hayfield

I am interested how you can discern the superiority of the flywheel. I ran one of my own locos (Judith Edge Yorkshire DE2 with Mitsumi motor and HL Loloader 90:1 box) with and without a  (12mm) flywheel and I honestly could not see any difference.

Ruston

I bought a Bachmann Jinty which had a Comet chassis fitted, using a DS10 motor fitted with a 12 mm diameter flywheel 7 mm thick, the fly wheel does make a difference, I would also expect performance over dirty track is inhanced. There is also a big chunk of metal over the front wheels, I guess for added adheasion

The flywheel is not solid as it has a 6 mm hole drilled half way through, is this improving the effect? 

Tony

Does it matter if the odd rake of coaches, or loco pops up from time to time on a layout based on a different era ? Its not as though a Virgin Voyager will be passing it at high speed. We always called it modellers licence. Or build yourself a small inglenook layout to run it on 

Well, this has turned into a special variety of cobbers. Having spent over £50 on finding a way to stick this thing together, decent glue remains elusive. PPP Superweld came close, though.

Why do Dapol persist with this xxxx plastic? Does it cost another £ to make real plastic that sticks?

Anyway, after two coats of failure

 

IMG_0552.JPG

A little filling and smoothing eh? Oh no.

And the glass is laughable!

 

 

Sorry for ranting, modern glue is crap, along with my eyes.

Simon from the Ickenham and District club has a beautiful version with a gearbox, really neat.

Oh well, plod on.

 

All the best!

Bernie

Bernie

Is this a new problem? mine has been stuck together since the late 70's (good old Humbrol out of a tube). Have another done in the 80's with MEK

One idea is to contact Dapol and ask their advice

There's no point complaining to the energy ombudsman at this stage - they won't deal with complains until either eight weeks have passed since you submitted your complaint or you have received a "deadlock letter". (https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy/raising-a-company-complaint).  They will also have expected you to have worked with the company in an attempt to resolve the problem, which does not seem unreasonable.  The company has now escalated the problem from computers to people and I suggest that you sit back and give them five days to sort it out.  One thing you can be certain about is that they're not going to sue you for £7.41 - it would cost them hundreds of pounds to do so and they wouldn't get it back even if they won.

 

DT

DT

The problem has been going on for more than eight weeks !! This is the same problem which has been going on for months which the company has already paid compensation, then made a request to shorten the repayment period (to benefit them) Now they have instructed a debt recovery firm who has already tried to contact the person, and I guess watching the infamous TV program start pressurising not only for the debt amount but associated costs

Let's be quite frank, how long does it take a person to look up files on a computer to cross reference the facts, I guess less than 30 mins. Why have they especially with the previous history even taken 48 hours to get back with an answer, let alone left the OP wanting another 5 days. Escalating the problem to me means this issue has gone up another level of importance, so why is it taking them another 5 days !!

The only crumb of comfort is that this c*** *p is costing the said company far more to resolve that the worth of the fictitious debt. Having said all of this, these utility companies really need to get their act together, this will not happen until it financially hurts them not to

you mention this a few times, but I ordered from C&L right up to near the end, orders dealt with promptly , emails answered, and the items I wanted ( chairs and rail ) in stock etc 

 

From the outside looking in  the business was well run  AFAIK 

 

dave

Dave

That quote was made by me, the staff were employed right up to the end and did a splendid job, I too got items by return. That was not at what I was getting at, for a long time Peter had let his staff run the business, rarely being at the business. Certainly for a year or more Peter had been trying to sell the company, all investment had stopped and the track side of the business was being run down. Some of the moulds were in need of repair or replacing. Not blaming anyone, Peter had done his best to build up the business and had great plans and hopes for the future.

What I was getting at was that Phil took over a business which had been starved of investment and stock levels run down. Many boxes were not only unmarked but I believe had contents which were mixed up, he had a mammoth job in sorting everything out. Phil's had a tough time in sorting things out, and is still getting some things straight. Its very easy to make comments about things should be done, especially when little is known about what has happened. The plain fact is had Phil not stepped in at the last minuet C&L would have gone and Exactoscale would have taken many months to reemerge. The economics of the business is quite straight forward, the only way it can survive is by returning to being a cottage type industry

The business has changed hands several times since it first emerged as K&L, hopefully without the crippling overheads of a business premises and staff  the company now has a much better chance of survival. Phil would like things to be better than they are at the moment and is working to that end

Thanks for the heads up and offer, I have two pairs of plastic round cylinders, one on the chassis the other came with the motion. I am half of a mind just initially to put an A3 chassis on the loco but not going to pay £40 for a lump of Margate engineering, rather by a scale chassis 

Good luck, now they have escalated it further and not only replied late but shifted the goal posts delaying an answer I would be on to their CEO (far easier to ski down hill) and compose /compile your complaint to the ombudsman and send it as soon as you can irrespective of the outcome, could even send a copy to said CEO. stating the stress and anguish (especially as you have now received a call from the debt collectors) they have/are causing by making yet another error and failing to deal with it within a reasonable time frame.

Same here. I just loved the trestle and also the fact that as each week progresses we get more 'back stories' of the people involved.

 

One thing no-one's mentioned is the music which seems particularly well applied to the various segments and adds to the feeling of achievement when the show ends with a 'reveal', as it's known in the media.

I came to the thread late, and on purpose not read what was written before. I can understand some being a bit let down if they expected a model railway program. That aside I am a bit of a fan of the programs featuring Dick Strawbridge I enjoy the way he copes with the challenges he encounters and is an ideal presenter and project leader for this series. Seeing people of all ages and walks of life, including many with no model railway experience get on with a challenge warts and all makes enjoyable viewing for me, which is what it set out to be.

Where did you source the phonebook from ? I keep meaning to look at these for the photo's we take during construction of the houses, one for the customer and one for me.

Dave

I guess you mean photo book not phone book

My wife gets them all the time She is out so I guess Gordon will beat me to it

Thanks both of you for the photos, both splendid models, the kit came with plenty of info, both the instructions and the Railway Modeller article from the mid 90's. The kit is partly built with only the footplate and main body parts stuck together, there iis a bit of surplus glue on the joints so I may try and un-assemble it and start to solder it back again, especially as the front part of the footplate has become loose.

I do not know if I ever would be happy with the Hornby chassis, unless I remove the large casting in the cab and alter the wheels, also I do have a supply of MRRC 5 pole motors. But if I start to tinker too much I might as well build it to EM gauge standards, is it worth stretching out the Hornby chassis ?.

I do have a Jamieson A3 chassis kit, so in theory I could use this along with the Hornby cylinders and rear bracket for the motion, I guess stretching it to EM is not much harder than building it to 00 gauge.

On the other hand I could sell this on eBay and buy a set of Gibson Mainframes designed for these kits and coupling rods, I know these can be ordered with either axle holes or hornblock slots, but there is a distinct lack of detail with these frames, also I guess I would have to find a way of fabricating a rear motion bracket.

Could there be another option using either Comet's or Southeastern Finecasts A3 chassis (SEF also do an A4 chassis which would be best). I guess without too much trouble both of these will fit, might be a tad easier to build and has the option of coming with brake gear (though this could introduce additional issues)

Other than using the Hornby cylinder block is there a better option available ?

Going completely the other way, buying an old Hornby Chassis with all the motion(mine has none), change the cylinders and motor, remove the rear block. Job done for the time being and just rebuild the body ?

Just watch the third episode on catchup.

It is a bit of light hearted fun for those of us watching in our own homes.

 

If you have ever seen a TV show being made you will realise it involves lots of jiggery pokery, retakes etc.

Just enjoy it and stop getting cut up guys.

Totally agree, its a load of grown ups having fun in the Scottish countryside. Might not be modelling as we would know it, the two bridges and viaduct were stunning. The tressel bridge was in my opinion a splendid bit of modelling 

Thanks, now I know and its the bit which worries me

Markits sell them at about a tenner per pair, now I know why I like the Q and Q1's

I use an old can of Colron spirit based stain Not dye, thinned 50/50 with white spirit. If the ply is of good quality the stain takes well and you will subtle variation of colour, how much of that is retained once the ballast has been painted and the whole lot weathered is down to how thick the weathering is laid.

Be careful as some dyes have a waxy finish which repels the solvent used to stick the chairs.

If using plastic flexi track just use the same paint on both 

Phone Dave Ellis up tomorrow at Southeastern Finecast, cross his palm with silver and he will send a parts list and or supply the replacement part

Kevin

Back in the 70's I worked for a famous high street retailer, we sold items on hire purchase, if the customer stopped paying they got a letter from a company called Blunstone and Fitzpatric , doubt if the company existed other than in name only, but gave the impression of two burly Irishmen. No idea if the letters had too much impact, but quite a few customers came in with these letters and paid up. 

But if said non debt was sold off in a parcel of debts, does it not infringe the OP's data protection rights ?

Sorry for rabbiting on, what half don't you understand, I'll try to reword it !?!

Marine style big end?  & eccentric rod

Thanks

Eddie

Interesting, if they have sold off a so called debt to a third party and in fact said debt is fictitious, who would this sit with the data protection commissioner? Certainly well worth following up if the energy provider plays up 

The best books to sell these days are specialist books, not 'coffee-table' books, or general books like those with 'railways' in the title, but those with 'railway', good quality, and such as detail pics that are useful to modellers tend to sell better.

For a buyer thats good news, as I said I just brought 5 or 6 new ones for the area I am interested in all cheaper than buying a mag. No doubt like the mags, no resale value

Thanks

Understand about half of what you have said

I like LSWR Southern Locos , but this is such a brute, loads of SR stuff about especially from Southeastern Finecast

That reminds me I have one stored away somewhere, I raided it, and took the Mashima 1628 motor for summat else years ago. I'd fabricated a rigid chassis using Gibson side frames, used the Langley motion with Romford driving wheels, and Gibson bogie wheels. Had it for 20 odd years, and never fully completed, I believe it's still in unlined, un-numbered olive green. Thought I'd just say - but I must try and finish it, looking forward to your pics??

 

Edit- Well curiosity got the better of me, the 4-6-4T see's the light of day for the first time in about 20 yrs, plus a thin coating of dust !!

27048290_1835554299802763_662510351_o.jpg

They are stunning locos, perhaps Gibson frames are the way to go, how hard was the valve gear please. Like your loco you must finish it !!

Oh, that would be good, but its all wishful thinking.

 

The 'Call Centre' is king and they have a room full of hopelessly trained people. The company is risking a fair bit to their reputation, when they blatantly challenge very small debts, when according to the OP, he has all the correct evidence, including emails from the company. Agreed I'm taking it at face value.

 

 

I wish it was as easy for small businesses, to collect genuine unpaid invoices, where ultimately the customer just ignores you. For a single debt, its not worth employing debt collectors/selling debts, but if you've got a regular supply of them, a different story!

 

How do i know this to be true?  

Kevin

I think things are getting better, the shop chains that are doing well when you look at them in fact do seem to be taking customer service seriously, call centres are returning to this country and the better companies send a survey on how the agent acted, which keeps them on their toes. There are some companies BT are one where the agent resolved my problem with the WiFi (re)installation instantly. Agreed there are a lot of companies with bad service, but also a lot of good ones.

As for small traders, the company doing my extension messed up with the tiles on the roof which had to be replaced, was it worth suing the limited company for the cost of replacement. Would have taken ages, cost even more money with no guarantee the company would pay (after hearing from some of his sub contractors and the building inspector I expect the limited company has/would be bust). In the end I saw it as the cost of breaking the remaining contract. I agree with you people and companies should pay their debts whether big or small

Ian

Thanks, the model does weigh a bit, so could emulate the real thing

Chris

The 48 hours is up later today, the company certainly is taking this up to the line with their reply. I can accept that act as humans first, but have the energy company correctly? especially when the offer they made was 3/4 months ago, why not write themselves rather than instruct a debt company. 

The energy industry has acted against the public interest many times in the past few years, both their regulator and parliament seem to be making noises that changes should happen.

I cannot see expecting to be treated fairly especially when the company has already been forced to compensate on this case as being both wrong and retaliating

If the regulator has information of wrong doings by these companies they can do something to clean up the industry, why is this retaliating ? If this is an isolated case nothing will happen but if its part of a larger pattern they will act, I would call it in the public interest

It is a well known fact that companies will not act unless they are made to, whilst its cheaper to pay compensation and or fines they will not change.

As for the comparison with the food industry, it was just an example of when action is taken things change.

I do admit we have gone past the initial brief, but hopefully the OP will have plenty of options, especially if the company fails to call/resolve this matter within the 48 hours. 

I agree that in the first place it pays to be polite but firm, never take it out with the call centre assistant, but in situations like this always ask/insist for this call to be escalated to a higher level.

I would also say that if this is yet again another mistake from the company I would insist on a letter of apology clearly stating the debt has been paid in full, and a form of financial recompense even if you donate it to charity (and tell them what you are doing).

Still I think we all have put the world to rights

I bought this up on one of the earlier versions of RMweb but cannot find it. I bought a partly made one of these locos off eBay (out of focus photo and described as a Prairie tank loco) whilst I was trying to buy a Wills Prairie ( this was the box it came in), still nothing lost as its a stunning loco, had a Hornby A3 chassis and motor but lacked valve gear and cylinders. Overtime I sourced a set of cylinders and found a Langley motion etch again on eBay

Time has come to do something with it, but what ?

Firstly the motion scares me to death !!

Do I build it with the Hornby chassis, but I hate their wheels and motor. I do have an unused MRRC 5 pole replacement if I take this option

I am about to start building a small BLT based on Bodmin in preservation era to EM gauge standards, should I attempt to use a Comet A3 chassis ? I know its a bit out but so is the chassis it was designed for

Or do I try and alter a more modern A3 chassis and accept the valve gear as it is ?

What ever I do its a loco I want to build  !!

Funny how its the books that I want that still seem to command a premium!

 

But it is sad to see the value of books, on all sorts of subjects, reduced to landfill. My wife tried to donate some children's books to a hospital a few years ago and was told that it is against health and safety rules to accept used books. My strategy (for eBay) is to only try to sell a book if I think I should get £5 or more for it, and ask for appropriate postage. Anything else is given away to an appropriate good cause. 

I agree with you its sad to see them go to a land fill, saying that at my local reclamation site there was a chap with a van full of books going through those at the site picking those he wanted, perhaps some are bought to be resold ?

I do agree I would rather give then away rather than dispose of them via the local tip