lochlongside

Appears to be the luck of the draw . But buying £395 locos shouldn't be like that

I agree absolutely - it really does rankle when you get a clunker, and I have had a couple (or more !!), even more so when onliners are extolling the virtues of their own purchases so I do sympathise - but in this case I just wanted to rebalance the discussion and advise that they were not all duff. I would also guess that in this case such a problem is unlikely to have shown up even if purchased locally as many shops have only a yard or two of track set up in a straight line for testing - which is why I mentioned the context within which mine operated (might also help to explain, apart from price, why so many on balance buy on line!).

On a more general note I would also comment that it appears to me that proportionately significantly fewer onliners talk in detail about performance compared with appearance unless possibly it is slow speed running. (e.g. 1361 splashergate vs its performance) It would be nice to hear more contributors talk about roadholding thro curves/points(advise type)/haulage capacity/whether the motor gets hot in constant use/how noisy it is (no point fitting sound if it already imitates a concrete mixer or whines like a Typhoon at take-off) /how many volts to get the thing started/etc

Back on subject   I would however be very interested (with photos) in what modifications Hornby make to counter what is obviously a problem to many purchasers even if I do not feel like sending my own back - so if anyone who has had the mods done could post photos it would be much appreciated.

I had a look at one of these whilst collecting an order from Charlie at DC Kits yesterday. Seeing the issues with running, and also sound fitting leads me to believe that these units are simply not fit for sale.

Must be my day for praising manufacturers (- they'd better make the most of it )

May be I am one of the lucky ones but I have a five car IEP and and have been running it on my test loops and it has not derailed once -  it runs immaculately at speeds well in excess of my APT-E. - indeed  it is so fast I have not dared to try it continuously at the max volts (16vDC measured at o/p of my H&M Safety Minor!!) as I foolishly did not put in any super-elevation -  instead I limit it to 12v - at which speed it will still lap my APT-E even on the outside loop, and it is rock steady..... and looks most impressive - I do agree the coach lights are a bit dim, even at 12v - but then it is going round so fast it generates visual discomfort!!.

As a guide I am using ordinary unmodified Peco Code 75 large radius straight and curved points and Exactoscale BH track and the radii on my main loops are a continuous  curve of 4.5ft out to around 6 ft in places (average 5ft approx) and on each circuit it is traversing up to 6 straight/curved large radius facing and trailing crossovers. Its performance at speed is enough for me to consider sending my current bete noire (Hattons/Heljan Garratt) to forthwith join that great plastic tip in the Pacific!!

I am immensely impressed - well done Hornby (obligatory inflammatory remark to generate a reaction  - I have got no connection with them) I only wish I had had the funds at the time to order another(especially given I got it for a tad under £300) but there is too much other good stuff on the market at the moment .... decisions decisions !!

Its good to be able to post praise every so often....

Got to say this loco has restored my slightly dented faith in Hattons (having spent an age trying to correctly correct B2Bs on a poorly running Garratt w/o totally dismantling it and so far with mixed success - the cylinder adjacent ones are dreadful to get at let alone set)

I ordered one of these (31027) last wed pm received it on Saturday on normal delivery charge- ran it in Sun on my test loops,and it happily runs  fast or slow, without hesitation and with or without towing 10 bogie coaches (5x railroad Mk1s +4x LSWR +Bmann Inspection coach) - it does lack the weight for the 11th (Railroad) coach on my gentle uphill gradient even with a bit of demented wheelspin - but thats still no so bad for a small loco and possibly better than the prototype (I await correction from P fan[atic]s!! )

5 stars for service and 5 stars for the loco I shall be ordering at least another, and it augers well for the Barclay as well

Just open a multi-page thread and click on "page nnn of xxx" at the top left.  A box will pop up where you can enter the page number you want to jump to.

Thank you - just what I wanted - so obvious I missed it !!  

Quick question for Andy York or site designers really - on searching - is it possible to go into a topic with many pages and go straight to page you want without having used Google/firefox and bookmarking first? i.e. using the inbuilt RMWeb search facility and entering a page number?.

reason I ask I was looking thro APT-E topic to find out how to dismantle bogies - made a paper(!yeah ok!!) note of page (108) because I also needed to find out how to disconnect coaches couldn't find it straight away - came out and found that within RMWeb could not pick up a 175 page topic and go to req'd page w/o individually stepping thro 175/4/3/2/ et seq.... (or pp 1/2/3/4.......) - quickly ended up doing a firefox google search second time around (and bookmarking no-one can say I didn't learn... 2nd time around !!)

Some pics of mine. On splashergate, reasonably visible from one angle. Can barely see it from others. Phone pics so apols for quality

 

David

IMG_1654.JPGIMG_1656.JPGIMG_1658.JPGIMG_1663.JPG

I've not cancelled my order  - indeed I have paid despite splashergate because I know no better!! and both the 0298 and O2 were nice models that ran well from the box!! I just liked the size and shape (of the loco not the splashers in case you were wondering )  and must have seen one on my way to school because it is ticked off in my combined IA. (and before you ask no I did not notice the absence of splashers !!)  .....

but seriously for a moment  I do have a question for you guys who have already got this model.....what are the splashers made of - are they diecast or plastic?    - I assume they are integral to the footplate moulding/casting but by judicious pulling of things apart is it possible to get at them to carve them off "if they offend mine eye" in the flesh so to speak - or shall I just bung a couple of spare lamps on the footplate as camouflage??

TBH I cannot really get too worked up about it but on an associated discussion in this topic I do get slightly niggled about having to obstacle check the track for cast-off bits after a heavy running session - especially if the bit does not obviously belong to any one particular loco, and so far I have not had to do this for any Kernow locos (note caveat - I did shed a gatestock step releasing it from the box) and talking of Heljan (as some on here have alluded to) I did have a Western that shed its chassis when I picked it up - now that really was dramatic/traumatic but at least I knew where the dropped bit came from

edit for typo

I think it would be a mistake to do another similar series unless it was sufficiently different in concept, ie teams competing against each other rather than against the environment. For example you could have say four teams having to construct bridges from drinking straws across identical model valleys and carrying out stress tests as per historical practice using identical weight locomotives/trains. etc, etc. This might stimulate young minds to get interested in engineering. Of course it would have to have it's share of personnel disagreement, failures and drama to keep a wider audience interested but it could be filmed in a controlled environment to reduce story leaks.....

 Think you might be right - but on another point - Mr Attenborough and the green brigade will be after you with a vengeance - drinking straws indeed  - ..... how could you - you guys at the back have just got to keep up !!!

I enjoyed this episode ........

 

One problem is where do we go from here? What is the next challenge?

 

In the area near the Swanage Railway perhaps we could have a temporary live steam railway along some of the disused narrow gauge clay tramways that are currently used as footpaths or bring back steam in miniature along parts of the Somerset and Dorset Railway or the Yarmouth to Freshwater Railway.

I too enjoyed Ep 4 - I particularly liked the pragmatic  " .....real life solution or model railway solution......" at the 20 min point  - it is bit invidious to pick out one team especially as Media Camera teams can actually lie like a cheap s/h watch !!  but I will (!!) and I have got to say Claire and her team are ticking all the right technical and team participant/leadership boxes  - and this is the team that built the trestle bridge as well - so that is two spectacular constructions both done collaboratively and without fuss. However one does have to sympathise with the pbi (poor b****y infantry) slogging along the tracks and roads laying miles of track in proximity to heavy lorries for actually quite minimal TV coverage except when things go wrong.

Where to go next is a v good qn  - I have got a feeling this could be a one-off unfortunately as a follow-on would have to present the same sort of length and terrain challenge as the Scottish Highlands but still associated with the UK to be marketable to a Ch 4 domestic non-railway audience, many of whom would associate with the geographical area (e.g. hols)  rather than Model Railways; This was sufficiently so much more of a step up in challenge terms compared with James May's Barnstaple attempt that I am not sure Swanage would be sufficiently difficult to be a followup The problem is finding a UK location of an acceptable length to be obviously challenging whilst also being sufficiently unbuilt upon to be practical.

- The S&D with the Mendips could be an interesting option - especially thro Blandford  - the station(built over), the town centre viaduct (blown up - you can imagine Strawbridge having some fun there as an ex R Signals officer who trained at Blandford),  and finally the River Stour (bridge removed) - I think unfortunately it might be a non-starter however as much of the route has probably been developed or sold off into private ownership.

- S&C - there is a vacant track space over RibbleHead viaduct and plenty of potential background history - trouble is there is a railway already there to ease the way , or more likely get in the way (although given the number of Network Rail personnel involved they wouldnt have to worry about trespass!!)

- Southern withered arm - could be interesting but don't know it well enough but it is probably less populated than the alternatives.

 - GCR London extension - probably too much of a long shot even if there are some photogenic bits like the preserved railways along its length as there has been a lot of non-picturesque development along its length.

Perhaps the railway history buffs among us could come up with another "might-have been" line? In the meanwhile i must try to work out how to buy and fit a Roundhouse loco into my currently overextended loco spend profile and my pitifully small suburban garden !! This must be doing wonders for their sales !!

Came late to this  as I was a bit dubious about something a Mr Strawbridge (professional moustache wearer with no known model railway track (!!) record) was presenting - so am watching on catch up but actually quite interested to see if they make it without too many fiddles. I will certainly watch the remainder.

For me the (large scale!! garden !?) railway modelling is secondary. The programme is entertainment with a common not a competitive aim. It is fascinating to see the team worker/ team leader/ project manager interaction (having spent a lot of my life in such positions). Questions that come to my mind include how were team leaders picked (by lottery?) - some of them are actually natural leaders with a "maintenance of the aim/lets get it done/all in this together" attitude and  one or two are possibly in need of a little time to mature.

I do agree that the overall design team appear on occasion to have slipped up in their briefing of what the individual team leaders needed to do to meet their tasks. Some of the demanded changes seemed a bit late in the day but that might be down to a production drama/cutting room floor issue or cloth ears (out of sight of camera )- it happens in even the best projects, and it is not clear how much guidance the teams are really given in developing solutions.

One special mention however - Having spent innumerable periods in the West Highlands I take my hat off to the gentleman(team leader)  who gave his Argyll midge net to a team worker who had lost his own - thats a real sacrifice - the man is a true hero   - one can live with the wee haar (as my scottish mother referred euphemistically to persistent low drizzle!!)  but the b****y midges are appalling - we used to end sailing early up there between end May and September to avoid the purgatory of having to pack up in the company of evening hordes of mini-Draculas. Anything other than bright sunshine or a howling gale and the little s*** are there. They do say that highland productivity would increase by over 15% if wasn't for the little blighters. So well done to all the participants many of whom without nets are obviously wearing crosses or garlic!!.

Pedantic mode ON, but I felt the need to correct this

 

11/1/2015 £ : $ 1.51

11/1/2018 £ : $ 1.35 = 10%

 

Whilst devaluation certainly plays a part for the hike, many of the other factors are matters we simply do not know, whether they are commercially sensitive details such as wages or big B's business strategy. Maybe they've decided toy trains are no longer to be seen as toys??

Checked my records - I stand corrected    - you are absolutely right - must stop absorbing/trotting out Ch4/BBCTV/Remainers gloom!!

Swiftly moving onto another tack (like all the current breed of politicos do when caught out !!) I do vaguely remember it seemed only a couple of years ago now that Bachmann did re-evaluate their approach to costs and the impression I still have was that Kader (?)  had suddenly realised they were not actually covering their costs - perhaps someone with a better memory can remember their statement - a paraphrase of which AFAICR was to expect that prices are(were) going to rise significantly.

So 10% here 10% there, it all mounts up and in fact Chinese labor costs alone have increased by significantly more than 10% in the last 6 years. Indeed according to Forbes/CNBC they have increased 64% over the last 6-7 years and now equal/exceed some of the minor eastern European EU countries rates (which rather reinforces Dapol's decision to start on-shoring some aspects of production). Given the handcrafting implicit in this crane I shan't be waiting for a second run - my recommendation for what it is worth is if you think you want one get it now (I am) - if it goes up at the same rate as the Blue Pullman most of us will need a mortgage by the time it comes round again.

There is a lot of angst here on the Hattons pre-order price. In the nicest possible way   - and at the risk of being considered naive in all this - I would presume Hattons actually based both the original figure for this (back in 2015 when it was first announced) on legacy information/guidance provided by Bachmannn derived initially when this was an idea not even at the drawing office stage. I would also add that up until the point when Bachmann ( and now Dapol if I understand ) introduced their current pricing rules Hattons were very good at not raising prices despite manufacturer price shifts.

My records indicate I allowed £100 for this in my spend profile back in 2015. Since then pay in China has been raise, the £st has gone down at least 20% etc etc.

Having seen the recent Bachmannn/Andy York video interview I upped my personal allowed price to an expected £204 incl discount p&p when I placed my order a few days ago -  I regarded the £90 not as a come-on but as the legacy price pending Bachmann providing a realistic price once they had assessed the work necessary to produce, deliver it and make their profit. After all if a Birdcage is £50+ a complex model like the crane was unlikely to come in at £90. In the event my estimate is out but not by much and given Bachmann's pricing policy although I could possibly get it post free or pennnies off elsewhere,  it will now possibly come in at around this price (unless Bachmann hike the price yet again); Hattons do give you the option of cancelling however IMO the bulk of the price is now set by the manufacturer and not by the retailer;

........and just to let you know you are not alone in your grief at pricing practices !! ....another well-known retailer (not Hattons) offered a very good price on Pugs but then jacked the price of Pugs up on me not when the Hornby  model prices were set and the discount prices were being set but just a few short weeks before delivery when they were virtually unavailable anywhere else. That really was disappointing As a result I now only order items from this latter  supplier if I am willing to walk away from the item if they do it again - their loss and you can do the same   if you are still unhappy with Hattons..

(PS no association with Hattons apart from satisfied sometimes customer)

To be absolutely fair to Rails I must say that they deserve credit for honouring their early pre-delivery price. When I ordered my SWS back in April they were advertising them at £149.50 which was several pounds less than the other large retailer. After the huge Hornby price-hike I wondered if they might make some excuse to not supply at that price but I need not have worried. It was sent on 2/11/2017 for £153.50 including £4 Parcelforce charge.

 

I don't begrudge them putting up the price for latecomers. If they had still been available at list price, plenty of profiteers would have snapped them up and put them on eBay.

I agree. I have had a number of longterm pre-orders with Rails in the past and on the whole I find they are very good at keeping to the early set Hornby predelivery price but it is not unknown on occasion for this to be varied. In the case  of my Pecket order they did up the price of my very early pre-order to more than that of the normal opposition advertised price a month or so before taking delivery - by which time these were sold out on pre-order nearly everywhere. You are then left with the choice of accepting it, turning it down and taking pot-luck on someone somewhere still having it in stock at a reasonable (or any) price,  or learning the (wrong?)  lesson and in the future being morally dishonest and ordering the same (potentially popular) item from more than one supplier and rejecting the higher priced one if it is upped significantly - I haven't tried that yet but I have deliberately spread my custom between suppliers a bit more as a result.

In the case of my pre-ordered Duchess - like yours Rails delivered to the advised early price they set i.e. £149.50 plus p&p - which given the devaluation/inflation over the last couple of years is very creditable (pedant hat on here - note the use of a qualifying adverb as per the news!!) - so post delivery prices probably reflect both popularity/rarity and a reasonable current profit margin and are unfortunately a fact of life.

By comparison Bachmannn appear to have negated the practice of new product discounting to a large extent, they just up the price for everyone, however Incidentally and totally off the subject - has anyone else had the advice (not from Rails I hasten to add) - that Dapol have followed Bachmann down the road of limited/no RRP discounting for a specified period after initial release?

I got a Kitmaster Deltic from Shredded Wheat about 50 years ago...

so did I - and an 08 and an Evening Star (still got the kits plus the cardboard wrapper boxes 2 of them came in somewhere in the garage if the mice haven't nested in them)  -we lived on weetabix in the house for weeks G_d knows what my parents thought - I'm afraid to make it now - may be worth a fortune to a kitmaster collector (I wish )

Has anyone been sent one of these yet, as opposed to picking one up at Warley?

Yes - I had to delay delivery until Monday 27th from Saturday but got 2 of plus 2 sets gatestock all in the same parcel on Monday so assume Kernow are applying common sense to order packaging and rolling up orders together.

I can only echo the comments on their smoothness and quiet running out of the box  and mine have not yet been run in  - they give every impression of being a quality product; congratulations to Kernow.

A bit late for me to act on (I went to Scaleforum yesterday) and apologies if this has actually been noted elsewhere but I haven't seen any comment on the following - copied off Cambrian website

Exhibitions: Scaleforum – this will be the last show we will attend as Cambrian Models. ♦ ♦ ♦ Please note that we intend to semi-retire about the end of September 2017 (after 44 years). ♦ ♦ ♦
We are selling the 4mm & 16mm moulding part of the business as a going concern.
We will retain the 3D printed products and continue to sell electrical parts & Speed Controllers, and trade under a new name.

I would like to thank the current owners in particular for the provision of all those engineering and modern freight wagon kits, types of which are really only now being taken on by the big manufacturers. I have certainly appreciated them.

Hopefully the sale of the business will be a success - and thank goodness I have a (too small) reserve of them still to complete - I only wish I had bought more.

09.12.2017

Topic title changed to reflect reality

from

Cambrian Models - Current Owners retiring -4mm business for sale

To

Cambrian Models - Ownership change Autumn 2017

The new website needs to tune its search engine. A search for "Farish green Class 40" gives 2623 hits, the first of which is a Dapol OO Gauge Class 122! To be fair, it was a green one. 

Very much Agree - I am prompted particularly to comment by the statement that they intend to move to the new website in the middle of this month. Whilst the current site has limitations it is at least manageable – IMO the new site is a step back and the Search logic appears non-intuitive (and flaky) compared to competitors sites. 

First set the scene - Win10/firefox/15in laptop.

Next the searches - A couple of examples

First I wanted to find out details of Peco’s LK-60 platform sides – availability, price, how long, how high, and was the brickwork embossed.   Peco site was only marginally helpful but then as far as I can see they are not really an online seller. Most of my favourite retailers searched admirably – typed LK-60 in search box and I then saw the item. Details did vary. Some retailers did not like the dash, but no probs – most of them deleted it automatically before displaying the item if necessary – but one other well-known site required me to re-enter it as LK60.

Rails old site – entered LK-60 got 15 results – none correct – majority starting with LK-7xx but top choice Hornby R3572, Colas Rail Cl 60 (!).  Entered LK60 – got right result contains 5 pieces168mm /in stock (no qty stated) /price.

Rails new site – entered LK-60 – got 129 results, displaying 25 and reqt to load more results to display them. (See more on this later). Entered LK60 got right result but not all the info plus prompt to look at E-bay shop. Tried that link out– general site link – no read across of search criteria. Went onto E-Bay out of interest did a search on Peco LK-60 got loads of both LK-60 and LK60 across range of suppliers.

Then tried entering partial codes i.e. LK6 – Again most competitors sites were v good and displayed relevant selections. Both Rails sites displayed the Peco Bookstall (LK-6) only; i.e. appears Search cannot cope with partial codes. As further test tried R357 (I.e partial code for the Colas Rail loco displayed initially above !) – on old site I got one result – a Triang R357, which was aval on the Ebay site – i.e there was some cross-site correlation for a specific code but no multiple matches. On new site I got nothing.

I then took the new site and applied filters to the correct code i.e. LK-60 - with 129 results

Select manufacturer –order not immediately obvious but appears to be by number of  entries per supplier- most first– starts with Peco (fortunate in this case !!) and then lists the remainder – I then selected 00 gauge applied filters and got list down to 49. The filter process required me to open filters – select an option and then press to apply filters – this is clunky compared with contemporary search mechanisms which now implement them when selected. I found the item on 2^nd page but had to slide down whole first page of 24 to set up to load more, and the pictures associated with the Search are too big so slide down becomes more onerous than on old site.

Went back to old Rails home – selected Peco from screen RHS, then on already displayed top level filters selected 00 filter and selected Accessories got 69 items very quickly in obvious manufacturer code order and found the items on 2^nd page without having to do a large slide down because amongst other things there were page selectors at top of page and I could deduce from the 69, the mfrs ref nos and the page quantity (3) that they were probably on 2^nd of 3 pages.

Finally for this posting I decided to do a search on words bulk grain (Bachmann and GF polybulks were targets) on new site – got 89 results. It did not matter how I entered it (bulk grain / “bulk grain” / Bulk+grain/ Bulk&grain / Bulk & grain) the answer was 89, then tried bulk only and got 69 results (logic?)  – went into gauge – selected 00 – got it down to 13. Then went into Era – and no matter what choice I made it continued to display 13. Went back to the 69 stage – tried era again – no change – so despite choice not sure the era filter is actually working. Interesting also that in both cases selection included bulk packs of switches etc. (oh and GF were avail but not so Branchline 00 ones).

So in summary for Search

If you know the code and any dashes you can find it but note dashes are omitted for Peco 00 but not 0 but are included for Bachmann don't know (remember ) about other mfrs  (logic again?)

If you are doing a partial search say for a range of Bachmann models (i.e. all the grain wagons in 00 e.g. the 38-60n range) forget it – it is the actual mfr number or a single word e.g. grain and enter filter process.

This is not for me at least a website I will browse very often especially when there are many very competitive more easily navigable sites around.

Hmmmm more pay it all in advance

Good that it enables us to spread cost by buying whilst we wait for all the other manufacturers' promises to be delivered (Beachy Head anyone!!)  but I was a trifle perturbed/surprised when I added up  what I now have invested in yet to be delivered (not just Kernow) projects (these as opposed to normal advance credit card orders).

They do however appear to have made faster progress than I have with my Cambrian kits (3/4s built and unpainted whilst I work out how to neatly mask all the ribs)  and so far they have delivered - so I will probably buy.

It would however be very useful if Kernow could initiate some sort of stage pre-payments process (like the DJM Class 92) though - then in the lean months we could even out expenditure. It might also lead to increased sales (he said agonising over that 2nd 4-TC)

Good evening all!

 

Just wondering if anyone could tell me if it's possible to get from Bachmann, copies of the original paperwork that was supplied with this locomotive when it was first released.

 

I appreciate that service sheets are available on line, but I can't see that there is anywhere that I can access the original documents showing details of the Decoder etc.

 

I've acquired a lovely example in a near perfect box but alas the original paperwork has been lost and it would be nice to replace it. 

 

Clive

 Now that is interesting - it just so happened that when I got my Steam R Signals - it too was without paperwork  - and I got it new.

I wasn't too concerned about "original" paperwork but I too wanted to know what functions were available to use. I contacted Bachmann and they sent me a pdf  within 2 hours of my email request - and that on a friday afternoon!!.

If they are no longer available then I would be happy to provide you with a copy  of the PDF. I am not sure I can post a copy here due to copyright but I believe this website has a means of enabling one to one communication - just never used it.!!

If there was mileage in it for a spares supplier, an alternative route to cost out would be an outfit with the capability to bring in scanned and cast replicas at a low price. I am thinking of the GBL items, which must have been got very cheaply for the retail price they sold at. Their castings based on scanned RTR are definitely in the frame for replication of a chassis block, if the piece under the A2 is anything to go by.

Much as I would like a solution to this problem I  find myself much more in agreement with Graham456 on this. This approach will require deep pockets.

I am no expert in machining but looking at the Service sheet the R2413 / R2421 chassis casting is a pretty complex shape which probably explains why it is a casting. This together with precision tapped screwholes etc for the bits fastened on is not going to be cheap to machine from scratch.

Peters Spares has machined what is by comparison a relatively simple small spare for the T9 motor mount (PS61) and that is well over £9. A brass replacement of the chassis block plus the two screw -on end plates (which in case of my faulty loco have also degraded) from a non-Hornby source is probably going to be well over £50 for each faulty loco. Considering that I and presumably several others got these locos from the shifters for around £69 (still got price tag on my box) this solution is not really going to be cost effective for the majority of us.

I await with academic interest to see the next move in this saga and if it comes in at under about £28 then I would be a delighted convert but I think that at my age my £50+ can more profitably (and quickly) be invested in something new and in the meanwhile I will tinker with the remains .

I believe you can buy a replacement chassis casting for around £17 from Hornby and swap the mechanisms over

Hate to be bearer of bad news but unless they have run another batch off since 27/10/16 -this is unlikely - I asked exactly that question - including the all important comment I am willing to pay and do the fitting myself, and the response was.....

Go on to DCkits website, follow the links to Locoman, you can access the sounds there. I have just ordered one today for my MN.

I note that the loco was only achieving 3beats (chuffs) per revolution but this can be adjusted by using CV 57 and 58 for a Lok sound V4 or if you are not too bothered left alone. The sound is a world apart from the TTS sound.

Ok got it -  Thank you

I had been searching on MN not Wc/BoB - assuming that as some sound providers had separated these out that there was some subtle difference that I needed to worry about. The linked You-Tube example appears to have nailed down an overall deeper tone that appears much more realistic. As this is probably going to be my first chip replacement project (as opposed to buying equipped and then tinkering) it would be appreciated if you could (would ?!)  advise which speaker option you went for (and why)  - there appear to be 3 options.

P.S thank you also for CV info

Legomanbiffo does the diesel projects for DC Kits, while Locoman handles steam. I have the Locoman WC/BoB project giving a voice to 34041 Wilton and it's excellent, particularly when paired with a bass enhanced speaker mounted towards the front of the loco (as per the demo model they run at shows). The number of chuffs per revolution is set by two CVs, and takes a while to get right, but the end result is well worth it when you see it chatter away from a station stop. Rebuilt Merchants and light pacifics seem to sound pretty similar, so I'd have no qualms personally about using this project in an original Merchant Navy.

Good day,

I had been looking on You-tube (w/o success but still searching ) for an example of the Legomanbiffo WC/BoB sound to compare with HA Line TTS so glad to hear it is recommended. Thank you for that - what speaker did you use?

Also a comment on TTS - I haven't picked up on here any comment here about the TTS wheelslip function (My first memory of a rebuilt one of these restarting on the bank up to Branksome with a Wessex Express).  When I select wheelslip for the normal 2-3 revolution and then turn it off,  all sound pauses noticeably after the wheel slip (e.g. 0.3-1 sec of dead silence - not timed it but....), before continuing normally. This is consistent not a one off, and at odds with what I see nowadays for real. Has anyone else heard/noticed this?

I don't normally try to 2nd guess manufacturers, (I just pre-order on announcement!) but I tried to apply logic (yeah good luck with that on   here ) to Hornby's froth inducing statement - if "huge" is taken literally and it is "H related" then there is  one (relatively) large SECR loco - the class D - unfortunately they were all withdrawn by 1956 however it would still give a reasonable variety of liveries, there is one in NRM to copy, it looks really impressive and there is scope for limited editions. I would certainly buy one.

However going thro my IA ABCs -  by 1960 there are following SECR related locos A1x, D1, E1, E1R L, N, U, P, R1. The D1/E1/L/E1R/O1 are reasonably large but IMO I suggest not particularly wow factor (e.g. lot of 700s, S15, Compounds and the like are being sold cheap); N and U? - Bachmann already got there with the N, - A1x Terrier and R1 already sort of done, so what gives a wow ? - my best guess  (assuming "Huge" is actually a deliberately misleading metaphor)  is  a P class -  so by elimination may I suggest that the P is a prime candidate?.

There are four P class in preservation. They were introduced in 1909 and 2 went to ROD France in 1915. In 1958 (according to IA) they were shedded at Dover-Folkestone/Eastleigh/Brighton/Stewarts Lane and that year I believe one went to  Bowaters so good chronological, livery, and geographical spread. Could be seen alongside Hornby's range of SR steam, Standard, and 3rd rail electrics (Class 71 just 2 yr overlap). Given popularity of the Pecketts it has a similar charm (so very marketable especially in SECR livery !!) - imagine it "towering under" (?!) a 2 coach Maunsell passenger train (even if in reality it wasn't really quite up to a decent passenger service -- or indeed anything apart from a little light shunting - Goodness knows how it survived as long as it did) - anyway that is my best guess, and  for what it is worth taking Lapford34102 literally in the reference to U-boats  - perhaps as the SECR had a lot of vessels it is actually going to be a Dover ferry  - now that would be Huge !!

Lots of tooling progress for the Rails Of Sheffield OO gauge Dynamometer Car. We should have samples before long!

 

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Query for Rails.....

not seen a  date by which  orders need to be placed ? - will it be by date or will it be when the current planned production run total is reached??

I must admit i do like the idea of raising and lowering Panto's through DCC control and a bit of sound added for good measure of the operation.

 

However on the 92 it gets a little tricky as you either need 2 servos (and a multi-function decoder or decoders of many functions) or 1 servo that raises and lowers the pans depending on which way its being driven. But then that wouldn't work for the 3rd rail guys as 1 servo couldnt keep both lowered.

 

The problem being that this would a) put the price up, b) be a bit of a loss on all up weight, c) might be seen as a gimmick.

 

I think it would look fantastic myself, and since seeing it demo'd at Nuremburg many many years ago on an HO model i've been smitten by the function.

 

Cheers

Dave

It might be nice to have these extras but I am not sure I would be prepared to accept the additional development time and extra cost for this, or accept the possible consequent  loss of tractive effort.  A.D. is against me (unlike some of the youngsters on RMWeb) I think I would rather have a really good model of a Class 92 (or two in my case) in the near future, Without being a stick in the mud (yeah ok !!) this project has already slipped some months  - in the nicest possible way it might be worth considering getting a few more models under the DJM belt within the approximately advised timescale (+ 6 months of predicted) before going for what might possibly be marginal/contentious improvements - only my view I hasten to add but I am beginning to be a man in a hurry !!