ProjectRedcar

Hello. First time posting after a very long time. I'll try my best to make my questions clear. These are regarding sounds you'd hear from diesel locos. Primer: What is it used for? When would it be used and for how long? Spirax valve: When would you hear this sound? Is it when the engine is off or on? There are also sounds listed in the Hornby HM DCC sound lists that I don't understand the meaning behind. These are the Class 47's 'Triple Pump' (I assume this is just another name for the Primer?) and the Class 50's 'Lift Pump' (Might be the compressor? Not sure)

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

I've seen at least one video where a 30/31 had a Mirrlees sound file...so one must exist somewhere? Until that point, I'd never heard one, either. I can't say it's accurate to the sound of a Mirrlees, but it certainly didn't sound like an English Electric. Perhaps do some digging? 🙂 I hope you find what you're looking for

I second this. I need some PCA Vees and the only ones I can find are Hornby's (which are likely gonna be Lima's, just with Hornby stamped on the box, but could be wrong).

I've pre-ordered the Class 31 from Accurascale. I chose 31 409, DCC Ready, as I aim to get sound fitted at a later date. Granted, this will cost more to do, but at least that way I can choose the exact sound file I want to. I will be getting 31 409 weathered, but not before I do a written review on it. Looking forward to the arrival! On the layout, my 31 will be doing a little of everything. Hauling coal wagons, torpedo wagons and cement tanks. If you've pre-ordered one or are thinking about it, comment below! Or if you have an info about this particular locomotive (either 31 409 specifically or any Class 31), do share!

Is having two Class 31's excessive? Maybe. I've given it some thought over the past few days. Both Hornby and Accurascale are offering up BR Blue Class 31's with the headcode box light arrangement and I'm honestly torn between the 2. My inclination is to go with Accurascale, since their work on the Deltic was so stellar and I (perhaps a bit naively) expect their 31 to be stellar, too. I'd be going for the DCC Sound fitted version, which is around £260, last I checked. I expect them to sell like hot cakes, just like the Deltic (though admittedly the 31 is less popular than the Deltic). Not everyone loves a Gargoyle! But then Hornby's offering works out cheaper for me, since I already have a 31 TTS chip in my 56 (I know they sound nothing alike). It doesn't seem fair to say Hornby's offering will be less detailed than Accurascale's...but honestly, I think we're all thinking that. A third option, even though it feels a bit...yucky, honestly...would be to get the DCC Ready Accurascale 31 and then put the Hornby TTS chip in it. And then a 4th option would be just not to have sound and get Accurascale's DCC ready option, perhaps upgrading in the future with yet another sound chip. Would it please me to have them both? Yes. But that'd be more than I'd be willing to spend in one go.

Looks like I might have forgotten to say this in the first entry, so apologies for missing this obvious detail...whoops. My layout will be running on DCC and I'll probably be using a Gaugemaster controller for it. At the moment, I use a Bachmann analogue controller, second hand, cheap and cheerful, gets the job done. This is just for running in any new locos I get, so I don't immediately have to buy a decoder and get it installed. I run them in on some track I have laying around, which will eventually make up the layout. All points on the layout will be manual (using my finger to change the points using the...plastic thingy that moves left and right) For those wondering, are my locos fitted with DCC? The answer is yes, all of them have been, in preparation for the DCC controller's arrival. Currently, I have a Class 20, a Class 56 and a Class 153, all fitted with a DCC decoder. Interestingly, the 56 is fitted with a Class 31 TTS chip, which will be transplanted into a 31 once I get my hands on one. My local model shop very kindly let me put down a deposit on a lovely Class 37, since I'm a member of their discount club. There's still some to pay off on that, but its manageable. Until next time

Well, here's my first blog entry...and it's going to be very much text-based! I should probably introduce myself. I'm a 22 year old (at the time of this post) model railway enthusiast (sounds so formal, doesn't it?) I'm no expert on railways and being 22 and relatively new to modelling, I'm not going to know every trick in the book. However, I've officially begun what I'm calling 'Project Redcar', a OO Gauge layout which will hopefully, one day, be renamed to 'Redcar Steelworks'. But for now, in the work-in-progress stage, it's 'Project Redcar'...hence my username. This 'Project' is partially funded by Patreon, which I won't share here just yet. I'm unsure whether that's even allowed. Most of the funding for this comes out of my own pocket. I think it's only fair to warn you, I will not be sticking to any particular era (I can narrow it down to the late 80s and early 90s, but that's the best I can offer), nor will I be attempting to recreate the plant 1:1 (where everything is modelled and in it's proper place). The objective is simply to recreate the spirit, so to speak, of the British steel industry and immortalise the monolithic structure that is the blast furnace at Redcar. With the steelworks being torn down as we speak, it's a race against time to preserve as much detail as possible. As this blog grows, expect to see updates on what's happening with the layout (as of the time of this video, digital 3D modelling is underway and costs are being calculated). I'll share pictures of my locos and rolling stock as they come and also share pictures of the 3D models. I hope that you will all welcome this project and follow along if you're interested. Thanks for reading this first post!

Hello, all Forgive me if this question has been asked in the wrong place or if it's been asked and answered before... But I was wondering who actually owns the rights to Railfreight's iconography? Like, their depot plaques made by Roundel Design in 1987? I've tried asking Google and found nothing, so far Specifically, I would like to know... Who owns the rights to the Railfreight Depot Plaques and are they considered free use now? Who owns the rights to the Railfreight Sector logos, like Coal, Metal, Petroleum, etc.?