SGP

Well, mine has arrived. Has it been worth the wait? For me ... no. As I only want a representation of E5000 in a showcase, I'm not too bothered about the running qualities and as a limited edition I'm loathe to modify and renumber it. My main reason for waiting for the DJM model was the promise of a 74 to match it but that doesn't really look likely now. I've had time to hack a 74 from a Hornby 71. Hornby's 71 model has the booster showing through the side window whereas the DJM 71 has a blacked out window. Surely with a smaller motor there was room to add that in such a large window? I'm not saying that the DJM model is crap, it is better than Hornby's in a lot of areas but I think I'll be buying a Hornby and considering my options. When two manufacturers bring out the same model there'll be good and bad in both. Why then are there four versions of the Class 52? There's Dapol wasting their time fixing something that isn't broken. My example (without a magnifying glass) has one handrail higher than the other at one end ... the same end as the previous photo and the same inclination. Going around the sides, at both ends the handrail is attached noticeably higher under the drivers side window than the other side. These handrails are flimsy and only attached at two points whereas Hornby's are attached at three points and a lot thicker. I've noticed that some Hornby versions have the same cock-eyed positioning of these handrails at the front ends.

I ordered all three. I was refunded on Tommy as it did not reach the pre-order target. I could either have had a full refund or a voucher for the full amount plus a percentage on top. Tommy was definitely on a pre-pay basis which is probably why it wasn't taken up ... pre "crowdfunding" but essentially the same thing. Olivia's also had Heljan on the case of the Blue Pullman but Bachmann then announced that they would be making one and were far advanced in the tooling. Pre-orders were then swapped over to the Bachmann product.

The Class 77 that was crowd funded did okay and there was only seven of those ... (though okay, there were four or five liveries to choose from). Although it is said that this DJM class 71 is the first crowd funded OO model, Olivia's Trains / Heljan classes 76, 77 and Tommy were all funded before release and if enough pre-paid orders were not forthcoming, we would all get a refund. This actually happened in the case of Tommy where there was not enough interest in any of the three variations offered.

.... doesn't work either, at least not on their top of range Pullman coaches. Instead of expanding apart on curves, they lock buffer. The idea of the expanding coupling is completely lost on Hornby and Bachmann.

I noticed that on a photo (or was it the video) earlier in the thread. Not all are like it ... it looks like an error on that particular example. The holes that the rails fit into also seem to have "erupted" as well. Another (blue one) has those eruptions on the side. Mine should arrive today after six days in the post so I'll be checking it carefully.

Class 56 and HST were the best pieces of kit I ever worked with. Never failed with either of them.

I had the email Friday to say that mine was on its way but it's Tuesday now so I assume it's been posted with Hermes. No worries though, after all this wait, I need to renumber it, scrape off the rain strips and repaint it before it goes into a case. But then the certificate is invalid and the model devalued. However, I'll most likely sell it on the Bay of E and then wait even longer for a non limited version (hopefully with the correct number) if there is even another run at all. I'll most likely get a Hornby one though to repaint and renumber. I stayed with the DJM model so that the 71 and 74 would be of the same general outline, but if the DJM 74 isn't forthcoming, I'll hack a Hornby 71 into a 74 instead.

Maybe just the extreme close up on the videos but the wraparound front handrails look a bit skew at the front on the green model and globs of glue on the blue at the sides.

Cab lights ... a totally unneccesary and annoying feature on analogue if you can't switch them off. Drivers don't drive with the cab light on as they can't see where they are going. This 71 at least does have a switch.

You can buy loop top decorative wire on a roll to add to the top of the fence. It looks okay and cats can't walk on it or get through it. Just tuck the long ends into the top arris rail .... the looser and wobblier, the better. The wire won't go rusty as it is coated in green plastic.

I can see why the guttering was fitted as an afterthought to the real Class 71's. The driver would get a waterfall down the back of his neck without them, BUT .... when they were converted to 74, the gutters were removed. Very strange.

But which one is right? Neither but I'd say the Hornby one is closest there (or it could be the angle of the photo ... which is slightly off centre). I'm doing E5000 (I only do prototypes and first of class for display) so I'm going to have to do a bit of filing on the rain guttering which looks a bit too proud on the DJM version anyway. Good and bad points on both but if I'm going to have to hack one about, repaint and renumber, I might get the Hornby one and sell the crowdfunded one. The overall look of the DJM version is better so hopefully it will become available as E5000 without guttering at a later date.

LGB had full digital sound on analogue way before digital reared its ugly head. Start up and shutdown / tickover / revs up and down / gearchange or weak fields / air brakes / battery switch / horn or bell .... all by one analogue control knob. Now that Marklin have taken them over, the sound is digital only ... proof of which way we are being forced. BTW, regarding Class 45 with the connecting doors, D11 to D15 ONLY had these and although the twin box style was continued afterwards, there were no doors on those. As D11 to D15 went through works, not only were the doors taken away, but complete new front ends were fitted with centre split boxes. Annoying because I collect first of class only and to have D11 in twin box style, I need to scribe in the interconnecting doors. Additionally, D11 to D19 also had the long cab handrails but later received the shorter type as fitted to D20 onwards.

I'd welcome everything being brought back to UK ... Hornby, Dapol, EFE, Corgi, etc. I've had a lot of expensive models reduced to scrap after they were well out of guarantee and only ever in a display case .... EFE lorries turned to dust, Klein Modellbahn 1180, Hornby 31, all because of crap quality materials.

Short notice and Thursday / Friday / Saturday are odd days to host an event like this. Would have thought Saturday / Sunday / Monday would attract more.

Nice ride in a bendy bus here .... 28 seconds in .... Music is "Avalon" by Juliet if you're wondering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbMO94od8qA

When we lived in Australia (60's), they were still using this type of bus ... unheard of in UK.

There used to be a law against articulated buses and riding in a trailer. Does this mean you can now travel legally in a towed caravan? Cart pushing the horse in the case of a bendy bus. Dangerous IMO. I never travel on trains being pushed from behind via TDM. That's an accident waiting to happen ... wait .... it already did. Polmont if I recall. Dead loco's hung onto the rear of a train was always a no-no until privatisation, then the rule book only applied if it suited management.

On the subject of ugly buses, I wonder if anyone will ever do a Thames Trader Cyclebus? The short answer is probably "No".

Updated editions of Tintin on Black Island .....

Okay, I'll dampen things off a bit .....

Docked bang on schedule ...

As of 20:45 tonight ... being tugged into position

The ship has been running on two yellows for a couple of days now

I still stand by what I said. Dapol took on too much and then sat on the problem. They had to be nudged rather than own up to a problem. Besides, being made in China with an alleged thousands of cheap hand labour ... where is the delay? Not as if Dapol are running a tight ship in UK and half the staff goes off with flu, is it?