dibber25

On 21/03/2021 at 10:51, The Stationmaster said:

In a word - No.  In the hamlet where friends of ours lived in Herefordshire there was a small cottage that could be politely described as 'a ruin with a very decrepit roof' and somebody had cherished it to such an extent that they had gone to the trouble of having it Grade 1 listed.  

 

Similarly we ran into considerable trouble when we wished to build a new coal loading terminal on a piece of far from idyllic land in Bristol which BR owned and had become very decrepit since the marshalling yard which had once occupied it had long been removed.  The problem - a 'rare' orchid was growing there among the muck and ash yard surface and 'someone'' demanded that it be 'protected'.  In the end the simple solution of digging it out complete with its surroundings by using a very large digger bucket enabled it and its immediate surroundings to be moved elsewhere, untouched.

You can't usually 'have' a building listed on request - certainly not in Grade 1. You can apply for it to be listed (if you're sure that you're never going to want to make alterations unless you successfully apply for permission). Grade 1 listing only applies to buildings at least 500 years old at the time of listing. Any listing at less than Grade 1 would be dependent upon there being some architectural or aesthetic reason for doing so. Grade 1 listing is automatic in respect of age. Back in the 1980s I was involved in applications for listing of a number of structures. Only two were successful, both at Grade 2, and the local authority subsequently gave Listed Building Consent to the ruination of both. (CJL)

15 hours ago, The Johnster said:

You seem to be working to the principle that the big RTR players produce models for the benefit of us, 'serious' modellers who know what we want and why we want it.  But we are a minority element in their target market, which includes 'train set' (no insult intended) modellers, collectors, and impulse buyers who want something pretty and interesting looking.  Even us 'serious' (no superiority intended; I'm using terms I don't much like because of editorial laziness) impulse buy pretty things because we like them and want to own them despite their having no place on our 'serious' layouts.

 

Manufacturers choose models to produce based on several factors, only one of which is what they think we want.  They do look at our wishlists and take them into account, but the other parts of the market are taken into account as well.  Very few of 'us' want Flying Scotsmen unless we are modelling the ECML, but it is a consistent feature of Hornby's range and a solid sales performeer.  They also have to take into account the availability of research material, and the familiarity of the market with the prototype, both of which may not be available in the quanttty or quality needed in the case of older Period 1 or 2 locomotives and stock unless there is a preserved example in original condition.  For example, there are no surviving Jenny Linds, the class 47 of their day, and there were very considerable variations in the individual locos built, never mind later alterations.  What, they would need to ascertain, is the market for a generic Jenny (you'd have to call it a gennyjenny).

 

On top of all that, they have to consider the practicalities of designing the model for the best and most cost effective production and assembly, and price the result to be acceptable to the market while retaining a worthwhile profit margin, which will be also dependent on projected number of models built and the rate at which they are sold.  It is no good producing a perfect Jenny in all the possible liveries and variations if it cannot be cost effectively produced and marketed.

 

At this point, they have to consider the competition, what the competition is working on, how good it might be, and how well it is likely to sell.  Much as we would like to know what is going on behind the scenes, it is a matter of commercial confidentiality and none of our biz.  Hornby in their current incarnation are in a precarious position of having to satisfy their real customers, the financial backers, who rightly want their pound of flesh and are unlikely to take no for an answer; this has sadly resulted an a very aggressive stance and a proprietorial view by the company's management which is A Bad Thing; it is making them no friends and ratcheting up the level of aggression in the trade as a whole.

 

It ain't easy being an RTR company; if it was we'd all be doing it, and, 'this time next year we'll all be millionaires, Rodney...'.  Personally I'm more than happy to let that be their world, and live the quiet life of a customer, and live with the fact that the models I want them to make for me are very unlikely to ever appear.  I am sometimes surprised and delighted; I never thought there would ever be any non-gangwayed GWR compartment stock that was not a B set for example, so I keep banging on about my desired models occasionally and hope that the message will find it's subliminal way to someone who will do something about it.  I reckon my most likely success will be a 4mm diagram N auto trailer from Dapol; they already know all about the prototype and might yet bite; the market is wide open for panelled auto trailers.

 

Thus endeth this Sunday afternoon's general ramble...

Thank you for a considered and accurate view of how mainstream model railway manufacturing works. Were you ever at a Hornby December press conference, I wonder? Very sad that a response to your post disingenuously refers to the manufacture of mainstream ready-to-run models as 'random junk'. In fact, with the market as limited as it now is manufacturers have a wider choice of prototypes than they used to, because it's unlikely that large production runs of anything (except possibly Flying Scotsman) will sell out. Shorter production runs bring a wider variety of less-potentially-popular types into the equation - but only at the expense of much higher prices. (CJL)

I'll freely admit to not being 'independent' but I'd have to say there's very little to put between them in terms of reliable slow running and haulage capacity and I've tested both. It's really down to whether you want a lightweight branch line prototype or a main line heavyweight. (CJL)

I thought the discussion was about the blue/outlined in red panels for the skirts being done as transfers, not GER lettering. (CJL)

But the bogies under the Mk4-based Nightstar sleeping car stock (VIA calls it Renaissance) - which I believe are based on the Class 158 bogie - gave a much better ride when I travelled in 2012 than the clapped-out Commonwealths under the 1955 Budd cars on The Canadian!  (CJL)

I have - for a while now - been considering doing a repaint of a J70 into GER as a Model Rail project. If the transfers are to be commercially available  then it would make sense for me to use them and publicise them too. I haven't researched it but I understand there were two GER liveries - one with dark blue and the other with grey and red? (CJL)

6133 reflected in Shawnigan Creek when it was operating the Malahat Dayliner (Victoria-Courtenay) service around 1991. (CJL)

On 20/03/2021 at 16:53, cessna152towser said:

Some great memories here.  I have visited Canada five times,  four of which included Vancouver Island where I have cousins.   In 1987 the Dayliner was still sufficiently speedy that it waited time at Nanaimo where you could alight and buy food from a refreshment truck during the layover.  We rode the train from Victoria to Qualicum Beach and back one day and on another day from Victoria to Nanaimo and back.  Here is #6133 at Nanaimo on October 20th, 1987.

6133 is the RDC now owned by Jason Shron of Rapido Trains. I was lucky enough to get a cab ride in it some years earlier, from Victoria over the Malahat to Shawinigan Lake. The island isn't the same without the Dayliner. Had to go all the way up to Beaver Cove to see trains when I was there in 2012 - now that's closed, too.

These have now gone to a new home.

4 minutes ago, Rhydgaled said:

Sorry to bother everyone again, but having now read said instructions (naughty me playing trains before reading the instructions) I am a little confused - it does say "some older controllers" put out a high voltage but prior to that it says "If you are new to the hobby" and "have a DC-powered train set, please contact us before operating" (bold added by me in both cases). I'm not new to the hobby, but my controllers are all Hornby ones - mostly from DC-powered train sets (the exception being my HM2000). Should I contact somebody and if so should that me Model Rail or Rapido? Hopefully since I've only used one of my controllers with my 16xx so far, and mostly only at low speed, I've not done any damage to it (yet).

Rapido UK is dealing with all technical matters relating to the model.

The Fairford photo is one of several prints that I have. Not sure where I got them but, yes, I would say 1930s. I also have a picture of Culham taken by A.B.MacLeod, which is earlier - probably pre-1918 - and that has battens. They are present on photographs of the GWR-built station at Lambourn when it was brand new in 1910. I suspect they came in with the  new brick-built station designs around the turn of the 19th/20th century. I'm guessing there was no equivalent to Rawlplugs and the battens were a one-time solution which allowed poster boards to be moved and changed around easily without having to repeatedly drill brickwork. (The salt-glazed bricks which the GWR used were extremely hard). (CJL)

1 hour ago, Gilbert said:

I think the skirted versions have a simplified motion..

They do but only the expansion link is missing. The skirts are a clip-fit.

I recall, once - back in the days of Model Railway Constructor - the Editor advised a newbie manufacturer that his product really wasn't good enough to get a favourable review. The model never came to market. That's the only time in my career of over 50 years. I recall, right back in 1963 that my boss at the time received an 'ear-bending' from Col. Beattie because something critical had been said in a review of, (IIRC) the Beatties catalogue! The conversation ended with the phone being slammed down so hard that the receiver broke! When I became an Editor I vowed that I would not review a kit unless I had built it. I saw too many 'reviews' where I recognised the manufacturer's blurb and photograph. I had my ear bent on occasions by all the manufacturers because I wrote something they didn't like. But it pales into insignificance compared to the relentless campaign waged by one reader at the time that the the late, great Merl Evans used to send pre-production models for review. He wanted reviews to coincide with the arrival of the model in shops and that was the easiest way to do it. Said reader, however, was convinced that Merl supplied specially prepared samples which were way better than what was going to be sold in shops. In fact, nothing was further from the truth. The sample had usually been to other reviewers before it reached me and it was usually a bit knocked about and in need of TLC before it could even be photographed! 

I've always believed that unbiased, professionally produced magazine reviews were a cornerstone of the hobby. What I've said here is a purely personal comment but I think there are potential conflicts if magazines were to review each other's products and for the avoidance of embarrassment all round I think it is best not done. (CJL)

This view of Fairford (a GWR official portrait) shows the batten strips protruding above the individual poster boards and the board on the nearer end of the building. One of series of pictures presumably designed to catch the station looking its best, it is interesting to note that the poster boards are placed at haphazard heights despite the apparent ease with which they could have been aligned with the window sills. (CJL)

I have a Corgi OB in Pearce & Crump livery - 'O' scale. It was done as a limited edition around the 1980s period. Rapido needs to keep prices down - nothing over £49 3s 0d, otherwise we'll have to put on the Mikado again. (CJL)

I have recently acquired a colour slide showing 11 (approx) brake vans standing in open countryside on what is obviously a brake van rail tour. The only information on the slide mount is "LAKES COAST RAIL TOUR". What appears to be the nose end of a Clayton D85xx diesel is just visible at the head of the train. Most of the brake vans are BR 20-tonners but there are a couple of LMS vans in the train, too. There are just two or three people in the shot, the rest of the participants must have gone somewhere out of shot. I have no means to scan slides so I've copied the shot as it appeared on Ebay. Does anyone have any idea what and where the Lakes Coast Railtour was? I've searched 10 years on Six Bells Junction but most of the Brake Van Tours listed have no information with them at all. (CJL)

It was a system used by the GWR to mount wooden poster boards. The lines you can see are timber battens attached to the brickwork. They would probably have been removed when they became rotten - certainly, I don't think many survived long in the BR era, though they probably got removed piecemeal as they became unusable. (CJL)

Forget WMPTE - how about some of these?

A clear-out of the garden shed has revealed a small quantity of 'HO' catenary masts (approx 10) some Lima and some of unknown origin. Metal is rusty but they would probably clean up and be OK for someone seeking a few extras and unable to find them new. Also a two-aspect colour light signal - appears complete but no idea if it works. PM me.

On 07/03/2021 at 10:31, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

How are these beauties coming along?

The project is ongoing. (CJL)

Dornoch ordered!

5 hours ago, Not Jeremy said:

 

Hi Chris

 

I hesitate to correct a luminary such as yourself(!) but based upon my copy of your article I am pretty certain it was Bert Harris (driver to fireman Bob Stride at the time of the film) that you interviewed. In fact you did both myself and posterity a huge favour, in that I had given you his contact details when you visited me at Limpley Stoke station all those years ago. I fully intended to speak to him myself, but whereas I never got around to it, you did, resulting in your very fine article.

 

This picture, which came to me  from Harold Alford's grandson, shows Bert Harris and Bob Stride either side of George Relph and Hugh Griffith.

 

All of which we might be able to recreate more easily in 4mm scale in the future....

 

Very Best Wishes to you

 

Simon Castens

You're probably right. I've reached that age where remembering names is not difficult, it just doesn't happen. I also never kept file copies of most of the magazines I've worked on, so I couldn't look it up. (CJL)

6 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

I was looking for some stills, a couple of years back and found myself on a long complex journey.

I first looked to Rank, who no longer had any connection with the movie industry - they sold the entire catalogue to Carlton in 1995, who are now part of Granada. Distribution of the Titfield Thunderbolt is now with StudioCanal UK . I found some images I wanted being held by Hulton Picture Library now part of Getty images.

 

Was it worth the hunt?????

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

You'll find that the BFI (British Film Institute) has a number of B&W images taken during filming. Ivo Peters also photographed Lion with a camera platform mounted on the side, a well-known image showing how they did moving backgrounds before greens came along. Simon Carstens is, of course, a leading authority on everything 'Titfield'. I once had the privilege of interviewing, for Steam World, the driver (I forget his name now - Ted Burbidge?) who drove Lion from Westbury shed every day during filming. (CJL)

2 hours ago, ColinG121 said:

It looks like I'm having the same problems with this model as others. On DC it runs poorly at slow speeds (as though the gear are grinding) but better in reverse. On DCC when fitted with a Zimo sound decoder it keeps stopping and then re-starting. I returned the first model to Kernow and they swiftly replaced it but the new one seems to do the same thing. Kernow has raised this with Model Rail and I have e-mailed them direct but to date with no response. 

I received your e-mail an hour ago and have forwarded it to Rapido UK for attention. (CJL)

1 hour ago, neal said:

Given the absence of engine detail, this would be a great aftermarket opportunity for a set of 3D printed engines and fuel tank. 
 

I’d buy a set!!

But they'll be totally invisible unless you turn it upside down? The decoder access hatch and the mounting for a speaker are behind the skirts. (CJL)