The Nth Degree

Little Loco Company proudly announces its second ready-to-run model Ruston 48DS supporting Lincolnshire County Council's Lincstothepast archive program Little Loco Company's innovation department has been working overtime to engineer a model to be a close to prototype as possible. The first problem to overcome was to provide enough weight to provide enough traction to pull more than just itself. Along with a substantial die-cast chassis, the model features special high-density polymers and all-steel engineered wheels. Under the bonnet is a custom-designed high-torque motor and geartrain to a central shaft, from which drive is provided to both axles – just like the real one. Instead of a chain we are using a specially-designed toothed belt designed to look like the prototype chain. Also under there is a unique PCB with standard PLuX decoder (sound or non-sound) and pre-wired capacitors that can supply well over 10 seconds of uninterrupted power, which is essential for a short wheelbase model. Of course, as the trademark of every Little Loco model, we include a high quality speaker pre-fitted and pre-wired as standard. No detail has been left out, including inside the fully fitted cab. We've even hidden the micro-wiring for the operable shunting lights inside the cab walls. A small, but dedicated team has been working for months to ensure we create a model as close to perfect as possible – all designed, engineered and produced right here in the UK (except for the motor). Tooling starts in January and we expect a release date in May/June. Price ranges start from £200-225 for the DCC/DC non-sound models and approx £265-285 for the DCC sound models. Each will come fully decorated in standard Ruston factory paint schemes appropriate for the cab style chosen, with full printed lining. I'll start a news section on the website with regular updates, but I'll echo the essentials right here too. Once the Class 15 has been released and at some point after the Bristol show I'll open a reservation section on the website, where you can also specify Finescale O or Scale 7 wheel sets.

Hello, and apologies for not updating the thread. As I was up most of the night before Reading, I got in and fell asleep on the sofa until the early hours. I was then up until about 3am updating orders for the C15 and then went to my proper bed and slept for about 12 hours... Those of you who were there (and it was great to meet you!) would have seen securely tucked away under a glass case the next release – the Ruston 48DS in two cab styles, open and closed. I'll give a full spec list and official announcement later tonight or tomorrow morning, but I'm just off out to meet a special friend. The stand was really busy all day and I didn't get to take any photos. If anyone has any please pass them on. One day in the distant future, when the Little Loco Company Visitor Centre opens up, it would be nice to have a picture of our first show. I like those little touches of history. In January tooling will start on the Rustons, while two – yes, two – Type 2s will start development in the digital drawing room, alongside an 0-6-0 steam loco. So that's three locos in development early next year. Hopefully something for everyone. Thanks for your support and encouragement. Steve

This particular butcher would love you to eat his sausages, but the sausage maker has not yet delivered them...

Thank you very much for your support everyone. I keep reminding myself about what this is all mostly for - to support preservation groups, volunteers and societies that keep our railway heritage preserved for future generations. That usually keeps me on the straight and narrow. After Reading I will post pictures from the show and the CAD. We're still working on the PCB, which affects the position of the motor and gearbox, so the 3D printed prototype will be empty of running gear. I won't have time to paint it so it may be difficult to work out the details on the printed model, but you can see everything on the CAD. I'm still looking, but I haven't found a smaller ready to run full DCC sound model in O gauge anywhere - especially with this much detail.

Interesting story! It's not necessarily the factory itself that is the problem in this particular situation. I can't go into it unfortunately, but it would be unwise for Little Loco to use this factory again.

Those of you who have specifically reserved models to pick up at Reading will have received an email confirming that they will definitely not be ready. We've received some very interesting emails from the factory when pressed extremely hard for the reason for all the delays. I can't go into that right now, however. On the stand we will still have the decorated samples and a running DCC sample on our rolling road so you can see and hear it. Also, specially-made samples of our next models will be available to view. These will be made entirely within the UK. We're very excited about this for many reasons, but the technical challenges were a real head scratcher. You'll see what I mean when you see the prototype we've chosen and the level of detail it contains. Steve

Hello, I have still not heard anything from the factory. In fact, they are not answering my or my shipping agents emails. Previously they were simply not answering the phone, but now they have turned their phone off. It is looking extremely unlikely they will be turning up for Reading. I can do nothing but apologise. Steve

Hello B, I am waiting for news myself, so all I can do is let everyone know as soon as I do. Nobody is more disappointed than me, I can assure you - it's already 6 months late. Having been promised that at least half the consignment would arrive by the end of the month I was hopeful. They still have about three hours for my shipping agent to let me know they have landed at Heathrow... It's pretty safe to assume two things: they will not be arriving in three hours and I won't be using this factory again. There's still hope that they will arrive in time for Reading, or I would have arranged childcare for my 6-year old son, purchased trade space and an expensive stand for nothing.

It looks really nice. I wonder if we could persuade someone to laser cut a small batch of them?

Hello Norman, the chip is supplied to Little Loco on an exclusive basis - i.e. not to be sold separately. If I were to sell this separately I would then need to agree a retailer agreement with ZIMO, and this is not something that Little Loco Company is geared up to do. All of the planned releases of exclusive decoders will be available on this basis. I hope that helps. Steve

Absolutely Andy, as long as you retain your proof of purchase you can buy the decoder any time, as long as they are in stock. I've ordered plenty so you have some time on your side.

Pre-Christmas is guaranteed, but how long before Christmas is the question! The agreement with the factory was end of November, so we will see. I'll get an update from China tonight so I'll have a better idea then. I am slightly peaved that other's models are leaving the factory that were started AFTER mine, but what can I do. A big lesson learned.

Hello, yes a custom-designed decoder by Paul Chetter and ZIMO is being prepared as we speak and will be delivered at the end of this month. This will be pre-fitted to any model specified for only £100 extra. The web people are still working on the website, but I hope that it will be complete early next week with the DCC option available on the reservation page. In the meantime, if you have a reservation I can amend it to include the DCC decoder. Simply email me with your order number. Thanks, Steve

Hello, the order editing process is way more complex than I'd hoped, so simply let me know how you'd like to change your order and I'll do it for you. You should receive an automated email letting you know if the changes. Thank you!

Hello, the LSP versions have been cancelled so I can preserve the original price. Due to the turmoils of our currency I had to choose whether to increase the price slightly or cancel one or more liveries, and I'm afraid the LSPs bought it (I originally planned all three LSP liveries, and each cost quite a lot in set-up costs). As compensation, however, each model comes with a very comprehensive decal sheet to make your own LSP. Simply choose the livery which best suits your chosen prototype and apply the appropriate decals. This has the added advantage of saving you £20. Below is the decal sheet supplied with every standard model, which covers every single in-service loco that I'm aware of, including the LSPs:

Hello Duncan, in a word, no. The contracted date is the end of November. Having said that, the contracted date was May, then June, then August. I can assure you that these delays are absolutely nothing to do with me, and if I could change it I would. I'm still holding out for the end of November. I'll be a Reading on the 10th December, so any more delays will make me look like I'm selling tumbleweed. The final samples arrived earlier this month and we had a little photo shoot. I've only had enough time to work on the images for the ads and website until today, but have managed to squeeze in a couple detail shots too.

Paul, do you have the connection speed to take and upload video while you're at the show?

Thanks John, I'll follow up your email in a few minutes, but for the benefit of others, we are updating our website tomorrow and over the next couple days to reflect the livery changes and include the decoder option. I'll expand on the livery and other changes in this thread too later, but if you have received Production Update no. 4 you will already know all about it. Steve

Yes John, we have an option to include DCC sound with your model. This has been custom-designed by renowned DCC professional Paul Chetter, manufactured by ZIMO, and is a available exclusively through Little Loco Company. To clarify the above, all of our stockists can also supply your order with our exclusive DCC sound decoder fitted – simply state your preference to them if you have already ordered through a stockist. The contracted arrangement we have with ZIMO is that our exclusive decoders are not available for any other manufacturer's models.

Not to take away too much from Gareth's lovely photography, but this image will be appearing quite a lot of the next few weeks and months

Hang tight Duncan, there maybe some news on that very topic soon!

I totally appreciate every bit of support I can get, and so do the other beneficiaries from the projects, thank you.

Hello, thanks for asking. The answer, in theory, is yes it will be ready - at least that's what we've agreed! The final production livery samples are now being completed and should arrive in a week or so, so providing they are correct production can start straight away and be delivered in time. I've been doing a lot of multitasking - something us chaps aren't traditionally good at - preparing other projects, but everything depends on this one getting out on time. The second model is almost ready to send to the UK factory too. Exciting, but also a lot of clock watching.

Apologies for not responding to this helpful information earlier; I've been here, there and everywhere recently, and I'm off to Poland on Thursday. I will fully digest this when I get the time next week, but just to update a couple queries I've made a couple notes below. The all-green cabs I found in a few photos, but having relooked at them it seems they may all be the same loco - which was a heating unit. Regarding black solebars, all but 4 were built green. I'm still trying to find the commonality between the four built with black solebars. They were all built at different times, but they may have been in the same order block, just turned out at different times. I'll get back on the case when I'm back in the UK. Thank you.

Sorry Jeff, I missed this. I'm a bit worried about supplying a kit when a (presumably) pretty good RTR will be rolling out soon. I have all the kits on the back burner at the moment while this project is taking up all my time, but I will definitely be concentrating on the 04s when I get back to them. The first one to roll out will be the Wisbech and Great Yarmouth early varieties, but this will be next year. I'll be getting a very good and well known pattern maker to produce the masters and castings for it. I may well also remove it from the Little Loco stable and put it into its own side business too.