Nova Scotian

Ugh, I'll bite. In exactly controlled track conditions yes... but the 0-4-0 has a much greater risk of losing traction due to any track irregularities - any patch of rail with reduced adhesion, a change in incline etc, especially where it causes a shift of weight distribution. For toy trains.... if the motor is powerful enough to slip the wheels, it's mostly determined by weight on the driven wheels. If the motor is not, then it'll burn out... If there are lots of axles not driven, or the weight is not generally balanced, there can be a loss of traction despite an overall high weight - 0-4-4Ts are notorious for being challenging to get good traction.

Nova Scotia, Canada. Beautiful place. Also lived in New Brunswick (has its charms in places). We had 50cm of snow today, but was too busy shovelling to take photos, so other winter wonderland photos from previous days and years. I’ll post some other seasonal photos soon, but at a 10mb limit you’ll get sick of all my posting if I do it all at once. Two of the city (Halifax) are from my work building

The idea about having retailers buy in as investors is interesting, but probably a non-starter as it could cause unequal balance. Eg. One of the box shifters buys in at a larger share than another. Or the larger buy in big time, pushing out access to product for smaller (if they had enough influence on direction from that investment). However, it got me thinking about about how Hornby could be a bigger part of the "niche runs" scene. Currently a retailer can "cut out the middle man", go direct to the factory with a CAD etc (which costs to develop, obviously). However, they're buying runs at 500 units a go, they may not have the negotiating power of a Hornby/Bachmann. The CAD work seems to go quite well for the independents, it strikes me there are consultants/contractors out there capable of performing the work to a high standard, so maybe that's not a competitive advantage for Hornby. Long story short - Hornby are the manufacturing aggregator and logistics for the niche 500 unit runs. Say there are ten in a year, that's a 5000 unit order where the negotiating and economies of scale (esp. shipping) can come into play. It's akin to the "special editions" they do at times, but they're actually backing up further by commissioning unique product on behalf of the retailer and their designer. So it's somewhat like EFE/Bachmann who are focused on distribution with some manufacturing, but instead of needing broad distribution channels they're focused more narrowly. There's not much of a space there for them to get elbows out though, I imagine.

That's what I would take away from it. The retailers this year have mostly had to operate online online, so direct-selling versus retailer at that point just eats margin for Hornby. At the same time the retailers have been moving into their space (designing, commissioning, marketing and distributing product), so it's not really a move "against" the retailers, as the retailers can be seen as the ones on the offensive. The usual sales channels have been creaking and groaning the last decade, COVID-19 accelerated them (there are some good studies out there on the acceleration of e-commerce, direct sales etc) and I think they expectation is that things won't go back to the way they were.

That's a good update for Hornby - if they can retain the momentum and "loyalty" from customers returning to, or spending more time on, the hobby as/when COVID-19 eases they'll be in a much stronger position than they have been for many years. The numbers involved for Hornby are slightly boggling in how... small... they are. Like, we all expect them to act like a sophisticated multinational with thousands of employees, and while they're one of the biggest in the hobby they really are small/scrappy compared to where I think customer expectations are. The new kids range looks good, the revived Dublo range looks as though it'll be a helpful margin boost. I think they could pull of the comeback required. Hopefully they're very carefully thinking about what they do to better serve the "modern image" modeller so they can further grow and get themselves well positioned for the future.

I would leave a large manufacturer to set out on my own. I'd promise a large range of locomotives and rolling stock, crowd-funding for the production of each. I would ensure the occasional spat with a factory, so I tie up customer funds in un-delivered product. I'd use crowdfunds from one project to deliver another. Multiple scales, of course. Flashy announcements. And I'd copyright all my product. What can go wrong?

Looks great. Any chance of a video of it running?

Seven hours. If he's awake now he's up before sparrow's fart. Toronto is 5 hours behind. Canada's timezones range from 3 1/2 hours behind (Newfoundland) to 8 hours behind (Vancouver). Our daylight savings doesn't line up exactly, so there's usually a week or two of the year it's an hour less.

If a 40 foot container those usually hold about 20 pallets (no stacking) or 23-24 euro pallets (again not stacked). So likely LTL - so there'll be a delay while the container is destuffed and your pallets are moved (probably to courier?). If you had your own 20 foot it's possible they'd have sent it with 8 pallets as it'd hold about 10.

No, I did not. Which is why I said "they". I am interested in the project, supportive of what you're doing and have been following this thread for a while. Also always interesting to see a Canada based project. But I have not put my money where my mouth is, I am not a customer.

Except in this case they paid you for their birthday present.

This was my first thought. Any drop in the height required will ease the incline significantly. Same applies to any height that can be gained, transition inclines etc, within the rest of the layout. And any tricks to increase the horizontal distance of the incline will help (not as much as reducing the vertical distance though). That is, unless that trick involves curves, which increase friction and make it harder to climb the incline.

I've got 5 quid on a Smokey Joe special wearing a mask with a GPS decoder so it shuts down if driven out of its local area. Skaledale range will include a large, disused Kent airport that you can stack up with 45 feet trailers from Oxford Diecast. I might lose that five quid.

Just some shoddy track laying - if the multiple unit wasn't going to make it through there's no way the Pacific was. (image from wikipedia, wiki commons license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LMS_8P_‘Coronation’_4-6-2_46229_'Duchess_of_Hamilton'_derailed_tender,_Bristol_Temple_Meads_6.11.1994_Scans014_(10873763376).jpg)

That's exciting, I have a soft spot for the E8s

LNER P2, probably 2001, maybe 2003. Not cut up by the scrapyard of course, but by one of the worst CMEs of the 20th century

I wonder how much of this is cultural - in the decade plus I've been in Canada I've become very accustomed to prices being before sales tax (our HST, your VAT), with it only added at checkout. I was very opposed to that when I moved, especially as you are never completely sure on the final price when buying multiple items in the event some may be tax exempt. However, I've "adjusted". It is, however, not only accepted practice, it is *the* practice here.

Working for me now, but certainly was not working yesterday.

Okay, but the link shared with the code is 20% off 160 GBP - hence the comment it's 130GBP (128GBP to be precise), as opposed to your 150GBP. Still a good price on yours and I like your approach to sales, like you already have the claytons and heymeks ready to go , but in this case the link shared is more of a bargain...

Another: Courtesy of Emmerson Case: “Spadina black and white”

Not sure this is the right place, but there's no "Get Canada Modelling" forum. Toronto Railway Museum asked on twitter for people to send photos of their model railways for a virtual model train show. Some fantastic ones in here; similar to the "Show us yours" thread. Personal favourite: Courtesy of Jason Shron: HO scale Kingston Sub layout

I had a problem today too - wondered if it were just me.

Hornby Adams Radial, Late BR, 66.99GBP - Kernow - 3 in Cornwall stock at 18:25 UK time. http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/53380/R3423-WSL-Hornby-Adams-Radial-415-Class-Steam-Locomotive-30583 Looks like a bargain to me! About ten quid cheaper than I've seen it elsewhere in the past?

I would say I have very middling standards and expectations so far as fulfillment. If I order in late November or early December I'd like it to be shipped within a working week, for arrival within a working week of that (eg. 2 weeks total). I don't need something *now* - it's a gift, it's "special" and it's for a set time. I'm not ordering from Tesco for immediate delivery. Swanage is their closest railway, which is why I looked there first. I've bought a couple of nice things there previously for myself and kids - but mostly more "generic railwayana" and the usual fridge magnet type stuff. I would buy more, and pay a LOT more for something designed for them by someone local and produced locally. I am probably in a very small minority though. Only one Chirstmas present I ordered in Canada came from major retailers (other than some stuff for my kids which can't really be included given the value/nature). The UK I found more challenging, partly because I've been gone so long, but I think also e-commerce has been so much stronger there than here that only those who are "slick" with their online model are successful. I tried the usual platforms (ebay, etsy, etc) for local suppliers, and searched through places I wanted to support in Dorset for if they had online retail. It was relatively unsuccessful. I am willing to accept some blame for that as I've been gone too long.

Thanks - NYMR does have a better range than those I'd previously looked at. More unique, more local (although not all of it obviously). Swanage Railway had a couple of half decent articles. Was very disappointed by Bluebell Railway. To the poster that suggested purchasing membership to society; good idea.