hayfield

For me the best part of a rail journey is to watch the countryside go by, The TGV system certainly eats up the miles, but in my opinion is not quite as joined up as it could be from the UK as in most cases if you wish to travel through France Paris is its Achilles heal. From memory through to Italy until the new route through to Turin is completed either the Alps or the line from Marseilles to Genoa is also quite slow. Its all well and good having sleeper trains, but for Eurostar customers I assume it will always be a service you join once through the tunnel, but it could be very appealing for longer non stop trips across borders, A service to Rome via Zurich or even connecting with the train to Sicily ? (I like Italy)

Perhaps it may be a future eBay good buy ?

Brian C&L now sell 00 gauge flexitrack on 1.6mm timbers, these are sold in 1 meter lengths, have 6' panels with 12" sleepers at both ends and reduced sleeper spacing at the ends. They also have keys though not as pronounced as on their individual chairs, HiNi rail used which is less yellow than standard NS rail I believe SMP flexitrack is available with thin track bases Exactoscale sell Fast Track Bases in 00 gauge Peco sell their own version of bullhead rail (with a slight flat bottom to the rail) Now you can print your own track bases and chairs from Templot plans, though not flexible, you design the exact radii required (can be printed to 00SF standards) DCC Concepts sell their legacy track with stainless steel rail C&L, Peco and Exactoscale all use thick based sleepers, far more stable than the earlier thin based sleepers

Two printers unless you are using laser cut timbers Thinking about it, many build or use 3D printed models/parts and paint them, and of course Finetracks have been sold and used for ages

Jason The box has no resembelance to any DJH ones I have, even going back to their early dais in Banbury More like the boxes I buy from Cheltenham Model Centre, as the original box is far too small for the built loco https://cheltenhammodelcentre.com/cmc/model-railway-locomotive-stock-box---various-colours--sizes-to-choose/p-207lbk There are plenty of these kits around, perhaps not made as well and with Triang chassis

The trouble is its too big for large letter, so the base price at the Post Office is £4.19, (3.99 online) So what do you get for the £1.81 extra charge, In my mind economy would/should have been delivered sooner. Lets hope its been super well packed

I think most of us have them, but the staff at my local Post Office have saved my customers £'s where a large letter is on its limits, and before you ask I do refund postage where the cost has been cheaper than I anticipated (recorded in customer feedback) by human descension. So it turned out to be cheaper than had I done it myself and used 24/48 self service. How can something be fully integrated when the Post Office have to scan the item !! " no need for PO staff to do anything but scan and print the receipt" The Post office staff are still involved in the handling of the item !!! Perhaps partially integrated perhaps but its self service as you are doing all the work. Hardly automatic I can agree with you regarding town/city establishments. But I am more interested in keeping a valuable service to our village (and the surrounding area) rather than squeeze every last penny from each sale. By spending slightly more I am saving money by not having to travel miles to find another Post Office, as you said to use the Post Office some of your savings disappear. But I am willing to pay the extra for the service supplied. I may have a different view if I had to use an urban Post Office, but with your attitude, your local rural Post Office may disappears as described by Crispy Bacon. Our village Post Office is a superb benefit to not only our villagers but also those around in smaller villages who have lost theirs or never had one. Whilst I do not bank with them, on rare occasions its very convenient to access services internet banking cannot provide Ours has stopped taking Evri parcels, which I find quite amusing, nearly as funny as the surname of the local delivery person Mr Careless !!! Well that is his surname on the village Face-ache page

Phil As for the £6 postage price, a lot depends on the size, weight and service given, If it was a heavy item sent recorded delivery it sounds about right As for late delivery, it depends on what was offered on the listing. if the listing states postage may be delayed. Then in my opinion you have no grounds for complaint. If the service offered is first class, then I would expect delivery to be within 48 hours of the first working day after payment was received. Personally if a first class service is offered I would expect dispatch at the soonest opportunity, delivery 7 days after payment is not commensurate with 1st class postage. As for delivery dates that can be set in the postage section of eBay bear no relationship to the service used/stated I would look at the postage label and see if 1st class was actually brought. Sounds like a seller I would avoid and leave accurate and appropriate feedback (providing no posting delays mentioned in the listing ). What ever happened to old fashioned principals of providing a service ?

Dave What's the saying ? "Many know the price of everything, but the value of nothing" I can remember being told by my manager 30 years ago, the cheapest option invariably ends up being the dearest . Wise words I have never forgotten This person was a real high flyer earning a fortune, went under the title of branch manager (today he would have (by others) added at least Director to his job title) but is one of the most humble and generous people I have met. Someone who quietly got on with his job without any airs and graces, It was nice to see one of the good guys winning for a change !!

Am I correct in thinking this product is only available when you buy the postage online. I go into the Post Office for the security and comfort of knowing they have accurately weighed and chosen the correct size for the package, I don't want a package arriving with a penalty charge. If the postage is wrong then its down to the Post Office, plus I do depend on the service provided by the local counter staff and like those who prefer buying from the local model shop I want the post office in the village to be profitable, as I can also do all my banking there even though my two banks are different businesses. The last time I went into my own HSBC bank was 25+ years ago, our second bank is Barclays who not only closed their bank in our village (the reason we opened an account, they have also closed their bank in our closest town (as have HSBC). No doubt closed as customers have stopped using them. During lockdown I did once use one of the Royal Mail's online services, I went into the Post Office and was told the service I chose had to be taken to the sorting office, I took it to the sorting office only to find the receiving office was closed and none of the Royal Mail staff knew when it would open. After travelling 12 miles wasted an hour I relabelled the parcel, took it to the Post Office, then had to claim a refund. I lost time and money on the exercise. My attempt in saving myself money cost me money !!! Last of all I can walk to the post office in 5 mins, (quite often I go twice on Mondays after a promotional weekend on eBay when some buyers take their time in paying). Service is more important to me (both on what I receive from the Post Office and as I give as a seller) than saving money. In my mind cheapest is not always the best

Martin Thanks and I look forward to next Wednesday

The other week I saw a forecast which expected to see electric prices rise for the 1st quarter of 2024 then rates will reduce for the next 3 quarters of 2024, think it must have been taken from a recent House of Commons release. Cornwall Insight seem to have the same thoughts other than they have been forecasting higher standing charges, I have also noticed that their projections are not quite as accurate as some of the press commentators would have us believe. Which as I would have expected are just educated guesses. Lets face it satiations are just up market bookies, however the latter seem to stack the odds in their favour I have looked at both the house of Commons and Cornwall insights forecasts for next year and they are about the same, with rates being cheaper in the warmer two quarters and more expensive in the colder quarters. I have also tried to compare rates (which is harder than you would expect) with many of the sites wanting to speak with you rather than show rates With me the third part of the calculation, which comparison seemingly do not offer is export rates, or rather the loss of possible income if I move away from my current supplier Still I looked at the existing fixed rates via the Which website and it seems there is as you would expect little if any benefit in fixing rates at this moment. I have also come to the conclusion we are near the lowest rates at the moment with on electric prices possible coming down by 2 or 3p per kwh, so no major savings in the near future

Martin Have you printed anything in 7mm scale yet?

The simple answer is I don't know as I have not tried painting the parts in my possession, no one to date has mentioned any difficulty in painting PLA or resin, given 3D printing is common place in modelling I assume there are no issues other than paint after building as everything is designed to be a tight fit.

This is a bit of a close up of the system as it is, sadly I concentrated of the jigs and forgot to photo the turnout with the chairs and rails. perhaps others will post a couple of better ones

You are spot on there, not too long ago 3D prints were full of printing lines needing sanding I won't say I was a total sceptic on this as I was very much into detailing plastic chaired track, also I wrongly assumed production should be as the Finetracks are designed, which I must add is spot on for the people its aimed at. Templot has just changed the proposition totally Firstly anyone can produce a turnout of crossing template (plan) with a few clicks of a computer mouse. With a bit more training these templates can be curved and made into formations. There is a totally inaccurate assumption that Templot is difficult to use. At Scaleforum even the most ardent anti Templot modellers were opening their eyes to the possibilities. It then is a simple process to produce a file(s) to print either a length or plain track or a turnout base(s), set of chairs and or filing jigs for vees and switches At the moment the modeller needs or needs access to both a FDM printer and a resin printer. The main thing is Access to not ownership of. Many who I spoke to said they had a friend who had one or both, or their club had them I am certain in time not only will machines be common place, but enterprising modellers/businesses will offer printing services, where you can send a boxfile of the turnout/formation for them to process. A word of warning the printer will need to understand how to work the plus track printing method. But like all things some will be better than others At the moment its just turnouts that can be printed, but in the short term if needs must as with Finetracks it may be a case of mixing new and old methods. Lets face it us modellers can be impatient, and poor old Martin is burning the candle at both ends Plug track was the star at Scaleforum, and rightly so. But its not just for P4 modellers or just 4mm scale.

Its not about getting more, I price my postage to not make me money, but overall be cost neutral. I charge slightly more than cost to cover the odd occasion I get it wrong, I was taught to treat others how I would like to be treated. I do get a bit frustrated when I have to wait days for an item, as it happens the extra cost is not very much more. I dont mind economy delivery providing the delivery time is not excessive But this is not what I offer. I clearly state in my listing what my service offer is. I firstly state I try and post within 1 working day of payment (sometimes its the same day) and its first Class. Low value items are sent 1st class, if I think an item will not sell for much, it goes 1st class with proof of posting, if I have to spend extra sending it recorded I have made more than expected so happy to absorb the cost. Likewise if something I charged for a recorded service needs Special Delivery again I am happy to absorb the extra I seem to get a higher percentage than some others report getting and many quote the level of service received. I am not worried about saving the odd £ here and there and I am in a position where I can quickly pop around to the Post Office for a second time if necessary. I must add I don't sell that much, probably on average a couple of items a week on average, usually on promotion weeks. I accept many cannot do this, and as I said happy to wait a few of days for economy delivery. Also if a seller states they only post on certain days I am happy to wait. But its not all about extracting the last penny, its about getting the item to the customer safely and quickly, and being polite by communicating with them to confirm the item has been posted.

I still get 80% off offers, has been more or less every 2 weeks this year

I have no idea about how the Australian postal delivery system works, For all but a few properties we get a delivery 6 days a week, if the Royal Mail had to rely on letter delivery it would have gone bust, Both Mail Order and selling exchanges like eBay have proved to be the saviour of both the Royal Mail and The Post Office Counters, despite many courier services, our Royal Mail offers next day delivery and guaranteed delivery services, the Royal Mail will also collect parcels for an additional fee. Gone are the bicycles they all drive little red vans

As a buyer I calculate the maximum an item is worth (to me) deduct the postage which results in my maximum bid As a seller I clearly state the service I provide, which in my case is first class Royal Mail, and according to price may be proof of posting up to £20, then recorded or special delivery. I also state posted within one working day of payment and is for post and packing. I try and reuse materials but i still have to buy brown paper rolls, padded envelopes etc. I try to give a first class (not economy) service, plus the buyer gets at least 2 messages (final one after posting), I don't sell much, but nearly all my buyers appreciate the service. Saying this I quite often buy items where the postage is about the same but sent economy, so I think my service is good value. I quite often when buying an auction lot, I find some of my best bargains are where either the postage is excessive or the listing is not very good, so I would like to thank all those who are put off by excessive postage, as I said. I work out what the value of the item is to me, then deduct the P&P, simply my bid is lower when postage is higher. Now for buy it now I use the same rational, what is my total cost !!

Spot on with your reply, when I look at the charges made by traditional auction houses and the protection eBay gives you on all sales, plus the massive exposure eBay has, even at full price in my view its good value. when you take the selling offers most if not all sellers receive its fantastic value As for postage, which should be seen a post and packing, just look at what auction houses charge !!! Taking money from the Royal Mail ? Royal mail have been have benefitted greatly by our use of online sales, The Royal Mail have been saved by online shopping.

Just takes a few listings to get used to the new system, I tend to use templates which is a much quicker way of creating a listing. What's changed with the posting system ? its ever got a memory which creats a short cut !! It was the buyer jumping the gun, either they should have requested a combined invoice or waited for you to send out an invoice after adjusting the postage amount, which from memory is much the same. I do try and circumvent this issue, by sending out invoices on both single and multi buy sales soon after all listings have ended. I get fed up with some sellers who don't send invoices especially when I buy 2 or more items Change can sometimes be a good thing, now I have got used to the new system I think it is far better, you can select the task you require by accessing the drop down box next to the description, how much easier can they make it I find having a different pages for un-paid ,paid items and dispatched items, both less confusing and far easier to use Yes at the start it was a bit of a shock, but like all things once using the system it becomes second nature

Barry Looking very interesting

Looking good but Templot is taking great leaps forward with plug in track. Simply either design your Template (turnout plan) or layout plan, then print your sleepers/timbers using a FDM printer or send off the plans to be laser cut, then print the chairs using a resin printer and you have no worries of buying components https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/experimental-plug-track-continued.673/page-22#post-8126 Turnouts are available now and crossings and slips will be on stream in the future Upper switch rail filing jigs, middle Vee jig and chairs, lower track base In addition to printing the timbers and chairs you can print off Vee and switch rail filing jigs. Inner filing jig , removes the head only. The jig which files the rear is top left above Yes you need printers or access to printing facilities/services. Its early days quite a few modellers have printers, clubs have them and no doubt enterprising printers will be offering their services Resin printers now are as low as £80 and FDM printers from $130 (+ post and import tax) or £170 from a UK supplier. The cost of the prints are quite cheap just the outlay, but with a bag of chairs costing £30+ a bag or kits costing £70 a time, investments are soon recovered and no expensive gauges or filing jigs are required

Well my 25th month of having panels has just finished. This September has been better than the previous 2. In 2021 my system produced 193 kwh in 27 days and 2022 produced 202 kwh. This year it produced 228 kwh My net cost of electricity imported last year was £32.59, thanks to an increased export payment to 15p per kwh and slightly better weather my net cost was £13.71 (excluding standing charges My total benefit last month of both my own production used and surplus exported was £43.51 against £33.85 last year I do keep referring to my initial quote which stated a total annual saving of £206 pa, last month produced 21% of that figure. The passed 3 months generated savings of £152.78 and with June being my best ever at £80.16, these 4 months alone bettered the initial quotation, May was not too bad also at £64.28. But prices were much higher. As for October in 2021 the system generated 134 ( 4.66 per day) kwh and last year 170 kwh (5.66 per day) yesterday was disappointing at 3.3 kwh, but the outlook looks promising, even if rates have dropped this quarter. Still the outlook is good