Covkid

Absolutely spot on Cap'n. I am developing a substantial dislike for this man, brought on by lies and half truths he peddles in the media earshot. Of course Dawlish is not the most important infrastructure project in the country. If it were there would be millions of pounds pumped into it in a HS2 / Elizabeth Line / Thameslink 2 kind of way. I am in no way denigrating what has been done but it is a few thousand tons of concrete and concrete products to prop up the shore line. I am of the opinion that several old oil tankers should be purged then scuttled a few hundred yards offshore then assorted other clutter built up on the pile, then landscaped with a lot of soil and tree planting. This barage might take a few years to mature, but the long term impact would surely water down (pun intended) the pounding on the shoreline from the Atlantic.

When did the GWR Aberdares run until ? I believe two out of the twelve that made the BR register lasted until 1949. Just sayin

Indeed. Ironically the engineers wagons you have were replaced by the converted minfits in the earlier 1980s. The ragtag collection of older wagons were replaced by pretty uniform slotted "ZHVs". Nice weathering

You are not suggesting LNWR "radial" 2-4-2s and "Cauliflowers" or Midland 2Fs are you ?

I think "a lot" might be an exaggeration but I don't know for sure. I agree that the 99xxx series was originally for privately owned vehicles - probably extending to anything pre Mk1 but I have a feeling the ex Manchester Pullman stock is now 99xxx because IIRC they were originally 3 digits ? I still don't see why a Mk1 needs to be renumbered to a 99xxx unless a major modification has been made from its as built state. While I am thinking of this I think another MK1 2nd has been converted into a kitchen car - with painted out windows.

Really ? So that will be why Dapol are working on a new class 50 in "N" then, as well as a number of other models. I believe a considerable investment has been made by Chirk in rehashing the class 142 but not sure if it has hit the retailers shelves yet. I actually believe "N" is a great market to be in, particularly as new houses seem smaller these days and particularly the younger folk are having to start off with "compact lives". "TING" seems to be in excellent shape and I can understand why Dave wants to work in this scale, particularly where longer / iconic trains are possible. The concern I have for this project - I feel Dave (in his keen ness) has offered too many choices to potential customers which may actually spark reticence to order. I believe Dave should offer a 7 car with head and tail lights and a ten car with head and tail lights. One with yellow cabs and one with black cabs. All the cars would be unnumbered but Dave would supply numbering transfers in the packaging. Here's the thing. Dave would then offer a "platinum service" to those customers who want it, of applying the numbers of the customers choice and light bars to the saloons. In my view this would get the train delivered to the crowdfunders who want it at a reasonable price. But it would also allow those people with additional disposable cash to spend more on their iconic train. In my view this would make ordering the train simpler and probably make production a whole lot simpler.

Is this a case of a different interior layout installed to that it was built with ? Have a feeling at least one corridor 2nd (SK) has been rebuilt with an open TSO interior. This means the vehicle technically should have a 4 digit number in the range 37xx-50xx instead of a 5 digit 24xxx-26xxx. Not sure if this is the case with this particular vehicle but WCR have significantly rebuild some of their Mk1s

How often do you run multiple class 66s in the same consist ?

Agree with Graham and "NHY". The delayed production has nothing whatever to do with profitability of the subject. You ("Penrith Beacon") have kindly quoted Dave Jones' initial post from September 2014 explaining he is a contractor to KMRC. From that message it seems clear to me that any delay in the project is the contractor supplying Kernow with the product. I imagine they have a list of people waiting to buy the van and they presumably have a budget set aside to pay DJ Models for it when it arrives. Sorry "Penrith Beacon" but I think your logic is a little skewed.

Have a feeling they are also in the Judith Edge catalogue

Interesting that 66783 has the ex Bromsgrove banker coupler light and air operated cut lever. Easily identifies it as 66055-66058 - think it was 66056. Wonder if that will be included in whoever does "Biffa"

Your first sentence may well be correct but to remain in business you have to be flexible and agile and be able to respond to changes. There is no doubt that Hattons, KMRC, Rails etc are changing the landscape of our hobby and the manufacturers are having to think on their feet. DJ Models class 74 may have failed in it's objective as a crowd funded model, but did it have to die because of that? Would I be right in thinking that the N Pendolino didn't quite make it's crowdfunding target but was given the green light to go ahead anyway ? Presumably the organisers agreed to push ahead against the shortfall expecting the project to break even once the plastic was sprayed and presented. I imagine Dave Jones planned the class 71 project with the 74 in mind. Effectively the same loco shape size cabs bogies etc - just detail differences. To a layman you would expect the vast majority of development costs of the 74 to piggyback off the straight electric model. I would have expected the class 74 to eventually sell and I feel that perhaps Dave Jones has given it a premature death by pulling the plug. However, it was Dave's and Chris Trerise's money tied up in the project.

Thanks for the piccie link Jim.Surprised GE haven't splashed a little paint over the FL branding and maybe slapped a few GE stickers on it.

There is a published image of a ballast job on the southern WCML with 16 tonners loaded with ballast. IIRC one of the locos is a green EE type 1 which probably dates it to early 1960s.

Several points here. Pax can travel in a Mk1 at the end of the train. The restriction was temporary. However there is an issue with secondary door locks which needs stewards to "police" the doors when in passenger service. Yes the English Electric power unit would be useful in generating ETS for the train, but would need some serious electrical work. The traction output from a DEMU car would not benefit the train loco. In short the vehicle would need the sealing up of most of the doors and secondary on the others, rewiring to provide ETS cabling and ideally a Pullman style gangway on the inner end. Far easier to drop an industrial genset into the brake area of a BSK or BFK like the ex Royal genny car or Mk1 35469.

Ah. That will by why they have invested a not insignificant amount on the Hitachi IET then

That Fowler 0-6-0 looks like an enlarged 0-4-0 of the type used by the MOD etc. Many were sold as surplus and the Severn Valley Railway had one in its early days. Sadly because it wasn't steam it was gas axed. One day Mr & Mrs Edge !!!!!

The comments in this thread are quite interesting and present many more questions. Dave says he has lost a lot of money on the class 74 - one post quoting a five figure sum of money. In this sane thread though Dave says the project was entirely crowd funded. I am not doubting either of these are correct and realise a huge sum of money has to set the project off on it's way, so clearly Dave will be out of pocket, but what we don't know is how much the class 74 would have ridden on the back of the class 71. Clearly the mechanism, bodyshell shape, cabs etc would be the same so it suggests roof detail including pantograph well, bodyside differences, underframe fuel tank etc would need alteration. I don't accept Ian ("Olddudders") niche of niche comment because Heljan, Bachmann and Dave himself have brought us models like the LMS twins and many other assorted one - offs. Granted BR blue was the only paint but different numbering and weathering options could boost sales. Is the 74 seriously less appealing to modellers / model collectors the Lion, Kestrel and Falcon, or those little four wheel rail buses or even the Wickham trolley ? The one issue which doesn't seem to have been widely acknowledged in this thread is that Chris Trerise has taken a huge hit in his role as Dave's crowdfunding "banker". As has been said, some crowdfunders have technically benefited by KMRC switching their deposits into credits towards alternate purchases. What a fantastic situation to be in, with zero risk and the outlay "gold plated" by Kernow. So in my view sure Dave has taken some hit, but so has Chris Trerise. There are some lessons to be learnt from this and perhaps rhetorically answering my post from a few pages ago, perhaps the crowdfunding model does work but maybe proprietor needs to tighten up on their business model. I don't doubt that post after post on fora like RMweb which criticise Chinese model production being "difficult" are well founded and correct. But balance that against other model manufacturers who do (sometimes eventually) bring products to market from China. Hornby Peckett, Hattons P and AB and the KMRC Bulleid diesel.

Very sad indeed and commiserations to those who took the crowdfunding plunge. Kind of makes you wonder whether crowdfunding is only appropriate in a small number of "extreme" projects. I really thought the 74 would be a success given there is no need for any third rail on the layout unlike with the 71. Not sure whether they worked together very much but the 74 on the back of a TC set would have been a cracker. Never mind. Perhaps a third party can offer rebuild class 71s in limited runs maybe.

When does the "Elizabeth line" officially open ? I am still thinking Hornby will stake a claim to the Aventra family of units which are currently on order for Anglia, SWR, WMR, LNWR and Crossrail. something like 2,600 vehicles !!!

Was it due to seasonal demand ? Have a feeling a few trailers were stored during the low season with sets left as twin power cars.

I am assuming that will be a temporary thing though because the 9 car units are not yet in service. Guessing that once the full fleet is commissioned the 9 car units will be working a proportion of the trunk route like Bristol and Cardiff and maybe Oxford too, simply to avoid costly double crewing.

Just remember how large a ship is whilst ruminating over your ideas. Not sure how much space you have but it may well be swallowed.

Absolutely fine for accomplished modellers like yourselves, but I was thinking ; a) for less handy people b) firms like Shawplan Just because you would feel happy to file up a rounded headcode box doesn't mean to say that others can. And who are you to say that Brian couldn't knock out a pair of curved headcode box tops for say £7.50 a pop for modellers who are happy to pay.

Fascinating. Back in the 1970s there was a flow of Kelloggs Corn Flakes from Trafford Park to Willesden. that has to be related doesn't it ?