DropTheTap

Good pic! Look at the small, shiny strike plungers on the outside head of the rail, which were usually arranged in a pair. When the wheels hit these, grease is pumped onto the inside (gauge face) of the rail: this one doesn't appear to be connected. You can hear a definite "ching" when wheels make contact with them. There are several different types, some more archaic than others. I used to have pictures (for former professional reasons!) but I'm not sure where they are now. Look for the variants that sit almost buried in the ballast or the taller, cylindrical drums, which are considerably easier to model: (Common source image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rail_track_lubricator.jpg) Note the ancient lubricator with modern, "fastclip" track! These things need constant maintenance and often malfunction: they either pump too much or insufficient grease when this happens. The gauge face of the rail is always shiny black ahead of them in the direction of traffic: trains obviously run left to right in the above picture. If it's broken, there will be grease everywhere in the vicinity of the pump! Rail lubricators ("greasers" to the maintenance gangs) are normally located prior to the start of the transition (where cant starts to be applied, track goes from straight to curved), of a curve so that most of the rail in the curve is able to be lubricated. The one in the above pic is actually in the transition which again, is not uncommon. I have also seen very long curves where "booster" lubricators were fitted to aid greasing. They are also only fitted to the high rail of a curve, which is the rail that becomes gauge worn in normal traffic. Single or bi- directional lines may have one at either end of the curve. In reverse curves, you may spot lubricators almost opposite each other. Some types also possess different size drums for capacity reasons. The larger drums are often fitted where access is difficult for gangs to fill them up, for example on viaducts or embankments or in cuttings. Those types (such as the one in Pete's picture) which foul the track are painted yellow to assist sighting for tamper operators etc. and are often repainted when they become dirty. A good curve maintenance team ("grease gang"!) will be equipped with copious spares and tools, good overalls, grease barrels, degreasing fluid, yellow and black paint and endless patience! They used to repaint the cant markings on the curve while they were there, under lookout or T2 protection, although it wouldn't surprise me if much of this work is now undertaken at night during T3s. If you're a lubricator rivet counter , BR demonstrated considerable regional variation, although I'm sure Network Rail now have more modern, standardized types... said with a semi- straight face... I used to try and standardize on a particular type on a certain branch wherever possible. The gang may attend to several in a day, working down the track. Maintaining the same type on the same day makes stocking the van considerably easier. Sorry to ramble on but Pete's pic brought back some long ago memories! [Edits for additional info: started as a short post, ballooned as memories came back!!]

And ugh at "guage"...

Not madness particularly but, ummm, well, see for yourself: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hornby-OO-SCALE-3-CAR-DIESEL-UNIT-CUSTOM-PAINT-/261907258825?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cfae39dc9 I have no idea what that is all about...

Reminds me of Tinsley, particularly when looking at the second pic in the post I quoted. Great work, sir.

So that's what, a 50% increase...? Cripes...

Looks good Terry: what's your technique?

There was no negativity at all in my post. It's just my nature to question an argument given as "because it is" or "because I said so".

After their last price hike, that's about where I'm at.

I would believe you you if I had reason to. I'm very interested to know how you substantiate your assertions please. I too was under the impression that enforcement of RRP (Recommended Retail Price) by manufacturers and suppliers was not, well, enforceable.

'Twas always a satisfying "clunk" when the loco coupled up: I think that's one aspect that I miss the most from today's "plastic" railway. I appreciate that no stock lasts forever but current operators are missing the flexibility that LHCS provides on medium to long distance journeys, IMHO...

Can you go back and take this picture in colour please??

I'm surprised this is still an issue. People have been levelling the same charges at Bachmann for many years: they make generally good models to bizarre timescales. (Yes, it would probably be more sensible if they tempered their new product announcements...)

The whole bodyside is bizarrely out of proportion, not just the windows. I don't even know where to start with this. EDIT- the tumblehome, such as it is on a 142, is also at a strange angle: It should be inclined much more steeply towards the unit. I really hope that the tooling can be changed but by that much at this stage...

I always look at the hattons.co.uk website (very rarely ehattons.com) and have used Firefox for donkeys years. Occasionally the pictures are a little slow to load but that's the only problem I've ever had (with their website at least...!)

They also have a couple of upside down images on the OO New Releases section of the .co.uk website! I think they need to hire Steve Flint or Chris Nevard!!

I'm not disagreeing with you but if the manufacturers are seeing their products sold (which Hattons invariably seem to do) and if all retailers pay the same to the manufacturers for said products, why would manufacturers be displeased...?

Fair point but if that's your biggest issue...

Cracking stuff! Spent many a cold, wet Saturday night working with those things years ago! If we were lucky, when it was *really* cold they broke down...

Oh, you're so vain.

As will I. Just nowhere near as many of them.

I thought that's what this thread was for...

Although "Aureol" in her 97xxx end of life number looks great, I would have preferred a more run of the mill disk headcode example that I could have run in mid- 1970s guise...

10 years? Wow, time really flies. I remember being active on the ModMod, then DEmodellers Yahoo! groups, neither of which I cared for but there was little else at the time. And I still lived in the UK!! I caught on with RMWeb a few weeks after it started, threw my teddy out a few years later then rejoined a couple of years ago and I'm glad I did. At least in 10 years I've learned that I shouldn't be so easily provoked into comment, even through a computer and miles of wires!! Anyway, Happy Birthday and all that. Still a marvellous resource, just takes a little more filtering through these days...