Pteremy

On the new livery front we have yet to see either the CL117 or CL121 in GrSYP.

On the retooling front the Collett coaches must be due an update, given that Bachmann have now produced high quality mainline coaches to (post war) LMS, LNER and SR designs.

22 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Just for clarification, when I made my original point a few posts back, I was trying to express what might be the overall, majority view.

 

 

 

The post that started this long thread said that the aim was to showcase 'the most inspiring and realistic imagery'. And by and large that seems to be how it is actually used - realism in context, across the whole field of view. Indeed that is how you yourself have used it, to the benefit of the rest of us.

I have some sympathy with your point about raising awareness - but in my experience you are far more likely to come across some useful but unexpected insight in one of the many specialist threads rather than waiting for happenstance to make it cross your screen.

Now, with a couple of long weekends ahead, lets hope that someone takes us back to inspiring images.

On 16/04/2023 at 12:56, Pteremy said:

 

At the end of volume 3 in Larkin's 'Acquired Wagons' series, which deals with 1923 spec wagons, is a promise of coverage of pre grouping and 1907 spec wagons. Volume 5 is about to be published, with a focus on 'open goods', so maybe they will be swept up into that. But I think that there are further volumes 6 and 7 in the pipeline, so it maybe that one of those will provide a better fit.

Alas Volume 5 says that pre 1923 PO coal wagons will be covered by a later volume. 

11 hours ago, jcredfer said:

 

What I commented on was not a contradiction to Captain Kernow - far from it, more an observation of a width of viewpoint.

 

 

 

But the issue is how this particular thread is used. if you look at how the thread is used it is focused on realistic scenes, at its best photos that you might mistake for the real thing. If it is diluted by inclusion of realistic items, but photographed out of their railway/scenic context, its value will be lost.

It is quite common for a question to arise along the lines of 'how did you do that?'.  And also quite common for the questioner to then be steered towards a more specialised/narrowly focused thread somewhere else on the sight. Or even for the poster to say up front that there is a 'how I did this' thread somewhere else. That seems to me a better way of showcasing something worthy of sharing. 

10 hours ago, jcredfer said:

 

 

 

Umm...  For me, it seems that those lights look very much like a, delightful, realistic representation of the full size versions, so could well be a welcome contribution in either of the threads.

 

 

 

A quick Google reveals that Saxokid already has an excellent thread for his 'Freight Yard Lighting Towers' in the Skills and Knowledge Centre. And as a modeller it is quite useful to be able to locate skilful 'realistic' modelling in that way (however you search for it). Whereas any regular visit to this thread is expecting to see a pot pourri of realism in the sense that Captain Kernow describes.

Excellent - just have to wait then.

20 minutes ago, RapidoCorbs said:

LAST CALL for Bedford OB guaranteed pre-orders!

Our order book closes Friday 28th March so if you want to make sure you get a Bedford OB, please place your order by then.

Here's the link:

https://rapidotrains.co.uk/bedford-ob/

28th April presumably. As I already have one on order can I ask what happened about figures - I seem to recall that the were going to be in the original train pack, but then got dropped from that - is there going to be a separate figure pack?

6 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

Hornby is a publicly quoted company (Hornby PLC) and they will never make any statements that may impact the share price and any official suggestion of an issue with a new product would affect the share price.

 

 

Except that in the age of social media there is an element of double jeopardy - allowing completely inaccurate claims to take root may deter those who face no risks at all, impacting sales and reputation. The fog of war. Sometimes it is better to suck it up, apologise/clarify, and take back control of the position.

Just now, Ron Ron Ron said:

Just to repeat.

Hornby are not the first to introduce this technology.

 

.

 

Yes I know - but it is Hornby who have now generated a strong interest in the technology in the UK market. That is an opportunity for someone to exploit. Should be Hornby - but could be someone else.

10 hours ago, Dungrange said:

 

Looking at the options, it looks to me as though it's whatever livery the preserved versions carry.

That is the way I interpreted it - although the prototype photographs are all of the Severn Valley example.

In my experience when something seems to be 'too good to be true' it usually is. But I am sure that Hornby can pivot to a more positive position. Indeed, I think that they need to. Having woken the market up to the benefits of control through Bluetooth if they don't work this through now, with the benefit of their head start, I am sure there are others who could step in with similar products.

2 hours ago, Bucoops said:

 

 

This is the link they put on facebook.

 

https://krmodels.net/product/br-palbrick-wagon-loads/

 

No point clicking it though, it doesn't work.

It is working now. Bricks and Coils are the 2 options

6 minutes ago, Ruairidh Munro said:

Well when you've only got a small point-to-point TMD layout, that's about as helpful as a fart in a spacesuit.

Given that any new locomotive normally benefits from 'running in' I would imagine that anyone without access to sufficient track to do that would have invested in a rolling road to use instead?

I have wondered if, in the absence of existing prototypes and/or reliable drawings, there is a concern about the critical reception if they 'got something wrong'. Design must be more labour intensify in the absence of such things, and the risk of an inaccurate judgement call/compromise that much higher. Having said that I would have thought that interest in the Class 120 is sufficiently high (in 00 at any rate) that sales would be strong even if the model isn't perfect.

29 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

How many lasted long enough to get that threadbare ?

At the end of volume 3 in Larkin's 'Acquired Wagons' series, which deals with 1923 spec wagons, is a promise of coverage of pre grouping and 1907 spec wagons. Volume 5 is about to be published, with a focus on 'open goods', so maybe they will be swept up into that. But I think that there are further volumes 6 and 7 in the pipeline, so it maybe that one of those will provide a better fit.

When it comes to a batch with post nationalisation liveries these would be a good wagon to present in distressed bare wood.

The relevant post in the main thread is dated  4/1/18. The pictures are no longer showing but here is the text I took a copy of. (There are some more recent photos of the motor etc, in one of the threads)

1. Body removal is straight forwards, it just up clips, either side at either end, i’d Start with the open end, as the guards van end has exhaust pipes that sit just under the chassis your removing, and this way you can slide it slightly away from the cab.

Fortunately the screws you need to remove are all different sizes throughout this exercise, so just keep the count correct..1 bogie retainer, 1 pcb retainer, 2 gearbox retainers, 4 seat retainers.

2. 4 screws hold the seats on, these are straight forwards to remove and the seats lift straight off.

3. Remove the bogie retaining screw, and the pcb retainer

4. Slide the bogie side to side (don’t lower it out at is stage) and undo the two gearbox retaining screws.

5. The bogie now has movement in all directions, hold it with the frame and flip it sideways, I used the smallest screw in My jewellers screwdriver set to unclipped the gearbox cover and flip it upwards towards the chassis. (Flip the whole chassi/bogie over and repeat for the other side, again don’t let the bogie drop out, it’s still connected by the pickups).

6. Using a small screwdriver, slide up the plastic cover that protects the pickups.

7. Finally, lift the pcb cover, approx 4mm above the chassis, and now for the greasy bit, using your fingers, or tweezers to pull out the worm/shaft, if it doesn’t immediately move, turn the worm or lift the pcb a little higher, it’s loose fit.

8. Reassemble again, in reverse order, slide the plastic cover back over the gearbox (it sits inside the pickups, so sometime you need to tweak the pickup ends out a little, then snap fit the gearbox lid, turn it right way up, add the pcb screw (the smallest screw you have),then the two gear box retainers, then the fat stubby screw to hold the bogie, add the seats and their 4 screws, finally add the body, starting with the guards van end, and sliding the exhausts under the frame, beware of the tail lamp irons, and finally snap it back together.

It doesn't matter which part of the modelling spectrum you are on, the 'play' enjoyment results from a suspension of disbelief, and - as these exchanges demonstrate - we all have different levels of tolerance.  

On lighting specifically I don't aspire to having everything lit. But I would quite like to replicate the 'final train of the day', wending its way home through dark countryside. 

5 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

TBH, through windows that size, you won't be able to tell them apart from the "hundred-for-a-fiver" Chinese-made figures....

 

John

I am not sure that is true - the curse of 'rivet counting' is that once you know something is there (or not) it is difficult to forget. It would be great to have a few realistic faces looking out rather than generic blobs.

But maybe Modelu could do some 'semi flats', figures with some realistic surface relief but far less substance, to populate the centre of the coach.

OMG. The Modelu passenger pack(s) necessary to do justice to this is/are going to cost more than the coaches!

Out of interest can the quality of a controller affect the quality of DCC control? Most of this thread is - understandably - about sound. But switching to DCC is a revelation in terms of controllability and smooth running, even without any other functionality. From what I have understood the decoder is the most important thing in this regard. But can the quality be undermined by a poor power source? 

On 11/04/2023 at 09:01, VIA185 said:

Searching through some old file boxes today I found that I have BR drawings and official photographs of the Swindon cross-country units, obtained from the old BR/OPC archive operation, when I was considering making a kit. In the end I built the Craftsman conversion on a Lima 3-car set. Where there's a will, there's a way....... (CJL)

So are they the 'missing' drawings, or drawings with less detail for e.g. internal layout or livery purposes?

With rain interrupting my gardening I have had a second look. First thing to say is that one of the jack handles had fallen off in the packaging. So these will merit careful checking before putting into service - they will be a to find if they fall off on track work.

Unlike the BRM review samples none of mine have any printing missing.

As for the 'bowed sides' this seems to mostly affect the side with the jack handles to the left, albeit to varying degrees on the 3 wagons. There is some flexibility in the material so I suspect it can be corrected - e.g. with gentle application of heat. But equally I am not sure how obvious it will be at normal viewing distances.

So mine have arrived this morning. Unexpected, in the sense that no notification was sent in advance branded 'KR Models', just a note from Royal Mail saying that they would be delivering something from 'Multi Channel Logistics'. The packaging has to be the flimsiest I have come across in a model railway context. But having said that nothing is missing, broken or loose so far as I can see from an initial check.

I can't help feeling that if you are prepared to pay for sound decoders, even at Hornby prices, then why skimp on the power source?