Rocoline track WITH ballast

[philg]

I'm starting to plan for the inevitable downsizing and the loss of my attic space - with the idea to have easily creatable and dismantlable layouts

 

For this I have decided to go with Rocoline with ballast/roadbed. I particularly love the way DCC enabled point motors are just hidden under the track and require NO connections other than one to each rail at the point

 

BUT I would love to know if there are any other stockists in the UK other than the two I have found so far

 

Gaugemaster are currently my favourite (by far) with the Railway Model Store a (very) distant second. RMSs prices are VERY competitive, but I am not convinced they actually hold ANY stock. Both my wife and I placed (separate) orders a month ago and are still waiting - with ZERO communications from them unless we poke

 

Jadlam Racing Models don't even make it into my selection - their prices are a joke

 

SO, IS there anyone else please???

 

Thanks

 

PS I'm seeing lots of decent quality second-hand on eBay but the incremental cost of shipping is making that an unaffordable option

[rob D2]

Uhmmm,

You have seen the thread on railway model store on model shops here ?

 

If it’s the one I’m thinking of , I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole 

[peterfgf]

I used a Roco starter set to get going in DCC from an Austrian  http://www.hobby-sommer.com/.  More recently i've used https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/ and had excellent service at very competitive prices (including loyalty bonuses).  In the UK you can get Roco Geoline from https://www.conrad.com/o/h0-roco-geoline-track-beds-1606317 but you might find it cheaper to use a German supplier.  Geoline is great track- robustly made with good connectors, and, as you say, concealed point motors.  It would make great track for inclusion in UK starter train sets (Hornby, Bachmann).  I've noticed that it is used in quite a lot of manufacturers' videos demonstrating new products.  The only drawback is the fixed geometry but Roco flexitrack is available but I never got around to trying it before I started constructing a larger model railway.

I rather like the Roco Multimaus controller and have now seamlessly upgraded to a Roco WiFi Maus.  

[philg]

51 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

Uhmmm,

You have seen the thread on railway model store on model shops here ?

 

If it’s the one I’m thinking of , I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole 

No,  but “barge pole” comes readily to mind

[mikeg]

Have you checked Hattons they stock it but I found it difficult to find on their website.

 

regards mike 

[philg]

36 minutes ago, mikeg said:

Have you checked Hattons they stock it but I found it difficult to find on their website.

 

regards mike 

I'm not finding it at all on their website - neither can Google

[Taigatrommel]

UK Roco stockists I can think of offhand...

 

Scog Rail (Ipswich)
Arcadia (Shaw)
C&M Models (Carlisle)
Walton's (Altrincham)

Hobby Shop (Faversham)

I'm sure there are more, these are just the ones I can think of right now!  I've had good service from all of them either in person or mail order.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Taigatrommel

[philg]

46 minutes ago, Taigatrommel said:

UK Roco stockists I can think of offhand...

 

Scog Rail (Ipswich)
Arcadia (Shaw)
C&M Models (Carlisle)
Walton's (Altrincham)

Hobby Shop (Faversham)

I'm sure there are more, these are just the ones I can think of right now!  I've had good service from all of them either in person or mail order.

Thanks! Most interesting

 

Scog Rail certainly so

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Phil,

You could also give Geoff or Alison at Contikits a call, a search of their website usually shows some Roco-Line in stock. Don’t confuse it with Geo-Line, that had a smaller range, harder bases and I think, was not compatible with Roco-Line (long and involved story to do with patents!).

I’m not sure but another potential source could be Sophie at Anoraks, she is very helpful.

Other than that, for new stock, I would go to Modellbahn shop Lippe in Germany, even with the shipping, they are usually cheaper due to all Roco (Modelleisenbahn) imports coming through just one inlet in the UK.

Cheers and good luck,

John

[philg]

5 minutes ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Hi Phil,

You could also give Geoff or Alison at Contikits a call, a search of their website usually shows some Roco-Line in stock. Don’t confuse it with Geo-Line, that had a smaller range, harder bases and I think, was not compatible with Roco-Line (long and involved story to do with patents!).

I’m not sure but another potential source could be Sophie at Anoraks, she is very helpful.

Other than that, for new stock, I would go to Modellbahn shop Lippe in Germany, even with the shipping, they are usually cheaper due to all Roco (Modelleisenbahn) imports coming through just one inlet in the UK.

Cheers and good luck,

John

Thanks John. Very helpful

 

im picking up stuff on eBay too, but unless I spend at least EUR75 or so, the shipping usually wipes out any savings ☹️

[Michael Hodgson]

I thought it was just my prejudice, but track with plastic ballast reminds of the old grey Triang "Standard" track. 

However I do like the idea of the point motor being so easy to fit - but it was almost as easy on the Triang stuff also.

[philg]

16 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I thought it was just my prejudice, but track with plastic ballast reminds of the old grey Triang "Standard" track. 

However I do like the idea of the point motor being so easy to fit - but it was almost as easy on the Triang stuff also.

Yeah, but not only easy to fit - easy to wire up as well. It needs a connection to each rail, done by connecting to two of the points fishplates! Once the motor is fitted and programmed, job done

 

OK, so the track may not be 100% prototypical, but whose is?

[Andymsa]

10 hours ago, philg said:

Yeah, but not only easy to fit - easy to wire up as well. It needs a connection to each rail, done by connecting to two of the points fishplates! Once the motor is fitted and programmed, job done

 

OK, so the track may not be 100% prototypical, but whose is?

the shops mentioned as stockists will still go through Gaugemaster as there the uk importer, what you may find is it might be cheaper to go throught the stockest than Gaugemaster. My recommendation is lippe but I have found recently if an item is not in stock that it is takin awhile to receive the order.