Ncarter2

Sadly not for me, think I may have missed the boat with this. Shame looks a stunning model.

Does anyone know if there is any place still taking pre orders for 37025?

Not sure of reasons why, but we use MPV’s on Wessex, across all the lines so it’s not that they are used in lightly used lines etc. I do know that they are staffed by SWR, or they used to be when it was SWT as I done many a cab ride on them. Thankfully I haven’t had to this year, they are not the most comfortable units at speed, the last one I had hit a bank slide just country side of Sway.

Gets very busy come weekends and can be busy in the evening, mainly engineering trains heading to renewals etc. It has a virtual ballast quarry, so Auto Ballasters, Side Loaders as well as Falcons, MCA, MTA, MHA and the IQA wagons used to bring stone to and from site. It’s also home to the long welded rail depot, so there are numerous rail delivery trains. Yeomans have the Stone train that use it. Container trains stable in the Arrival/Departure roads, Axiom also has one of the Military roads in use for wagon repairs. DB operates the yard, Colas, GBRf and Freighiner have locos and trains in it often. The Allbrook Access is NWR owned, and we look after it, the numerous sidings that span from London side of Eastleigh are DB responsibly bar the lines into the Long welded rail depot which are SCO, effectively Network rail, and are inspected by the Maintenance team, as is the Military sidings. The Down Carraige Sidings are Network Rail, these are those you see from Platform 3 at Eastleigh, used for loading then Auto Hoppers etc and stabling trains ready for departure or further formation forming. It’s a vast yard with many boundaries, most definitely a shadow of it former self mind.

Last MEA rake I was lucky enough to see was when Rugby Cement had coal delivered by Train to Rugby sidings and road transported the last few miles by lorry. Down at Eastleigh, there normally a rake or two of wagons, mixed mainly of MTA and MHA although there has been the odd MFA. Being such short wheel base wagons, they don’t like poor track, one ended up on its side in Eastleigh yard this year alone.

We had a GBRf train uncouple going over battle down flyover late last year. One of the recommendations was the couplings not in use got secured rather than being left to dangle.

70014 is in use, just gone past me at Southampton.

Freightliner locos have been around longer, being used in a more intense manner. The Colas locos are therefore not as “tired” or “in need” of the repairs currently befalling the greens. So while your right, same loco, same spares, Freightliners are in need of repairs, Colas not.

Used a lot less intensively when compared to Freightliner, who hammer them on heavily loaded container trains at sustained 75mph running.

There may come a time in the not too distant future where Network Rail having faster trains may tell mainline steam loco operators, sorry but all of your mainline ticketed locos are just too slow for today's modern railway. They can't do 100mph up hill and down dale and they're getting in the way of the TOC's. So due to their lower speed compared with the TOC's trains they're barred from the mainline. I can see you lot foaming at the mouth if that comes to pass. Not likely, the amount of freight that shares the tracks which runs at no more than 75mph means they are not going to cause such issues. What is more liable is it becomes cost prohibitive and/or network capacity reaches saturation and it’s not possible. Of the latter, capacity is not yet an issue, there are plenty of locations in which Steam can be accommodated.

Do Freightliner own the 86’s? I know they owned their fleet then sold it to Generate some capital. The 66’s and 70’s are leased as are the 90’s but I wasn’t sure about the situation with the 86’s. Some may se them as old, but they have stood the test of time. As others have now said, they will be with us for some time.

Only quoting what was said by a Freightliner spokesperson. Time will tell, but information shared indicates they currently have a medium term future with the company. Given the cost of the overhauls, I’d be surprised if such expenditure was being proposed for a few years, especially as once done with Freightliner it will probably be the scrap merchant. That said, there has been a market for these machines abroad, maybe spares are not as hard to come by as we may think, or re-engineering actually takes place. As I say, time will tell. Personally I’d like them to keep the 86’s and take on the 90’s but that’s wishful thinking on my part.

350/2 only cleared for 100mph running I believe, 350/1 110mph. That was definitely the case when I was still on the West Coast. 707’s would be a good fit, especially if the seats can be changed, relatively new fleet. Even the 458’s could be retrofitted for the use intended.

With Freightliner overhauling the bogies on the 86’s to give them another 15 odd years I can’t see them getting rid.

There are several locations in which the Pendolinos on the West Coast are not able to hit 125 even with tilt. In some places the Voyagers have a lower EPS speed compared to the Pendolinos due to the amount of tilt they have.

I have a 14 on order and have just received my refund. I’m in a dilemma, given all the red flags recently do I play safe and not reorder? Or do I continue to support for a model I really do want? I fear a lot more will drop out now they have chance and those who don’t will be financially disadvantaged. With Dave now offering to refund those who didn’t get a refund but still wanting one what hope does this leave for DJM? I have 92’s on pre order, we all know Dave can produce. I guess it will be a case of how many are willing to back him? Gut feeling says there will be more dropping out, possibly more than when the initial deposit was requested. At what level does the project become untenable and go the same route of the 74, albeit several investors out of pocket, or worse still, Dave hounours his statement and refunds all those who want it and DJM is then in a poor financial position which in turn has a larger effect on his customer base, possibly the loss of models or the company. For me I want the APT, I want the 92’s. I want DJM to thrive and produce even more great models. I share people’s concerns and it’s a big problem form most to look past.

I do believe there is now high speed and very high speed being branded about in some documents. I remember when the west Coast was 110mph and sections with some curves being less. Of course these line speeds still stand for non tilt trains but when calculating sighting you must always use the highest permissible speed. This caused headaches for us as there was a few areas that could no longer be worked in with lookouts due to speed increase and so other systems got introduced like the LOWS system. I must say it was a strange feeling not being able to see your distant lookout.

Depending on what you class as high speed but in this country track workers are not permitted on the line if the maximum speed exceeds 125mph and trains are still running so looking out for trains is not a problem. Currently on HS1 my understanding is the line gets shut for 30-40min during the day for inspection etc so the workers are no exposed to trains running in excess of 125mph.

At the risk of causing out rage I would like to express what is my feeling and opinion on yellow fronts. Having been trackside all of my career and having had the privilege of working on both West coast mainline between Cheddington and Stoke, I was based out of Rugby, and the MML around the Sheffield area before moving to the Wessex route I don’t feel they make a difference. Casing point, the Pendolino’s that have been running on the route since 2002 do not have the largest yellow panel and while I was still on the route a substantial number would run with the coupling cover open leaving little visible yellow. None of my colleagues over the depots or departments ever had concerns about not being able to see a 125mph train at the required distance. I have held a lookout ticket nearly as long as I have been on the railway and had the joys of being site intermediate and distant. One could argue using blue and white chequered flags especially in the winter months when light levels are lower and weather can reduce visability, but we did and still do despite modern systems being available yet not used because we prefer the old method. If a train is that close to someone to be hit because it did not have a yellow end I would suspect there was more too it, I know there are other factors, i dea with them daily in my job. We all have own opinions, so we should, but some arguments just make no sense. If you cannot see a train at the required distance you don’t start work simple as that. If it then becomes apparent that the lack of yellow ends is reason it needs to be investigated, but as per my reference above with the Pendolinos I personally struggle, I remember one shift I was looking out on the line between Rugby and Coventry. We accessed the track at longlawford and began walking towards Coventry. I was able to see the Pendolinos, some with covers open and some closed, at the same time as they come off the curve near Brandon and hit the near 6 mile straight once they crested the horizon. The hardest part was for the Coss on when he wanted the warnings. As I say that is just my opinion and feeling, in no way do I mean to say others are wrong, if that’s what some feel comfortable with then so be it. It’s all down to personal choice and preference, mine being yellow ends make little to no difference to me or anyone I have had the pleasure to work with so far.

Would be good, they could do a accurate version of 86101,102 or 103 seeing as they are 87’s in a 86 body.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to obtain replacement pantograph for the 86 or is there a better scale version out there that could be made to fit?

Or new build super Hornets, the 22’s are very very unlikely.

Very nice photo. Nice area. One of my favourite sections of track to walk. Although I prefer to get the diesel back, more comfortable seats.

Route loss is just speculation, as is the fact the new XC franchise may use redundant mk4 coaching stock etc. Only time will tell, but given XC is heavily used by tourists I also doubt there will be a loss of routes. Only last year was the discussion of XC going back to Poole and possibly Weymouth during the summer months.

Reserved my Colas 70 with them after a brief chat on here. Paid yesterday and arrived today, best service I have ever received. Looking forward to the Colas 67 and 37099 being delivered. On pre order, will definitely purchase from here.