GordonC

thats a cracking price for those, not a surprise they're selling fast. Seems odd having such a big discount on DCC Ready versions when the DCC Sound and DCC Sound Deluxe are just at the normal 15% off. I think they're trying to soak up as much demand from their new 37s tooling before Accurascale can ramp up production too

who said anything about everybody replacing??? but the better the existing model is to start with, the less people will want to buy a new model over it or replace what they have. I still think there would be far better options to go for first

I think it'd be a brave manufacturer to look to improve on the Bachmann 150 and make enough sales to make it worthwhile - of course there are lots of livery variations possible, but I'm just not sure its bad enough to warrant retooling by anyone else. I'm a little surprised the Class 165 Networkers have never been produced - we've had 3 car 166s, but there are a lot more 165s and now they're working in new areas

of course sales stuff never lies! I'm not sure its claimed to be more accurate, thats perhaps just an assumption about a newer model, but I'm not sure anything about the 3D print shows it will stand out from the existing, excellent, Bachmann model.

I'd agree about 153s and 155s, but I'd think it would be only Bachmann that'd release an improved Class 150 when the existing model is pretty good. The only thing I'm not keen on is the big motor block visible inside looks pretty poor and the price is pretty steep for what it is. Where do you think its not to current standards?

That Accurascale 8,000 Class 37s must be spread over quite a number of variations though rather than just one model produced isn't it?

Were wires up that weren't energised? I thought they always energised them to prevent theft?

I cant help thinking there's something brewing in terms of sales at the moment. We're seeing increasing amounts of models greatly reduced closer and closer to release date and there are just so many new tooled models competing for the same cash while a cost of living crisis reduces a lot of buyers spending money. it must be getting more difficult for manufacturers and retailers to predict production quantities accurately

I thought it was meant to be because the Class 120 Centre cars contained asbestos where the Class 101 trailers presumably had it removed. It certainly happened in the Scottish region too, but then at that time mid-80s pretty much anything was lashed together to get sets out too.

Pretty sure they'd pledged to build HS2 ... I'll believe it when the money is handed over

it might be easy if that was catered for when the tools were created. Maybe less so if not.

There were a few odd-balls as the different Intercity Mainline and Swallow liveries merged into each other. I think Mainline locos normally had the full yellow front and no INTERCITY in italics, but certainly some got the dark grey across the windscreens. Equally INTERCITY did get applied to at least 47824 and AC electrics in otherwise Mainline livery

is the CAD image from before or after reshaping the windscreens?

it that picture of the front of the street or a back where it might not be as decorative?

thats 1980s ScotRail Mk2Ds I take it? ... 😉

I'd be very surprised if the tooling was any different between the models so does the whether or not they can be fitted with ploughs relate to whether the prototype ever carried them? I thought the real ones had brackets fitted if they regularly carried ploughs so it was an easy job of fitting/removing them

The CAD looks like too straight an edge along the top of the outer windscreens when the prototype looks like more of a gradual curve. The guttering above looks like its at 3 angles too rather than a smooth curve. It just doesn't look right to me if thats how the model is going to turn out

You've got that the wrong way round there, its all the southern units that look the same and boring!

I think you'd need to look through quite a lot of photos from the period to see, but it's not always easy to tell from the standard photo of the loco and train behind. On thinking about it, videos might be easier to see more detail of the coaches behind as they pass. Was it not initially branded as a 'Scotrail' before becoming 'ScotRail' latterly and also some branded with 'Intercity Scotrail' too?

I'm kinda hoping its something new to RTR rather than just an upgrade of something already available

is there a DIP switch underneath or somewhere to enable/disable the tail lights?

But mainstream locos are probably getting more niche as well as their cost, detail and accuracy increases and there must be lower production run volumes to spread development cost over too while new releases have to compete with existing older models out on the market. While we're probably more likely to buy multiple locos in different liveries and numbers/names the potential for sales of a Class 104 would have to be significant even if more modellers just buy one livery when its not been available RTR before. Personally I'd probably feel more attachment to locos by number/name/depot so I might hold out for a Scottish large logo example rather than just any old one. Whereas a Class 104 is much more generic to me - almost like in the background - you'd notice its there or not, but not details about it.

Quite possibly, but presumably the through-wiring is to reduce the need for separate DCC chips in each vehicle so if it cost too much then presumably they'd be better just have them entirely separate vehicles and things like DCC Bachmann Mk2Fs are a less eye-watering price than the Heljan 104

I cant help wondering whether the tooling is overcomplicated for this in trying to cover every conceivable variation of a Class 104. Admittedly there will have been quite a lot of changes to the units over their lifespan, but it must add to the complexity and tooling/assembling costs having individual roof vents added separately to cater for normal and later smooth roof. Or if underfloor motor makes things more difficult or expensive, could the old fashioned style of power bogie in the guards van have worked? I just cant see how the RRP this comes out at is in any way realistic

Good question, most of the HS2 destinations mentioned would be electric all the way, but Holyhead is currently a fair distance away from the wires. Of course Rishi did announce electrifying it in his speech, but will that actually happen? I'd be surprised if it was worth developing a bi-mode version unless there was more diesel destinations than just Holyhead to serve, but thinking of other traditional WCML destinations - Blackpool is electrified now. Shrewsbury? I'm not even sure Wolverhampton will get an HS2 service with Curzon Street being a terminal station. I can see an HS2 fleet being fairly captive to Liverpool/Manchester/Birmingham - Euston.