Andy Hayter

The petit Canari automotrice is shown as being in the first 5 to be produced.

I am sure many will be aware of Editions Atlas and their collections of models on a theme. As their Autorail series draws to a close (I assume) they have now started a new series for automotrices. The first model is a Z 7100 - which if you end up subscribing to the series ends up being "free" (otherwise 9.90€). Later models will be around 42€, but subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. They are also proposing motorising kits at just shy of 50€ each - which they say will be suitable for other future models. Now the level of fine detail can be criticised, and certainly if motorising you will likely look to replace the moulded out-of-service position pantographs, but compared with the only available rtr version at over 700€, these look to provide a cheap basis for reasonable models. http://www.editionsatlas.fr/collection/automotrices-reseaux-francais/z7100-sncf-1962.html

Clive It is things like that that make me wary of pigeon-holing. I scratchbuild bodies and usually underframes, but buy in wheels, W irons and often bogies (where appropriate) and if a locomotive will use a commercial chassis if no suitable kit is available. (So I might just qualify as a scratch builder is some eyes, but clearly would fail in others). I build kits - plastic, white metal, brass, PU, plaster. (So I guess I am a kit builder) I buy rtr and may or may not upgrade or customise it. ( So that makes me a train set modeller). I model UK and Continental outline. HO which can broadly be considered as scale, and 00 which cannot, as well as H0e which is even less scale (in my case at least). I have 3 layouts (one in progress) and buy for these. I also buy for future projects - so currently I guess that puts me into the acquirer category if not collector. And since I buy things, does that make me cheque book modeller? (Actually debit card modeller would be more accurate). I was a club modeller until work took me out of the UK, and am now a solo modeller. So I probably tick the box in most modelling categories apart from manufacturer.

Well if it really is necessary to generate pigeon holes to put people in (and personally I prefer not), then I would class you as a scratch builder. Yes your raw materials are different, yes your tools are different, but essentially you are starting from raw materials and some drawings. If that is not scratch building I do not know what is. I can imagine the same arguments 60 odd years ago when plastic sheet started to become available and the old boys constructing from recycled tin cans and bits of brass saying that this plastic rubbish is not proper modelling.

I agree, just looking at the pictures and things do not look out of proportion.

I think you will find that the Royals are not as naïve as some imagine. When I joined a research laboratory it was shortly after a Royal visit and I was told that a certain prince of Greek origin was heard to state, "There is a strong smell of polish in here."

11. Fog in the Channel. Europe cut off. (Actually a real headline I believe.)

The book does not give any clues that I can find about the sources of the drawings, although there is an extensive bibliography. I does seem clear that the authors have also consulted a number of archives including those of the colliery complexes. They do all appear to be drawn in one style and this suggests that they have been (re)drawn to scale by one person. I agree that it would be a great shame if the line remains closed forever, but I see little prospect to be honest.

The problem is that the most scenic part is the part that is now under the rock fall. Incidentally the locos in use are/were not the original ones. These had dual overhead feed - one at +1200V DC and the other at -1200V DC - and the pantograph arrangement looked a little like the Italian 3 phase locos. http://www.railfaneurope.net/lamure/english/matmot.html#thury There is a drawing and pictures of the Arbel hopper wagons ex CFC in "Le Chemin de Fer de La Mure" By Patrice Boullin and Daniel Wurmser. Available (still I think) from Voies Ferrées for a small mortgage (ca 100€ with postage)

Whether it is overtly visible or not, such details if well done can make a significant difference - and from what I can see you have done a superb job. I once painted up some Preiser cattle which looked quite good, but were completely transformed when the eyeball and iris were added. Without minute inspection, I doubt you would have specifically noticed that they had been done, but without that detail the animals were somehow lacking.

Looks as if the instructions have changed since I got mine, even if the cabinets look identical.

So what does it say in the UK instructions? The French ones made no mention.

I can personally recommend FB Systems for mail Order and I think Focalplane has visited the shop and equally recommends it.

Re- the GNR teaks, I agree, I assumed that GNR Dave meant newly tooled coaches. The GNR coaches while sharing some similarities are very different in detail to the LNER versions. Even the curved roof end profiles are different

Yum,Yum Yes please

I have to agree totally. I am constantly surprised by the number of visitors (supposedly intelligent and educated) we have who express surprise that we get snow every winter even though we are south of a line from Bordeaux. Mind you we are just across the valley from ski resorts, so you might have thought that would be a clue. Sorry OT - now back to railways.

I came across the attached image last night which is from the PLM Bulletin November 1935. The article is about Good Performances in France (ironically) and the picture is only captioned as high speed on the Vitry test bed. The picture looks to me however to be of CotN. Perhaps the ultimate give away being the boiler banding - light dark light - which does not correspond to any contemporary French lining. I could of course be wrong, but if this is indeed CotN, then the picture adds weight to the rotary arm being polished steel - the grey scale being similar to that of the wheel edges and flanges.

But then such a statement would prohibit NRM from selling the moulds and the rights to use them at some (distant) stage in the future. "Always" lasts a very, very long time. No legal advisor to a company or business that I know would allow such a comment to be made as a public statement without a very strong warning - and possible resignation if the advice were to be ignored. If you have concerns, then don't buy - but I think you will have a very long wait to get a model outside of the ebay speculators.

Actually I thought I had made that clear with the comment in brackets.

That may be so for some but not in Rhone Alpes. Both Modelrail and Montelirail opened at 10am and both stayed open (at least as far as the doors are concerned) at lunchtime. I do however accept (as do most French)that lunch means dramatically reduced service at stands and on layouts. The good news hoever, is that if you are driving to the exhibition, this is the time to find parking spaces within 1km of the exhibition hall.

quote name="45584" post="1641056" timestamp="1414453607"] .... but as regards the south of the country I cannot help. ModelRail (St Etienne) was earlier in the year and Montelirail (Montelimar) was the weekend before last - so that's it in the South East for 18 months. :-( (There will of course be small local shows). The Paris show is really the one to go for if you can only make one show, but it does get crowded - at least by French standards. For the East of the country, Souffleweyersheim (Strasbourg) is highly recommended - but again bi-annual although they do hold an intermediate "swap meet" type event.

The railway magazines have lists of exhibitions, but none of them cover all of the events, so hardly a comprehensive list. I agree that exhibitions are less frequent and even some of the bigger events are once every 2 years rather than annual.

The best I can come up with to demonstrate the exposure at this point is from Wiki St Georges La Mure Grnad Balcon.docx

Sadly I think we have answered the question - no operations at all. Pacific 231G - the cliff section is around 8-900m and limited to just this one section. no mention has been made of the tunnel being undercut, but the avalanche shelter (from rocks not snow) has been damaged - no surprise. Tetsudofan - I too parted with just short of 100€ for the Daniel Wormser book - but it as something for everyone - railfan, historian, modeller (lots of scale drawings). I had to inwardly smile when the shop assistant insisted, "mais monsieur c'est tout en francais". (but it's all in French sir). There is a superb picture which shows the cliff section (which for copyright reasons I cannot post here) from before the installation of the hydro-dam shown in my picture. This shows the real exposure of this section. I suspect that in the event of a further rock fall the only collateral damage would be the "tidal wave" created in the water above the dam.

I have considered that as well, but whenever you look at the published accounts, Hornby are always several million short of their revolving financial agreement. I think therefore that there must be another reason and given that labour seems to be a major issue in China. I am driven to believe that it is the scheduling of labour to assemble the models that could well be the issue. I suspect the manufacturers are offering Hornby so many for week x, another amount for x plus 2, another amount for x plus 7 and so on. This may seem (and indeed be) inefficient but is the way to keep the maximum number of their customers on the hook and at least part satisfied. I see exactly the same with tradesmen here in France who will tender for work, start and then disappear for a few days, before coming back to do some more, then disappearing again, and so on. So two weeks work actually takes several months to come to completion.