69843

Thread drift I know.

But I always laugh at people arguing about if 4472 is or isn't authentic because parts have been replaced (and have been pretty much as it has run, both like any steam locomotive and any preserved locomotive). Meanwhile, locomotives that have undergone similar significant work often barely raise a comment.

Back on thread, I'd be interested in a 2021/2 tooling Scotsman in 2016-on condition. A few times I've been interested in an R3443, but the examples I've seen crop up have all had some degree of front frame lifting. If the "new" tooling is halfway decent, I'd jump on it.

1 hour ago, BR Blue said:

One 37/7 has already been announced for 2023:

I am well aware. Hence my comment.

4 hours ago, Hilux5972 said:

Please please please say you are planning some West Coast Railway 37’s in future runs. 

Given there's a 37//7 guaranteed, I think at least 1 will come.....Plus, it's Accurascale. Matching locos and stock is a bit of a thing 😉

Whilst looking for something completely unrelated, I came across some photos of the lengthy test trains.

So who's going to pony up and do a test train? 🙂

http://www.traintesting.com/freight_wagon_testing.htm

Absolutely fantastic stuff. I still remember the moment I first stumbled upon this thread in the early days, and there was a mighty need to convert looking into purchasing.

Can't wait to cause some thunder Down Under in due course.

Does anyone know the container serial numbers, so I can track every inch of their journey door-to-door? None of this only on the sea sort of tracking-I demand TOTAL tracking coverage of my model.

(Hmmm. There seems to be a cheek lodged in my tongue)

The thing I find is companies like Rapido/Rapido UK, RevolutioN and Accurascale are built from people that not only love their trains and models, but are exactly our kind of people in that they are multi-interest geeks, and they know it. Jason is an unashamed full on Whovian for starters, having shown off his figurine collection more than once. They are not marketing people, but people with a passion and interest that runs deep. The marketing comes as a by-product of research, love for the hobby and fun. You only have to look at the Accurascale April Fools joke to understand that these are people who know the hobby inside out, and exactly what will be humour that us as railway modellers will just get.

Hornby, by being a massive brand far removed from where it was and encompassing more than just trains, has to be a bit more clean-cut due to its size and nature. They need to have a more family oriented image to suit all of their clientele and interested persons, which whilst still contains subtle humour and nods is very toned down to things like Rapido videos which I feel would be shut off the second they tried. They also have people in the company who aren't train geeks-they are marketing people or sales people who may have had an interest but not necessarily the deep passion, or have been moved from another department such as Scalextric or Corgi. However I feel this fails them as shown by some of the latest blogs.

The current blog was written by a Jemma Farrow. With a quick bit of reverse searching we come up with the following from Linkedin:
"Skills: Branding, campaign management, organisation, customer service. I currently run a small side business selling personalised digital artwork." All commendable skills, and by no means am I trying to put her down for being in this position or the skills she posesses, but her work doesn't exactly seem to say "railway enthusiast". Admittedly this is all based on guesswork and by no means reflects the reality-she may well be.

What I feel would be a step in the right direction is to get people who have been involved in the research to check over these blog sections for a bit more accuracy. To a non-railway person who is just buying models and looking at the blog for interest, they won't note too much of a change between current examples and a revised and refined post. I'm amazed that no-one here seems to have picked up that the blog states "In the below image, you can see the start of the valve gear work, note the large protrusion on the front of the cylinder, which is a feature of Lenz Rotary Valve Gear and not seen on the cylinders of locomotives fitted with Walscherts Valve Gear. The Rotary cam that gives the valve gear its name is missing from this sample however, again, this is an early engineering sample.", yet we're looking at Earl Marischal in the image.

Just little refinements and checks making sure facts, names etc. are correct would lift things back up a bit. Is it a perfect solution? No. It will never make everyone happy, especially with other areas of Hornby's business of late. However, it is a start and something minor that can be corrected with a small effort but a better outcome.
 

There's only one reply
 

The review on the product might be a few weeks off yet….

Gotta love automated systems sometimes 🙂

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Comme ça?

Comme ça, oui. But as usual it is rarely that simple. I also apologise for the following info dump.

Here is Wallaby at the original Australian Iron and Steel works in Lithgow. Note the dumb buffers on the front and apparent lack of livery. This image is reportedly dated 1913 with Wallaby pretty much brand new (2988/1913), coupled to a 30 ton metal ladle. The locomotive was purchased as the locomotive to look after the No.2 Blast Furnace, which also opened in 1913.

(Unknown collection)

2 undated photos show it to be in a livery very close to as preserved, being it would seem the main livery of the locomotive. The location of the first shot is unknown but plausibly Lithgow due to the proximity of the house behind (the steelworks ran lines right through the middle of the town). The second shot, though undated, shows the locomotive on the ore jetty at Port Kembla. Of interest is the bunker, which appears to be a home-made extension fitted when allocated for jetty work. Also note knuckle coupler conversion.

(Unknown collection)

(Bill Parkinson collection)

It is known that when it was restored in 1963 to have been painted in the red/maroon livery, but from October 1979 to an unknown date it was painted Lined Black, a livery that it may or may not have worn in service.

(Ken McCarthy Collection)

And just for final interest, here is Wallaby tucked away behind "Porter" Badger (steelworks built 1943 clone of an original 1929 Porter) and Possum (Manning Wardle 1802/1912) in the early 1960s, not long before withdrawal. It is interesting to note Possum actually started life out as Cyclops for Vickers' Barrow-in-Furness works, arriving in Lithgow in 1919 and survives today back in Eskbank right near the former site of the original works.

(Bill Parkinson collection)

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

Wallaby was in earlier years seen preserved in lined deep red/maroon. I don't know whether that was an -service livery, but I imagine to Dapol's eyes it would look too close to Invincible.

From what a friend who used to work at the steelworks has dug up so far, the earlier preserved maroon is as it was in service, or close to. A couple of us are now having a dig around on it. 

I’m beyond astonished to see Australian Iron and Steel’s Wallaby on that list. Nice to see it being considered (even if technically the wrong scale  )
 

A word to Dapol may have to be provided though-I’m almost certain it was never Blue in service, only being Blue in more recent years since being plinthed. 
 

Can I just state on record how absolutely impressed I am with Accurascale (and admittedly not just them) interacting to the level and degree you all do? The above exchange on something as "simple" as getting the colour correct between grey and silver is just a small example of exactly why you guys are gaining the fantastic reputation you are for making sure things are correct.

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

I told you before I’ve already found it……special delivery

This just is further proof that an Accurascale 60 is coming next.

50 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

And Bachmann never fitted the bell......

Ah but they did...only if you got the NRM variant.

Which is an odd detail to not put on the standard edition but to have on the limited edition

1 hour ago, YesTor said:

 

Bachmann do not currently manufacture a suitable model to cover 66747 - 66799 anyway without some kind of tooling modifications - and even then there are quite a few variations within the range from 66747 onwards...

 

cheers

Al

Not being too familiar with the ins and outs of the whole class off-hand, does that mean the Bachmann model of 66779 is a compromise?

Showing off that EE heritage with aplomb 

If Accurascale do Spanish 37s, we can only hope they also do them in the correct scale.

(HINT! HINT!)

5 hours ago, Bucoops said:

I have an idea - buy two, use a laser cutter and chop both bodies along the centre, mix and match, glue them together, voila! Two variants

"Do you expect me to model?"

'No Mr. Bond, I expect you to buy.'

I better put my money where my mouth is....
 

Jeez. There really is an ever-shrinking list of models to be done!

How many prototype diesels (1948-1968) are left now?

2 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

 

Fans will work on both DC and DCC

It's definitely too late in the morning. I read this as FRANS will work on both DC and DCC.

Actually, are the Accurascale team DCC compatible?

4 minutes ago, Br60066 said:

 

Off topic but I wouldn't mind the matching class 60 by Accurascale.......

Ok. So hear me out here:
Class 37, 55 are EE (with Mirrlees in a couple of 37/9s)
Class 31 is EE
Class 30 is Mirrlees
Class 60 is Mirrlees

I'd say it's on the drawing board under the '6 degrees' law of model speculation.

44 minutes ago, McC said:

We're working systematically through the thousands of deposits, so it will take about a week for all balances to be sent out - we'll update here and via email newsletters when all have been sent.

Never in my life have I been more glad to have a first name starting with 'Z'

The wallet can brace for impact.

29 minutes ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

The James Webb telescope is at its working point in space,can you not hack into using it to see the cabinets contents.

James Webb still 5 months away from operational capacity.

Set test show for Perth Model Railway Exhibition 2022. Still Scotland. Close enough, right?