rembrow

I suppose most wouldn't notice, as there are couplings already fitted to the coaches, and the spares are in plastic bags. I didn't notice until the hunt couplings turned up and were 3 sizes. The hunt couplings are shorter for both the development coach and ndm, I've compared the two versions while coupled but not attached to the coach. The inter coach gap between the development coach and other coaches is ok, at least the same as on an articulated bogie gap. They are working ok on my rails, but I do have third radius. Someone pointed out that hunt say their couplings are for third radius, although it's not mentioned on the pack. I did find that for both the development and tbf couplings, there was limited side to side movement, due to the magnet hitting the bogie or body respectively. I improved the sideways movement by filing down the depth of plastic at the rear of the magnet box, and curving the shape at each side.

No instructions but they are placed in the boxes in separate clear plastic bags, near to the relevant coaches. The ndm spares are inside their clam shell boxes and the other two are in the egg box style trays.

They are spare couplings as there are 3 sizes used in the set. The Development coach has the shortest, the ndm has the mid size and the long ones are for the tbf.

The longest couplings (2) are for the two TBF coaches (one for each coach), the middle length couplings (4) are for the NDM (sufficient for two ndms) and the shortest (2) are for the Developmental coach.

Received and fitted my Hurst couplings today. The ndm ones are shorter than the Hornby equivalent, but not by much. My ndms are able to negotiate 3rd radius curves and points without fouling. As a precaution, I did modify them slightly, by elongating the locating hole, using a round file and elongating at the end furthest from the magnet. As the Hornby locating screws are shouldered, they don't foul the elongated hole. This gives a small amount of backwards/forwards movement of those couplings. I was concerned with the couplings for the TBF and Development coaches, as the magnet hit the body or bogie crosspiece respectively, giving limited side to side movement. I increased the sideways movement by reducing the depth of plastic material at the rear of the magnet, and filing a curve to each side. This made quite a difference to the amount of sideways movement of the couplings for those two coaches.

There is a change at Hornby's management, that doesn't seem to have gained much interest, I doubt it's connected with this debacle, but may lead to other managerial changes. They are looking for a new CEO. As of late January, Lyndon Davies has moved to Executive Chairman, currently carrying out both roles until the new CEO is appointed.

Dapol has manufactured in the UK from it's beginning. It brought the ex Airfix tooling for the 5 and 7 plank wagons to the UK from HK/China and manufactured a host of liveries until selling the tools to Hornby, then continued to manufacture ex Hornby Dublo wagons, with newer chassis, this still continues and they have some newer wagons produced in the UK such as the milk tankers and tar tanks. I read that the new injection moulding equipment purchased, led to them bringing 'n" gauge mk3 coach tools to the UK for production. As far as I know, most UK production has been of simpler models, with little additional added detail, but that has changed with the "O' gauge model production, which has led to the new Stroudly coaches being UK produced with a high level of detail added parts.

I suggest Hornby's answer is itself a misrepresentation, as clearly the separate ndm was not intended for the 7 car set. Why do I say that, well I have the box in front of me and the outer cover is printed with a red flash at the corner 'sets 370 003 & 370 004'. Those sets are depicted in the 5 car pack not the 7 car pack. The separste ndm also has the earlier fittings, related to the 5 car set - no red lining at the roof cantrail and the earlier stone faiveley pantograph. I did make a decision to buy the separate ndm early on and have had to change the body and pantograph with that of the dummy ndm. The 2022 planned releases seem to have the same issue with the new ndm (2022 version) numbered for the 2022 5 car pack.

I'm sure everyone has, so apologies for teaching grandmother etc, but worth repeating that the motors on the ndms should be run in at half speed for at least 30 mins in each direction, before trying to load the motor by weight and/or speed. Am in the process of running in my two, the first was much tighter than the second. One thing that disappoints me with the set and additional coaches, is the level of glazing that has not been fixed flush, possibly it can move when tbe body sides are stretched to fit on the chassis.

Has anyone else found that the windscreens on the 86/4 are not fitted flush at the top of the windscreen. Both sides of my RES 86/4 are so, which didn't feature in my 86/0. The RES version photos on Rails website show the same issue. Also noticed that Heljan appear to have reverted to the strong box packaging as my model came in an outer hard cardboard box, with foam inside surrounding the clear plastic clamshell.

On my BR late crest 'St Peter's School' I started to fit the nameplates yesterday. Had to modify them as Bachmann don't supply any support to enable attachment to the running plate. Being etched they are too thin to get a reliable attachment at the base. I fitted a thin square section of plasticard to the base reverse side of the nameplate, about 3mm in from each end, so it can't be seen. This was painted satin black and the new plasticard base was fitted to the running plate with glue n glaze.

I received my replacement couplings during the week, but the shipment was one pack short. I sent an e-mail to Accurascale support yesterday, not expecting anything till the working week, however received a response from Patrick, within the hour, and details of a new order for the extra pack, at no cost. Today the pack has been posted to me, that is some response. Many thanks to Accurascale.

I find it interesting, that the Feb Hornby magazine, that covers the 2022 announcement, has given descriptive coverage to the 'Trains on Film' range, but not separately in the tables. The locos are shown in the steam locomotives table section as L&MR locos, an asterix alongside leads to a footnote in small print, where it explains they are in this range.

Night John Boy

OK so I'm all ready for tomorrow. Teasmade set for 7am, cornflakes dry poured, muffins in the toaster, collie dog has pee pants on, trousers in press, fresh pants and socks ready, wet wipes at bedside (for a quick wash!!). Oh and missus has locked the credit cards away. Let the fun begin.

Interesting, I'd looked at the You Tube Rapido page about 2 hrs ago and again after your info above and there is no heading or link to Titfield Thunderbolt showing, so wonder if they have removed it. I did a search on You Tube for 'Rapido titfield thunderbolt' and it identified this video link.

Not sure where it's been stated as a link to Titfield Thunderbolt. The yoy tube flyer just gives the date and time of the video going live, with the header 'cat among the pigeons'. It's been assumed that as the date and time is 2.5 hrs before Hornby's annual product announcement and Hornby has now moved tbst announcement forward, that there is a link to a potential Hornby product to be announced. As Hornby, in their recent programme, had an episode devoted to the urgent design of a replacement HST, as another model maker was working on such a model, the HST has been suggested as tbe model of interest that led to Hornby moving tbeir announcement to be before Rapidos. It may also be a product linked to Titfield, although both have already announced a Lion model.

Careful Mike, if you follow that analogy then MTK is the daddy of all diesel and electric.

What was said at the time, was that Hornby activated a stalled Terrier proposed model, due to the Dapol/Rails announcement, as according to Simon Kohler, they saw the Terrier as historically, a Hornby model. Trouble is, that was a false narrative, as although Hornby had produced Terrier models for more than 20 years, the model's history was not Hornby. It was developed and produced in the 1980s by Dapol, who sold the tools, with others, to Hornby, in the 1990s, so if any business could claim historical rights, it was Dapol.

Even better, if during filming of a sleepy Simon, doing a socially distanced presentation of the Hornby 2022/23/24 range, in the visitor centre, with Montana prompting, a DPD deliverer (other delivery company's are available) arrives with a boxed Rapido HST sample - next scene, Simon banging head against loco cylinder in storage facility.

Nooo not a 4 COR, I got one from Silver Fox last year, and am now awaiting a 4 BUF that's promised for this years production. (They also have the parts for a 4 GRI as well, but surprisingly not a 4 RES, but that is promised)

For me, I'm not really in the market for any Hornby items, having had to change my pre orders twice, due to their macho tactics with their retailer customers, they have seriously mucked me about, and I'm not sure that I will get some of my remaining orders due to being late to the table with my third retailer. The only thing that might change my mind, is if they announce a new tooling for the GWR/BR original Hall. The last iteration came out in tbe 'design clever' period and was of lower quality detail. Last year the similarly designed P2 from that period was announced as a retool to high detail standards, so they may be seeking to rectify the mistakes of the dc period. The Hall in the main range, only came out in one version- Rood Ashton.

If there is a duplication of the HST, I'm hoping that Rapido will announce the HST prototype with power cars and full range of coaches as well. Unlikely that Hornby would go for a prototype, they haven't got the vision to see that it could be a winner. This would restart a proposal that Rapido and Locomotion had a couple of years ago, to do the prototype power cars.

So the dark spray room that Mick and Simon used for the corrected sample was fake, two men and a cameraman got into that room. Not making an issue but it seemed staged and amateurish to me.

Are you sure. I was very surprised that they were happy to show on the programme, two product developers, crawling around on the visitor centre floor, with an apt car and a power source, to test for light blead through the sides of the coach. That came across as very amateurish, as I'm sure they could have used other dark areas of the office, to be able to work at head height. It appeared that the director wanted to show some urgent action, as this segment was based on 'a customer' complaining about light blead through the sides of the last version of the Mk3 dvt, and sure enough, they found light blead through the apt coach, cue dramatic tension.