Chamby

There’s nowt as strange as folk. Certainly this holds true for our hobby... me included! Just remember that when you point a finger at someone else, there are three other fingers pointing back at yourself. Phil

A couple of points re: the RTR issue: The wanting/waiting/complaining contingent may be very vocal on this forum but represent a very small minority of the RTR modellers. The rest are happy purchasers and users of the products that make the hobby accessible to the 99%. Tony and the other dedicated scratchbuilders and kit bashers are in the 1% I would suggest... although there will be rather more who do a bit of each. Mike has hit the nail on the head re: time being a critical thing. I would also add ability into the mix. Most railway modellers are rather more time constrained in their hobby interests than Tony seems to be. Very few seem able to match his prolific output. Real life (12 inches to the foot) tends to get in the way for most, I suggest. Work, family, disability, other important commitments all impact on hobby time and modelling capacity. So RTR makes model railways accessible to the majority within the hobby. This inevitably switches the modelling focus more onto building the railway environment than stuff with wheels, but better to use this shortcut than have a pace of progress that becomes wholly discouraging. What Tony et al achieve is exemplary, but is simply unattainable for the majority for very practical reasons. That’s actually what makes his stuff so special! Phil

Yes parts of the programme were reminiscent of the cliff-hanging drama of an Eddie Stobart driver almost missing his delivery slot at the Tesco warehouse. But I really enjoyed the panoramic shots of the railway running through the moors, and seeing behind the scenes of how the railway is run. The insights into the financials and logistics of running the railway were also illuminating. I look forward to the rest of the series and have brought forward the NYMR onto my ‘to do’ list for this year. The North Yorkshire Moors looks as if it might be a nice place to celebrate a ruby wedding anniversary... but in the warmer months methinks. Phil

To be fair to WD, many of us found the prolonged Hattons website and stock control woes of last autumn hugely frustrating, he was in good company there, though perhaps a little more vocal than most. It is interesting though that Hattons went on to win both the suppliers and website awards in the recently published awards... so they must be doing something right for a lot of people! The Kernow issue is different I feel. WD’s protestations are not shared by many others. However I can well understand how a much smaller but still busy concern might find their ‘in-tray’ overwhelmed at times, particularly when growing the business as Kernow seems to be. Context is everything.

Reminds me of the time when I accessed some unexpected content when I googled for some Modelstrip...

I would further add that ‘crossing the divide’ from RTR modelling to self-build is not easy for those unfamiliar with the sector. Just finding out what is available from whom is difficult: as has already been mentioned, the suppliers are different, many are not evidenced at regional shows or the larger retailers, and their websites lack the finesse of the bigger RTR box shifters for reasons that I can fully understand given the ‘craft’ nature of this sector. The only place I have seen them in abundance is at Warley... not the easiest of environments to get immersed in a detailed discussion though! Add this to the fact that our national economy is now mostly based on services rather than manufacturing, with the resultant impact on the wider populations knowledge and skills in making stuff, it all contrives to build up the image of self-build increasingly being a minority interest and not easy to get into. That said, this thread in particular is doing a lot to showcase what can be achieved. Thanks for that! Phil

I found this split helpful, It enabled me to differentiate between the website I use to research, and the retailer with the best customer service. This year my experience was very different for the two. More confusing for me is the section on manufacturers. For example, if Hattons commission a model that is manufactured for them by DJ Models, surely the manufacturer is DJ - not Hattons? Maybe a separate category for commissioners might be appropriate now, given the growing trend in this direction. Well done to all the winners though... and all who gave a good showing! Phil.

I use an old Stanley knife blade. They are made of thicker metal - if you inset the blade into the fishplate (using the sharpened part which goes in easily) it just seems to ease the gap enough to aid fitting, but still keep it tight.

I look forward to participating... in the weekly telephone vote-off!

Modern essentially means that it is current, contemporary. When Mr Freezer made his suggestion of 1950, it made sense at that point in time: he was referring to around the last 15 - 20 years? So using his benchmark, that would surely mean that modern image is now post-millennial?? We have had a good old debate about this in our club, with a significant majority believing that modern image is a moving window of time. Models that are modern image now, will in their turn become historic. Like green and blue diesels did, and NSE and Thames Trains. The blue diesel era was around 40-50 years ago now. When Mr Freezer came up with the term ‘modern image’, 40-50 years previously would have been around grouping! I think that puts things into perspective? Phil

The addition of two more coaches to the existing set is a bit more complicated than might seem at first glance. If two additional parlour cars are used, in the current six-car Bachmann set these happen to be the ones with an electrically dead coupling at one end. (The six car set consists of two electrically independent 3-car units, joined together with an electrically dead coupler). Using the two extra parlour cars as is, would result in the two centre coaches of the new 8-car set being electrically isolated from the rest of the unit. So you would need to use the PCB’s from the kitchen cars, swopped over into the parlour cars together with their couplers to create two parlour cars with through wiring. These could then be inserted between the existing parlour cars and kitchen units... ie as the third and sixth coaches in the 8-car set. Thus the new configuration would be an 8 car set, the four centre coaches being parlour cars, with through wiring between the four cars at each end and just the one electrically dead coupler in the middle.

. That’s a novel use for Gillette razors on the platforms there!

I think it is also fair to assume that nameplates would be painted a shiny black rather than matt? Gloss paint reflects light, so even black painted nameplates would be expected to show different tonal shades at times depending upon their angle to the camera and prevailing light conditions.

. Oh this brings back memories of the green ones they ran in Nottingham when I was a nipper, that I used to ride into the city centre with my Grandma. I remember being really disappointed if the trolley bus arrived with only two axles and not three!

Ooooh that's close. I'll go for the 15xx. A fine looking loco just asking to be modelled.

I also doubt whether there is sufficient material out there to keep a modern image magazine going - there's not enough 'critical mass' of good material. As a casual observer, a goodly proportion of UK modern image layouts seem to be either small MPD's or somewhere remote in the Highlands, and give me a feeling of 'deja vu'. I am struggling to think of any that I would regard as epic, landmark models with the 'wow' factor. Also, are there any modern image 'celebrity' modellers out there championing the cause? Only a couple of really good modern image layouts come immediately to mind that have held my attention at exhibitions: 'Mostyn' which showcased Philip Sutton's most excellent Class 24's, and of course 'The World's End' which for me was more about the architectural modelling than the diesels. Both of these have been well covered by existing modelling magazines, of course. Also, many modellers of first generation diesels also have an overlapping interest in steam, and vice-versa. So I think it would be hard to keep a solely UK diesel & electric magazine going for long.

They have sent an e-mail to model railway clubs inviting interest, we got one last week. We were rather flattered to be considered among “the nations most talented railway modelers” (sic). Our first thought was that they don’t know us very well, but then we realised that they probably need a team of muppets like us to provide all the cringe-worthy moments. Also, our trademark bonking couple in the upstairs room of a metcalfe townhouse might not go down too well...

yes I do this to a lot of my loco’s and stock, together with modifications that recreate a specific locomotive that ran at the location I am modelling. But a lot of folks don’t - either can’t or just don’t want to. A good number of people would probably buy a RTR City of Salford, but not a second SWS.

Full respect for Tony with his model of Mons Meg, despite any inaccuracies it still is a fine model and very recognisable as an A2/2 to me... not that I ever saw one in the flesh, mind. Every time I see an A2/2, be it photograph or model, I can’t help but picture it as a P2 and feel sad. I understand the reasons for their conversion and can rationalise this in my head, but my heart just wants to turn back the clock and see it as the P2. It happens every time. For all their faults, the P2’s looked like the pinnacle of locomotive development in the UK. I’m not saying that they were, just that they looked the part. If I ever get to see 2007 Prince of Wales in the flesh, that will be a very special day for me.

Stella is a beer. Charlotte is a pretty little princess who is fourth in line to the Throne.

So another run of SWS announced today (Rails). Shame in a way, City of Salford might have been a better option?

I too have wondered about this. If retailers can commission new products, then so can individuals, if they have they funds to put up, have access to the necessary research sources and are prepared to put in the time and effort involved. Philip Sutton has done this with his Sulzer Type 2 project, and others may follow. I think any major manufacturer considering the A2/2 and 2/3 will probably have a more commercial eye on the ROI and want something with a more mass market appeal to get the early volume sales their commercial business model requires. An individual may take a longer term view, and be happy with getting the ROI over a longer period... especially if they have the personal fulfilment of a product that means a lot to them. Certainly this is not something for the faint hearted, but it can be done. A halfway house might be for an individual to liaise with a retailer or magazine to commercialise a product. If you have done much of the research and they have the connections and know-how, then who knows what could be achieved. If you are seriously considering the A2/2-3 then approaching the likes of Hattons or Kernow may be more fruitful than going direct to the big manufacturer. Newcomers like Accurascale are also canvassing re: suitable British prototypes to introduce, and Rapido and DJ models also work with retailers in this way. An easier step requiring less risk would be for an individual to work with a manufacturer to produce a variant of an existing model, much in the way that Rails have done with their ‘semi’ version of Hornby’s Princess Coronation Class. Even simpler, would be for an individual to commission a new livery version of an existing model, for example a 1950’s blue A3 would be commercially viable - I am sure that a run of 250 or even 500 would sell. (These volumes are what appear to be the norm for retailer commissions of existing models). Mickleover MRG have recently commissioned Bachmann to produce a ‘large arrow’ Class 37 for them - another sign that things are moving in this direction. I think we will see much more of this in the future. Phil

It just looks odd to me. A pair of Pink fluffy dice would look SO much better.

Bachmann service dept. is also where some of the returns end up. Some of these are broken for spares, it would seem. If you email the service team re: the parts you want (pics help) they will quote you for replacements. I found them very helpful, and knowledgeable about the products. I needed some replacement parts for a damaged Midland Pullman from them. It was well out of warranty... I spoke to them on Friday afternoon, sent them an email over the weekend, got a return email with costings early on Monday morning, called them straight back and arranged payment, the parts arrived in the post today. I am both very pleased, and impressed!

I would be surprised if the J70’s had their own unique shade of brown... at least when the paint was freshly applied. Following this line of thought, other LNER browns may be the most likely possibilities. That would be the bauxite used for brake vans and brakes wagons, or possibly later on, the plain ‘teak’ brown as used on Thompson stock? Whilst some photo’s clearly show a difference between the timber panelling and the frames, others seem to show a similar tone for both. This may simply be down to accumulated grime... or could all over black have been applied at some point?