nightstar.train

I think usually the way it happens is you claim against whoever immediately hit you. I was in a crash once where I'd just parked and a British Gas van hit the parked car in front of me and pushed it into me. I claimed against that car, and that car claimed double against British gas. So unless Alley's insurers step up and just say "all claims to us, we'll take care of it", it's going to be a hell of a mess of claims and counter claims.

There's this photo of a VDA at Kensington Olympia in March 79. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brvda/e3ede5f39 The livery is slightly different than that applied later and it's incredibly shiny, so this suggests it was a launch event for the new livery. So i would think you can certainly have VDAs in red/grey in the early to mid 80s.

Not today I think.

1) Usually Lokpilot comes with very basic function mapping, so F0 for headlights and rear lights, F1 to Aux 1, F2 to Aux 2 and so on. You’ll probably want to change some of that to map the functions how you want, but you won’t HAVE to. 2) How are you programming it? The easiest way is with a computer if you have a DCC system that can connect to one. Decoder Pro (part of the JMRI suite) makes it easy. Otherwise you’ll need to download the full Lokpilot manual. It has a list of CVs for function mapping in that. Write down what F key you want to operate what lights and then work out the required CVs. It’s a bit daunting to look at initially, but is fairly easy to understand. 3) Do you want it to? You can give them both the same address so that they work together, or give the Mk5s a different address. You can then consist them on your controller to still work as a set.

Is it not possible to change a few CVs and disable the automatic wheel slip? I expect many people will want to consist them and this feature seems to make that difficult. Surely if the Loksound is sophisticated enough to have this feature it’s also sophisticated enough to have a way to disable it?

They also hired in a Mk2e BSO 9497 from Eastern Rail Services during this period that was painted in CS livery.

AAIUI a set of tools costs at least high 5 figures, and more likely 6 figures, even for a 'simple' item. The new Bachmann class 47 tooling suite is reported to have cost a million pounds. Bachmann obviously intend to use that for many years and produce dozens of different variations and liveries. But with the Caley 123 or the Caley coaches you've basically got one variation and you won't shift huge quantities of it. Certainly won't be popping out a new one very year. So I would imagine a new tool would be uneconomical.

Rapido did scan the Jones goods at the Riverside museum in Glasgow, where 123 is also kept. I would be amazed if they didn't scan 123 at the same time, and possibly the Glen class as well. I wonder if it's the coach or loco moulds they can't find or are broken? If Rapido did do a 123 all singing and dancing like their Stirling Single, would Hornby quickly make a batch of Railroad ones?

How on earth were they blocking lines for 3 days! Couldn't they get a diesel and drag them clear, at least stick them in the siding to the right there.

It is 977996, a converted Mk3 TGS. It was used as the “tender” for Hayabusa, the hybrid test bed HST power car Hitachi made. It carried the batteries and associated equipment. After testing was over it was surplus to requirements and Bachmann bought it as an office for their headquarters. So the odds of it ever being produced are vanishingly small.

One day I'll be able to convert my loft and build my dream layout. In this dream I have a large roundy roundy to watch trains go by, with two large terminus stations so I can run trains between them. One of my ideas is to have a modern extension bolted onto one of the terminus stations, rather like Waterloo International. So hopefully I could do exactly that. Set off the Nightstar sleeper from one terminus with a pair of class 37s (need Accurascale to make the 37/6 in EPS guise) and Generator van on the front, few laps of the track and into the international station. Attach a class 92 to the other end and away for a few more laps before disappearing to a fiddle yard. Repeat in reverse next morning. I have a mad soft spot for sleeper trains, I have far too many of them relative to day stock. My dream layout will feature Intercity Swallow Highlander, Scotrail purple Highlander, Mk2/3 Caledonian sleeper Deerstalker express, Mk5 Caledonian sleeper Highlander and Mk 3 GWR Night Riviera. Plus the Nightstar international services of course.

Yes, the original Flying Scotsman service when launched in 1928 had a barber's shop onboard. Don't know how long it lasted, probably a bit of a publicity stunt.

Indeed! I've been fascinated with them since I discovered their existence in the late 90s. One of these days I will build myself a whole rake to run with my 92.

What might've been

The business case for the Chunnel sleepers was always marginal at best, but the rise of cheap flights in the 90s completely killed them. Part of the problem of course comes down to our border arrangements and the tunnel security requirements. You need segregated platforms and secure compounds to hold the stock between trips, plus all the passport controls and security at each station. Same reasons the regional Eurostars died before birth. It's a great shame. As I've lived in Glasgow the last nearly 20 years I'd love a sleeper train to Paris.

And the winter announcement in November a couple of weeks before Warley. Last year they certainly announced things then, like the mainline Hunslets, that were then available from dealers at Warley.

Unless there’s going to be a surprise announcement later on, yes. Maybe there’ll be a limited edition for the Bahamas owners to sell.

They were built for BR and SNCF, so yes we did. They then got sold with the privatisation of BR, so the government did get paid back for them, although probably nowhere near the purchase price.

Rather disappointed that the mainline hunslets in current condition haven’t been announced. Hopefully for Autumn. Rather a thin OO announcement I thought, only locos and no stock. Good to see that their class 37s don’t clash with the Accurascale releases, hopefully both companies can succeed in that space having both spent so much on their tooling suites. Bumper crop for N gauge though, great for modellers in the smaller scale.

I’ll be surprised, amazed and delighted if it is. Key bit of stock to model mail trains in the late 90s/early 00s. But if it is I fear what price might be asked, especially if it has working lights.

Both Hornby and Rapido are experimenting with water vapour generators that sync to the wheels and produce realistic chuffing. Hornby had a working demonstration unit at Model Rail Scotland and it looked really excellent, proper little puffs of smoke as the wheels turned. So the tech is certainly there if Bachmann wanted to join in too.

I am one of those who run 92038 with my Mk5s. I didn’t know about the difference to begin with, but now I do know I don’t really mind. I like the Chunnel rings.

Funnily it's only the day coaches, no sleeper vehicles. Was this due to a blockade of Euston so a short formed sleeper using Kings X, or some sort of failure of the sleeper vehicles (but odd that 2-4 sleepers have all failed simultaneously)?

Certainly not me I bought 2.

Hopefully Fran or McC can give us a better update. But the page https://www.accurascale.com/pages/project-status lists them as Q3 2023. However it also says they haven’t entered production. So I’m thinking that date will have slipped a bit, but hopefully still be this year.