DJM Dave

Hi, No it's being produced for me in Japan. Cheers Dave

Cheers Roy, Not long now ( in the scheme of things) ;-) Cheers Dave

Hi Roy, Not a lot to add at the minute as testing is going on, on the UK specified and designed PCB board, and I'm just waiting for the final cad/cam incorporating not only that but the slightly sloping fuel tank sides. I've got the cad/cam engineers working flat out at the moment, almost exclusively for me, so things are coming together nicely. However like you, I hate silence, but I'd rather be quiet than say something is "coming in this quarter, next month or is in the tool room" etc when it isn't! I hope you understand? Cheers Dave

Hi Jeffrey, A great list and maybe 1 or more that I'd like to do. I quite like the idea of doing the 92, but have no plans or design drawings for it so it might, even if I announced it, be a fair while coming. Cheers Dave

Hi Phil, Thanks mate and I'll try and take some more pictures tomorrow. The water tower is fantastic and I'd recommend getting one sooner rather than later to be honest. I've used rust powders on mine to 'age' it somewhat, but it's wonderfully imposing and adds the dimension of height too. Cheers Dave

Hi Ian, Thanks for the kind words No bookings for it as yet, but in all honesty there a good 12 months of work still to do before it goes out on the road. I figure the corner town section could take 3 months to get right. And ideally I'd like at least a Dozen sound fitted loco's on it too. Not sure it would have much show appeal so I'm not going to punt it about for show bookings as a manager of a show turning me down would cause embarrassment. Cheers Dave

Hi everyone, I decided to put a few hours in on the track laying for OEC, and like most things when you plan what you want, you still change things. This resulted in a few 'different' ideas that i've now incorporated into the layout. I have also used a 3 way point, more as a way of experimentation than anything else, and although its not a perfect solution for what I needed it's going to do a job. Besides its RULE 1 so its there now! All points are wired from the toe, and isolated at the head, with red/black droppers in situ for testing properly. So far all runs as it should and looks quite fascinating threading a loco through the various roads. Anyway, the next thing is to complete track laying to the turntable, through the sheds, holding tracks around the turntable and a complete test before track weathering. (anyone got one of those delightful wheel and jar rail painter things they can hire me for a week or so?) Then it's onto laying the concrete (plasticard covered in matt board weathered) between rails before ballasting and starting to add details, back scene etc. The footbridge is still awaited from CRS who are very busy at the moment but will fit perfectly when it arrives and I am after a decent girder road bridge for the depot entrance linking the town (front right) with the town (back middle). Anyway, as always, I love to pre-visualise things, so I have dressed the layout with loco's for a general 'feel' of how its coming along and could possibly look. Enjoy the pictures, and feel free to comment and suggest. Cheers Dave

I see the Colas 56 is now in at various stockists, and is listed as 56094 both at stockists and in the current catalogue. This was changed in March 2013 to 56105 and I specified it as such with the Chinese. Anyone interested in one might want to check which number as 094 has a high intensity headlight that stands proud, where as 105 has the original sealed beam and is more in keeping with the model. HTH Dave

Hi, I've not seen all the catalogue or parts thereof, so I'm going on what I've been told by my insider there. If true it's certainly an interesting development, but it might be that this year the catenary might be placed on a different page or section. After all the catalogue is apparently 130 pages, so might be easy to overlook. So I guess I'm saying don't shoot the messenger, just in case I'm right or wrong. Cheers Dave

I understand from my spy in the camp that you may not find OHLE in either scale in the new Dapol catalogue.

Hi mate, It's not taking priority over the N and OO products. As you can see by the cad cams on my website they are coming along, just slower than the rest (on purpose I may add). Cheers Dave

Hi Robert, yes an effect of the light and computer perspective, the bogies don't stick out so far, I promise. lol As for the break glass on each cab side, it's one of the niggles I sent to China this morning. And yes, doesn't D5908 look good in that livery? cheers Dave Yes, wouldn't it ;-)

Hi everyone, An update from China today, that if I hope my corrections (which are very minor) come through in time, i'll authorise cutting metal on this week. Any comments appreciated. cheers Dave

HiMartin, I wish you luck with this venture, but 1 thing worries me enormously.......funding 1m for the plot Say .5m to make it secure with 24hr CCTV £10m for a kitted out 'habitable' building fully conforming with all regs including a lift and ramps And that's before staffing, layouts, exhibits, power, rates etc etc etc. Maybe the lottery can help in this area? Otherwise I'm sorry, I can't imagine getting the finance will be easy. All the best Cheers Dave

Hi Matt, No, these works of art are courtesy of Mercig Studios! And I can't recommend their work highly enough. Cheers Dave

Hi everyone, just a small update this time. I've painted and started weathering the Peco turntable well and I'm quite pleased with it, and I shall be adding brick paper to the face next week and weathering it down. I've added the cabin platform one end and the hand cranking platform the other, and will get round to doing the scaffolding that was underneath both next week. The turntable will then get a scratch built from plasticard arch at the midpoint and etched steel railings etc. This weekend has seen 4 loco pits go in to the baseboard and I have put a selection of loco's on the roads to show you the look I'm trying to achieve plus a couple of 'through the sheds' looks to show that effect. Lots more to do! Hope you like. cheers Dave

Apparently 8 people died in level crossing accidents in the UK LAST YEAR! at least 8 people die on UK roads PER DAY! puts things into perspective really.

Hi Crepello, Yes I am, both flat glazed and curved glazed cabs. Whether I would want to though is another question. Certainly at this stage I have the next tranche of models to be announced in July, so I'm not saying much at this stage. Cheers Dave

Hi Missy, Good point but reading reviews of Locomotech turntable mechanisms I've yet to find a negative one, let alone a specific one to the point you raise. I must admit it is a glorious bit of kit, and runs like a Swiss watch. I might put something in the circuit, but it's early days. Cheers Dave