Chameleon

Better get your wallet ready. Tilling say the Harz locos will be released to their dealers in about 7 days or so. They have an I decorated but otherwise complete model of 222 on display. Apparently no plans for sound as yet but it is sound ready if you want to fit it.

I'm in cologne this weekend. I'll try n ask folk on the Tillig stand for a release date.

I'm quite surprised that they don't have some sort of TPWS system in place. Even a cut down version with over speed aerials on the track. With corners that severe and the potential of running round them far too fast, an automatic system of some sorts should be essential. Suppose it would be too expensive as usual.

One of my favourite workings was the 1844 postal train from Edinburgh. It consisted of 1 BG hauled by 2x class 27s. The locos were longer than the train!

There may be problems with fitting power doors. Apparently virtually all the MkIIIs are warped, bent, slightly kinked and otherwise generally misshapen after 40 years of being pushed and pulled everywhere. Fitting some sort of standard power plug doors to these will be a complete nightmare! I think there are interior mock-ups down at Wabtec at Doncaster awaiting approval.

I must admit, I fail to see how de-manning stations, doing away with conductors and on-train staff can be seen as "improvements and modernisation" to the customer experience? This all smacks of the miners strikes again, both sides entrenched, neither wanting to back down and lose face, resulting in the death of an entire industry. While it won't go quite that far, all this confrontational nonsense just breeds bad feelings and zero cooperation. Why can't southern come up with the same deal as Scotrail? I think we know who is really pulling the strings.

Oo, that's handy to know. I didn't realise you could get the chips pre-loaded with library sound files. If they do do the 2-10-2s with sound, I hope they include the customary clonk when it's put into gear. It's loud and distinctive.

Oo, I didn't know the sound files were freely available to download. A friend in my club has the programmer. I can feel a play coming on.

Where are these files available from Paul? I presume they can be loaded using a lokprogrammer?

I was wondering about that. I'd like to put sounds into a few more of my locos. Do Tillig do the sound chip loaded with the Harz 060 sounds as a stand alone part? It's a pretty good generic chuff and the whistle and bell fit very well with the narrow gauge locos.

Presumably they will be doing a sound fitted version? Wonder if it'll have the Harz clunk when it starts?

Don't judge them on size. Look at any of the Bemo metal collection, most of the HOe Saxon locos are around the 650-750 euro mark and they are only Wee HOe locos! The unbuilt kits will cost around £250-300. Quality is never cheap. I remember looking at my demonstration workbench at Glasgow once and realised I had about £7000 worth of stock on display! Scary stuff.

I suppose there is no harm in informing us of his product or service, including the videos, as long as the line "please PM me if you are interested." That way, no price or availability is mentioned.

Saw a VERY near miss the other night. Walking up to the pub, I saw a police car appear at reasonable speed with full lashing lights and nee-naws going. There were two cars in front of it, the front pulls over safely, the second decides to pull out and overtake the slowing car and very nearly got the police car right up its arse, forcing it on to the other side of the road! Good job for them there was nothing coming the other way or it would have got messy! Also good job for them the cops were ona shout or I suspect they would have got pulled over for a "little chat" Good reaction from the cop saved a crash.

There's a distinct lack of wires too. Did they use a reeeeeeeelly long extension lead?

Good to see they are restoring it. Presumably it'll be available for hire like the other locos?

You can never tell how long a job that big will take until you dismantle it and see what state it's in. Look at flying Scotsman, they didn't know the state of the cylinders mounts and frames until they took them off and ended up replacing the whole front end of the frames.

Still think it would have made more sense to use a loco designed for passenger use, a 68 or summat? Yes I know the train has its own ETS but surely better to keep it as a backup and for over night parking? Still looks better than the dayglow firework display they used last year.

I got a Bemo V51 diesel for about 56 euros. Perfect condition, including all handrails and lights (better looking than my own ones!) Only sans box. A lot less than half price. Result!

Do your barriers work?if so how have you done them? I had those ones and tried to link them to servos but couldn't get a smooth result. I ended up using Weissmann ones.

There certainly seems to be a market for a new 009 loco. With Peco producing wagons and coaches (LOVE the Wee GVT coaches at Glasgow). The Baldwin loco and the Heljan LnB locos coming out, 009 is taking off. I dunno about the legalities but a series of TR locos would-be awfy nice. Wonder if Roco would revive the cancelled double fairlie they announced a few years ago?

I'm surprised at how subtle the lining looks. When I saw it leaving KXon the BBC reports I thought it was unlined. It certainly dosent stand out at any sort of distance. Oh and the whistle does sound awfy weedy.

Had a wee plaay with 4101 on the rollers today. I am VERY impressed! It's got a loksound v4 in it and move functions than my poor wee multimaus can handle. The whistle has a really nice echo, like it's bouncing off the valley walls and the chuffs work very well, though they do get a bit cut off at higher speeds but that can't be helped. Lastly praise for Modellbahnshoppe-Lippe. It came in on Friday, they posted if on Monday and it arrived on Wednesday. Can't fault them. They even matched the reduced price it was reserved at! Anyway hijack over, back to Braunlage. (I've stayed there on holiday before, very handy for Drei Annen Honen)

Update on 99 4101. As it was mentioned earlier in this thread, the HOe version of 99 6101 is now winging its way towards me at long last. It'll be interesting tohear how it sounds with the built in sound chip. Will post a video when I get a chance to run it.

I'd have thought that the definition of a genuine nameplate would be one carried by the loco during its WORKING life, before it was preserved (if ever). In theory, there would only ever be two original plates therefore they are extremely rare and collectable. Hence the stupidly high price they go for. If a loco has carried multiple copies of said nameplates, Then they should reduce in value as they are not quite as rare. There would be some exceptions for famous locos of course. Also I believe the market for names off extant locos is nowhere near as boyant as most people consider the right place for them is on the loco they belong to.