ThaneofFife

Sparking about in Carlisle.... http://www.flickr.co...1@N23/lightbox/ This photo has an almost model appearance to it......

i can almost feel the warmth of the sun and hear the bird song before the clickety clack of the approaching unit......and a nose full of fumes as it trundles past.

Updates now showing on Bachmanns website;- http://www.Bachmann.co.uk/ Interesting to hear about the detailed bulkheads but no mention of any engine room lighting (some might see the latter as a gimmick anyway). Front and rear lights with cab lights are fitted. Be good to see these models in the flesh........

With reference to Toms photo in post #41 Dave, if you can fit buffers with bright metal inserts (internal shanks?) rather than black plastic this would add a nice touch to the look of the model - painting sprung buffers can be very tricky and sometimes renders them u/s if the paint sticks the two pieces. Certainly will add a bit more credence if you want the ultimate 73.

You might be right Barry - I'll perhaps try them again next week and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I tried to phone them at the new address on Wednesday (shouldnt expect they are at a show, but whatever) and it just rang out eventually going to answerphone so I left all my details - I said I would also send them a detailed email. In that email I ordered some items on the assumption that my understanding of them was correct, which it was (they confirmed), yet the email I received back made no reference to taking payment or getting the order out. It was as if "here is your answer now go away-thanks" kind of reply. Surely if youre going to be brusque with people you take their money first then do all the Basil Fawlty impressions you like after payments cleared! Conrad Electronics UK are good alternative or there is a large modelling seller on ebay Germany.

I know this is a real thread revival but it shows the search tool can be extremely useful without starting another post! I am in a similar position to many of the earlier posters here having just binned my layout of 3 years for various reasons one of which was a growing dislike of the fact that I used Peco code 100 track throughout. Nothing against Peco as such but when you start to open your eyes at what else is available the differences become only too obvious and so I am on that same journey now looking at what to use for the new layout. I really do like the appearance of Tlligs Elite turnouts in Chris Nevards photos and given that they can be used with something like Exactoscales code 82 FB flexi-track on concrete bases its seems an ideal match and solution for my BR diesel/electric era circa 1985/1986 layout. Im fairly certain too that with some judicious tweaking of heights I can use standard peco code 75 for the fiddle yards/mom-scenic sections. Is that correct? Having jumped onto a suppliers website i see that these turnouts seem to have varying sleeper spacings depending on what turnout you purchase (unless the website images are not all up to date?). Can anybody shed any light on this and in general is the Tillig and Exactoscale code 82 flexi a good reliable choice/combo?

Can those triangular foot irons and lamp brackets be purchased as detailing parts?

Not necessarily any sign at all then that the ACs in particular are not selling well if they were piling diesels just as high and selling low and yes I think they must be show only prices. They couldnt serve buyers fast enough on Saturday.......

Now how many here would cover over one of the marker lights to mimic 85020's busted one? Its probably one of those real life details that just looks wrong in model form....... I like the way the overhead supports have been painted to blend in with the stations roof colours in Daves photos.

5mm - many thanks.

Many of the photos here show the 85s hauling coaches. Here are a couple I found hauling lesser seen loads......... 85014 TOPS but still retaining its headcode box on a coal train;- and 34 on a car train..... http://railphotoprints.zenfolio.com/p292472143/h2AD6AF38#h4cc99746

What is the spacing between sleepers increased to after using the PH tool?

Andy, I took your advice in post #796 and ventured across to the Marketplace in a bid to move these spare transfers on. I registered my details and began to work my way through the "sell" feature but I gave up as it appears a) there is no facility to list at a fixed price (auction only is that correct?) and there is listing fee of £1.50 - Now on high value items I could live with that fee but its not really the place is it to sell small low value items unless Ive overlooked something within the Marketplace facility. Even more so when you consider that I was offering members here the transfers at BELOW what the cost price would be to them had they gone direct because of the savings in postage. I'm not wishing to profitteer on these - I know there must be rules for sales but for such a low value inanimate item I honestly thought it would cause no harm or upset to highlight them in this thread (the best place for Class 85 transfers)............maybe a word of advice sooner just after my post #770 would have been more fitting. That said I dont expect you to be staring down the barrel of every single post on here just as its written but I'm just sensing that a little slack would perhaps go a long way or would have done nicely in this instance without wanting any special treatment. Just a thank you would even have been nice for my efforts. It is my understanding that you have said "Although the forum is free to read, register and participate it is paid for by site supporters, sponsors and me and I feel it's particularly bad form to disregard the rule above where postings are made for commercial gain....." I really dont expect anybody to think I was out to make a commercial gain - a commercial loss, well maybe

Not a problem. I will put a fresh one up after reprogramming if I think its made any noticeable differences.

No problem Andy. Jim - Obviously there is a slight saving to be had in preference to buying direct but only on the few sets I have remaining either way Steve gets whats due to him It would have been nice to shift the sets here.

I now have the FELL RUNNER name and number sets for sale at £5.50 posted, if anyone would a like a set send me a PM with your details.

Bif is going to see if he can do anything to improve the cruising speed sound effect (it is more motor blowers sound than actual traction motor whine if I'm being picky - the whine should sound out the blowers the higher the speed gets) or maybe just reduce the volume to speed ratio if that is possible. Its early days for me with this so I obviously need to do more running/testing. Ive got some AC electrics on DVD too so to refresh the memory I will sit and listen to a few of them again at speed. Certainly from a standstill the sound is spot on and the function that allows you to keep the motor blowers on whilst stationary (and indefinitely) really adds to the authenticity. Very controllable. The running is really smooth too. It doesnt take off or stop on a sixpence - if you like your locos this way you might have to alter some of the acceleration and deceleration modes. Top speed isnt a patch on a normal dcc fitted 85 but I will be addressing this today hopefully by changing two of the CVs. The speaker chamber that comes with this decoder will not fit into the 85 but its dead easy to sort. In fact it took me longer to get the body off than to fit the decoder. You will need to get the speaker out and put into your Class 85s chamber. Once the body is off (its still attached by the wires to the cab lights which can be unplugged if you wish), remove the blanking plug from the pins on the PCB. Then remove the black plastic speaker chamber held in by two tiny screws. With a small flat screwdriver inserted into one of the holes in the side of the chamber that came with your decoder, prize out the speaker carefully. Do the same on the other side and it should pop out - handle carefully. Press the speaker into the chamber you have removed from your 85 and using tiny dots of rolled up blu-tac, cover up all the holes in the chamber for an airtight seal including the large hole where the wires come out. You could just press the speaker into place with the chamber is situ but you cant seal it up fully and so you will get a poorer quality sound. The speaker is pre-wired to the decoder so it is plug and play. Plug the decoder in and refit the speaker. Fit the 2 small securing screws back. You could give it a quick test with the body left off I guess but then refit the body and enjoy. I did ask Bif if it was possible to operate the cab lights separate from the corridor lights but this would require some work on the PCB.

Thanks for the info chaps. A little something I threw together today on my layout which is still work in progress (but mainly the wires or lack of!). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mlTd5cFM-Q&feature=youtu.be My only real criticism of this superb class 85 decoder is the cruising speed sound effect which loses it realism. Great for shunting and moving off or stopping but not so good on the fly which might be well be something that afflicts all dcc sound locos. I hope to be able to play about a bit with some of the CVs...... . It may only be something that can be addressed if actual recordings of 85101 ever come to fruition.

i know the special edition 85101 cab interior control desks were painted blue. i was wondering though, was it only that prototype that had that desk colour or were all 85s like this? just wondering whether to paint my 85/0 desks.........

I'd forgotten that electric locos used to travel a good distance up the five ways tunnel when moving around the north end of the station (or is it the west end ) or leaving those stabling sidings by the PSB. think the wires went round out of sight for a good few hundred yards or so.......

that model of lime street is brilliant........read about it in Model Rail. a real work of art especially the station roof. ill be taking a good look at this at Warley. pity its not based on the electric era rather than steam!

For those interested, I've now had some positive feedback from Steve at Railtec Models after suggesting a transfer and number set to replicate 85 030 "Fell Runner" and he seems to like the idea. Obviously only one name required! Ive sent him some close up photos of the loco and the name and left it with him - his exact words were watch this space.

Surprised to hear they were selling them that cheap at this early stage. The lowest price I saw them at the same show was £75 for the pre-tops version however I heard a few buyers asking traders what their best prices were and many were happy to reduce them in order to bag a sale so a lot of the time you can treat the price tag at these events just as a guide anyway. Lots of good prices at the show including the new Hornby EWS timber wagons for £9.99 and the not so new ScotRail Class 90 for £34.99

i do wish Heljan would add cab interior lights like the Bachmann diesels. this would be a nice improvement.