cctransuk

You'll be joining the club soon then - I am a very recently retired local government civil engineer who has no interest in a second career selling model railways - or anything else for that matter. I'm too busy modelling, and supplying the transfers that I produce FOR MY OWN USE to other modellers who can find a use for them. There's no commercial motivation behind my views, just pragmatism. Regards, John Isherwood.

Please elucidate - what specifically was OTT in what I wrote? I try and maintain an evenhanded approach to what I read and how I respond here - but when such a radical view is taken of normal trading practices I feel constrained to to try and bring a little reality into the discussion - nothing more. Regards, John Isherwood.

Nope - just a producer of transfers, which I do as a service to other modellers as a direct spin-off and at the expense (in modelling time) of my own modelling activities. If you are going to get agitated every time the supply and demand rule of commerce becomes evident, I'd book a slot at your local coronary care unit ASAP. It's all part of life's rich pattern - perhaps precipitated this time by a delayed decision to purchase a Baby Deltic that revealed an increase in price when the decision was eventually made? Just speculating! Regards, John Isherwood.

Oh please - join the real world !! It's called supply and demand; when demand threatens to exceed the supply, the price goes up - and when supply exceeds demand, the price goes down. Hattons identify which models will hang around and which will fly off the shelves - and price accordingly. I never see postings complaining that Hattons (or any other trader) are selling cheaper than previously - in fact, we have a thread dedicated solely to pointing out where these bargains can be found! Surely those who accuse traders of profiteering on scarce items should be posting sympathetically when the same traders feel the need to reduce their margins in order to shift unpopular items? No? Yours cynically, John Isherwood.

A lot of discussion here that would have (momentarily) attracted the attention of Isaac Walton !! Anyway - for all those fans of plastic TROUT - you may be interested in sheet BL117 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm . It contains all of the known original allocations as recorded by David Larkin. Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

It's a shame that this current Dapol model, and its Hornby Dublo / Wrenn / Dapol predeccessor, are under length. Apart from the Acorn brass kit, I don't think that there's been a correct 4mm. scale grain wagon. Come on Bachman!! John Isherwood.

I am sure that Mr. Werrett drew some very accurate drawings, but there were some that were just plain incorrect, too. Always treat any drawing with suspicion - at leat check the principal dimensions to make sure that they make sense. Regards, John Isherwood.

When LEV1 was running trials in East Anglia it was chartered for an excursion between Cambridge and Bury St.Edmunds (and return). I was on this trip, and the ride was definitely 'nodding donkey'. The flange squeal around the Coldham's Common Curve was deafening, too !! Still - an opportunity not to be missed. Regards, John Isherwood.

I for one would be willing to send you a memory stick in an SAE, if that would help? Regards, John Isherwood.

I like the sound of this - are the requisite components still available? Would it be possible to get hold of a copy of the construction article? I currently use old H&M Walkabout controllers that are VERY good, but they can be susceptible to the slider variable resistance wearing out, and it's not possible to replace these as they're pretty effectively built into the PCB. I would love to be able to build myself something that can offer the level of control that you achieve. Regards, John Isherwood.

It is the previously discussed kit. My (very recent) latest information is that the castings for this kit, (the sourcing of masters for which has been the reason for the hold-up), are now to hand and that the kit should be available in later September - early October. Regards, John Isherwood.

No need any more - an etched kit for the S&DJR 'Radstock' Sentinel is imminent !! Regards, John Isherwood.

I don't think that any one has published a photo of a Sentinel with the 'lid off' so far. Could someone please do so, if possible? I'm trying to work out if it would be possible to 'slim down' the mechanism to fit a scratchbuilt LMS / S&DJR 'Radstock' Sentinel with the narrower engine casing and restricted cab. Regards, John Isherwood.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.britishsteam.com/lner/0-4-0/Image040/09529-Y1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.britishsteam.com/lner/0-4-0/Y1_68138.php&usg=__qDEtV4581gq3yHFixDIRzxwmpOc=&h=680&w=1020&sz=79&hl=en&start=58&zoom=1&tbnid=mV8Ldgl7ShTQRM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&ei=2xUwTrPuNoe2hAfq180x&prev=/search%3Fq%3D68138%2Bloco%26start%3D40%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1 Not BR days, I'm afraid. Regards, John Isherwood.

.... and perhaps I may be forgiven for pointing out that, if you are minded to build the 4mm. scale Genesis kit, or scratchbuild the Birds Eye containers, I can supply the transfers - see Sheet BL52 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm Regards, John Isherwood.

As Pat at MREmag points out the Trix model was, correctly, a Conflat B - ie. very significantly longer than the Conflat A. The real things were built on 12' WB pipe wagon underframes. The real Birds Eye & Macfisheries containers were not of the AF type at all; they were longer AFP containers. As such, two would not fit on a Conflat A, hence the building of the longer Conflat Bs. Mainline did, (incorrectly), livery their AF container in Birds Eye livery. If TMC are merely to re-market the inaccurate combination of Birds Eye liveried AF containers on a Conflat A, we have not progressed very far in a couple of decades, whereas Trix were getting it right half a century ago! Regards, John Isherwood.

No - unfitted light grey was later. The model is correct for the BR steam era - the unfitted grey was *very* variable in shade. Leave well alone! Regards, John Isherwood.

East Kent Models list :- X8053 Macaw bogie bolster load securing pins (16) 1.00 Regards, John Isherwood.

A while back, I got a nice stock of stanchion stanchion mouldings from one of the Hornby spares retailers - probably East Kent Models. Regards, John Isherwood.

...but Esso did have Class A tanks to the same design which would have been light grey with red solebars. Not quite - the tanks were longer on the Class A. You can cut & shut them from the kit, though. Also - see Sheets BL8 - BL12 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm for more ideas for the kit. Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Unless there has been some major colour distortion in this image, I'm sure that this isn't either BR DMU Light or Dark Green. Rather, I would suggest, it is W&M's interpretation of BR DMU Dark Green. I didn't see any of these railbuses during BR service so I can't comment further, but perhaps those that did can say whether this photo matches the colour in which they ran in service. Regards, John Isherwood.

The March issue of BRM prints the now familiar photo of the blue pre-production version of the Heljan Co-Bo. Beneath it are a couple of photos of what I initially took to be the green version - and I was much reassured. Now THIS looked much more like the Metrovicks that I recalled on the Midland Mainline. Subtle, understated curves in all planes instead of the 'punched on the nose' slab-fronted appearance of the blue version. But wait !! A closer look at the lower photos revealed them to be of an O gauge kit-built model. This only served to accentuate my feeling that the 4mm. scale model fails to catch the character of the prototype. Have a look and see what you think. Obviously, we can't make a valid judgement until we see the finished product, but I'm not confident that we're going to get a Co-Bo to the standard of Heljan's preceding diesel prototypes. Regards, John Isherwood.

Kenton, Believe me - if I never supplied another sheet of transfers it would do wonders for my modelling output. I have a demanding fulltime career and providing transfers to other modellers competes with my own modelling - to the point where the latter is an endangered species. As many members will know I bought an Alps MD1000 printer some years ago because it could print white. I mentioned the fact in MRJ - the same month that the printer was discontinued it turned out! I was inundated with requests to print transfers - the rest is history. Yes, I try and let as many modellers as possible know that I have a range of transfers available - but for their benefit, not mine. When my last-but-one Alps MD1000 gives up the ghost, or I run out of ink cartridges, then Cambridge Custom Transfers will cease to exist. At which point my huge stock of kits and other projects, not to mention my long-promised model of Evercreech Junction, may finally get built! Bottom line? My customers don't seem to have any prejudice against Hotmail, and we communicate just fine! Regards, John Isherwood.

I second that - even though it may affect my sales! Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Oh yes they do !! See Sheet BL90 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers.