 27, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[CazRail]

After spending a few minutes looking at photos of Penmaenmawr, I suggest the Railtrack green JNA wagons...

[Dogmatix]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

Cuts both ways; unless the wagon weighs getting on for 50g, kinetics are reluctant to budge off their central parking position, making them fairly pointless.

 

Most of my 4-wheeled stock that came with them now has #141 or #146 Kadees which behave much more consistently and look neater than the NEM sort.

 

John

Funny how pretty much all European HO wagons, including four-wheelers, come with kinetic coupling mounts which work perfectly well.

[Dunsignalling]

14 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

Funny how pretty much all European HO wagons, including four-wheelers, come with kinetic coupling mounts which work perfectly well.

You are ignoring the British addiction to sloppy tension lock couplings, though. Continental wagons are usually twice the length of ours, too.

 

Small OO wagons seldom weigh much over 30g and opens often under that. You need 2 or 3 coupled before the CCUs react to them other than by the buffers acting as a fulcrum and tending to derail the lightest vehicle.

 

Excellent on 150g coaches but, all too often, something of a pain on anything lightweight that's going to get shunted in my experience.

 

John 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Covkid]

6 hours ago, CazRail said:

After spending a few minutes looking at photos of Penmaenmawr, I suggest the Railtrack green JNA wagons...

IIRC these started up the Virtual quarry idea back in the 1990s and the ones we had used to run from Bescot to Stud Farm and back.  They were reckoned to be Railtrack green, as were the FLHH class 66/5 which also started delivery about then.  some folk reckoned Railtrack wanted to break Ed Burkhardt's monopoly of infrastructure trains hence FLHH being Railtrack green livery - but was it ?

 

08623 | 08623 on a rake of Railtrack bogie wagons at Bescot … | Flickr

I believe those first VQ box wagons weren't a lot of cop and new batches replaced them. 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by Covkid

[Dogmatix]

On 27/12/2021 at 20:46, Dunsignalling said:

Small OO wagons seldom weigh much over 30g and opens often under that. You need 2 or 3 coupled before the CCUs react to them other than by the buffers acting as a fulcrum and tending to derail the lightest vehicle.

 

I have a dozen Roco 4-wheel open wagons, 9.7cm long, weighing 36g (without load), with close-coupling mounts. They are coupled using Roco couplers or Symoba coupling bars. They do not derail or misbehave, even when being pushed or pulled, all together or in pairs, over a tight reverse curve with a Peco short Y-point. Just saying.

[Dunsignalling]

27 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

I have a dozen Roco 4-wheel open wagons, 9.7cm long, weighing 36g (without load), with close-coupling mounts. They are coupled using Roco couplers or Symoba coupling bars. They do not derail or misbehave, even when being pushed or pulled, all together or in pairs, over a tight reverse curve with a Peco short Y-point. Just saying.

Sounds like the consistency of having factory-fitted CCUs may make them behave better than the ones I added myself.

 

I've never had any trouble with bogie stock, and only occasional issues with long 4-wheelers so long as they weighed 50-60g but lightweight short wagons gave me enough grief to make me give up on the idea! 

 

John

[TomScrut]

14 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

I have a dozen Roco 4-wheel open wagons, 9.7cm long, weighing 36g (without load), with close-coupling mounts. They are coupled using Roco couplers or Symoba coupling bars. They do not derail or misbehave, even when being pushed or pulled, all together or in pairs, over a tight reverse curve with a Peco short Y-point. Just saying.

 

A slightly ignorant question here, but how much are those wagons compared to the average open in our market?

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

This is more of a prediction of what I think Accurascale will announce and produce in the future rather than a wishlist. However, at the same time I would like to see all of these models produced, as I think the ones that are already available from other manufacturers are outdated and are in need of upgrading. 

 

These models are: Class 31, Class 43 (HST), Class 50, Class 175, Class 180, Class 185, the Electrostar family, and the FL MWA box wagons. 

 

I would certainly like to see GBRf 50007 & 50049 produced in their current GBRf guises, with at least 21 Pin DCC technology, using the correct colours, with the details of both individual locos modelled, detail bags supplied with the appropriate bits to detail each loco, with nameplates supplied, and with the correct cab end/nose shape. The Hornby models released in 2020 used the limited 8 Pin DCC technology, the incorrect GBRf blue, the details of the individual locos were not modelled, the appropriate detailing parts for each loco were not present in the detailing bags, and the cab end/nose shape is considered to be inaccurate by modellers and collectors. With all of this in mind I opted not to buy the Hornby models because I felt that their were too many errors and inaccuracies for models costing around £180 each, with the RRP discount. I thought that holding off would be a good idea as we would likely see a retooled 50 in the near future. Please prove me right Accurascale, because I would love this pair of 50s...

 

Going back onto my list above I can certainly see Accurascale producing most if not all of those models. 

 

Kind Regards, 

 

Danny. 

Edited January 2, 2022 by DRS Crewe On A Mission

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

Also, with Fran confirming a couple of weeks ago that their are at least 20 newly tooled models to be announced, I surely have to be right that at least some of my predictions will be correct. If I'm way off the mark, I am really intrigued as to what is going to be announced. 

 

Kind Regards, 

 

Danny. 

Edited January 2, 2022 by DRS Crewe On A Mission

[frobisher]

If (conjecture) Accurascale are actively considering an HST set (in whatever variations) then the early low hanging fruit of the MK3 LHS has to be the sleepers because

1. Oxford hasn't got around to messing those up yet
2. Hornby seem reluctant so far to improve beyond the warmed over Lima ones
3. It's complimentary stock for the Class 92 and potential 73/9
4. It doesn't require other matching LHS MK3s to be used prototypically

Oh, and the Class 06

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

Hi all,

I've not read through every page of this thread,so apologies if I'm repeating any previous suggestions.

 

PAA Tullis Russell clay hopper

PXA Powell Duffryn bogie steel carrier

and,maybe a real outsider,a wagon produced by Triang I had among my first few wagons as a child:

the three-container wagon...

The Accurascale wagons I have bought so far(Hop24 and Coil A) are just fabulous,I'm looking forward to seeing what's next...

This was said at the same stage last year,but let's hope for a better year ahead,HNY to all.

Neil.

[Metr0Land]

Has anyone mentioned a GWR Fruit D in this thread?  GWR brown, BR crimson and maroon and blue, so plenty of longevity.

[Dogmatix]

I'd like to see Accurascale develop their Class 73 to include earlier versions, like Rail Blue (without headlight & orange cantrail) and green versions. I'm sure they could improve on Dapols versions.

 

Another popular model could be a Class 35 Hymek. Heljan's version could easily be improved upon.

 

As for wagons: some ferry wagons would be good, continental ones as well as the BR "Through to the Continent by British Rail" ones. The Hornby one is rather dated.

[Dunsignalling]

3 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

I'd like to see Accurascale develop their Class 73 to include earlier versions, like Rail Blue (without headlight & orange cantrail) and green versions. I'm sure they could improve on Dapols versions.

 

Another popular model could be a Class 35 Hymek. Heljan's version could easily be improved upon.

 

As for wagons: some ferry wagons would be good, continental ones as well as the BR "Through to the Continent by British Rail" ones. The Hornby one is rather dated.

AIUI, Heljan have already intimated that a revised Hymek is on the way. The existing one has migrated to Bachmann's EFE conglomeration.

 

Correction: The Hornby Ferry Van is EXTREMELY dated.

 

John

[Wickham Green too]

3 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

... some ferry wagons would be good, continental ones as well as the BR "Through to the Continent by British Rail" ones. The Hornby one is rather dated.

I'd love some dated ferry wagons .............. pre-war dated and early post-war dated would suit me perfectly !

[wairoa]

I know, absolutely, that I can speak for all model train enthusiasts everywhere when I say WE ALL without exception would dearly love to see a new high spec. Class 60 in OO.  

Edited January 3, 2022 by wairoa

[BR Blue]

9 minutes ago, wairoa said:

I know, absolutely, that I can speak for all model train enthusiasts everywhere when I say WE ALL without exception would dearly love to see a new high spec. Class 60 in OO.  

It would not be anywhere near the top of my list. There is not much wrong with the Hornby one. The lighting control features under DCC could be better (as with all Hornby diesels) but I cannot see how any manufacturer would do a new one. 

[newbryford]

12 minutes ago, wairoa said:

I know, absolutely, that I can speak for all model train enthusiasts everywhere when I say WE ALL without exception would dearly love to see a new high spec. Class 60 in OO.  

 

Don't lump me in with "WE ALL".

 

What's wrong with the Hornby 60?

As much as Hornby are off my Xmas card list, the only thing wrong with the current 60 is the lack of lighting functions (and it's way better than a Bachmann 66 on that front) - and coupler if using the kinematic mount.

 

Easily, still in the top 3 RTR 00 diesels ever made.

 

 

 

[KDG]

^ with Dapol 68 and Hattons 66?

[newbryford]

3 minutes ago, KDG said:

^ with Dapol 68 and Hattons 66?

 

Possibly.....

(Waits to incur the wrath of the SLW 24/25  fans.....)