wombatofludham

Early lunch?

Not in non-steam models. Some of us do like post 1968 modelling. I was rather hoping Hornby might have helped lift the gloom post Hatton's with a surprise but sadly not, although the "Seacow" re-runs are welcome. Pass the Prozac...

I'm amazed that people are asserting, or surmising that the "cost of living crisis" is to blame for Hattons making whay must have been a massive and difficult decision. For our younger viewers, and those old enough to know better but have probably forgotten, the 1970s and 1980s were grim economically. High inflation of over 20$, the collapse of industry and percentage wise far higher unemployment. So, looking back at one model that has been a perennial fixture in a certain manufacturer's range since Methusulah was a , Flying Scotsman, we see the 1975 model produced by Hornby was £10.33, which today equates to £106.86. The current Railroad spec 4472, which is the closest we can find to the basic 1975 model is currently listed at around £120. Average weekly wages for manual workers in 1975 were £48.63, but in 2023 the same employee's average income per week is £451.81. Applying the "Mars Bar" test (an economic crude test of how many Mars Bars the average income could buy in any one year) in 1975 you could buy 4.7 Hornby Flying Scotsmans. Today you can get 3.7, a drop of one, so a slight decline in buying power. However, in 1975 a greater % of household income went on housing and energy costs as well as food compared to today. The point is whilst the current higher inflation and energy costs are a relative shock to those who have got used to lower cost of living, they are no worse than the mid 1970s in relative terms - yet Hatton's didn't close up shop in any of the economic downturns of the 70s or 80s when household budgets were just as strained as today if not more so. They will have encountered just as challenging economic conditions over the past 70 plus years which they weathered. The current situation economically is no worse than the 1970s, difficult as it might be for some of you to believe.

Actually what I've seen online of builds of the more recent models (DC8 and DC9) they do seem to be not bad, and as you say, kudos for actually doing some 1/72 airliners. I'm sure they will be no problem for anyone used to railway modelling or who have experience of MTK kits. Must admit I do still fancy doing a stabiliser rail fictional airport halt somewhere on the south coast with a Mach 2 Comet, or Britannia on a diverted bucket and spade flight fogged out of Gatwick if I can find the room.

Always amused me that, as converted Vanguards, the freighter "Merchantman" was quickly dubbed the "Guardsvan"!

I see that despite @AY Mod saying this isn't the time or place for speculation some of the self centred trolls have already started to pile in. Haul your necks in and try looking for flights back to whatever cave you crawled from. There are people who will be losing their jobs in this, and a highly regarded business is closing down after so many years of trading. You will never know why this decision has been taken so speculating as to why is just gum flapping. Go play football on the M6 if you are bored.

I know it is Mach 2 who by reputation can be a bit vague in shape but you can get a 1/72 injection moulded Viscount 700 Mach 2 Aircraft kits - MACHGP104 | Hannants They also do 1/72 Comet IVs as well as other "classic" jets. Personally I would kill for a 1/72 easy to build Bac 1-11 seeing as I am four months older than the first example to fly.

I genuinely thought this was someone's idea of a stupid joke until I came on here to see it is true. It is baffling, bewildering and desperately sad for all, employees, and modellers alike. I used them regularly lacking many model shops here in Gwynedd and had some reasonable dealings with them when I offloaded three large lots of models via their remote purchase scheme, preferring to drop them off in person at Widnes and was happy with the process. I just hope this isn't the start of a domino effect. Good luck to all those at Widnes and I hope you find further employment soon. Not a nice start to your year.

The Manchester and Liverpool Pullman Mk3 rakes regularly headed to the south west on holidaymaker expresses on Summer Saturdays, no doubt with a lot of the firsts labelled up for "weekend first" pay on the train upgrades. There's video of some of the services on YouTube heading out of Birmingham New Street. The stock was often hauled by double headed Class 31s and wasn't always guaranteed to have an ETH fitted example to power the air conditioning which must have made for a sultry stagger down to Devon. Have a look at the "Roy Bowden" collection on You Tube where there are 6 videos of Birmingham New Street across the spring to autumn period of 1988, filmed on Saturdays. You'll be amazed at the variety of stock being used on bucket and spade services, and just how often non-ETH freight locos got to drag air conditioned stock. No wonder the platform ends are so crowded with enthusiasts.

I do wonder if the next kettle from Accurascale might be the ex Hatton's 14xx,but made to run, given that they took on the Class 66. That said, other DJM fire sale models have gone to EFE so that might be another home for the model. Back to Hornby, if they are going to continue the retro theme a Dublo 81 would go down well with me (so long as it looked like one) and they could then re-release the Triang so called 81 as it was allegedly meant to be, a Class 82. You'd hear my orgasmic groans of pleasure at that prospect worldwide. (Edit) Reality has just walked into the room and it'll never happen...they don't boil water but they did self combust from time to time.

Following your post about Kato Unitrack I had a look at the range available, the appearance and likely costs. I think it's fair to say I'm convinced and will be looking to use it when I start the rebuild of "Wednesford" in my garage now I've moved. Even for a permanent installation it looks like it will be more robust and less responsive to cack-handed laying than your normal track plus ballast and PVA. Thanks for the heads up...

According to a number of sources some 5 car sets were reduced in the 1980s with 2,3 and 4 car rakes being made up whilst the spare inner FFAs were given buffers at each end to make single wagons. I've seen video on YouTube of three car sets which look to be reduced original build, although as the 80s and 90s progressed other twin and thee section types came into service, so it can be difficult to tell. I'm planning to create two three sets (FGA-FFA-FGA) for 1988 and 1994 to run with four Hornby KFAs to make a 10 set based on a rake I saw in a video working out of Mossend. For the 1975 and 1980 eras I'm planning to fill my two "Freightliner" FGA twins with lightly detailed and ride-height adjusted Hornby FFAs (ride height, transfers and handbrake wheel, and new wheelsets) with permanently affixed containers hiding the solid underframe trussing. They'll be placeholders until Bachmann realise there is demand for more inners!

I'd be up for a re-run of inner FFAs, whilst probably not the container load @Dagworth needs I could probably be in the market for about 10. I do wonder if Bachmann underestimated the demand for FFAs assuming people wouldn't have the space, or cash for full five car sets? Thing is, people who would be willing to buy the Bachmann product were those wanting a decent model and probably more likely to shell out for a full set, having probably spent a fortune trying to get the Triang model, new when I was about to start primary school in the late 60s, into something slightly less toy-like. Buying a full rake at Bachmann prices but which only need a good weathering probably worked out the same financially. So yes Bachmann, pull your digits out and do a rerun of FFAs on a 3-1 basis.

I think it is fair to say I have been a vocal Hornby critic in the past but the news the cack-handed "Tiers" farrago is over is good news. I too will be interested to see how the new management will take the company forward although I expect January 9th will be too soon to have had any impact on product launches. Prior to my boycott over "Tiers" my Hornby spend was already minimal due to mainly their woeful stewardship of their non-steam range and obsession with freakery like the APT. Glitz and glamour and fame is all well and good but allowing competitors to come up with cheaper, better designed competition to their core, bread and butter non steam range (companies like Accurascale with the Class 50 and 31, and Cavalex with the 56 and 60) effectively shows a lack of awareness of the non-steam market which, if @Revolution Ben's revelation that their retailers have said the market is transitioning away from steam and "transition era" towards BR Blue and Sectorisation is correct (and it matches my anecdotal conversations with visitors to the "Dolgellau" layout) then it might help explain Hornby's falling revenues. They might be the go to manufacturer for fans of steam compared to Bachmann and newcomers, but the massive amounts of investment in non-steam models by other outfits suggests that the direction of the model market might just favour non-steam and could lead Hornby to be exposed over the next few years. All that said I do wish the new team at Hornby well and do hope they can turn the company round and into profit. PS New management team, a 7 car Exec or IC Swallow HST in Cross Country formation with TRSB would welcome me back to the brand. Cash waiting!

I found the film interesting and I do wonder if the relative lack of success was down to the construction capability at the time. Of course, four engines would probably have been expensive and awkward to service and whether the improvements to efficiency would have been worth it who knows, but it does make you wonder if using modern engine management systems and with modern construction there might have been a way forward for such a loco, although with diesel engines being frowned upon for the longer term I doubt we'll ever see a grandson of the Fell proving the concept.

Just watching the video, I hope everyone took notes on how the gear train works as there will be an exam on it later. Presumably the jolly Calypso music was inspired by the noise and motion of the shrapnel bouncing around the gearbox.

It is possible to buy a set of roof mounted air tanks as fitted to E3056 in the photo from Shapeways. I've not used them so don't know what they are like, but if you are interested they are at Shapeways air tanks

You might find this photo, not mine but from Flickr, of interest as it shows E3056 at Coventry in 1973 still with E numbers but with air tanks on the roof. What it does show is one Class 85 with the drainage slots filled on the left, but 3056 still has them above the windows E3056 Coventry 1973 from Flickr

I was at primary school in 1972 which was next to the main Trent Valley line in Staffordshire, and by then all the electrics had cast metal double arrows instead of the ferret and dartboard. Some locos were carrying the new TOPS numbers but some still carried the cast E numbers, I remember the first TOPs numbered loco I saw was 86201, later renumbered 86101 and was the first to have the trial Class 87 bogies. I saw this during a lunchtime trainspotting session up the top of the school playing field so it would have been in 1972. By 1973 the TOPs re-numberings had progressed so rapidly they were in the majority. One other thing to be wary of is the fitting of air brakes to Class 85 as this led to the air bottles on the roof. At the same time the drainage slots over the cab windows were filled in and a gutter fitted to the side so it's probably worth checking Flickr and any textbooks to try and get an idea as to when these changes took place.

You were very brave walking around Walsall in daylight. My family who live around the town all avoid the place as they don't have access to an armoured car or armed guards. I must admit fantasy/war figure painting is something I need to look at as their techniques are amazing. My brother is an accomplished sci-fi and war modeller and has introduced me to some of the paints available so there is a lot of stuff out there which is useful. I especially like the texture paints, brilliant for modelling lifted track or derelict buildings.

I'm surprised no-one has highlighted this video of the Heljan 47s on YouChoob

Yes the bridge has reopened and it looks like a good job from the photos I've seen. Lots of track and sleeper repairs have also been carried out along the line, all in time for the introduction of new rolling stock sometime in the next 18 months. Assuming they work.

Well I for one am extremely grateful for the announcement of the 323...but would second support for a Class 116, which would be a natural follow on from the 122 bubble car. Of course, how you would accommodate the Tyseley later year units which acquired lavatory equipped centre cars from class 115 and 127 units is a moot point but given they got everywhere and were replaced by the 323s in the Midlands it would be a nice unit to bring out. Pretty widespread especially if you include the visually similar Class 125 units which worked the Great Eastern and Great Northern routes up to the mid 1970s. I expect it would be popular in both OO and N as well.

I'd caution relying too much on the Wish List poll. Whilst a useful snapshot, I know about half a dozen active modellers and I'm the only one who votes in the poll, the others never come on this forum or any other, don't buy magazines so never hear of the poll. Crudely, that would suggest it is at best a 20% sample if my modelling acquaintances are representative. If Dapol can make a surprise announcement of a Class 323 which came quite low in polling then something must be being picked up by the marketing departments of model companies that differs from what is being assumed by many in this thread. As @St. Simon rightly says, youngsters are taking up the hobby but rely on social media and YouTube to inter-act. Railways and railway modelling are cool, thanks to social media and, yes, influencers who many on here dismiss or are simply unaware of. Whether such a market could afford contemporary standard present day units if they were made is another matter, but there is a market. I know one teenage modeller who loves Arriva and TFW stock, but is happy to buy second hand and repaint as the recent Bachmann releases are beyond his funds. He complains about the Class 197s replacing the 158s in exactly the same way my generation bemoaned the 158s replacing Peaks and 37s in the 1990s, so the market is there, invisible to this forum by and large but there. I suspect the lack of contemporary stock is more likely down to the interesting comment by @Revolution Ben made about retailers they deal with saying (what I have long suspected) that the market is moving on from the transition era into the BR blue and sector eras, and that manufacturers are focussing on that market at the moment. This is inevitable as a big driver of the hobby must be returning modellers and despite what some assert, nostalgia for their youth. My generation are hitting early retirement and we remember our first train trips as BR Blue, and in my, admittedly unscientific, chats over the backboard with newbie modellers I was surprised by just how much nostalgia there was for the post steam late 60s and 70s. The huge amount of investment in diesel and electric models over the past few years also suggests that the manufacturers are picking up on this trend and again, this modelling cohort is unlikely to be heavily represented in clubs and modelling fora because they are new to the hobby. For what it's worth, apart from one friend who has gone back in time from sectorisation to the transition era (before he was born as it happens) all the other active modellers I know are BR Blue or sectors, and I can't help thinking the model companies (with one or two exceptions), with access to intelligence we will never have, have latched onto this. Recently though there has been a trickle of "early privatisation" liveries where BR built stock was turned out in brighter, more interesting colour schemes and you could safely run BR sector and post privatisation liveries alongside each other. I wonder if the nostalgia for that relatively exciting period for younger enthusiasts of the time might now be a new trend in RTR?

There was a plan by the LMS to divert the Bedford suburban services into a newly rebuilt Euston (artists impressions show a very "Grand Central" fantastic Art Deco station) and electrify them with third rail units similar to the Wirral/Liverpool units, presumably alongside similar trains for the North London and Watford DC services. That would have made for an interesting operation.