Covkid

For a transition era LMR modeller that looks very very tempting. Well done Accurascale to think the production versions will be even better !!!! The challenge is to make them "hoover" !!!

Exactly. Sunak's decision has moved the WCML problem which HS2 was to solve, a few miles north up the Trent Valley, and more severe. At least the fast trains could achieve 125mph for much of Stafford - Willesden.

From memory domestic / industrial coal was conveyed by the Speedlink coal Network (SCN) after the carve up of Speedlink. A pool of dedicated class 37s operated this network, 37222 and 37235 spring to mind as two of the dozen or so locos. The bit of the network which I recall was Washwood Heath with services to Didcot and Toton, and the "branch" round via Bescot to Smallshaws depots at Shrewsbury New Bank and Gobowen. Toton fed into the north whilst Didcot serve London, South Wales and Exmouth Junction. I recall a BS drivers diagram involving working a freightliner to Didcot then preping a class 37 and working 6M?? to Washwood Heath, then 6J43 Washwood Heath - Shrewbury - Gobowen, as far as Bescot. Wheen we got to Didcot we were given a class 58 to work back to Bromford then at Bromford the driver I was with didn't want to swap it for a 37 on SY shed, so a driver was sent to swap it out in the yard. Struggling to remember which one it was - maybe 37298 ?

Any transition era iron hoppers would be most welcome, but also the "standard" 21T hoppers (TOPS HTO HTV) very much welcome. .

Am I right in thinking that Bachmann 46 was missing an exhaust port ? Obviously no problem to fit

Mmmm Nice. Not seen that piccie before. That possibly needs another rethink !!!! Oh and while you are at it Rapido. Isn't that loco cute !!!!

Well I have given it some thought and think I am going to adopt the Rapido way of thinking. My modelling basically centres on the 1960-974ish period in South Staffordshire. One of the flows of traffic used Midlands Tar Distillers tank wagons, which were black with white insignia. The Four Ashes plant was established by Midland Tar Distillers prior to purchase by Croda Chemicals, so my mind is set on a Caledonia Fireless loco painted black with Midland Tar Distillers signwriting, based on the asssumption that MTD acquired "Gamma" a little earlier in it's life. Think I need to email Mr Isherwood for some transfers.

Just adding my two penn'th here. IMHO Accurascale have raised the bar with their class 37s. The stay alive and the DCC sound are technologically advanced and need that consideration. When you put the loco on the track you need a few seconds for the onboard capacitor to charge up. Once this has happened everything should be fine. After a few flyers for the class 37s I decided to buy D6702 but the sound fitted version was not available, so I opted for buying the DCC ready version and the decoder. Unfortunately Accurascale didn't have any Accurathrash speakers in stock at the time so I ordered an EM1 from Roads and Rails which was advised is the same as the Accurathrash, but without the branding. After learning to wait the few seconds to charge the power source my D6702 is fine.

That is a possibility I hadn't considered "Dungrange Park". I keep expecting someone to explain it all logically, but that hasn't happened yet. I expect the P class, AB and Warwells etc will always have been of value, but their "handover" to Accurascale, RoS etc seem a little disjointed. This suggests to me that the closedown plan in Widnes was quite a swift decision, rather than restructuring into retail and maybe manufacturing as separate business units.

Many thanks for that "Vanguard". Form submitted

Pardon my ignorance but where is the web form ? After the excellent announcement of the "Caledonia" Fireless loco, and referring specifically to the Croda locomotive based at Four Ashes -I recall the location despatching the odd ferry tank of creosote. I don't have numbers nor photographs but the one shipment I recall was in two tanks with a "54" country registration code. How utterly fantastic would it be if Rapido were to launch a OO scale ferry tanks with end platform and handbrake. Something different from the tank wagons already produced, and useful as a typical BR 1970s trip working with just a couple of wagons and an optional brakevan.

The class128 DPUs handled considerably more than a maximum of two wagons in real life !!! One of my all time favourite piccies of a Class 128 is by Simon Dewey and shows one departing Wolverhampton Low Level with what I take to be a train for Dudley. From memory the unit is hauling at least four vehicles, one of which is a 12T LMS van with a sliding door, and a Palethorpes 3 axle Sausage van. If my assumption is correct the train would have turned right at Priestfield Jn and headed via Tipton Five Ways and Daisy Bank, and I think was post 1964. After the Beeching axe of many DMU services in the Black Country and South Staffordshire, BR had to create a network of diesel parcels car services to cater for the services provided by the 2 car DMUs based at Walsall's Ryecroft MPD. At this time BR used one of the Palethorpes sausage vans in parcels service. Fast forward to 1979 when Barmouth Bridge was banned to diesel locomotives BR sent a DPU up the Cambrian Coast to bring back any vacuum fitted wagons to Machynlleth when they could return to the "railway". The DPU was bringing back seven vehicles at a time from Portmadoc, Penrhyn, Barmouth and Tywyn, mostly gunpowder vans which were for loading at Penrhyndeudraeth. I stood on the Down platform at Machynlleth as one of the trains rolled in - IIRC a mix of seven vacuum fitted vans which were stabled in the yard for that evening's 7G19 to Bescot.

You need to watch the Bachmann video of the class 30/31 uncoupler in action.

They worked well enough when I had my trip. BR staff "comfort tests" back in around 1986. Flying through Shap summit at 115 mph. It was quite literally awesome

To be honest, I would use "inspired" rather than brave. Given the success of the Hattons Barclay, the Hornby Pecketts and numerous other model industrial locos, the AB Fireless is actually really a follow on. Just how many gasworks and industrial chemicals plants will be spawned for that odd corner of your layout you need to fill, from this annoucement. As the Croda "Caledonia" lived and worked less than ten miles from me it will be an essential for me, but will need a less contemporary livery. I also think this model could easily wear the NCB livery a little more credibly than the "low height" Bagnalls, but that is only my opinion, and may well consider. Thanks Rapido

"HExpressD" obviously doesn't agree. We seem to have arrived at a plateau where good accurate ascale looking models are no longer enough, and manufacturers think their consumers wanted the "added value" trinkets. Example A is horrible gaudy overscale bright representations of paraffin lamps. And exhibit B is autouncouplers with a copper solenoid on display. Hopefully the production models will have the copper painted black, but it clearly is the age of the value added gizmo in toy trains

Well you can be sure that no other manufacturer has the Stanier and Fowler 2-6-2t s in their crosshairs - else they would have been announced and produced by now. OK I'll add my hobbyhorse Fowler Austin Seven 0-8-0 and GWR Aberdare and maybe the delightful MSWJ 2-6-0 and the LBSC "K". Surely a GWR Aberdare would sell as many units, if not many more, than an obscure 1950s era type 1 diesel ? By the way, that is not a criticism of your company "McC"

The problem with that thought (which I had considered) is the saloon which was painted Mainline blue then EWS red was a BR built vehicle and not the LMS designed vehicle which Bachmann have produced. Of course Bachmann could adopt the "nearly" which some other manufacturers seem to offer these days, and release their LMS design saloon in Mainline blue, but how much criticism would they get as opposed to sales ? Thinks back to Lima class 33s painted in CIE livery as just one example 🙂

The problem with waiting would be that when Hornby do release the new 8F it will have ridiculously unprototypical LED lamps and smoke and everything else the modeller doesn't want.

I am guessing a number of older Andrew Barclay 0-4-0s were fitted with dumb buffers Just joining up a few dots

To be fair to Bachmann 31407 was a unique liveried loco when it was repainted Mainline Freight blue, and the silver embellishments really made it an attractive loco. Why would any manufacturer pass up the opportunity especially as IIRC Mainline Freight also repainted an engineers saloon to match.

The "economy green" peak looks rather nice I am guessing the sound is as per the modified Sulzers with the amended phasing gear. D4 currentrly fitted wit hthe Wonder if the

Pretty sure the centre wheelsets are 4 inches smaller in diameter on the 1:1 models So at 4mm scale the centre wheelsets would be slightly over 1mm less in diameter, so viewing from three feet away it would be imperceptible. And that is good enough for me

I don't agree. If that were the case then Accurascale wouldn't have advertised half of what they have. My personal view is that Hornby most definitely have rested on their laurels, but that was a culmination of several issues - mazak rot being one of them. I haven't dared look at my Hornby 31111 for maybe ten years and that is the worry I have with Hornby class 31s, and which is whyI have an Accurascale 31 on order. The big issue is that Accurascale have set a very high bar for competitors, and I really cannot see another company offering a like for like product for a matching price. IIRC my D5544 is £267:00 and an equivalent Bachmann SX can never achieve a price of under £300.

True but neither have any other Bachy models go DCC controlled tension lock uncoupling.