ProjectRedcar

Hello. I have a Hornby Class 50 in unrefurbished condition (specifically 50 013 'Agincourt'). I'd like a sound decoder which can recreate the hoover sound. Does anybody know of any sound projects/decoders which have that as a feature? If anyone's wondering, it's the sound made by the clean air plant at the no.2 end which sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

Not sure if it's appropriate to ask here, but it does relate to the actual models being produced. What's the...I can only really describe it as a lip type arrangement around the fan? Some 31s don't have them and some do. What are they for and what are they called? Also, specifically for Accurascale, is this part optional or removable on 31 409?

I think N is too small for me, personally, to feel like I got my money's worth. They also seem like an absolute pain to fix... But I wouldn't stretch that to 'it's just too small for everyone'. Speaking of, I'm sure someone's said this before, but... One of N's advantages is not taking up as much space as a OO layout. You can also run longer trains. At that point, running a HST with both power cars and 8 coaches is actually feasible for a layout in the home. So...why choose TT when you can get more into a smaller space with N? If the intention was to convince me to go down to TT from OO...that's not gonna happen. I'd rather go with N if I'm going to scale down. For people just starting out, it's more appealing, I suppose. I just look at TT and think it's in between OO and N...and exists for no good reason. N isn't the smallest scale, but still. Happy to be proven wrong on this, but even if I'm convinced it was a decent idea, I'm still not switching to it. Sorry, Hornby! :P

Annoyingly, they're doing one in TT:120. Whether it's up to current spec, I haven't looked Either way, doesn't help Baffles me why Hornby haven't done a full fat original HST this time around...and also baffles me why InterCity is relegated to the Railroad range. Doesn't make much sense

Just throwing my hat into the ring...and pretty sure others have made this point already First, I won't be switching to TT:120 unless I can find a good reason to. At this point, I have OO gauge stuff and for me, the other gauges don't fit into my 'goldilocks zone'. I think N gauge, whilst very cool (I mean, tiny trains that actually run and have lights? Amazing!), is too small for me. O gauge is too big and way too pricey for me. All the power to N and O gauge people. And TT people, also. But the likelihood of this sinking Hornby...I doubt it. I don't have a super high opinion of Hornby to begin with, but I don't wish this venture to fail. That's just mean-spirited and Hornby are capable of making great products, charging fair prices, remaining competitive and making good decisions, like all companies are. With proper management, anything is possible. Whether this was a good decision remains to be seen. If hardly anyone buys into it and Hornby invested a lot in it...then it's safe to say it wasn't. But if there's decent interest and it sells, then it's a decent idea. I don't expect it to take the scene by storm, as it were, but it got people talking, at least? If I was being half-selfish, half-objective...I'd say the money, time, thinking and effort they put into this would've been better spent on improving on what they already make. Tapping into a different market is a risk and like it's probably been said many times before here...but N gauge would probably have been a safer bet.

Will there be more in stock on the website in the future? As in, will the out of stock models be available to buy again? Thanks

Thanks, C126 Thank you for the suggestion for the kit, but the 3D printed model (which includes everything around the blast furnace like the cast-houses and gas cleaning plant) is pretty much halfway done. Funnily enough, I did recently find that someone had posted a 3D model of the steelworks, but it isn't suitable to 00 and wouldn't be easy to edit in the slightest. However, it will come in handy for seeing the details to go into my 3D model.

Is it worth converting Lima models to DCC/Sound in terms of cost, hassle and future maintenance? I have two Lima models right now, a Class 37 and 60, respectively. Both are in liveries that would fit within my layout and I got them at a bargain price of £30 each (would have been £35, but the seller was swamped with old Lima stock and needed to get rid of them to make space). Analysing what I have... Noisy runners, but great performance and the models themselves are in immaculate condition, minus a bit of dirt on the wheels, which I've cleaned off. Has anyone had any problems with their DCC converted Lima fleet and have you fitted sound?

Today, I picked up two lovely Lima models (analogue only for now, but I intend to have them hard-wired for DCC and maybe install sound in the 60). Both are due for eventual professional weathering and DCC conversion. The locos I got today are 37 099 'Clydebridge' and 60 008 'Moel Fammau', both in Railfreight Metals Sector...ideal for the steelworks! Of course, they won't always be pulling steel carriers and the like. Every loco in my fleet will perform any duty. I'll post a topic soon after this blog post, asking how the community feels about Lima models. Honestly, I got them at a bargain price and they run well in terms of performance. They are noisy runners, which is why I'm considering installing sound eventually to mask the noise of the motors. Don't know if simply replacing the motors would fix this issue or if the pancake (I believe) motors in these are just noisy anyway. That's all for this post. Cheers

Thanks! I'll update them all to r2 at a minimum

Been wondering since my layout is planned to use a lot of Radius 1 curved track pieces (I'd say 90% of curves on it are Radius 1). However, when I look at what the manufacturers say, they state a minimum curve, usually 2, for the models I have my eye on. Is it a matter of covering themselves in case a more extreme radius ends up breaking the model? Or have they actually tested it in-house? Also, if I have a Class 37 from Bachmann and then one from, say, Accurascale, both OO gauge and both the same scale, is it reasonable to assume both of them will make it around the same curves? Any help would be appreciated. If it ends up that I have to change all my track to be Radius 2 or higher, I will. And for reference, on my layout, models will run at low speeds (about 10-20 MPH in reality, tops) around those Radius 1 curves. Cheers

She's Always A Woman- Billy Joel

A 50 would be very nice, though I have a special request for that. Not sure if a sound file exists that features the 'hoover' sound, but having that as a feature on the sound file would be a nice addition.

If you recognise the image, you'll know what choice I made. But there's a bit more to it than that. Firstly, let me highlight the model that matches the one I'm pre-ordering. It's the one on the furthest right, featuring the headcode light-box arrangement. My model will be numbered as 31 409, in BR Blue livery, with the white stripe down the side. Admittedly, I would prefer it if the stripe wasn't there (which would probably require a different numbered 31) but such is life. It's not a big deal. I'll be getting the DCC Ready version rather than Sound Fitted. I'm in no hurry to have it fitted with sound, so to spread the cost a bit, I'll just have sound installed in future...or transplant the 31 sound chip for the time being. In terms of Project Redcar, I aim to give each loco a purpose and story of it's own. My layout will feature sheds to store locos in and this is an addition on my part. As far as I'm aware, the steelworks at Redcar don't have locomotive sheds? If I'm wrong on that, please correct me. I won't be changing my design to install more true-to-life sheds if they did exist at one time at Redcar...but I would love to see any photos of them if you have any. Stay tuned for that story and purpose. Should have that finished soon. Thanks for reading and do stay tuned. If any readers of this blog have pre-ordered a Class 31 from Accurascale, I'd love to hear about it and what you'll be using yours for.

Thanks for confirming! It may very well have been your video that I watched. I recall a BR Green example being used