Chamby

I’ve got something similar, it’s arrived already, number 3251 in a much nicer shade of apple green.

The last A1 (by then reclassified A10) was 68 Sir Visto. She was renumbered 60068 in September ‘48 but still carried LNER (Gill Sans) on the tender until she went into Doncaster works for conversion to A3 in November 1948. So it appears that none of the A1/10’s even carried BRITISH RAILWAYS lettering on the tender. All of the A3’s carried the blue livery except two - 60070 and 60076, so it was very much the norm for the class in the early 50’s. Incidentally, six of the A3 Class were painted in an experimental purple/blue livery with red and cream lining in May-Jul 1948. Phil

You would probably be offset by someone who grew up in England, who models English prototypes, but now lives in Scotland. Probability is undoubtedly the statisticians loophole.

I doubt we’ll see Flying Scotsman until NRM repaint their 12 inch to the foot one. But the early totem blue livery looks great on the A3 and would be a simple re-paint job for Hornby. Gets my vote.

Clive, you get 10/10 for effort! But Hornby’s wider market research will be leading them. (They do do market research, don't they.....?) Phil

H&B... Hornby & Bachmann. I simply used the abbreviation because it is used elsewhere in these forums.

Yes of course there are many other factors to consider if you want to be pedantic. But the headline principle stands, that a prototype with more localised interest needs to have something else going for it, to have a wider appeal to improve its commercial prospects. I simply quoted the Scottish example because of an emphasis within this thread. The same equally applies for other more localised interests, of course. But I maintain that for the significant majority of UK modellers, a purely Scottish prototype will be of peripheral interest only, and mainstream manufacturers have to take account of this. Sad for some, but true. Phil

Re: Scottish prototypes: The 2011 census has the population of England at 53million, whilst Scotland is a tenth of that at 5.3 million. This implies that any purely Scottish locomotive will need a much wider appeal to be financially viable, if new tooling is involved. You could argue that this means that in a fair world Scottish modellers might expect one in ten newly tooled models to be of Scottish prototypes. But then again, if the Scottish market is one tenth the size of England’s, it is hard to see how the financials can stack up, unless it is ten times more popular in Scotland than an equivalent English model would be, or sells nine times as many models outside of Scotland as in. Or something in between.... whatever, that’s a tall order. This is not just a Scottish issue as there are regional limitations to consider for many potential English models as well. But it does illustrate an economic reality that the likes of H&B will be very mindful of. Then again, the population of Ireland is not that different to Scotland, and uniquely Irish models are around. I suspect that the business model here is more akin to Kernow’s than H&B though?

So what you really need is a McKernow north of the border....

I’ve used the woodland scenics foam ballast. If you are pinning your track, I suggest that you drill pilot holes in the sleepers first, using a firm surface, before placing it on the foam. The bullhead track chairs can be pushed off the rail if you exert too much downward pressure on the sleepers when the track is mounted on the foam base, so it just requires a little extra care compared to the flat bottomed rail. The pilot hole reduces the pressure placed on the sleeper when pinning.

Exactly that. No point in communicating until you know what you are going to say.

With all due respect, I think you’re reading it wrong. I have much experience of mergers, take-overs and all shades of grey in-between. It is a classic case of the brakes being put on everything whilst the new order undertakes it’s strategic review of everything from staffing, marketing activities, product lines and reappraisal of the market. Hornby (and Oxford) are simply not in a position to drip-feed stuff to their customers whilst their business is being reconfigured, because they have everything on hold! Typically this can take up to six months but I would hope in Hornby’s case it will be sooner... they are not a large company. The announcement to come in the new year will probably be a combination of the existing product development that they have decided to continue with, plus a surprise or two that will help get the new strategy rolling. They will still be firming up the details on this, but will be able to resume stuff like The Engine Shed once the Wheels of their machine start turning with renewed purpose. In time, expect a rush of enthusiasm and new stuff once they get going. Trust me, it will come. Phil

6-pin sockets are usually installed in n-gauge locomotives or OO scale where space is tight. This is because six pin decoders are usually a simple plug-in and take up much less space. So If this is what you are working with, you’ll probably be best just getting a 6-pin decoder and saving the 8-pin one for something with more space available. If you are confident in your soldering skills, You could hardwire (solder) the decoder directly into the loco... consult the decoder manual for the wiring colour guide as to what goes where.

I bought a great lamp from hobbycraft with a ring of bright LEDs around the lens. It lasted about two months before the plastic mounting that slots into the base disintegrated, rendering it useless. So avoid one with a plastic connection to the base!

You mean, just like Thomas? But the “lean and mean” crowdfunding model is direct to customer, not the ‘middleman’ model shops. I don’t see the problem in Hornby or Bachmann givin* the crowdfunding approach a try, especially for some of the more tangential offerings requested on this forum. Maybe then we would see the real level of interest in the Fell Diesel, for example! Phil

Maybe R3554 was/is a railroad version, like they did when they introduced the P2?

It would if it was a feedback controller. These, I believe, have a red face panel rather than the usual cream. Phil.

All the track will be the right gauge at 16.5 mm but the different gauges are different heights. Code 75 is not as tall as Code 100 for example, it looks finer but is slightly less robust because of its thinner section. Use the code 100 if you are running old models, which can have coarser wheels so need the extra height. The code 75 will be fine for more recent stuff though. You can get a connector track from Peco to join the different types, or else raise the code 75 near the join using thin card, but it is usually easiest to stick with one type. Some helpful FAQ’s about the different rail profiles are on Peco’s website, in the Technical Advice Bureau section. Phil.

The manufacturers are undoubtedly exploring the upper end of the pricing range. That SWS sold out so quickly, and at such a high price for a non sound fitted loco, tells them (and us) something. Expect more loco’s at an RRP of £199.99 in the near future, and some experimentation above the £200 mark to see if it really is a ceiling. It is not clear whether the demand for SWS and the Peckett was much higher than anticipated, or whether the production runs were deliberately smaller than usual. Whatever, the net result is that we can expect more short runs in the future, with premium pricing. Hornby have learned that for their high-end models, short-filling the demand definitely protects prices and margins, and could well be the means to deliver their new ‘no discouts’ business model that Hornby have announced recently. Expect more ‘sold out on pre-order’ situations from here on. Phil.

One bit of advice I would give is to use the templates provided by Peco when planning your layout. Print them off, cut them out and play around with them until you’re happy. Aim for nicely flowing trackwork. So design your track plan around the available track geometry, rather than trying to force it into something you have drawn freehand. Buy a roll of cheap lining paper from your local DIY store (a couple of quid) and cut it into seven foot lengths, use these for drawing out your plans. You can create several versions, then revisit them a few days later and refine your plans over time until you get a good balance between railway and die cast display, that looks credible. Use some of your models to help with the planning. The die cast vehicles will look best in locations that they will have been able to manoeuvre into, rather than improbably crammed into tight locations. How many wagons you want to fit in a siding will determine how long it needs to be. And remember that if you are doing a steam era branch terminus, you will need a run around loop long enough for however long your train is. Above all, enjoy the process, and remember it’s not a race! Phil.

Thanks for all the above prompt and helpful replies. Times like this more than compensates for all the froth found elsewhere on this forum! I get the impression that the axle is a push fit so with a little gentle encouragement, will have some give, which is good to know. I think it probably wise to invest in a back to back gauge, it might help sort out some of my waddling rolling stock as well! The loco concerned is a Bachmann Fairburn tank, purchased new. It looks like the leading drive wheels are slightly out of gauge (too narrow) and need widening just a wee bit to avoid riding up on the check rails. It is interesting that the problem is more acute on the new Peco Bullhead points. This suggests they might be built to tighter tolerances than the rest of the streamline range? I feel I’m being slowly drawn in to some of the darker arts within our hobby, thanks to this finescale bullhead track. Probably not a bad thing, though I might have thought twice if I had known this before investing in it so heavily! Phil

Your advice please. I have just purchased a nice Bachmann model steam loco but when giving it a test run, it rises up off the rails when passing through the check-rails on some points. It’s particularly bad with the new Peco bullhead points, though it also ‘sticks’ when passing through Code 100 streamline check rails. The back-to-back measurement of the six driving wheels appears to be out (too close together). How easy is this for me to fix myself? (Given that I don’t have any back to back gauges or associated tools). Or should I send it back for replacement? (supplier is Hattons) and if so, is this a known/common problem with the Fairburn tank? Thanks in anticipation, Phil.

So four weeks to go. I wonder if they’ll be doing a countdown in the media? Seems to be the in thing these days.

The Kirtley would be nice... Or Cornwall?

And they are now back up to their previous price of £69.50. So only a modest additional discount offered in the advent promotion. Still, that’s better than nothing at all! Phil.