Mike Harvey

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.

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.

The companion road vehicles from Oxford Diecast are now being delivered. I made a comparison of size of the Bedford OB Duple coach across 3 scales using an Oxford model for 1/148 scale and a Corgi Original Omnibus model for 1/76. The TT:120 one is not all that much larger than the N scale one.

They could borrow the artwork from SNCF to get the ball rolling.

There is now a file containing links to all the free .stl files for Corail compartment coach bodies, interiors and chassis in 1/160 scale, as well as some accessories and instruction sheets:- https://tinyurl.com/ys7dzd8z

Imagine sitting in a quiet office in South East Devon in early 2020 with a bustling model train accessory and wagon factory, a model rail exhibition and a railway theme park alongside. A sales enquiry arrives from an unknown company asking about the supply of a colossal quantity of unit TT track. Your positive response describes a standard formula for turnouts, straights and curves but using a code 80 rail with a code 55 appearance. Although your proposition was not accepted, a close watch on the supply side of the market alerts you to demand for Code 80 rail outstripping all previous levels. Having already branched out into American H0 track, and bullhead 00 gauge track, you review the case and decide that it is time to start competing in the continental TT track market. And with a correct scale/gauge relationship, why not sound out the market for British outline locomotives, rolling stock, buildings etc. Coincidentally, not long after the launch of the TT:120 track, Hornby weighs in with a fully developed UK market proposition. You sit back in your chair and reflect on how living and breathing in the model railway track world can bring advantages.

I had an order from Train Trax last week. Everything I wanted was in stock. Highly recommended.

Justin The general wall thickness in N 160 is 0.75mm. This allows for some cut in features such as the weld seam on the lower bodyside without getting below about 0.65mm. So in 1/220 scale you are going to be around 0.5mm minimum so that might just work. People printing them in N have found that they come out well with the roof the last part to print so with the steps nearest the build plate and the body parallel to the build plate. Be interested to see if you can make it work in Z. There is a new link to all the files here. https://tinyurl.com/ys7dzd8z

Hornby will need to improve one particular aspect of its online pre-ordering system if it is not to attract social media criticism from its new target market. A constructive post on another group led me to the north American reaction, where one contribution referred to one of the big weaknesses of the Hornby online ordering system - its inability to combine shipping cost for multiple pre-orders placed and delivered at one time. Each item ordered attracts a shipping cost at the time of ordering and this is still charged even when several items are delivered together. For several years I have pre-ordered Arnold grain wagons in January (all at once) and then had to phone Margate to recover a refund of the overcharged postage when they are all delivered together. After the initial trainset order, the 50-something internet-savvy grannies buying for grandchildren will baulk at being charged extra shipping when the total pre-order and delivery clears the free shipping threshold. As well as after sales service for an online-only offer, this combined shipping issue is one which will require action sooner rather than later.

The hole for the shelf peg limits the usable length of the box. Is that a new feature?

I have tended to use Preiser 10557 (H0) which will fit into the seat of most 1/76 cabs. With some careful warming the arms can be made to grip the steering wheel, and some alternative colour over the uniform will make them right for any era. This unaltered one slipped into an Oxford Matador, and the colour was good for workshop overalls.

Not directly on topic but two highly visible changeovers take place on the Midland Metro within about 200 metres of each other. Trains run between New Street and the end of the line at Egbaston Village on battery power. There is a short energised overhead line section between Brindley place and the adjacent stop at Five Ways, presumably to provide a charging boost to the batteries if required. Trams run with the pantograph up in both directions with changeover performed whilst stationary in the platforms. The line is double tracked.

Not a supply problem for N gaugers. https://www.ngaugesociety.org/sandpit/product/axle-reamers/

As a single bore it would probably take 4DD.

Faller has announced a 970mm long Tunnel Boring Machine for slipping into an HS2 construction site. Find the details from page 4 in the new items leaflet:- https://medien.faller.de/xs_db/DOKUMENT_DB/www/_blaetterkatalog/epaper-FALLER_Neuheiten_2022_02_EN/index.html

Seems like the nomenclature used by the lessor is misleading unless there is battery storage for electric operation. The version with a pantograph is labelled Tri-mode. Maybe it is Diesel Electric Multiple Unit powered by gravity on the downhill bits. That would do it. :-)

A timely announcement with Mr. Kato in the UK at the moment. Hopefully he will turn up at the International N Gauge Show in just over a week’s time. The link to the poster is dynamic and disappears quickly. This link should be more durable:- https://www.katomodels.com/posters

NOH was issued by Birmingham in the period May to December 1953. NUH was issued by Cardiff between May and December 1957. In this link, click on the last two letters from the registration plate in the table in blue on the right. It shows various issues - letters first, numbers first, letters first with a suffix. https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/reg-letters.htm

I am pleased to be able to confirm that Hornby have refunded the overpaid postage, and issued an alert to Arnold dealers on the continent about models possibly transposed between boxes. There is a notice posted on their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/645450062149620/posts/pfbid0WQs9aGp2BRZdmc9PnWmMGgUYa2pYZpJtyzrazwhS6C3ab8YE47RHamDd45vSckngl/

Last week I was travelling abroad. I received a notification of my small parcel from Hornby being delivered with a photo of where it had been left. The courier had not left it in the “safe place” which is weatherproof, but in a spot which could have been subject to minor flooding in the event of a heavy rainstorm. A call to my neighbour was enough to get it into a dry place. For once the delivery photo served a purpose for me, rather just being a picture of my shoes and the parcel at my open front door.

A bit like the real thing, most of the Sherpas are still in stock with only the two Royal Mail versions and the BR minibus showing as sold out. Oxford's catalogue has a useful code in it which indicates models which will be re-run when stocks run out. A solid red rectangle appears alongside the item description. None of the Sherpas have received this marking in any of the catalogues going back to 2017. All is not lost though, as items without the red rectangle do seem to be re-run from time to time, including some of the items re-released this month.

If you are working with TT (1/120) scaled accurately as 2.54mm/ft, then it will be 63.5%.

I just received two Arnold grain wagon pre-orders made at exactly the same time but each given an individual identity by Hornby. One item alone and the combined order would have qualified for free postage, but the ordering/billing system cannot recognise this even when both pre-orders are "fulfilled" in one parcel. So, as for the past 5 years, I have had to telephone to request a refund of the postage applied to one item in the combined order. For the first time today, I was told that this would need to be referred to a manager, so I rather fear we have another "sharp practice" in the offing. We'll see. Out of the kindness of my heart I also let them know that one of the pre-order items, a two wagon set with each item boxed individually, had the items transposed into the wrong boxes. Not a problem for me as I can just swap them over. But many continental retailers split the sets and sell the individual items separately. If all the batch is transposed as is mine, then innocent retailers could find themselves with disgruntled customers receiving the wrong wagon. To the casual observer, the wagons look very similar, but someone specifically ordering the CTC wagon would not want the "Entreprise Marcel Millet" one as a substitute.

An updated all scales Oxford Diecast catalogue can be viewed and downloaded here:- https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/9369/0011/files/AUGUST-JAN_23_low_res.pdf?v=1660643553 This is only a selection from the range but includes the newly announced items with some tentative release dates, but by no means certain given tooling and production challenges in China related to the local management of Covid. The full range can be viewed on the Oxford Diecast website. https://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/

A simple internet search reveals that the Corgi Model Club is not owned by Hornby. It is a small private company. BLUE 14 (D2C) LTD. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11552224/filing-history