Dava

I’ve been modelling American O scale 2 rail in the UK for just over two years. I’ve not found anything available from UK dealers. The Facebook group American O-Scale in the UK is useful to join. I also joined the US group https://groups.io/g/OSCALEYARDSALE This is open to buyers & sellers, every day I get several lists or offers of US 2rail stock, details, scenic, road vehicles etc. Some dealers won’t export to the UK and for a loco you have to anticipate USPS fees if $65 or more plus possible Customs and VAT. It’s frustrating to see Weaver and other boxcars going for $25 or so but in most cases it’s not economic to buy them. But I have bought & imported consignments of turnout components and two small brass locos where the vendors were happy to export and the total costs were acceptable to me. Transferring the money can be surprisingly complex through the primeval US banking system if they don’t use PayPal. The orders took a while to arrive, especially during Covid lockdowns, but all arrived safely in the end. It’s also into see what’s available. Dava

Roco could make one using their BR80 chassis! They won’t but there is definitely a market for one. UK TT120 needs an 0-6-0T shunter & the US S100 and JZ class 62 would have European appeal. Class 62 Drawing below. Dava

See links on this page to Mac OS guides, says no drivers required I have an iPad mini so also interested, I have a Sprog & JMRI https://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk/download-page Dava

Comparing a Black Country tram extension with a high speed trunk line connecting major cities is a false comparison. East Midlands has been shafted by Graylings cancellation of MML electrification then two rounds of HS2 reviews. West Midlands doing pretty well with lots of infrastructure investment by comparison and you get HS 2 to London. We get 0. Dava

“The government is considering scrapping the eastern leg of High Speed 2 between Birmingham and the East Midlands as it searches for ways to claw back money on the UK’s major infrastructure project.” https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hs2-eastern-leg-to-midlands-could-be-scrapped-and-project-delayed-to-cut-costs-07-02-2023/?tkn=1 So the East Midlands gets stuffed yet again, even MML electrification is painfully slow & HS2 looks to be cancelled. All these cost-saving reviews, plus abortive work done (such as Euston and HS2East design work) is costing a huge amount of OUR money, and delivering a lot less railway, much later and more expensive. I have supported HS2 up to now but it is now becoming little more than a very expensive WCML capacity and speed upgrade. It is likely to do nothing for Transpennine, East & East Midlands and Scotland. These are decisions made by government, not the fault of the rail project. There is going to be a lot of anger in the East Midlands about this. The region has one of the lowest rates of transport investment in the UK. Dava

Not true. I had to get my railcard renewed in advance as I would be out of UK when it expired then needed to use it with a ticket to return from London. Renewed at EMP station no problem, could not have been done online. Dava

We know the govt & operators want to close ticket offices, I don’t agree with this as many of the staff are excellent (eg Newark & Loughborough) if understandably a bit grumpy at times. I have a railcard which buys me a Park & Ride return at a good discount over the tickets + parking cost and can’t be sold by machine. Often the ticket machines won’t accept people’s prebuy orders requiring staff help, which is also needed by travellers with various needs. Finally I detest tickets on mobiles as the blasted things are always going dark when you need them and hiding the download files etc. I don’t want a digital railcard for that reason. A railway station or train with no visible staff is not a safer place. Keep the staff and printed tickets. Dava

Let’s see how long the new and remaining 747 freighters last. We live under the EMA flight path and enjoyed seeing 2-3 incoming 747s for most of last year but their number has dwindled and they’re not popular with the service crews. Less competitive on operating costs with newer 2 engine designs replacing them, sadly. An Antonov made a return visit last month though! Dava

Its worth looking at the 'Railways of Scotland' subtopic under 'UK Prototype' for example this thread from 2013 Dava

Never trust Human Remains. It’s better you feel able to walk away. Dava

The Wills OO garage kits are very versatile, I used one with a side door added as a TT3 goods shed, it would work in TT160 too.Also makes a 2 road loco shed or 1 + 1/2 road as a repair shed. Also works for Hoe. Dava https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magento/wills-ss12.html

I’ll just add I built an O scale microlayout in Canada, the story is below. It was only 6 x 1 feet. Access to modelling supplies was limited with the nearest model store 4 hours drive away and mail order from UK or US expensive. I used a lot of recycled or locally available materials which was probably easier in O than it would have been in OO. Id be wary of importing the Heljan/Hattons A3 or A4 as they are not very robust models and costs of sending one back would be high. The Ellis Clark Black 5 will be more expensive but probably a very good investment. Hope this is useful, Dava

Recommended event, looks like 100g of bacon per bap! I have seen some exhibitors have more than one…best to leave room for the cake! Dava

Look carefully and it is made from the Unimat 1 alu modules held together by screwed plastic wedges. Suggest avoidance. Dava

These are available via railwayana sales, as are the NRM reprints more cheaply, they frame up nicely. The Emporium at GCR Loughborough usually has some and lots of books - Winter Steam Gala next weekend. Dava

The USA TC S100 0-6-0T is an ideal pan-European tank loco which ran in the UK also. Dava

The streamlined B17 would be an ideal 3D one piece print on a 4-6-0 chassis when one appears, such as a Black 5 or the Castle Ravenser said: “I do think that TT:120 is probably going to be a more craft-based scale than N - you will need to do more yourself and hopefully the moderately larger scale will allow you to do so more easily. Certainly Continental TT looks a more craft based culture than Continental HO and N .” I like craft based modelling , I’m not a micro-engineer capable of building chassis in this scale. Crafting from an RTR base is ok. An 0-6-0 chassis with replacement kit or 3D bodies will be very useful for example. So would Peco wagon kits with steel chassis, wheelsets, couplings available. A green 08 shunter set would be a good start. Dava

No one has mentioned the £50million for Cardiff Crossrail phase 1 which creates a light rail tramway from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay, presumably replacing the rather forlorn branchline at huge cost, as the first stage of Cardiff Crossrail. Total cost is an astronomical £100million. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2023/01/levelling-up-funds-50m-kickstarts-first-phase-of-cardiff-crossrail.html Just hope phase 2 gets funded too.

The Triang Britannia and Merchant Navy used an XT60 motor in a shorter coupled wheelbase chassis which was much better than the Jinty & Castle/Prairie chassis. The A3 & A4 is a modern version of that. The J94 and especially Pannier tank chassis will be very useful as generic bases for kit or 3D print bodies, eg your GWR 2251, Dean Goods, 94xx pannier. A modernisation plan 1st generation DMU would be ideal for a whole range of bodies from Derby Lightweights to MetroCammell 101s and 121 bubblecars. That class 25 project does look to fill a gap…. Dava

Not yet, waiting for RmWeb to calm down before posting. Also busy with work affecting progress. Dava

I stand by what I wrote, I don’t know why it disappeared except the forum was wobbly last night. It’s not a political statement more than others on here. Abellio, Avanti & TPE are still out there as foreign owned profit-taking TOCs. The botched Major era privatisation led eventually to the mess we have now. ”It’s not the People’s Railway anymore, we just pay for it. Privatisation and the cackhanded attempts to shore it up have been the biggest, most costly screwup in UK railway history.” Dava

Jeff was the greatest and got better with age. Saw him and his band at Birmingham Symphony Hall for a brush with the blues. Now playing The Final Peace in his memory.

Years ago I bought a LifeLike Pennsy 0-4-0 switcher for my son’s Ho trainset, still got it but I was able to acquire this pair of B&O C16/a switchers from the US, posed here on Coxheath Sidings as a demo track. Neither had been more than test run. This year they need a proper shortline to run on and the C16A (tender) needs a lower amp motor if it’s ever to have DCC and a paint job when I have the courage. When I started in US O scale it was going to be diesel only, then a token steam loco, but I like these heavy brutes. Dava

I once bought a Unimat 1 lathe, it was in the 1980s and might have come from Beatties! This is also available in red with alu effect fittings, its the updated Unimat 1. Interesting to assemble but basically a construction toy. The plastic inserts which (don’t) lock the modules together mean you get whip in the tool post which is useless if you’re trying to turn a workpiece. Best avoided. Note the lack of reviews for most of these items. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374402063615?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D245022%26meid%3D674d234e5e074d36b2bf05f08c15319a%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D372766799223%26itm%3D374402063615%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithRevOptLambda90KnnRecallV1%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A374402063615674d234e5e074d36b2bf05f08c15319a|enc%3AAQAHAAABIPZqctS1aW2Gn1fMafrLrPa7%2BqLD2Pgo5GTgCDTJgIpBMBHaBHcFvdVGNBWeIytK8U7x8RargP9Bv5VZgW5ZIFNNf9nephbIX1PXH1FdkkgkmuyOfqR7jyii15SQm5okSu%2FJf%2Bg1Sd9OPrLn0DD3BGqZiTRGDKPkIv3pLjbcZv7hVzOO1T7Pi7oqNTWxkfXjgCtk%2FwMuugj8Wh7STR6D5nVBnrt2ugs0gPEmxjaR3BRnB6MM9U9GPCQXBfTbSdGQxgTDbVd21PMdm0KRBENvXxM5HRy94tPRPYMVGU3scgFJnINMBRrVaxDiG4C9WgOOPwuLYswPj86PB83fKMe3bLvbbFzz%2BhkZSnXMVeB2xSjPgFVLuWrYSZkTMjnrhUgCEQ%3D%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2047675

It’s a wood turning lathe, ideal for table legs etc. For use with handheld chisels, sandpaper etc. Plastic turning but not metal. Dava