Les1952

SOUNDS pretty revolutionary- but how many years ago were the Dapol Black Label A4s? With smoke synchronised to the sound and running very well for long periods on the locos I saw at Dapol's open days..... Les

Shame they didn't add in a TT version..... Les

Up until a couple of years ago the Liverpool to Norwich train run by Stagecoach Trains was made up of two portions, each a 2-car Class 158 DMU. The train ran as 4 cars to Nottingham, where the rear two cars were detatched and the front half of the train ran on to Norwich as a 2-car set. Coming the other way the 2-cars from Norwich gained another 2-car unit at Nottingham for the journey onwards to Liverpool. It did mean that all of the reserved seats were in the through coaches and no seats were reserved in the other half of the train. Great if joining at Nottingham to go to Liverpool as there were two empty coaches attached here Westbound. Coming the other way the REAR two coaches leaving Liverpool were the ones with reservations. Walk to the front of the train and seats were unreserved. The front two coaches leaving Liverpool became the rear two when the train reversed at Sheffield, and these were the coaches detatched at Nottingham. East Midlands Trains no longer have this as a through route, the current EMR is a different franchise holder from the previous Stagecoach Trains. The rationale for there being some half-length Azuma sets on the East Coast Main Line is that two short sets can leave Kings Cross coupled together and split at (say) York for each half of the train to serve a different destination. I don't know if they do, though the short sets serve Lincoln. Les

Looking at this and coming from the perspective of someone who has used N gauge Code 55 for many years I think you need to bury the sleepers deeper, and take the shoulder a little further beyond the sleeper ends. I'm waiting for baseboards to arrive at the moment- I have 24 lengths of Streamline and so far 4 points in stock. I'll be starting to build some time in probably February once the Hornby track for the hidden turns at the end arrive. All the very best Les

I've just realised the benefit of NOT going to Warley (first one I've missed in 15 shows). Apart from it being a sight cheaper to stay at home, I'll get the updates quicker by email and RMWeb than I would by trudging round a big number of stands- Hornby and Rapido aren't usually all that close together in the hall, for instance... Les

And Bachmann's - N gauge B1, N-gauge J72 which never appeared even though Dapol pulled theirs...... Les

From Hornby's accounts point of view pre-orders don't show on the balance sheet until they are paid for. Just a thought Les

I don't think it has been swept under the carpet, more hiding behind the wardrobe until Hornby know from the factory what is happening.... Les ... and with Covid cases in Chana apparently rising almost exponentially not a lot is likely to appear from China for anybody in the near future.

For anyone going TT it is worthwhile. I wouldn't buy OO straight from Hornby. Les

Having come away from Spalding Show with a heavy cold (and avoided the Covid that two from our club picked up) I'm giving Warley a miss this year, mostly as I'm off next week on a long weekend taking Bregenbach im Schwarzwald to Paisley and I want to be a bit more healthy when I set off... I'll look on t'interweb for Hornby's announcement. Les

Given the comparisons in price I can see more on the Continent buying Hornby track than UK modellers buying Tillig, apart from those who want a sleeper base built in. Les

and to use components they are already manufacturing for N gauge Code 55. This is how Peco survive in business when others don't..... Les

The rail joiner goes on the lower web of the code 55, making the rails the same height measured from the bottom of the rail joiner. What is now different is the position of the sleeper bottom from the surface underneath, which is why a cardboard (or similar) shim is used to raise the bottom of the code 55 sleepers so the track is firm either side of the join. As a long-term N-gauge modeller it is a great deal easier to do than to describe.... Les

Hornby are aiming their track at the train set market. Peco are aiming theirs at modellers. N gauge Peco Setrack (train-sets) is Code 80. Easier to assemble and dismantle. "Finescale" N gauge modellers are going Code 40, fine unless you have a lot of legacy pre-2000 stock to worry about. I used Code 80 for the colliery lines on Hawthorn Dene with Code 55 on the main line. The vast majority of punters thought the colliery was laid with smaller rail- probably because of the way it was laid (deliberately a bit wonky and embedded in grot or grass to at least the sleeper tops). Similarly I've been asked a few times if the (disguised) track on Bregenbach im Schwarzwald is Code 40- it is actually 100% Fleischmann Setrack. I can see the reasoning for Hornby's choice.

What matters for joining the rails is the height of the rail itself and the width and shape of the rail at the bottom. By the scientific (?) method of taking a ruler to the pics the Tillig rail is a little wider, so Tillig rail joiners will most likely fit both. I suspect it will be possible to force Peco joiners on, but that is for confirmation in January. However Lima and Minitrix tracks are wider at the bottom than Peco making it harder to use Peco joiners, but that issue can easily be resolved with a file. The Peco track will need a card shim under it to support the level change at the bottom, but in N gauge we've been doing that for years...... In other words nothing that can't be sorted. The Train Set Market won't bother (especially if Hornby introduce flexi) and more advanced modellers will find it comparatively easy. Les

Peco's website says that the n-gauge rail joiner (SL910 or SL911 insulating) is the one to use on their TT track. Assuming that the Hornby rails are similar in width at the bottom that means it should also be possible to use the Peco power feed rail joiners (PL-82) to supply Hornby as well as Peco track. That in itself saves an awful lot of soldering to railsides or the underside of rail joiners. I can't wait to get my Peco and Hornby track orders to have a play. Only a couple of months to find out. Meanwhile I've tracked down a Plux16 decoder to go in my Piko diesel. Les

I have some on order but if it works the same way as the N gauge track it will connect directly to Code 80 track, though you may have to use Hornby's fishplates if these are a small amount wider. It involves cutting away the webbing of the Code 55 where the fishplate has to go - you have to do that anyway to connect two pieces of Code 55. You will also need to pack under the sleepers of the Peco for a couple of lengths. Never an issue in N where Hawthorn Dene and Croft Spa both used Code 55 on the visible sections and Code80 Setrack roind the ends. Les

To be fair to Sam he DID start it at 99p. Why does none of my stuff ever go for silly prices? Les

The Terrier was also confirmed as being in the pipeline, without any reference to when.... Les

Many thanks for that- the layout isn't going out until the beginning of April so we can but hope.... Les

any news yet on the sound chips? Les

With the turmoil going on at the moment it is not exactly clear that the government knows its own trade policies. Horror stories about companies trying to export are emerging at a good half-dozen a day- including those relocating to France or Belgium and others giving up and closing down.... Les

I've been picking up door bangers off the layout from my 20 tonners every show they've been to- shunting always finds the bits that need better glueing. One set only of the wagons and so far eight bangers glued back with stronger glue.... I think, (mind I say I think) I must be nearing the end, and only one banger has escaped completely. The chauldrons get their first outing at a show next April but one has already got a broken greedy board, just from being handled and examined by club members.... Hopefully the TT will have a few of the more delicate parts moulded onto the body. SK says that TT is for the average user who wants to run their trains. They will need to be much more robust than OO and N to fit that category. I got out of US N scale when I started getting very nice locos with handrails so fine that it was extrtemenl difficult to get the packing piece out from behind them, after which first touch and they snapped- one Atlas loco arrived with its handrails stuck to the packing piece with paint. That one went back - an arm and a leg to post it back to the States... Les

Any customs issues? Les

I have, and have handled the A3. It is solidly made and has the look and feel of an A3, with handrails that seem solid, and no "ski slope" to the running plate. It is also quite heavy for its size, SK saying in the promo vid that he wanted to do without traction tyres. On the layout the A1 (LNER) moved like a Gresley Pacific, being long legged in the way that Gresley's are and those of lesser designers just aren't. I have A3s in N and the loco is a lot more robust than those. I also have a couple in OO, and this one compares well with those, though admittedly none of my OO A3s are the latest iteration. However I'm fed up to the back teeth of bits dropping off OO locos in the middle of an exhibition. Heljan and Accurascale seem to be the worst culprits here. With the full price at £145.99 the TT loco is a sight cheaper than Hornby's latest OO offering. 4mm sale Lemberg is £252.99 on the Hornby Website. It is also a sight cheaper than N-gauge Dapol's A3 , which Gaugemaster have showing at £172.70. Yes, it will be a couple of years before there is a decent sized range- SK indicated that 2 to 3 releases a year was the plan but that stuff would be released as soon as it was ready after the sets have arrived. Just a few more relevant points Les