47606odin

thats a really helpful photograph. it looks like the model ones have no mounting points

has anyone any thoughts on the bogie air pipes? having not got mine yet, they appear to be hanging off and not running true to the top of the frames on the loco pictured above, whereas on the photos of the real D5000 there fit nicely along the top of the bogie frame. i don't recall this being mentioned in the last 29 pages http://www.derbysulzers.com/5000.html

i am sure baggage handlers won't like you drilling out their legs

or cat amongst the pigeons, a class 73!

if theres a wish list, an Oxted 3D DEMU please

47's? i hope not, i have too many to replace, and i daren't have one to the class 24 standards mixed in with 14 Heljan ones

hooray! ordered. caps lock works sometimes, when you need to be heard of course.

Well, feeling frustrated, i am on the list for pre ordering and despite giving me a reply to the first email with costs to Australia, i have requested to pay for a loco 4 times now and had no further response. i have also received the reminder email saying if i don't buy one before todays deadline, the loco will be general release and i may not get what i want Jamie! i want D5000 sound fitted, will you get back to my emails please feel free to pass it on if anyone can give him a nudge. (otherwise it will be a rebuilt bullied for me instead)

i have contact, and my bank account is even emptier

i replied to my email i received regarding pre order, but not heard back from them yet. seeing as it was nearly a week since the email i would have thought i would have heard back by now. can't be hundreds on the pre order list

thanks for the info about DCC supplies. just bought a set of condensing pipes for my green terrier too

so now you are glad i bought up the error. well i bought it up, people said the item was not incorrect, i just demonstrated what the issue was so there was clear understanding. not life and death never was. this loco is an improvement, greatly over the lima loco, but for a few little things that the company got wrong, be it not spotted, or a means to save 5p in production costs, has made a fantastic loco, just a very good loco. it is all in the detail at the end of the day, like battery box safety latches on the pre TOPS locos and exhaust covers on the JA's, without them the locos would be fantastic. easily identifiable niggles that needn't be there i have bought a loco, but wish i didn't have to sort out the obvious detail faux pas, there may be other not so obvious ones, but if i don't see it, then theres no problem. you may be pleased that i will no longer be mentioning detail issues with the models, but having lived with ED's, worked with ED's and part own an ED, my constructive criticism is all that it was. constructive criticism. use it or not, its up to you

yes, i am aware that the wiper can stop anywhere left to right, but both wiper assemblies are the same, whereas on the real loco they are handed. the pantograph arm sticks out towards the route indicator box from where the wiper blade fits. both on the model are to the left of the blade is what i am trying to get over. if you look at the JA on this page you can see the pantograph arms are reverse to each other http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/davidelement/railwaywebpage33eastleigh100.htm

well its done for cost saving as it is 2 left hand wiper arm assemblies, as the second mans side is not a reverse of the drivers side. i'd like to see you fit one with the pantograph that way on the real loco, the drive spindle is the wrong side

maybe so, but i'm paying my hard earned cash for this loco, its a simple thing, so why should it not be in the proper place?

and at least Lima got the wipers parked on the right side of the windscreen

class 73's are classed as electric locomotives as the diesel engine was only an auxiliary source of power for entering and departing non electrified yards. they were not designed for running miles off the juice otherwise they overheated, so Electro diesels is what they are

oh, and i hope the vestibule buffer is in the box

looks like the fibreglass panels are blue on 73124, which means i will have to do the exhaust cover, windscreen surrounds and now paint the roof! at least the headlight got removed

as far as i know, comments regarding livery of the model are moot at the minute, as the photos being put about are still the ones of the pre production models. hopefully Hattons will update their site quickly to show the actual tones of paint used

the first 6 were neither rail blue or electric blue, they were painted with an egg shell blue paint and was slightly paler than rail blue

73s have collector shoes. The models appear to have these in the paddled-up position for operation off the SR. They should be lowered and prominently below the beam whether on electric or diesel power at all times when on SR routes as these are all cleared for shoe-gear. the shoes are retracted on diesel, (unless on Auxiliary power IIRC) if the loco has no air, the shoes retract. there is a foot pump for pushing them down in the loco if the batteries are flat too

i think what causes the gutter to look high on the front is that there appears to be a moulded frame around the glazing which doesn't exist on the real thing to the extent of the model, and should be painted black instead of yellow to represent the rubber, thus reducing the thickness of the yellow above the windscreen. i believe all the photos so far with the exception of E6001 with its errors which i have listed previously, are the pre production models, and no photos of what we are getting yet. a concern is the second mans windscreen wiper not parked on the right side will also bug me

i think the roof is right but i'm more concerned about the JB exhaust and safety latches on the battery boxes

it is unfortunate that the battery box safety latches are fitted, because these did not appear before mid 78 IIRC, therefore they are an error on pre tops locos