Phatbob

Thanks Tony

 

Once Phatbob has finished exhibiting the layout in the North I have ideas of further modifications, this time quite drastic. Cant bring myself to scrapping it.

 

I will be bringing my Kernow 02, Hornby 700 plus a number of spam cans  with me to Warley this weekend although it wont be all of them as there wont be room in the car.

Some of Roundhouse's spam cans and other kettles will be making guest appearances at Warley, but not all of them.  He won't have room in his car and I won't room behind the fiddleyard!  He's got about forty of 'em.  I think he'll only stop once he's got all 110.

I look forward to seeing it....and Appledore of course.Be nice to have a close up look at one of these "on duty" and seeing what it can do.Great that you're showcasing them,as it were. If .....and it is a big "if"....,,I take the plunge at the Kernow stand.....could I ask for a test spin of mine if that is at all convenient ?

No problem testing it for you.  Happy to help.

One thing though, mine definitely needed running in, as per the instructions supplied.  "Out of the box" is was superb in the forward direction but a bit jerky when running backwards.  Now it's run-in, if anything it runs faster backwards!?  So don't fret if it is a bit jerky on initial test.  Mine also has a little bag full of fluid lead in the smokebox and some down the inside of the chimney too.  As it'll be station pilot, it'll need to shift some heavy loads.

They look like the old 00 scale Graham Farish ones to me.  Which means they must be VERY old!

Do they allow cars on the Island now??

Yes, but only one at a time.

RMwebbers,
Please do come along to the Warley show and see Appledore, it might be your last chance, as I've no more exhibition invitations after Warley.  We're hoping to bring you alternating sequences with Diesel Hydraulic (circa 1964) and steam traction (Circa 1961).

Please do make yourselves known too.  Always nice to put a face to a name (or RMweb alias ).

I'm afraid further bad news has reached me about the HMS Margate.

 

The Association of Retired Submarine Engineers, Honourary Officers, Lieutenants and EnsignS has written to me to say that they are believe HMS Margate is not faithful to the prototype. Apparently the bulbous nose shape is approximately 1.2 degrees out. more worryingly, the satellite pictures from google earth quite clearly show a riveted design whereas given HMS Margate has had its deck guns removed (guns being deemed an unnecessary addition to a naval ship given the recent success in commissioning an aircraft carrier without aircraft). On the prototype, decks guns were only removed on the all welded design. RMWebbers have expressed extreme surprise at the quality of the QC processes in Chinese shipyards that could have missed such basic details and are consequently looking forward to major discounts at all major retailers.

 

[Edit: with apologies to any real ex-submariners. Not a job I could do!]

The Association of Retired Submarine Engineers suffers from an unfortunate acronym, does it not?

Well, my order was to be four 116s and a 118, but I've no use for a 117.  So I sincerely hope that somebody does produce a 116 and a 118, and sooner, rather than later.
C'est la vie.

I suppose thats not too bad as the Maunsells are older!

Both would have been repainted from blood & custard into green from 1956 onwards.  So the Bulleid could have the elder paint job.

I agree with using the Replica chassis (when available). I now have three in service, under a 4 EPB (DC Kits), class 455 (Bratchell Models) and a 319 (also Bratchell).

 

For the Hastings unit: I built a DC Kits 'Tadpole' 3R unit, with a Black Beetle under the Driving Motor car. Unfortunately, this one is on the short underframe so not suited to the longer Replica chassis. Replica were going to produce the shorter underframe length, but I'm not sure if it was actually released.

Just bung the Replica chasis under the driving trailer (63' long) instead of the motorcoach (57' long).  Simples.  Who will know, or care, that it's the wrong coach in your tadpole unit that's providing the power?

 

The details differ; underframe equipment isn't the same on diesel and electric units and there would need to be a third first class compartment where the 205 has a stripped-out luggage compartment.

 

Aside from that one is privately commissioned and the other a catalogue release.  Why would a business paying a premium price to commission a model then allow that to be used for the commercial gain solely of the manufacturer?  While I don't doubt there is considerable co-operation and goodwill between Kernow MRC and Bachmann we are not comparing two like items here.

 

If, on the other hand, rights to the commission expire after a given time then we might see the 2H DTC adapted and matched with a 2EPB DMBS to form a 2Hap at some future time.  The next tranche of Thumpers are still in transit from China so any such use of the DTC is likely to be quite some time away yet as not all of the commissioned items have yet been delivered.

Exactly!  The point I was trying to make was that Budgie's suggestion (laudable though it is) of a co-operative venture to produce a 4EPB is unlikely, for the same reasons that a 2HAP hasn't happened.  In fact, given Bachmanns past statements regarding the popularity of 4 coach units, it's even less likely.  This is a great shame from my perspective as I would buy some.  But I understand the esoteric nature of things southern electric to most UK railway modellers.  I'm also waiting for 3H and a 4BEP, but I ain't holding my breath.

... and if Kernow produce that centre car, then they and Bachmann can get together and put two of those with two motor cars from the 2EPB and, hey presto!, a 4EPB.

They (Bachmann and Kernow) could already put together the Driving Trailer Composite from the 2H with the EPB motor coach to produce a 2HAP, but they don't.

Just had a browse through my railway video collection and can we have a "75" please Dave?  Just in case we want to do "The Night Ferry".

I know places can become overgrown, but...wow! 

The nickname is ancient and refers to the nature of the place as large, somewhat nebulous and easy to get lost in, much like a jungle.  Nothing else IFAIK.

I've been looking through my library and have some more headcode suggestions Dave;
C3,
C7,
02.

02 appears on a few different 'photo's of van trains and also empties to Clapham Jungle.
C3 and C7 will suit us nicely for van trains on Star Lane.

Can't find any 'photo's of a general goods train or coal train on the Brighton line with an HA at the head.  Can anybody out there help on that one?
Cheers,
Bob.

 

Dave,
you'd have to crazy not to do at least one as "46" for the Golden Arrow.
I'd like "76" for a VIC - Newhaven boat trian please.  Just right for Star Lane. :-)
More suggestions to follow no doubt.................. ;-)

Biggest issue to me is the omission to me is the "dumb bars" or "life guards" on the bogies.  Easy enough to add them though, but one shouldn't have to.

And models of all three by this time next year.

 

You know we want you to ...

I'm sure that a man of Dave's perspicacity could do CC1 and CC2 from the same tools with crafty use of slides etc, but I fear that the third one was just too dimensionally different.

Kickstarter anyone?

If anybody is interested to come and see Otherplanet's radio controlled 00 scale vehicles, Upper Benllech will next be exhibited at the Liverpool MRS show on 25th-26th April. http://www.lmrs.org.uk/Exhibition/Layouts.html
Otherplanet is due to be operating the layout that weekend and will be bringing the vehicles with him. :-)

If you're going there by car, it's worth pinting out that the shop is only a few minutes drive away from Junction Number 21 of the M62 motorway, so easy to pop-in for a visit as part of a lonnger road trip.  I've been known to drop in just because I'm on my way over the Pennines for some other purpose.

In actual fact I have taken one siding out as its rusty and overgrown. To stop people using it this weekend I have put a load of ballast over the rails as per the prototype even though its electrically wired - hopefully no one will try cleaning the paint off the rails!!

Challenge accepted!

I for one would make use of a Scotland - West Country sleeper service.  Currently I have to get a Bendyleano to EUS and then across to PAD to get the FGW sleeper.  Being able to go directly from Crewe later in the evening would be SO much more attractive, not least in being cheaper.  The Scottish sleeper from Crewe at around midnight is very handy. :-)  It would be nice to be able to do it the other way too.

Can I add something to the discussion on the value earned to local ecconomies by a sleeper service by way of an actual example?  Last summer, Roundhouse and I, along with a couple of others, went down to Penzance on the sleeper on a Thursday night and spent a very nice long weekend spinning around the branchlines (and the pubs along those branchlines) of the west of England and south Wales on three day rover tickets.  We stayed in local independent hotels on the Friday and Saturday night and injected a fair amount of our hard-earned in to the local ecconomies along the way.  We had a great time, but it did cost us!

The ability to travel overnight, after a days work, was the key enabler. 

If either the sleeper, or the rail rovers had not existed, the whole trip would never have taken place.

Simples.
Cheers all,
Bob.

Yep, I'm looking forward to Stafford this weekend.  I've been busy this last weekend fettling rolling stock for it.  I'm hoping to get some more of it weathered in the evenings this week.
Do come on down and say hello everybody.

Joseph,

Given that FB is all that's available RTP, FB rail pointwork with a more 1:76 scale sleepering will get my purchase over FB rail poinwork with 1:87 scale sleepering and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.  Something more like Tillig points that matches SMP flexible track will do nicely thank you.
:-)
Regards,
Bob.

I'm surprised Bachmann and Kernow don't get together and agree to share the costs of the tooling between them.

That would be a pragmatic way forward, speaking as a potential customer for 3Hs and 4EPBs.  Problem is, it means getting commercial people and contracts and lawyers involved.  So I doubt that it would be as simple and straightforward as we might think.