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Plenty of long firebox versions on the older tooling still swirling the ocean of ebay too.

On 26/06/2020 at 18:17, Oliver Rails said:

 

Hi John,

 

I tried to call you. I have send you a PM

Regards

oliver 

 

 

Hi Oliver,

good to talk to you today and thanks for the explanation.

I remain a loyal customer with my other two in order, and hopefully LBSC in the near term.

i’ll pm you separately too.

On 28/06/2020 at 10:40, Butler Henderson said:

Droopy couplings cane be addressed by slipping an appropriately sized piece of plastic or card between the underneath of the coupling and the inside bottom of the NEM mount - should not be necessary but not exactly a major issue.

I just use Hornby couplings instead of the “step down” Heljan ones.

Lima produced a OO gauge 66 in HGK livery, I think they produced another too in a red based livery.

59003 was modelled by Lima in an EU livery too.

Chalk boards on GUVs were present into the privatisation era.

I always make a point of leaving feedback, its just polite when a transaction is successful as a buyer or a seller.

I almost never negative feedback, if theres an issue with a purchase and the seller resolves it then no need for negative or neutral.

my only caveat is sometimes I do get preoccupied with other things, so feedback can be delayed, but then i’ll have a feast of leaving it all at once.

Time machines on ebay...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/220/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw="time+machine"&LH_TitleDesc=0

382 of them.

(sorry you did ask..)

16 hours ago, Ribird said:

Yes this is the video I saw. Sure looks like a main range A4 with lamp irons and everything. That’s all I’m saying.

I agree that video looks like the main range A4 to me...

Super detailed A4: 3link couplings,  Sprung Buffers, Lamp Irons, Cab seats / doors, drivers windshields, painted footplate, refined whistle, more scaled coupling rods, front pony truck is detailed, coal load isnt piled high.
 

Railroad A4 has thicker coupling rods, thicker whistle, moulded Cab handrails on the loco body, thick moulded access points on the sides. Coal load is piled high (to hide the old ringfield motor) and is missing the cab door, lamp irons, windshields, and the glazing of late.

I don't see anything “railroad” about the locos or the coaches Except, looking at the box artwork (and some of the earlier images of the set, where the loco Image does look like the upgraded railroad model).

Am I missing something ?

ifs got a super detailed A4 in then set looks pretty good, and price point looks right for Super detailed, whats more it comes with Track, Controller.
 

Ive got to admit seeing the video If it has been delivered as super detailed, then I am more attracted to this than I was when I saw Railroad artwork originally.

A good comparison would be R2688, a previous release of 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley.

7 hours ago, owentherail said:

They may of 'improved' the 33 but the couplings are still droopy and crap !!! 

But the brake fittings, screw links etc are factory fitted.

Your choice of alternate coupling starts from just 50p.

The price of a Heljan diesel is pretty competitive too.

On 24/06/2020 at 17:12, atom3624 said:

Say no more ....

 

 

 

40044 was a bit er.. different following its nose end collision.

but sounded fantastic right until the end.

Be warned, this video is 30 minutes long, with lots of climbing..you may need a cup of tea and biscuits before you start, as pausing mid way is a hard thing to do..

I wish this was my video, but i settled for buying a dvd of it.

Depends which parts you need.

The side frames on Lion are slightly different (speedo, wheel guards, steps etc they aren't the same ).

Kestrel used the Heljan class 47 bogie, like the real thing.

i’d imagine you could use it, Heljan tend to use standard components and similar designs. The difference internally will be the shaft length between motor and gearbox.

3 hours ago, mckinneyc said:

I have my order in for one 

Just one ?

i wouldnt mind a couple.

Terrier pt 4: Dead Dog

Last week I was told the 3rd replacement Terrier was on its way. Following last saturdays post I was informed on Monday 22nd it was getting sorted. Here is friday and no loco, today I have a refund.

The lesson learned here is in my case, customer care did not feel to be a priority. There does seem to be responsive good intentions, but are unable to execute on it. (How hard is it to get a box off the shelf and put a label on it ?).

from my experience...

If you return it, just ask for a refund, they are progressed rapidly, in less than 1 business hour this morning it was done (I am told). if I had done this on 20th May, my problems would have been sorted, 37 days ago.

it really pains me to have to do this, Ive been a fan of Rails for years,  its a nice model and I did want it, but my principles on customer service are higher than my 39 days patience shown on what should be a straight like for like swap of an in stock item, which I could buy and have in 2 days if I went to the website right now..., I especially hope overseas buyers experiences are better than mine.

I have two others on order, I will keep faith they may turn out well, previous history with Rails has been good, I remain confident the future will be better and that i conclude maybe the LBSC was just a bad’un.

All though to brief, I will end on a positive.. I love the finish, I love the detail, I love the firebox light and finally the chimney being brass (or copper ?) is much better than a painted one. If you can get a good one it is a great one.

Oliver, Simon, thanks for trying, no hard feelings.

Time to draw a line and move on.

Will it come with a coupling ?

As we are in the greenhouse growing fresh wishlist roots...

Class 104 DMU (8+ liveries)

Electrostar (Endless variations)

Class 180 (well travelled / liveried)

Class 185 - fits TP theme well

Oh ye of little faith...
 

An EP on the forum is a gift from above, not a hook a duck competition. It’s a chance to say what you want, or don’t want. 

Since Ben came on board, he’s brought us some much needed class 27’s, some of the best paint finished class 33’s ever made to date, some very detailed 33/1’s also, which exceeds many contemporaries.
33050/051 are probably the nicest rtr diesels made for some years, if 45106 gets the same treatment it’ll be something special.

The 45 needs work, but let’s be fair, the EP is an EP, it was clearly stated it was an EP, and issues previously raised are stated to be being addressed. At the end of the day, Heljans commercial success depends on consumer confidence, so let’s take the window to get a decent model, by not scaring the bloke away.

My two pet issues are rivets and Ive mentioned the grills before. Both are on the list.
 

At risk of being constructive, Ive highlighted a few nit-picky items which are more about attaining A* grades, than serious issues:

1. Red circle, can the builders plate be separate, or at least not raised beyond a minimal amount.. most later life blue 45’s didn’t have the Builders plate (though some had a blank Plate that was almost, if not, flush, or if  removed Only the corrosion outline could be visible but It was flush).. the Mainline/Replica/Bachmann one was a Bug bear having a blue lump here Pretending it wasn’t... if I can only have 1 wish from this list, this is it.

2. Blue circles.. Missing lamp irons here.

3. Purple circles.. A really nice to have, but the water jet outlets for the screen wiper.

4. Green circle.. Looking at other pictures it looks flush to the body side, and rivets flush too, just a very subtle outline.

5. orange circle on bogie.. missing Speedo cable.

 

hope this helps.

Is this the first rtr model to represent Carriage key lock holes in the doors ?

Bachman diesels are the easiest locos to renumber / rename.

30 seconds in.. cocktail stick and gentle scratching takes seconds.

As for 47001, these both used to be 47001and we’re renumbered the same way..

no varnish, numbers off clean. 

my trick is concentrate only on the number 2mm or so strokes rubbing on it, start gentle until you feel it scratch then slowly erode the edges of the number.  Nameplates, Plaques on Bachmann are equally easy.
 

On 19/06/2020 at 00:39, The Johnster said:

They were much involved in the clearing up after the tsunami.  Handy things to have around.  
 

In Canada, according to the story I heard, there was an increase in bull moose deaths in collisions with trains at the time that diesels were first introduced on the Canadian National, but not on CP.  The CP had retained steam type chime whistles, powered by compressed air, and CN used horns, which it turned out were similar in sound to the mating call of the cow moose when she is in season, and the amorous bulls were responding.  
 

Alteration of CN’s horns to a higher pitch resolved the issue.  Story told to me by Ted Beacham, shunter at Penarth North Curve and quarter blood Iriquios ‘first nation’ Canadian born.  Moved to UK with his family during the war; his grandfather had worked on the Kicking Horse Pass and married an Iriquois lady whom he had obtained by mail order as was the frontier way.  Ted was an impressively large gentleman with a convincingly Iriquois profile, and an even more convincing and blood curdling war cry...

 

A genuinely lovely bloke and quite a character.  
 

 

I spent some time in Alaska around the railroad a number of years ago.

Moose just use the railway line as a footpath to get around. They wont move beyond their pace unless theres a predator (wolves and such). They just don't care for locomotives, horns, bells or air compressors, even the drivers shot gun fired off into the air.

The drivers cant just run it over, I recall one occasion that a small herd sat down for sometime, it put the driver over his 12 hours, they had to helicopter out a new crew to bring it in to Anchorage.

Fantastic memories up there, hope to return for the restored S160.

On 20/06/2020 at 18:40, big jim said:

That’s a hell of a cutting!

 

and yes she does grunt well 

Thats the shallow one, the LBSC Quarry lines about 50m or so paralell to these are steeper !
Network Rail has just recently finished gardening this section, opening up the fantastic view ! Done a nice effort here.
 

Eitherside of Merstham tunnel is a long uphill, the peak I understand is in the tunnel, both sides are now a great place for filming hard working traction from above.

When I stand there looking at it, I think it looks like a model railway, so far below...

this was yesterday with 37254, it looked n gauge..
 

On 08/05/2020 at 09:27, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi everyone,

 

We're glad our friends at Rails of Sheffield have taken 37 610 on as a special edition. Oliver has posted a thread about it in the Rails section with all the info!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Fran

 

ive just been acquainted with this odd beast today, but gosh it sure does grunt well...

6 hours ago, snitchthebudgie said:

 

I've done more modelling in the past three months than the past five years!  And I'm an exhibition manager, who has valued this thread, red herrings and all, to get a feel of what people think - in all their extremes.

i’m the opposite, my career tends to be busy when times are in crisis. In 20 years, only Sept 2008 and Sept 2001 have I previously been this busy.

Any spare time is spent doing the weekly shop, which takes hours now and whats left is with family.

Modelling gone out of the window for me at the moment, though today for the first time since March, Ive seen a locomotive...
 

i took my daughter out for a spin to see 37254, and she took this image, in the nice freshly trimmed cuttings west of Coulsdon.

Tomorrow promises to be even better, there might be a 66 working an engineers train to my local station (we survive on a diet of EMUs on my line)... so if I cant get to the show, let the show come to me.

A tale of three Terriers...

19th May... Terrier 1: The Trend Setter

unfortunately it was pointed out there was a droop..

Oliver at Rails reached out, sent a label and back it went on the 20th...
 

Confidence high, on the first one, despite its issue, I felt happy enough with what I saw to order 2 further Rails examples.. they feel to have done a good job, and at £20 more for the flicker I’ll go with a gimmick, especially when it keeps entertainment in my little one, and tbh... theyve done a really nice job, cab roof aside.

so, D-Day comes, 

June 6th: Terrier 2: The Dogs Dinner

17 days later... For a 96 hours postage Journey...

Looks straight enough, when aligned to the lines of my cutting mat..
unfortunately, theres paint on the buffer heads, its missing its smokebox door darts....

Now i’m keen to defend this Terrier, I think the finish is very good and it has some very attractive points over its contemporaries and I am prepared to give it  A thumbs up... if only I actually have one to to play with...

June 13th Terrier 2a: Sniffing around

Disappointed, jaded, I decided to go downtown, and found my self in the arms of another dog. Sniffing the lonely alleyways of the bargains pages, I found an ad.. a deal too good to be true. Another pretty pooch, shiny, tweaked and cheap.. it said 20% off the 20% off.. £63 new, innocent and yellow..

she does exactly what the ad says... she arrived on Monday 15th, 2 days, one of those was a Sunday, she goes like a  Terrier, smells like a Terrier, looks like a Terrier... she must be a Terrier.

June 16th Terrier 3: The lost dog

10 days later, I followed up on my Replacement Terrier, on its next 4 day return journey to Sheffield.. I was told it was being sent.... its now June 19th:

72 hours have passed since it was sent 48 hours post, which was:

312 hours since it was returned the second time, which was :

744 hours since the first one was returned.

all I have now is proof of posting..

Maybe shes smelled the scent of another dog, but she’s gone....

so alas I am left with only one option...

Despite Tuesdays communication that they have it, and have sent a replacement, its been sitting in the Royal Mail depot in Sheffield since June 10th, Rails has not collected it yet... I dont know what to believe.
 

if I’d bought one it would arrive in a couple of days, perhaps rather than returning asking for replacement, I should just ask for a refund and buy another ?

I have 12 Terrier, + 1 new one. I am contemplating replacing most of those 12...  Its really hard to be objective and fair about this model and make a buying decision, when most of the time its not in my posession.

Fair enough,

it just feels theres a desire to rip these to pieces.

A cap falling off is unfortunate, but many more models have had far worse in history, but it seems to be magnified to a huge issue.

Ive not had the issue myself, but creative solutions, rather than hoping the manufacturer does it is really the only fix at this point, for those who have this issue at all..

Why is everyone quoting me on the shaped axles.

i wasnt endorsing it, I agree it wasnt the best.

I was just pointing out why it may not be used.

by all means keep ripping apart my previous suggestion on screw threaded axles, I think it has more mileage and i’m more inclined to defend that idea in this some what destructively themed thread.

it would be nice to see some more constructive counter proposals, though I can see why those with such ideas might not want to raise their heads above the parapets, theres more germs flying than in a covid sneeze.

ive had my 3 class 66’s 3-4 months now, they work fine, nothing's fallen off, nothings growing on, they arent rolling over to be tickled.. they just seem to work ok... perhaps I can post a picture and let folks rip em apart for me, tell me what i’m missing and why Ive wasted £450 ?