Rich_F

9 hours ago, Grampus said:

I do hope you have enough material to keep producing more of these volumes? I find them absolutely invaluable. Thank you. 🙂

I would love some themed versions if that's in planning?

Some ideas for example a  "Southern Region commuter network" or "Great Western diesels" edition.

Just a thought!

I also love Kernow. If I'm going near Guildford I'll often ask them to hold the items in stock for me to collect.

They also are swift & very good on price/tracking.

Their bargains section is often great too!

There's something near to me that could be a good base for inspiration.

The Tonbridge Sorting Centre siding was built for the adjoining Royal Mail depot. While it was built for TPOs, you could extend the prefab building (by the signal) over the platform & cover it. That way it would look like a modern goods shed attached to the large building behind.

Perfect for a handful of VGAs or short rake of Cargowaggons.

11 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

A Citroen H type van for a starting bid of £50 is a bit of a potential bargain though!

I assume that postage charge is to cover the DART charge or some of the ULEZ cost?

So Amazon admitted fault & Hattons claimed it back off Amazon to refund me. I get a replacement item at no charge via an alternative courier. 

Both Hattons & i end up satisfied & a good outcome. 

I reckon a bit of overgrown bracken or foilage between the tracks with a few discarded rusty rails in the undergrowth would look epic!

Looking forwards to seeing whatever 3rd rail unit trundles along the line as well! Old Silvertown & the North London Link are sadly now mostly covered & erased under modern urban sprawl.

A little Ruston 48DS would look lovely as your scrap engine moving the odd wagon about!

47 minutes ago, NBL said:

I'm sure you know that the failed delivery is not Hatton's fault, it is Amazon at fault here, although it is up to Hatton's to sort it out.

 

Incidentally I chose Amazon to deliver my latest parcel from Hatton's and I received it within 24 hours of placing the order.

I am aware. However this type of delivery is Hatton's to chase or refund as they set up the contract with Amazon to deliver the items & as original sender they're obligated to get the items to you. If you're ordering from Amazon directly it's easier for them to just refund or instantly replace as it's 100% their fault. 

33 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

Where your parcel winds up on delivery is down to the laziness of the end delivery driver, many of Amazon's are good, a few (and yours seems like one unfortunately) have come from the Evri school of (lack of) customer care where they will only bother with the easiest deliveries, throw them wherever and dump or steal the rest.

Funny you say that. In my area Evri have always been very good & always put an item in my safeplace in the rare time I'm out. Usually Amazon put them inside the building foyer with double doors however recently I've noticed a new distribution centre open up near me & the quality of service plummet.

10 minutes ago, 55020 said:

I've had nothing but great and polite service from the huge quantity of Amazon deliveries I've received, including from suppliers that are like Hattons and simply using Amazon as a delivery service only.  In fact I would rate Amazon up there with Royal Mail/Parecelforce and certainly above the rest.

 

 

Steve

Royal Mail at least send you a picture when they've put something outside your door!

Just a word of warning for others & I've already contacted Hattons customer service before anyone asks me to. Avoid using Amazon for even low value pre-owned items.

Today I was supposed to recieved a Hattons pre-owned item (a few Oxford cars). Tracking says it's been delivered at 4:22 but getting home after 6pm & still waiting there is zero sign of the parcel with any neighbours or in the bushes/bins or any delivery photo.

This is now the second time this has happend with Hattons. The first time luckily I found it thrown outside into the bush instead of outside my door!

47 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

I just want to point out that the OP has not come back to the thread in a few days - not sure if he took the comments in here too well or not.

Was looking for the best post on how to recreate 3rd rail arcing when trains run past! 🤣

5 minutes ago, Knapdale said:

Do you know the date of this picture? When I click on it it doesn’t take me to Flickr site. 

According to the Flickr page it's around 1995.

Some of the prices on the 0-6-0 Sentinels are VERY tempting!

10 minutes ago, Widnes Model Centre said:

As a small retailer, l welcome this news. Shouldn’t have happened in the first place, down to one person’s ego. 
 

Can only hope that the current system is not so much dismantled, more like demolished.

The very small model shop I semi-regularly visit in rural Sussex is run by a lovely couple. They were explaining SK came in & his management team changed the system with the tier policy.

Things like withholding certain new releases for no reason, taking over 2 weeks to reply to stock requests, being refused allocations or only given ONE example of a model leading to very disappointed regular customers. Mention was made of him leaving & the couple hoping that new management, financial control & leadership would try to get smaller retailers back on side & not alienate them.

Loving that Southeastern network map. Giving me first hand memories of the 377/5s (when they ran on TL) & pre-refurb 375s with them on the carriage ends. 

2 hours ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

I suspect that the third rail supply is too variable in terms of voltage and current, something which lithium batteries really don’t like, so I would think the equipment to regulate it would be quite involved and potentially beyond fitting on the stock and controlling it from the lineside could be quite complex!

 

I’m sure it could be done, just could require more thought than money is willing to buy!

 

Simon

There was a Network Rail infrastructure study & also chat on railukforums in 2022 that Network Rail has actually been given the go-ahead to investigate electrifying Oxted - Uckfield by the govt. What that actually means on the ground I've no idea! 

15 hours ago, billbedford said:

 

That's still not as bad as a harbour layout with added gulls. 

Least there's not realistic dive bombing for chips or bird poo dropping from height!

On 17/09/2023 at 22:34, SouthernBlue80s said:

 

 

Hoping to finish my engineering train in a few months. I have no time for modelling at the moment.

A couple of pictures, 73122 basking in late afternoon light and 56001 on the stabling point for the weekend.

Now saying to myself I need a class 73 in BR Blue 🤔😍

"Class 57307 at Water Orton".

"Class 25 D5185 passes Woodthorpe with mineral wagons and brake tender from Swithland to Loughborough on 12th May 2018".

When I was big into HO I used to have one each of the little 44t/70t switchers. They're lovely little things & can be used for any setting. It looks right at home moving the wagons around outside your sugar mill.

On 23/09/2023 at 22:01, adb968008 said:

quite, to me the obvious one is Electrostar… its the class 47 of today.

A 755 is akin to making a class 143.. small number limited to a couple of  geos.

 

They do seem to have leaked a sub class in the latest images however suggesting the TFW ones as well.

 

 

Revolution are allegedly in the R&D stage for an N gauge Electrostar family (according to their website).

On 25/09/2023 at 11:45, BachelorBoy said:

Hornby's L&M sheep and horse wagons look pretty awful, and are ridiculously expensive. 

 

Another triumph!

 

 

Isn't that Hornby's attitude in general? Poor quality for more than the competitors' prices? "Ducks for cover"

Would a NEM pocket fit under the loco? You could superglue some in then buy NEM-compatible kadee couplers.

Rails ebay coupon - "SAVINGS20" valid until 11:59pm 28/09/2023.

2 hours ago, Fireline said:

Be interesting to see what choices Hornby makes going forward, considering who had the final say until recently....

To me it does seem some of the decisions were made on that aforementioned person's personal interests rather than potential customer base.