Cokebreeze

For selected small parts I have good experience with ebay seller EXPRESSHOBBY. Bulk packs of Kadees with less than £3 shipping to the UK, for example. Its better to purchase separate small packages and pay the low postage because they are much less likely to attract customs and import charges. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but that's what I have found. For DCC decoders, TCS have a dedicated UK distributor with the range of available products priced in GB pounds on their web pages. For example, £25 for drop in decoders for N scale diesels represents good value in my opinion. Order tracking is very good and delivery has been a couple of working days for me. Phil

I have bought from this seller several times recently and had great service every time. It is counter intuitive, but if you buy multiples in the same consignment there is a high risk of delay, tax, and collection fees. Small packages are cost effective. Buy only what you need and then place another order later if you want spares. You can salvage a split axle muff, typically if it is not split completely, by melting around the split with a 12W soldering iron with the stub axle removed. Just don't do it until the replacements arrive, by then, you have nothing to lose. In my experience, Proto 2000 GP30s and the older Geeps were the most affected. I was surprised to find some of my older Athearn units were also blighted, but they generally don't exhibit the clicking so readily. On one occasion, a couple of the Athearn replacements had split in the unopened pack. I suspect it is a widespread problem that often goes unnoticed (especially by ebay traders!). Phil

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/Historic-Home-Plans?_armrs=1&_dmd=1&_ipg=30&_sasi=1&_sop=1&_vc=1 I was Wilfing on ebay today and stumbled on this seller of historic home plans. There's even a couple of Railroad Station plans. You can browse the section "Home Furniture and DIY > DIY Materials > Building plans and blueprints and there's plenty of interesting building plans to trawl through. Phil

Ha Ha Ha, and thank you gentlemen for your comments. I have rearranged things so the supplied hose is OK for now.

Is there a source of the black flexible hose in the UK that is used in the exhaust for the Emblaser 2? I could do with about double the original length. Its a push fit into some rigid 43mm waste water pipe that I had lying around but I need a longer flexible hose. Crazy though it seems, my brief search so far suggests the UK stuff sold for fish ponds and the like is fluted in the opposite direction. Shouldn't be difficult to fashion a push fit connector. It measures about 42mm ID and 50mm OD Phil

Well done Ray. Would you consider participating in next season's Strictly?

I just wanted to share great service with you from the seller "expresshobby" of Mahwah, New Jersey. I bought a small pack of Athearn gears for £7-75 on Friday 26th September. A very reasonable £2-43 postage to the UK. Total cost £10-18. It arrived 7th October, no additional charges. That was doubly satisfying because those parts are out of stock in a lot of places. They are mainly dealing with Radio Control hobby parts (nearly 19,000 of them) but they have a limited selection of Athearn parts, Woodland scenics, Walthers kits, Kadee couplers, and Kato. Phil

Yes split axle muffs are a design flaw, or perhaps material selection, or quality control and fundamentally the responsibility of the manufacturer. For a while LifeLike were offering free replacements but that ceased after a period and now Walthers own the brand. Right now, the parts are out of stock. It may be related to Covid 19 or just part of the natural ebb and flow of deliveries within this hobby. It is a credit to Athearn that they sell spare parts intended for their own models which happen to be a direct fit for LifeLike and now Walthers models. I'm thankful that LifeLike essentially copied Athearn's design that goes back several decades when they launched their Proto 2000 range. That is a welcome example of parts standardisation. I perhaps should clarify I am not complaining about the condition of the model, and I am not complaining about the seller's behaviour. He is well aware of the defect, has been for some time, but gets around the issue by employing a flawed test method. I just think his actions are irresponsible and his approach to customer care is appalling. But, and I agree, that is his prerogative. I have experience working in a manufacturing environment employing a series of rigorous test methods to ensure quality control. The tests are designed to expose defects and deficiencies (obviously to guarantee consistent quality and happy customers). Some of those tests are easily circumvented by a determined operator. You can keep testing the same specimen in different places until you find the value that equates to a pass. I know it happens. It is a sure fire way to allow sub standard product to reach the market but it make's the Production figures look great. You can employ a test that you know (with luck) won't expose a known defect every time. If you get a complaint, well you can always truthfully tell the buyer it was tested. That might be enough to convince some customers. The behaviour of this seller does irritate me. My own problems are my own, and I can sort them. But he will continue to sell defective models on the premise that they have been "tested" knowing that if a customer finds the defect he can just refund them, get his fees back, and do it all again. Hey ho, its probably happening all around me and I don't see it.

Thank you all for your responses I have an update that I would like to share. There is a fairly reliable procedure for the return of ebay purchases for a full refund. This was the only option the seller would accept. Any other resolution, a partial refund, for example is discretionary and ebay will not get involved. I always wanted to keep these models, knowing I could replace the faulty axles with Athearn parts. What irked me was the volume of purchases that I had previously made without cause for complaint, the seller would only accept return of the models as a solution and his assertion that he had test run them and they ran OK. Even when I asked him to check for split axles before shipping this consignment he later admitted that he just posted them without checking in the way I asked. So he shipped them out regardless. The seller today lists just one Proto 2000 diesel in amongst a tranche of British outline so its only now limited to one potentially disappointed buyer (unless he has more to list). I have a very clear understanding of what to expect from that seller. The split axle problem is progressive. It starts one side , maybe the other, and then completely across. The first symptom is loose wheels then it starts to clunk and bang when a split opens up between one of the 12 teeth on the gear. You can test run a model flat out, up and down on a test track and it will run. Slow it down to crawl and you will see a judder and eventually the motor will stall because the gear jams. A simple test is to but you thumb on one wheel and your other thumb on it's counterpart and if you can provoke any movement, the axles have split. How it runs depends on how far the split has progressed and how many axles are affected. What I learned from this, is that the defect is far more widespread than I first thought. I knew it affected the early Proto 2000 Geeps but I have now found it in much later Proto 2000 Alcos and Geeps and more recently in Athearn diesels. I checked some of my Athearn diesels and found split axles in an SW7, an SW1500, and a fairly recent Alco RS3. They are all probably well in excess of 10 years old. I even found split axles in a pack of replacement Athearn wheelsets - part number ATH 40029 and they are no more than about 2 years old. The pack of replacement gears (part number ATH 60024) is out of stock everywhere, and Athearn are quoting November on their web site. Right now, the only source of replacements is to cannibalise another model for parts, which I have done. I turned brass collars from K&S 3/16 OD tube on my lathe to slip over the split axles but there is a high reject rate and it is time consuming and unpredictable. It is only a partially effective solution. Over the weekend I have been working on a solution by simply melting the plastic around the split with a pencil thin soldering iron. To my surprise and delight, it is showing a lot of promise. The repaired axles work on the test track. It will be interesting to see if it holds up in the longer term. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to work, but there you go.... I have plenty of duff muffs to practice on. Phil

Hi I am in need of some technical and perhaps a little moral support after being confronted with a thorny ebay problem. I model in American HO scale, North Eastern roads, and have made several purchases recently from a well known seller who predominantly sells British OO. I'm guessing the seller has purchased an estate which included several model diesel locomotives, perfect additions to my roster. Now given the prevailing dearth of suitable models I will over indulge when the occasion arises and blow a big hole in the budget. I bought some Atlas, Bowser, and Proto 2000 diesels, and anyone with a long standing interest in American HO will know that Proto 2000 diesels are prone to split axle muffs. In my experience it was the early GP7s that were blighted but these recent purchases have taught me that EMD GP30s and Alco FAs and FBs are vulnerable. Now to be fair to the seller he did list the GP30s as non runners. I guessed what part of the problem was and I was right, split axle muffs compounded by grease going solid over years of stagnation. These models have sat on someone's shelf for decades. the FAs were described as having been tested and running. I have absolutely no quibble with the GP30s, but I am disappointed with the FAs and FBs not fully disclosed as defective. To cut a long story short, they all had split axle muffs but the seller has assured me they passed his test running. He has also stated that he will not remove the keeper plate and inspect the axle muffs, which I struggle to comprehend, given it takes seconds to do. I don't want to return the models, because they are so very scarce and neither do I trust the seller. It has been a long drawn out correspondence but he refuses to supply replacement parts or offer to compensate for the defective parts. You would scarcely believe the excuses, the personal jibes, his attempts to portray himself as the victim, and all manner of ruses designed to avoid responsibility for his actions. He suggested he would knock off a bit of the postage by small amounts from future purchases equivalent to the roughly £20 value of 12 replacement axle muffs. Ahearn Part 60024. Now I think that is strictly against ebay policy anyway, linking due compensation to future sales, apart from being fraught with all manner of "what ifs" So in the first instance does anyone know if return of the faulty models is the only realistic recourse, or can I get ebay to arbitrate? I have looked at asking ebay to intervene but nothing quite seems to match my situation on their drop down menus in the resolution centre. Secondly, the seller still lists Proto 2000 models today. I am deeply suspicious that they will have the same fault. You buy it, you find the fault, you send it back, he lists it again, and again until he finds a buyer who doesn't reject it. In effect, you and I, the buyers are his quality control. It is just too easy to peddle defective models. I suspect I am somewhat shafted here, but I would like to put right what is clearly wrong (in my mind anyway). I am not revealing the seller's identity now in case it is contrary to RM web guidelines but I'm happy to do so in the broader interest if that is admissible ? If you have bought Proto 2000 diesels from a UK seller on ebay within the last few months, you would be well advised to check those axle muffs. Phil

It is worth trying Microscale direct. I bought several sets together in one package and the service was swift and very reasonable. Email them and ask for a shipping quote. CMR Products do a great range of decals for the more unusual prototypes and their service was equally good. Phil

NOCH SOUND SYSTEM MODEL RAILWAY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOCH-SOUND-SYSTEM-MODEL-RAILWAY/392185958926?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 Description? "PLAYS DIFFERENT SOUNDS" Oh Good - that clears that up then.

I searched for "Slab Handling Llanwern" "Slab Handling Ravenscraig" and "Slab Handling Scunthorpe" and it threw up several useful images. This is Scunthorpe. Phil

....and Inuendo is an Italian Suppository right?

I agree. The best brains in the industry haven't come up with a better arrangement than the good old tension lock coupler on proprietary models. For me, that's enough to accept it is a tolerable all round compromise. I have tried several other arrangements but none have ever proven to be as robust, simple, and easily maintained. I consider myself fortunate, those poor N scale modellers are blessed with the Rapido style coupler, and that would do my head in. I mostly model HO American and have decades of experience with Kadees, but I still always use Bachmann couplers on 4mm British outline. Phil

Item 113387113986

Peter Jarvis exhibits a lovely HO scale layout "Squamish East Yard" https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/gallery/pictures-cleveland-model-rail-exhibition-7560958

I called the hospital and they told me you were picking up nicely.

I saw this on a video of the Cardiff Model Railway Exhibition posted on You Tube. Congratulations, very nice workmanship indeed. Phil

Modellers: Buy this, and with the wonders of modern LED technology, magnify your head.

Favourite comment from last night's show by the Special Effects guy on the Steampunk team. "This is a 30 second audio recording device..........which can record 30 seconds of audio" Priceless. That took me back decades to my student days when a pal of mine used to say he'd got an infallible plan, that cannot fail. Oh and not forgetting the contestant who remarked he was mentally and physically drained after completing the painting of several beach huts. I'm really warming to this show in a good way. There are some pearls, and I quite enjoyed the dreadful puns.

I was sceptical, but pleasantly surprised, and yes, I quite enjoyed it. Part way through I was shouting "Lighting.........Lighting.........LIGHTING!" I thought it just might have been my worn out old TV but from the images posted earlier it seems the primary light sources were behind and not in front of the modelling. That was just enough to knock the edge off it for me. I hope they can sort it.

OMG I recognised the location of the prototype in Todd Herman's model interlocking tower and trackside structures. Catasauqua PA where the Lehigh and New England RR crossed the Lehigh Valley Main. A fascinating little place, I do hope he is modelling that location. More information here: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/CoalFireIronSteel/Appendices/CatasauquaIndustryResidences/CatasauquaIndustries/Railroads/YurkoArticle.htm Todd gets my vote