Roddy Angus

If the photos of are of the actual models, as Ben acknowledges above, then Olivia's are doing the right thing. I would be more concerned if they were showing an image which did not reflect reality. I think it unfair to criticise Olivia's on this occasion. Best wishes Roddy

The reference is PA34 and they come in packets of 10 (5 pairs). Regards Roddy

Neigh lad! Roddy, takes coat and leaves

Thanks very much Fran, I appreciate that a lot of the shipping process is out with your direct control. Roddy

Hi Fran I was just wondering if you can give any more certainty around the delivery timetable for these. I appreciate that you can't give a definite date, due to the risk of delays at ports and customs, but can you give us any hint on when these might arrive? Thanks Roddy

But there isn't anywhere else in the world but Leith! Roddy

Take it as a compliment Mark. To me it shouted that it was where the Trinity branch crossed the road and joined the raised line along the Wardie shore line. I look forward to seeing more photos as it develops. Best wishes Roddy

If this is based on the bridge at Trinity Crescent, then you would only have traffic going in one direction at a time. The tram pinch was controlled by traffic lights as it was not wide enough for two way traffic. Best wishes Roddy

Of course any "rationing" has to take place after orders have been placed. Until Hornby have orders from all retailers, they will not know whether they have enough being produced to cover orders or if orders exceed production and that some form of "rationing" is required. Regards Roddy

Hornby may well know how many models they have sub-contracted for but until they have received order requests from all retailers, including their own on-line shop they will not know whether they can supply the requested amount. Would it be fair if one retailer ordered, and got, the full production run? I presume some sort of algorithm is used, probably based on past sales with a minimum number for smaller retailers, to decide on who gets what. If a retailer accepts orders based on their presumption of what they think they will get, then they may get too many pre-orders and may have to knock some back. The only way to stop this situation would be for Hornby to over produce every product so that all orders can be fulfilled or retailers could be "banned" from taking pre-orders on new models for 2 months by which time Hornby will have been able to work out how many each retailer can have. Alternatively, the order book has to be opened very early in the process and we have to accept that we have to wait a few years for our models to appear leading to the Bachmann problem, with models cancelled before production due to lack of advance orders. It doesn't just affect Hornby my local shop did not get any of some of the EFE wagons from the first announcement, they only received a couple of examples of one of the eight available (they have been told that another run will be made, but I am not holding my breath). Other shops still have them available to order. I want to order from my local shop as lockdown has demonstrated how much I would miss them if all their customers moved to online ordering and they had to close. I know they could grow their mail order business but that might force a move to out of town premises with reduced opportunity for personal contact, ala Hattons. Hornby will have to book production runs before a model is in the catalogue without any indication from retailers of how many they want, the 4 and 6 wheelers are a good example. If, as a whole, retailers over-order then some, if not all, orders will have to be reduced. If one retailer monopolises the mail order pre-order market, then obviously they are most likely to be "noticed" having to reduce orders. Perhaps the issue is Hattons domination of the mail order market? Not a bad thing from Hattons viewpoint but it could lead to a monopoly by default. By the way, I am a Hattons customer for items which I can't get locally (and of other online retailers as well). Regards Roddy

Thanks once again Kit, that information is very helpful. Best wishes Roddy

Thanks Kit, that is really helpful. When you mentioned the "socking great girder" I had visions of a bridge support girder mounted on top of the frame, acting as the load, your explanation has clarified that. Can I just check, from photos, it seems that there was only a girder at one end, not both, wood was then used to build up the bed until it was level with the top of the girder and the rail frame was then laid on top of the wood. Were the rail packs still used as a load on top of the rail frame?? Do you by any chance remember if wood was used to make a complete floor over the bed on the one side of the girder or was it simply laid along the frames? Sorry about all the questions and thanks very much for your invaluable help. Best wishes Roddy

Hi Kit I am thinking of doing the rail grey version of HSFV1, do you have any more information on the "socking great girder" which was used as a load? Thanks Roddy

Thanks Paul and Kit. Roddy

Hi Paul My HSFV1 arrived safely yesterday and it looks really good, almost as good as an injection molded kit. Hopefully I will get started on it today. Can I just ask, does anyone know what colours HSFV wore when? I understand that it started out as rail blue but was then painted grey, presumably either rail grey or freight grey, does any one know? I presume it always had warning yellow buffer beam and buffers but does any one know differently. What colour was the load? I've tried to find contemporary colour photos of HSFV1 but unsuccessfully so far. Thanks once again for creating this kit of an unusual subject and I look forward to POP2 and Hastings. Best wishes Roddy

If it is a few decals, shove them in a normal envelope and send to the recipient. I doubt that envelopes will be checked for import taxes. Roddy

All the fun of an enjoyable youth John. Roddy

My first car in the mid 80s was my dad's 1972 Humber Sceptre III, the Hunter shape but with twin headlights and a more luxurious interior. I got it because the garage wouldn't give him a decent part exchange for it. It is still the most fun car I have ever had. I spent hours seeking out parts for it in scrappies. I loved the handbrake being on the right as you could move into first gear at the same time as releasing the handbrake. I ended up rebuilding the car after it was written off due to an electrical fire in a car alarm. I fitted a bored out Holbay engine and a revised gear box incorporating the earlier close ratio gearbox with a later overdrive to give fast acceleration whilst maintaining the top speed. That car was fun and could give owners of VW Golfs a fright at traffic lights. Friends always used to say that they could hear me coming, not because of the exhaust but the sound of the twin weber DCOE carbs sucking the air in through free flow oil air filters. It used to grunt when accelerating. Marriage came along in 1993 and it was a case of using my wife's newer Maestro or my maintenance heavy Sceptre, which, like all 70s cars was suffering from rust, so the Sceptre had to go. It went to a fellow owner who was going to drop the mechanics into a better shell and use it for classic car rallying. I miss that car and still look at online adverts for Sceptres, but I am in my sixties now and I don't think I could do all the work needed to replace that original one with one which would be as much fun, even if the parts were still available. Memories Roddy

Can I ask, does this only happen when you have switched the lights on to start with, i.e. they go off and then come back on, or do the lights come on if they have not been switched on by you to start with? If the former, then the most likely cause is a poor battery connection which is breaking and then making again, if the latter then probably some sort of magnetic interference which is affecting the reed switch. Regards Roddy

Is any part of Eurostar owned by the Welsh, Irish or Scots then? Roddy

The LNER version is still available from Locomotion Models, I bought one a few weeks ago. Regards Roddy

I am sure you're right, but comments from others earlier on in this topic seemed to imply that the only difference from "proper" Stroudley coaches are the door handles. I don't know if that is true or not, as I know nothing about these coaches, but, if it is, then that implies that all that would be needed are different door handles, not a complete set of tooling. Best wishes Roddy

But that would be illogical. Would Hornby not continue to produce the Stroudley coaches and then produce a more generalised model based on the Stroudley for other liveries? That way they would pick up the perceived demand for accurate representations of Stroudley coaches and also capture a share of the generic market as well. Regards Roddy

I've got a vague memory that Kadee coupling springs can be used as replacements, but I can't guarantee that my memory is not faulty. Regards Roddy

I may be wrong but was the first coach "A" at the locomotive end and "B" at the other end? Was the first door only for the train crew's use and the "B" end door for passenger use? Regards Roddy