Mike Harvey

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

Hi Carlos I am not intending to undertake any further work on these files. Changes in my personal circumstances mean that files which are available now cannot now be amended by me. Part of the purpose in making them freely available for people to print themselves at home or through a local printing house in their own country was so that they could amend any of my free files to suit their personal requirements. You could always print the whole body and remove the part you do not want to keep, though I do not really understand why you would want to do this. If you are planning to join the longer printed cab + window to a Piko body, you should be aware that the Piko body has windows which are placed too low in the bodyside, and the windows are of different dimensions to my designs. There would be a very obvious difference in appearance either side of the join. Perhaps you could explain what you are trying to achieve. Send me a direct message .

On Tuesday 16th August 2022, Oxford Diecast is making an announcement of new items planned for future release. The information will be shared on the Oxford Diecast Collectors Facebook Group on the previous evening with participation from Eloise Davies, MD of Oxford Diecast.

I received a selection of Ntastic models several weeks back, and holidays and a missing mojo , slowed down getting one built. The kits come with separate wheels, chassis, body and major sub assemblies which are best painted individually. The parts are wrapped in tissue and gentle unpacking reveals the 3d printed parts which show virtually no layering and the barest marks where the support structure for printing was attached. The tissue parcel is in a self seal bag, and this is inside another self seal bag on a display card. This is the Commer V series turntable ladder fire appliance and is remarkably like the real one stationed at Carlisle. http://fireflash-delta64.co.uk/bhh385b[ac].jpg The first photo shows what comes in the kit. The rear body section has stabiliser jacks at each corner. The one piece ladder locates on the turret which sits on a circular depression on the rear body section. detailing is very good and the cab front itself shows some tiny details including the individual letters spelling C O M M E R above the radiator grille. I lightly sanded any residual support structure marks before applying a light primer coat followed by air brushed Vallejo Model Air top coats. Parts were assembled using cyano super glue. A steady hand is needed for the precise painting of the detail parts - mine is out of stock at the moment. But I am well pleased with the result.

N Look make French telegraph poles and lamp posts in N. Page from their list of telegraph poles attached. nlook-catalogue-adh.pdf

I would not be at all surprised to find some of the obvious missing liveries in the Winter 2022 announcement. Following the formula with the Class 08s, announce a batch and get people pre-ordering because they have to have one, then sweep in with some more liveries for a second wave of sales coming up to Christmas. I only want one livery (no, not One livery) and it is not in this initial announcement.

Interesting that the wheels are specified as NEM310 - which is close to NMRA RP25. I do not recall that designation being used before by Farish.