Michanglais

Many thanks for this useful technique! I'll give it a go on an old model and see how I get along. Once again, many thanks for you tips, Michael

I'm looking for a cost effective way of improving the valances on my class 90s without needing to use aftermarket products. I'm thinking of using the current parts supplied with the coupling removed and filling the gap with filler that can be filed down to obtain the right profile but I'm not sure of how to hold the lower section in place whilst applying the filler. Could anybody give me some hints or point me in the right direction for this type of project? Many thanks in advance, Michael

Just as an aside, Oxford's site is now showing delivery dates as Q4 for all Mk3s Q4 2017, that is..., for now (!) Harumph!

As someone returning to UK modelling from Continental modelling (now that I've moved to the Continent - ironic, huh?!), are the wheels shown in the box artwork images the colour we can expect to actually feature on the model? They seem very bright and shiny to me - is this Hornby's version of 'blackened' wheels? Cheers, Michael Just as a quick 'edit' - do Hornby usually only produce a couple of liveries per loco per year? I'm fully intending to buy each and every 87 livery they produce but I can see my collection will be slow to grow if this is the case...

Indeed, you're right, the Airfix windows were great for their time but we're a few decades on now. It shouldn't be a major issue to get glazing to look fully flush without the prism effect that the photo seems to suggest. I'm hoping the glazing wasn't the 'final production'. All that said, I tend more towards preferring things like good flush glazing than absolutely spot-on paintwork - although that's naturally important. A matter of personal taste, I suppose. We've all got our little foibles

Ah, fair enough

Rubbish?

What's the general consensus on the painted example on the OR site? Personally, I'm glad to see that even with the interior lit, the glazing is still quite smoked, which must mean that with no lighting it's relatively dark. Just what I was hoping for. I am a little concerned about the prism effect of the glazing, however. I wonder if it's just an effect of the lighting. It almost looks as though the model could have the same punched-flush windows that the first releases of the Hornby scale-length Mk3 had. That would be a major disappointment. Shame there aren't more pictures. All that being said, I'm tempted to put in a number of pre-orders already, something I never normally do...

Oh, I sincerely hope that the 'lightly tinted' glazing isn't too light. I realise manufacturers have to get the balance right when it comes to showing interiors but when you see a Mk3 in normal lighting conditions, you tend to get a strong reflective tint to the windows. Still, I suppose some tinting is better than no tinting at all...

I was thinking the same thing. The bogies on the drawings do seem to look a little on the 'skinny' side to me. There also seems to be a larger gap between the coach and bogie top than on the real thing. That said, I feel the bogies on the unpainted pre-production models that are floating around seem to be a bit meatier to my eye, although none of them (if I recall correctly) shows the coach from a full side-on view, which would allow a more direct comparison. Wouldn't like to see the model looking as though it's rolling around on 'tip-toe'!

Am I the only one who thinks that the painted versions of the coaches on Oxford's site may actually be very well executed 'skins' applied to a pre-production model? Note that the bogies are slightly skewed in exactly the same position on both vehicles and the right wheel of the right bogie somehow looks as though it's 'floating' (to my eyes). If this were the case, it might be good news as changes to the real models (such as the need for a thinner yellow first-class stripe) would presumably be easier to carry out. Or maybe my imagination is working overtime?!!! Just a thought...

I'd like to throw in another tuppence-worth here. In the past I have collected continental models from manufacturers such as LS Models. Their coaches have extremely highly-detailed interiors and to make these visible, they only tint the windows slightly on the model. This tends to allow too much 'light' into the vehicle and make it look toy-like. Personally, I'd prefer a decent amount of tinting rather than (usually) passenger-less, highly-detailed interiors, which aren't visible from a normal viewing distance, anyway. My personal view is that window-tinting should match the prototype just as much as livery colours do. I'm not a fan of lighting but can see the attraction for some people. I'd prefer to see it as an optional add-on rather than an obligatory, unwanted (to me) feature. As usual, I'm only speaking from my own standpoint. It must be extremely difficult for manufacturers to decide how to deal with such matters when bringing a new model to market. So many different opinions...

I contacted OR regarding window tinting and got the following reply: "It’s always interesting getting people’s view on this. We are tinting the windows – and as you can guess I’ve had requests to make them near black, mid tint and completely clear!" Seems fairly clear to me (ho ho). My bold, by the way.

Thanks Roy!

It's probably right under my nose, but has anyone got Oxford Rail's email address? Cheers, Michael

Excellent news - the smoked glazing of the 1:1 is so evident, the models would have looked totally wrong with completely clear glazing. As for interior details being visible, I've had quite a bit of experience with continental models such as those from LS Models who produce astoundingly detailed interiors and then don't (in my opinion) smoke the windows enough just so that you can see the effort they've put into the interior. My preference would be for realistic tinting with simpler interiors rather than light tinting so that the interiors can be clearly seen. All a matter of preference, I suppose. I guess that with lighting, you could have the best of both worlds... Although I wouldn't be keen on the idea of only lit models being produced, I think that lighting should really be a matter of choice and there's also the annoying additional cost aspect for those having to buy a feature they don't want. Still, you're never gonna please all the people all the time

I'm hoping this question hasn't been asked already but does anyone know/has anyone heard whether the window glazing will be smoked or not on these models? Personally, I'm hoping for smoked. It's a major feature of the real thing and I find overly-transparent glazing to be toy-like. Any rumours/confirmations/opinions? Cheers, Michael

Excellent news!!!! Couldn't be more pleased about this. Are Bachmann good on supplying spares? If they do a decent job on the pantograph, it'd be great to retro-fit all those 86s and 87s (as relevant) that I've got hanging around with Brecknell Willis pantographs. Happy! Happy! Happy!

One thing that always draws my attention before anything else is about as basic as it can get - the coupler pockets. The model looks great to my eyes (I'm not too fussed about detail differences, as long as the overall thing looks right. Apologies...), however, this model like, for instance, the Farish Class 37, suffers from clunky, space-filling coupler sockets that immediately draw my attention. This need not be the case, most continental manufacturers now install close couplers (body attached) to their locos, so there's no need to 'extend' the bogie in this way. Before the finer details are addressed, I would like to see this improvement made, it's already been tried and tested in service with other manufacturers so should not be too difficult to implement. Just one of many opinions, but it'd be nice to see a relatively standard, discreet coupling mechanism on the UK market. Michael

Great advice, thanks - worked a treat. It also helped that I'm replacing the glazing so didn't mind if it got damaged during dismantling. It's almost as if they produced the models with the intention that once the parts had been put together, nobody would ever be able to get in or out again

Hi, Could anyone give me some advice on how to remove the roof from an original Lima MK3 Sleeper (as opposed Hornby version) without damaging the paintwork or, naturally, breaking the whole thing! Many thanks in advance for any help, Michael