Mike Harvey
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Posts posted by Mike Harvey
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I would say that it is worth trying the Fleischmann N Profi coupler provided you are not running on an uneven floor introducing switchback conditions. After 30 years of using them on layouts built on baseboards I have never experienced the unplanned uncoupling that Michanglais has. Using them with magnets for uncoupling, I was able to push a preuncoupled rake of wagons round a tight 180 degree curve, through a reverse storage loop with 7 facing turnouts back round the 180 degree curve and on to a straight, where the loco and first wagon remained preuncoupled. I am building a new post-bereavement layout now where the grain terminal will rely on magnetically operated Profis.
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I do not think that Oxford Rail are averse to renumbering. The Tilmanstone wagon comes with 3 different numbers - two versions in the EKR set, and one individual wagon. It is possible that the Pilchards being delivered now are the second part of the original batch, just not completed, packed and delivered earlier.
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Although it is an ugly beast in N, the Fleischmann Profi coupler is made for the TT:120 NEM pocket. They are a rigid coupler held together with a pivoting latch on the top. A 1mm diameter neodymium magnet in the top provides for a home brew magnetic uncoupler using under track magnets to repel the latch upwards and to one side. Fully compatible with kinematic coupler arms by being rigid. No unplanned uncoupling, and a pre-uncouple facility too even using the magnet. Mechanical uncoupling is possible using a between rails ramp, which is what Fleischmann use on one of their large exhibition layouts featuring an automated hump-shunt yard.
Might be too short for general TT use.
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I think that the international nature of Shapeways customers, but its limited range of production points, is always going to require add-ons to the base price to cover sales/value added tax and shipping. After the first experience, a buyer should be clued in to the add-ons, but it seems to be a recurring complaint, even from people who have experienced it before. Curious that it seems people do not learn, even though the add-ons are itemised. I have never understood the processing fee, which feels like a direct charge for an overhead cost of people/machines.
A few years back I produced a comprehensive range of designs for SNCF Corail compartment coaches in N 1/160. Most if not all are in my Shapeways shop and sell in reasonable amounts. The range includes appropriate interiors, chassis, gangways, but require the builder to buy bogies/wheels available as proprietary spares, and couplers. The original designs also relied on glazing from an (inexpensive) donor coach which could also provides the chassis, bogies , couplers and interiors.
My personal circumstances changed suddenly and unexpectedly. The original design work was for my own benefit in being able to obtain accurate models not available elsewhere. I did not want it to be lost. So I decided to make the designs available free of charge through a couple of interested model groups and that has resulted in many people printing them at home or at a commercial print shop close to their home.
The Recreation 21 range is huge and I have the greatest respect for what Simon has produced which in the main are bodies to give a builder a significant head start on their model. I do not think that there us a simple or one-size solution to conserve it for the future. Whilst some countries have developed a local print shop culture, the dimensional fidelity and surface finish requirements in model railways do not lend themselves well to a plug and play print shop.
If anyone wants my free files to print, the starting point is here:- https://tinyurl.com/ys7dzd8z
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Meanwhile in a modelling world not far away, collectors of warplanes seem unconcerned with their models being promoted as specific to a pilot/aircrew with a point being made about the number of “kills”. Maybe the families of the dead “kills” would object. I have often wondered.
As regards KR Models, as a N train player, who likes his toys to have a close relationship with the real thing, so no real interest in 00 gauge, on recent performance, I would not trust the KR Class 40 to be a well-researched and executed version anyway, regardless of the “poor taste” promotion. Hopefully the CFPS influence will insist on a quality shape and detail package at the least.
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Back in the day, I repainted some EFE ones to represent the Nationals operating the shuttle from Dover Priory Station to Dover Eastern/Western Docks each individually decked out for Sealink, P&O Ferries and Hoverspeed. All were based on a white livery, so whilst plain white as well as unliveried NBC red and NBC green might be welcome, with the number of lengths/door layouts/pods and phases to include for a useful range even those 3 colour options could easily generate a bigger range than the 24 liveried versions announced today.
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5 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:
Oxford TT:120 scale vehicles are now available but there are not many yet. Some of the Matchbox Toys were made to scales approximating to TT:120 in the 1-75, Major Packs and Models of Yesteryear series. My picture shows a cement lorry, a B Type Bus and 'Duke of Connaught.'
These MCW Metrobuses work out at 1/120. I have half a dozen different liveries.
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28 minutes ago, Hroth said:
A new track system for OO, the 2K system.
Code 75 rails on a grey "ballast effect" trackbase, designed to work with post 2000 Hornby trains. Starting with 1st radius plus new 5th and 6th radii curves, it captures the "finescale" and retro-look markets...
🤪🤪🤪
Would probably be called the 5K system with a stylised 5 to link it to the marketing source.
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The Project list was updated last week - in production, delivery November/December 2022.
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4 hours ago, britishcolumbian said:
Does anyone know if there's been an (early) Rover 2000 drawn up for 3D printing?
Redandy767 on Ebay has this car. Item number 165752984699 on ebay uk.
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" Alan J Day" was painted at Stoke and hauled a rake of brand new NACCO bogie open box wagons back to Merehead.
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With the relaunch of the Tomytec Moving Bus System, the new extendable chassis BM-04 will also be available individually to fit earlier Tomytec and other buses. Attractively priced around USD25. Power is from one LR44 dry cell. It is unclear what functions the new chassis has but it is said not be compatible with the road magnet setup for the stopping and speed changeover functions of the discontinued BM-01/02/03/03R. Example listing from Hobby Search.
A set including a Toyota Saro bus is also available including a bus stop compatible with the new chassis.
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The only 100% successful magnetic pre- uncoupling I have ahieved in N was using Fleischmann Profis with a 1mm magnet in the mobile latch at the top of the coupler. Magnets on the track centre line repelled the latches on both wagons upwards and to the side, which allowed me to propel 10 bogie grain wagons without recoupling happening. That was about 14 years ago and I am building a new grain yard now so might revive that system again.
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12 hours ago, fezza said:
I don't think anyone expected hoarding but I thought their own shop might try to keep a representative sample of current and recently issued models. Turns out they have a high street shop with very little of their own N gauge to sell. It's rather like the old joke about the Soviet Spud-u-like that opened without having any potatoes....
How would their own shop be able to stock things that Bachmann themselves do not have in their warehouse? Imagine the shop received a stock of maroon Mk.1 SKs. They would be sold in hours if posts on here are any sort of demand indicator, because nowhere else can get items that are no longer in Bachmann’s stock.
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Northern Belle BG is announced in N as a Collectors Club exclusive. Listed under Bachmann on RMWeb.
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rynd2it Although largely irrelevant now you have a solution, I found this illustration in 2008 Metcalfe catalogue where the previous version appears with a suggested, but not very plausible, arrangement of the outside platform.
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I think that the main building layout works fine as you have it. The outside platform might benefit from having a small crane for accessing open wagons. The weighbridge would normally be located so a vehicle could drive on to it, and then drive off without needing to change direction. I do not think that you have the space for that realistically, so reassigning the small office to another purpose would seem a good solution.
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The Hornby Terminal Talk from 10th October seems to think that interest has peaked already. Maybe if they had tried a little longer they could have piqued interest in more people.
Too warm for a hat or coat but I'm off anyway.
Screenshot here:-
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I apologise for getting that wrong. I would build the whole kit and try out finding how the short length of platform looked in various positions. Metcalfe’s photo of the N kit PN232 seems to show the platform and ramp adjacent to track which runs into the shed and opposite the office.
https://www.metcalfemodels.com/product/pn912-n-scale-country-goods-shed/
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What you are calling the external platform is a weighbridge to be placed at road level and next to the weighbridge hut/office. Figure 21 of the instructions.
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2 hours ago, Les1952 said:
Looking at that picture sent me off to look up the chassis list for the Bedford OB published by the PSV Circle. Checking some thirteen thousand entries for registration and first owner British Railways didn't buy a single one of these new- though it had a pair of Bedford OLAZ with BUS bodies by Allweather. Not having found a photo of a real one in BR livery- is it a ficticious livery, a preserved one in a "wouldn't that be nice" livery or did BR buy some Bedford Vistas secondhand?
Les
BR operated at least two Bedford OBs with Duple Vista bodies. The one modelled fleet number 1203W HWO 881 and fleet number 1229W FWO615. Both were acquired second hand. There is a photo of 1229W in the book “The Bedford OB and OWB” by John Woodham. Details of the original owner can be found by using the Search tab on this site:-
https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/
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I bought 4 of the first batch of six releases (4 for the price of 3 from Oxford on their members' deal). They are neatly finished but not that much bigger than N.
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I took a size comparison photo for anyone unsure of the relationship between N 1/148, TT:120 and 00 1/76. N at the top in the photo.
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1 hour ago, tjf4375 said:
Exciting news - I noticed it in this month's Hornby magazine and wondered why there hadn't been more fanfare about it. I'd love to see it migrate to OO gauge, despite having just spent months cutting and shutting Bachmann Turbostars! 😂
I am quite pleased that there has not been a huge fanfare. N gauge modellers understand this is in the very early stages so generating 20 pages of suggestions, questions, and “Please do it in 00” posts would serve little purpose at the moment. It does not even have its own topic on the N Gauge Forum. Besides many N-gaugers have had the chance to speak directly with the Revolution people at shows (TINGS and GETS) so they have asked questions and made suggestions directly.
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Conflat P and Containers
in Rapido Trains
Posted · Edited by Mike Harvey
Added clarification
Model Railway Journal 293 has an excellent illustration of this detailing issue. A very talented builder, Gordon Gravett, scratcbuilds a 2mm and 4mm version of the same ship side by side and explains the differing challenges between the scales. Worth a read for anyone who does not comprehend that reproducing every fragile detail in N may not be a practical solution, so upscaling does not always work if the more comprehensive details are not known.