scottystitch

I've been playing quite a bit of the East Coastway, a few of the timetabled runs and I think it's my favourite route for the PS4 so far. It's ideal for picking up if you have no more than an hour or so. The 377 is so easy to drive and accelerates well. The route takes in Brighton - Seaford services and Brighton - Eastbourne services. There Is a limited inclusion of freight in the form of a 66 aggregates run from Lewes to Newhaven - shunt - and return and repeat through afew times of the day. There is also a "rail tour" run from Lewes to Eastbourne if you have "heritage traction" loaded on your machine. I have the 40, the peak and the 47 from the Pennine DLC and the 37 from the Teeside DLC so can drive any of those on that "rail tour". I used to have West Coastway for MS Train Simulator. It would be particularly nice if Dovetail could offer that and to link it with East Coastway.

That is great progress, and it's clear this will be a layout head and shoulders over many. There's a lot to be said for a "system" layout. Best Scott

I downloaded East Coastway for The trains sim yesterday. First impressions are very favourable. Best Scott

Thank you @Andy Hayter for that concise response. Best Scott.

This is interesting. Would you say that these manufacturers predominantly produce models for the German market? Do you have any experience of the plastic kit modelling fraternity at all? Does the lack of WW2 modelling in railways translate to model armour, aeroplanes, ships/U-Boats etc? Revell have produced a number of U-Boats and German Navy ships, along with many wartime Luftwaffe aircraft. I've never been able to ascertain if these are/were Revell Germany or Revell USA products originally, but I've always assumed the former. Do these sell well in Germany or perhaps they are targeted to the international audience? I have to say the BR06 looks very fine indeed; most handsome. The 19.01 less so....... Best Scott

Blimey, Anthony, that looks smashing! First class modelling. Most inspiring! Best Scott

I'm not sure how I missed this up until now. Very Scottish in feel and atmosphere. I'll need to look out for this on the circuit. Any chance it is likely to appear at Model Rail Scotland , Glasgow or the Perth shows? Can I correct a typo in the title? Scottish should have two 't"s......... Thanks for sharing. Best Scott.

This. All. Day. Long....... Best Scott

Does this help with the Bournemouth Belle: https://www.kentrail.org.uk/bournemouth_belle.htm This might also be of interest. There is a shot of the green BR MK1 BG Best Scott

I merely posed the question, I didn't suggest anything. However, even if I was suggesting two, after Birmingham, as the present plan stands, it already is two lines. I'm merely asking why both of the post-Birmingham lines have to travel through a common corridor to get to London. Why not just separate the lines entirely, using the Midland Main Line as a guide corridor for the Leeds line. That doesn't double the amount of land required, it only doubles the amount of the southern section. A kinder response from you would have been to omit your first two sentences, leaving only the last. Every time I pose a question on RMWeb I instantly regret it..........

My question isn't one of whether there is a need; I agree with HS2 at a strategic level, but I'm not so sure of the details at a tactical level; 1 - Why does it need to be a High Speed line at velocities akin to TGV and HS1. My understanding is that a decent slice of the cost comes from the alignment required for "High Speed" running. If it's about capacity, why can't it be a more conventional railway, laid sufficiently to allow Pendolino or 8xx class trains to run at full tilt (no pun intended) between Euston and Birmingham and Manchester/Liverpool, non-stop (and thence on to Carlisle and Glasgow)? A dedicated railway with no stopping or freight services, just dedicated fleets of conventional ECML or WCML trains. 2 - Why does it have to be one line: Euston to Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester, Nottingham/Derby, Sheffield, Leeds? Why can't it be two completely separate lines thus: Euston to Birmingham Crewe, Manchester , and on; and (for arguments sake) St Pancras to Nottingham/Derby, Sheffield, Leeds (and ultimately York, Newcastle, Edinburgh) ? With everything emanating from Euston, that section between Euston and Birmingham becomes proportionally more busy than the rest of the HS2 network, inviting constraints, I'd have thought, and would then begin to resemble that section of the WCML, although not to the same extent, admittedly. 3 - "HS3" can then be built to a similar standard; lines between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, Hull, with no intermediate stops, no junctions, just fast max speed running between stops. These are genuine questions. I don't consider myself to be ignorant of the need for "HS2". Maybe I am just ignorant of why, if it's not about shaving 20 minutes off of Birmingham - London, it needs to be quite so fast. Best Scott

Agreed. You're diorama shows you have great talent. Thanks for sharing and inspiring. Best Scott.

It's funny that you should bring that up. As part of my back story to Perth Caledonian, I have visited the crossing of the tay that you describe, albeit slightly down stream, so that the Edinburgh and Northern, doesn't meet up with the route through Glenfarg at Bridge of Earn (and thence through Moncrieffe tunnel), but approaches Perth sharing the Perth and Dundee line. The bridge would need to be a swing (rather like at Throsk?) or lifting bridge to ensure that shipping could still reach Perth Harbour. My doodlings attached (the actually built line is "scored out" in red):

Etched Pixels do a range of LNER and GCR rolling stock: https://www.ultima-models.co.uk/catalogue/index-lner.html Best Scott

Agreed, although it's MK1 coaches I'm lacking. If there had been stock, I'd have purchased 25-30 last year alone, and probably half that again on Maroon Thompsons this year, if they were available. I'd also be interested in 3-car 101s, and I'd be happy to pay the latest going rate for them, but they just don't supply them anymore. It's difficult to reconcile Farish's bemoaning the lack of growth in the N gauge market, when there isn't the stock to feed any of that desired growth. Best Scott.

I think @Les1952 was saying it was being quoted as either 20% of the TOTAL model railway market (z, n, oo, o, Gauge 1, etc) or 20% of just the OO market. I think his point was it can't be both........ I may be wrong Best Scott

I'm afraid I cannot answer your questions regarding the technical details @Ben A In relation to your post, however, I must admit to being a bit remiss, failing to post an update from 29th December. The following was posted on the NGS website on that date by the membership secretary: "In writing this just prior to Christmas, I am finally pleased to say that we reached a major milestone on December 9th with confirmation that the entire run of the all important PCB’s was complete and ready to be shipped. This now paves the way to push on with final assembly, packing and distribution once the PCB’s have reached the factory in Hong Kong. This delivery of the PCB’s to Hong Kong is anticipated to be before Christmas and will then need to have a final set of tests to be done by the Factory to ensure the “100% right” requirements are met before we give the green light to finally start the assembly process. Given the prolonged timing of the PCB production, it is now unlikely that the Factory will complete all that they need to do prior to the Chinese New Year at the end of January/early February, which is a 15 day holiday. We do hope that production completion and shipment will happen soon after this but I am not going to give dates here given past experience, but as soon as we have the shipping date you will all know through the various channels we use for updating our Members including the Journal, Facebook, Website and the ngs.io group. Whilst there have been production delays this has allowed the committee to organise an efficient distribution process that will ensure all pre-orders are shipped as soon as possible after balances are paid and there are a number of people involved in the process to ensure you get your models quickly. Indeed, I am one of those people myself and am busy sorting my own “railway room” out over Christmas and New Year so that I am good to go to ship once the numerous boxes of Hunslets arrive with me. Similar activities are also going on with a number of other volunteers too so we will all do everything we can to ship quickly. Finally it was good to meet a number of you at the Warley Show at the NEC last month to talk about the Hunslets and also confirm the view that there will be a strong demand for this model after the pre-orders are complete, so when the general membership selling starts, please get your orders in quickly!." Best Scott

Hi @The Yorkshire Pud, I just wondered if this project was still on the go? Some great modelling so far, and I, for one, would be interested in any update. Best Scott.

Fantastic modelling, and what a great journey! Thanks for sharing, that fair brightened up my day!

I think it very much depends on a) the model and b) whether we are talking about long term or short term investment. Taking b first, i'd argue long term is unlikely to be economically worth it, unless you just get lucky or you have an eye or talent for seeing what will increase in value. My father has a blue and cream Dinky Nash Rambler, mint in box. The box is mint as well. But it's worthless in the grand scheme of things. However, if he had bought (or been given) the pink and blue coloured version, that would be a different story. Apparently they are like hens teeth. And valued appropriately. I mean which self respecting post war boy would want a pink car? hence it was a very poor seller. In respect of a, short term investments can and do generate worthwhile returns. The obvious example is N Gauge Revolution models, particularly early ones before the market had greater confidence in this "new" supplier/concept. The initial run of Pendolinos and TEAs did very well on the secondary market. Those who were in on the ground floor benefitted from "early bird" prices, and the knowledge that the models were produced strictly to provide only enough for crowdfund backers. When those who hadn't pre-ordered (some, quite understandably, don't wish to buy sight unseen), saw the finished item and read the favourable reviews it was too late as the models had been produced to order only. Those who bought for altruistic or investment reasons, realised returns of double (and sometimes more) the original purchase price. I have a sound fitted Rapido GMD-1 bought entirely off of the proceeds from two Pendolinos I sold in auction, (without ripping anyone off into the bargain, certainly not 200% return!) which I bought to help the project along and because I felt I'd at least get my money back. But it's a gamble and you have to choose carefully, I suppose. EDIT: I've just remembered Rails of Sheffield did a presentation box of Bachman's 10000 and 10001, which I bought with a view to selling on, again short term, but when I came to sell, I only got back what I paid for it (just), which of course I am not complaining about. Maybe I fell into the trap of "collector's Box".......... Best Scott

The Fairburn in "Caledonian Blue"?

Thanks for the considerations David. The head shunt doesn't need to accommodate the full sleeper train, only the car carrying portion. On Perth trains, from photographs and from official carriage formation documents, the Holloway train was 6 TCVs, or 6 car flats plus six carriages (BSK, and 5 SLS). The head shunt is therefore long enough for the car carrying portion and a shunting locomotive. The head shunt also serves platforms 8 an 9, which handle parcel, newspaper and mail, as well as horse traffic. The sleeper from Holloway arrives at Platform 5 (for clarification, the platforms have been re-numbered from the earlier plans, 1 at the bottom to 9 at the top, in sequence - See version 11, on my post dated 19th December). The car carriers are removed and shunted into the Motorail siding. 30-40 minutes after arrival and after the passengers have de-trained, the carriage portion is removed North (continues to the left) ostensibly to the carriage sidings, hauled by the train engine. For the return service later in the day, the carriages are returned behind a train engine and backed onto the car carriers which have in the meantime been shunted into platform 6. Any shunting or pilot engines are stabled in the very bottom of the plan, just before the mouth, or in one of platforms 3, 4 or 7. I accept it can't access every platform without a reversal, but almost no trains terminate at this station, other than DMUs, and therefore it's need is limited. Other than Edinburgh DMU services and a chartered Blue Pullman, the London Holloway train is the only one that terminates here. Some trains will change engines here, and one train splits in one direction and re-assembles in the other once a day (the West Coast Postal from/to Aberdeen). In respect of your crossover suggestion, I have imagined that these are beyond the over bridge to the left of the station and therefore off scene. You will see a couple of diagonal lines pointing at what look like diamond crossings. The left most one is double slip, the right most a single slip, between the bottom two tracks. It might help to think of Perth Caledonian as one of two main line stations in Perth, with a central station further on up the line to the left. Perth Caledonian's relationship to Perth Central is similar to that between Haymarket and Waverley in Edinburgh. Perth Shed is located between Perth Caledonian and Perth Central and, like the real thing, is substantial. I will be using cassettes to turn locomotives - these can be seen on the left wall, just below the grey section. There are also loco cassette points in the storage yards. Best Scott

8 and 9 are exclusively for the use of parcels, newspapers, goods, horses, etc. and so they are shunted using the head shunt, along with the Motorail siding.

Andy, Thanks for the interest and your thoughts. There are a number of reasons for not doing as you suggest (it's a cement terminal, by the way, on the lower level.) Firstly the gradient from the cement terminal up to the storage yard needs to be no more than 1 in 100, to ensure confidence in lifting circa 18-21 cement wagons, with a variety of motive power. In N gauge, inclined haulage can be an issue, but everything I envisage using on the cement will manage this load on 1 in 100. You are correct in saying the grey area is a removable section across a doorway and for alignment accuracy, I have specified that this be on the level, and so to accommodate all of this, it suits me better to have the descent begin abreast the tunnel mouth position. Secondly, the curves at each end of the station must be hidden, due to the fact I refuse to have non-scale curves visible. In any case, whilst the station may be fictional, it's location is not and immediately north (down end of the station- left hand side on the plan) of the overbridge there is 3/4 mile of dead straight track in the open. Add to this the fact that the point work on the left hand wall is far from prototypical and it becomes too complicated to try and do plausibly. Best Scott

Fantastic! One of my favourite Knopfler songs. Full of Get Carter imagery, as is your scenery. Very atmospheric. Best Scott