Hornby: A Model World

[Captain Kernow]

14 hours ago, SamThomas said:

Further to that can anybody tell me why sprung buffers are considered so desirable ? They never appear to use their abilities, especially with the abscence of close coupling mechanisms on so many locomotives.

The main benefit,I find, is when using scale link couplings. Sprung buffers can then compress like the real thing, when shunting, propelling etc.

 

[Mike_Walker]

16 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

I don't quite get the current fetish for firebox glow. Except when actually firing, the firebox doors should be closed, so having a continuous glow is just plain wrong.

 

John

I agree and it always bugs me that model diesels/electrics run around with their cab lights on.  No driver would even think about it as it would turn the windscreen into a mirror at night!  Would you drive your car with the interior lights on?  I think not.

[RichardT]

I’ve always felt that things like firebox glow, simulated steam, on-board sound, and even working lights (which are always set far too bright for British prototypes) are things which, whilst *appearing* to add more realistic functions in fact only emphasise the toy-like aspects of our models, turning them into caricatures and highlighting how static the rest of the scene is.  A silent model with perhaps some discreet ambient background sounds allows the imagination to work.

 

But YMMV, as they say over the pond.

 

Richard T

[ikks]

On 12/10/2021 at 20:23, LNER4479 said:

 

You might enjoy this brief piece of video then (brief, because it only took 22 seconds to complete a lap). Cross Barry O's palm with silver and he might bring it with him to Doncaster...

 

I luv P4 

Mike

[Not Jeremy]

Fabulous bit of video!

 

Tricky to work into my little end to end though

[ikks]

On 14/10/2021 at 07:30, RFS said:

I started watching the recording of the first episode tonight. My hearing is no longer perfect (I'm 76 now!) and was gutted that there are no subtitles on this series, made worse by loud background music. I  know there have been problems with subtitling on Channel 4 for nearly 3 weeks now, but it looks like the whole of this series will not have them.  Gave up after about 15 minutes.

I sympathise, I too have a hearing issue and contstantly rely on subtitles...........why don't you get a hearing aid they say, I did try, the quote was $7000 for both ears the refund from my health fund $200  not viable for me. The Government won't help so I remain partly deaf.

Mike

 

[RFS]

4 minutes ago, ikks said:

I sympathise, I too have a hearing issue and contstantly rely on subtitles...........why don't you get a hearing aid they say, I did try, the quote was $7000 for both ears the refund from my health fund $200  not viable for me. The Government won't help so I remain partly deaf.

Mike

 

 

Being in the UK I have a couple of standard NHS hearing aids which cost me nothing - perhaps because I'm over 65? Anyway they are made by Siemens and are actually quite good. My problem is I get distorted hearing which I experience even if I remove the aids and turn up the volume (which I can't do when the wife is watching the TV too as her hearing is perfect!). The aids help quite a bit but don't really help with the distortion. 

[melmerby]

5 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

The main benefit,I find, is when using scale link couplings. Sprung buffers can then compress like the real thing, when shunting, propelling etc.

 

I always got the feeling the spring pressure was a bit high for such applications.

It does vary model by model.

[melmerby]

47 minutes ago, RFS said:

 

Being in the UK I have a couple of standard NHS hearing aids which cost me nothing - perhaps because I'm over 65? Anyway they are made by Siemens and are actually quite good. My problem is I get distorted hearing which I experience even if I remove the aids and turn up the volume (which I can't do when the wife is watching the TV too as her hearing is perfect!). The aids help quite a bit but don't really help with the distortion. 

Channel 5 have been apologising regularly for their lack of subtitles but say they are almost ready to re-start.

 

It seems that the fire alarm at Red Bee Media set off some sort of sprinkler system which dumped it's contents on the hard disk arrays, wrecking them.

[RFS]

14 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Channel 5 have been apologising regularly for their lack of subtitles but say they are almost ready to re-start.

 

It seems that the fire alarm at Red Bee Media set off some sort of sprinkler system which dumped it's contents on the hard disk arrays, wrecking them.

 

I understand the fire suppression system is designed to suck all the oxygen out of the room to put out the fire, but when it did so (as a result of a false alarm) it caused a "sonic boom" effect that wrecked all the hard drives. Then the back system failed as well! You would have thought this would have been tested....

 

Not had a problem with Channel 5 - most of the programs have subtitles now, but Channel 4 is saying mid-November to restore them. 

[Ian Hargrave]

2 hours ago, RFS said:

 

Being in the UK I have a couple of standard NHS hearing aids which cost me nothing - perhaps because I'm over 65? Anyway they are made by Siemens and are actually quite good. My problem is I get distorted hearing which I experience even if I remove the aids and turn up the volume (which I can't do when the wife is watching the TV too as her hearing is perfect!). The aids help quite a bit but don't really help with the distortion. 

A suggestion: That you book an appointment with your local NHS hearing clinic to have both your hearing and aids checked ?  It could be that the aids need replacing or that maybe …..as all too frequently happens with mine…..the tubes get earwax blockage. 

[ruggedpeak]

Just watching Ep.2, that steam feature looks excellent, looks real rather than just the gentle rising wafts of other systems. If they can then do a full clag version for diesels I will be a very happy bunny!

 

Narrator just said steam speed record was 112mph, clearly not right! (oops!)

Edited October 23, 2021 by ruggedpeak

[Graham_Muz]

10 minutes ago, ruggedpeak said:

Narrator just said steam speed record was 112mph, clearly not right!

The narrator actually clearly stated "Post war steam speed record"  

[dagrizz]

3 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

A suggestion: That you book an appointment with your local NHS hearing clinic to have both your hearing and aids checked ?  It could be that the aids need replacing or that maybe …..as all too frequently happens with mine…..the tubes get earwax blockage. 

 

SWMBO suffers from earwax in hearing aid tubes. I get despatched upstairs to clear the blockage under the illuminated magnifier with a thin plastic coated wire that was originally bought for constructing 4mm fences. She appreciates the usefulness of model railways at times.

[RFS]

3 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

A suggestion: That you book an appointment with your local NHS hearing clinic to have both your hearing and aids checked ?  It could be that the aids need replacing or that maybe …..as all too frequently happens with mine…..the tubes get earwax blockage. 

 

The tubes often get blocked by a bit of wax, but they are detachable and easily cleaned by threading a piece of supplied plastic pipe through.  The aids were replaced recently but I'm going to ask for a new hearing test. I've been putting this off recently as NHS have outsourced this to Specsavers which means a trip into the centre of town, and I've wanted to avoid that during Covid restrictions. Got my booster jab scheduled so perhaps after that .....

[melmerby]

15 minutes ago, RFS said:

 

Got my booster jab scheduled.

Missus & Me tomorrow - complete with flu jab

 

I think we have strayed a bit off Hornby land

[Ian Hargrave]

1 hour ago, RFS said:

 

The tubes often get blocked by a bit of wax, but they are detachable and easily cleaned by threading a piece of supplied plastic pipe through.  The aids were replaced recently but I'm going to ask for a new hearing test. I've been putting this off recently as NHS have outsourced this to Specsavers which means a trip into the centre of town, and I've wanted to avoid that during Covid restrictions. Got my booster jab scheduled so perhaps after that .....

That is strange. I know of the Specsavers connection but when I first had the hearing aids,I opted for the NHS hearing clinic at The Queen’s Hospital Burton. This is still in operation because as an inpatient recently at the Cardio Clinic,I needed to replace both hearing aid. tubes. One of the staff nipped across to the clinic and returned within ten minutes with them.  Last year I phoned for the parts and they were sent by post.All I needed was my original paperwork. So worth giving them a ring for assistance.

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

Just watching Ep.2, that steam feature looks excellent, looks real rather than just the gentle rising wafts of other systems. If they can then do a full clag version for diesels I will be a very happy bunny!

 

Narrator just said steam speed record was 112mph, clearly not right!

He made some reference to it being a record for steam post WW2.

One thing I noticed last week (and again this week) was that there was a BR Class 24 on the layout.; last week's was blue with full yellow ends, whilst this week's was green with a yellow panel. I haven't seen any reference to one being released any where, nor have I seen mention on here.

[ruggedpeak]

2 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

He made some reference to it being a record for steam post WW2.

One thing I noticed last week (and again this week) was that there was a BR Class 24 on the layout.; last week's was blue with full yellow ends, whilst this week's was green with a yellow panel. I haven't seen any reference to one being released any where, nor have I seen mention on here.

Clearly I missed that bit whilst simultaneously explaining to non-train personnel in the family who SK was!

 

The 24 is presumably a competitor product they are testing and investigating?

[rockershovel]

On 21/10/2021 at 18:38, Dunsignalling said:

I don't quite get the current fetish for firebox glow. Except when actually firing, the firebox doors should be closed, so having a continuous glow is just plain wrong.

 

John

This is another example of "what people expect". My O gauge  K Line Hudson has "glowing firebox doors" despite portraying a loco with mechanical stokers. The MTH P4 has a bulb underneath so the glow is on the track, though since it's a "scale size" model the detail is generally better. The Williams Hudson has a bulb underneath, but given the quite enormous motor filling the cab it couldn't really be anywhere else. 

 

I quite enjoyed the programme. Lightweight and undemanding, on a par with the nth remake of "All Creatures Great And Small" which my wife is currently absorbed in. 

Edited October 25, 2021 by rockershovel

[caradoc]

On 20/10/2021 at 00:25, Riddles said:

The steam effect did impress me but the gadgetry stuck on top of the tender looked very cumbersome and possibly difficult to miniaturise. I imagine a fair quantity of water would need to be stored on board to allow the effect to operate for any length of time.

 

Featuring in a future episode..... working water troughs !

 

[RJS1977]

2 hours ago, caradoc said:

 

Featuring in a future episode..... working water troughs !

 

 

The technology to make the scoop work would be relatively simple - it could be made to raise and lower in a similar way to the old giraffe wagon.

[melmerby]

5 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

 

The technology to make the scoop work would be relatively simple - it could be made to raise and lower in a similar way to the old giraffe wagon.

Complete with suitable effects, such as overflow soaking the first coach!

[RJS1977]

And unsuspecting passenger who has left the window open....

 

 

Maybe also a platoon of Home Guard saluting beside the track.

[Covkid]

On 20/10/2021 at 18:03, BMS said:

Surely steam coming out of the chimney from a steam engine is what the chimney is there for??

And some smoke ( apart from steam sanders, steam cocks) steam (and smoke) from anywhere ekse is a sign of inferior potential performance.

I was quite impressed by the Hornby display - it would be interesting to know how they do it - they've been there before with chuffs in the 70's I think

Have to say I was impressed by the prototype loco demonstrated on the programme.  Personally not really one for steam and smoke on models, neither really sound on steam locos.  For a couple of years I was involved in a yahoogroup who were very pro sound on model trains.  DCC sound on diesels and electrics can work very well but steam doesn't cut it for me at all.  This is mostly because the steam loco can change it's character depending on who is controlling it.