Nova Scotian

Sent the Eurostar to my father, he gifted himself for father's day Thanks Jim! And so I don't get yelled at for not following the rules - here's Hornby R3919 PD Ports Class 66, 66109 'Teesport Express' for 55 GBP. Bure Valley Models http://www.burevalleymodels.com/p/17266/R3919---PD-Ports-Class-66-Co-Co-66109-Teesport-Express - six (6) available at time of posting. No connection to BVM, but previously happy customer and that seems like a cracking price for a new 66, I can't see it anywhere else cheaper.

I counted eight, then had to zoom in to find the ninth!

Canada is a massive place, thank you very much It costs me about 10-12 quid a time for postage within Canada buying anything. The parcel rates are comparatively high. My guess is the amount stated is so high because it includes insurance etc, which on $900 would be a significant amount. Our system is a little overwhelmed at the moment too - I've been waiting 25 days for a loco from Ontario. It was 6 weeks for an IKEA order. International mail is either "surprisingly fast" or "we thought it had got lost it took that long". I once got my birthday card (early March birthday) from a family member before I got the Christmas card. 3-4 weeks for a parcel from Canada to the UK is typical.

Not sure if this is ebay madness, or collector madness https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Very-Rare-Triang-Tri-ang-Hornby-CP-Rail-car/254625634755?hash=item3b48ded9c3:g:TdQAAOSwiX9e3TRX#viTabs_0 Over 500 quid for a Triang truck. Nope.

Thank you - that is quite disappointing given the likely volume, and thus revenue, from those fees. The only real exposure I've had to brand standards we were far more focused on quality assurance (eg. that the branding was applied correctly and was representative) than on squeezing a few more cents out of a sunk cost.

Any idea why the Go Transit are more expensive? Seems like an odd difference, unless there's a difference in tooling I can't see?

This has gone on too long - why are they still failing so regularly?

Everyone is bored sitting around; so more people indulging and prepared to pay the big bucks for what they need next.

The 755 looks so much better. Better resolved front-end design. I've been disappointed in their troubles during introduction because they are one of those classes that to me just "looks right". If it looks right it should go right too. It might be a trick of the angle, but the floor looks much lower, so it looks less top heavy.

Yeah - it's a real problem how constrained the rail network is for space in Halifax. I can't imagine it works to send it as far as Bedford for a loop. Push/pull set probably technologically not feasible? Would also upset the dome customers. As can see a time when they decide downtown is too difficult, like they did in Saint John, and move to a pre-fab station just outside the city. Passenger numbers drop further; then the service goes away. Ugh. Depressing.

Correct - New Brunswick has closed its borders to non-essential travel. Stranding me in a separate province to my children (I usually travel between the two). Nova Scotia is interviewing all arrivals and you have to self-isolate for 2 weeks. PEI and NL seem to have very strict rules. The Ocean had already had its service halved a few years ago, this will probably spell the end. Which is very disappointing as I've been trying to figure out a way to make a trip on it work; but the schedule is awful for when I have meetings in Quebec City or Montreal, and I always end up flying. Be nice to claim to have sat/slept in a Nightstar MK4 - just on the wrong continent. The only ray of hope is that typically their business picks up in the run up to Christmas, and they may be tempted to reinstate for that period. Much easier to socially distance from other passengers in a sleeper cab rather than crammed into a Q400 - if they had decent wifi onboard, ran a better schedule and did some track upgrades (reduce time, allow you to turn around quicker on a return), they may pick up those no longer wanting to travel by air.

I'd like to see greater modularity. Locomotive class with two main variants, a shorter Bo-Bo and a longer Co-Co. They'd share cabs, control software and just about everything possible. The Co-Co would have four "sleds" for equipment, the Bo-Bo would have three. Multi-use, multi-functional jack of all trades locos to replace the remaining 47s, 37s, 73s and all legacy etc. For that reason you'd be looking at axle loadings of 17t, and can ballast to 20t. Leave higher weights to the 60s/66s/70s of the world. All would be capable of push-pull. You'd want to designate the Co-Co more as freight, with the Bo-Bo more for higher speed mixed traffic. To make the Co-Co useful you ensure a short wheelbase and maybe a radial steered bogie to reduce flange wear. Co-Co would have three options: Power option: Four V12 MTUs (an an example, say 700-900hp engines) installed on sleds that can be pulled in and out of the loco body for rapid repair and replacement. Gives 3000hpish for freight usage, or 2400ish for passenger with hotelling power. Electronic control shuts off the powerunits not in use as and when needed, under light load, running light engine etc. Rural routes option: 3 diesel engines as above on the sleds, one battery pack. Peak HP can be 3000hp plus for rapid (but brief) acceleration, with 2000ish hp continuous power, at least 1500 if hoteling. Bi-mode: 1 diesel engines on sled, one batter pack, and the space for the other two used up with electrickery required to run off OHLE. Bo-Bo would also have three options: High speed mixed traffic: Three diesel engines on sleds. DMU replacement; two diesel engines, one battery sled, operate rural push-pull services for on-hire companies (eg - you're not operating the franchise full-time with them, but can bring them in when other classes are out of service). High speed mixed traffic with last mile capability Bi-mode: 1 diesel engine on sled, and the space for the other two used up with electrickery required to run off OHLE. Advantages: - Peak power is only used for relatively short periods, with long periods of low or trailing throttle; shutting down engines to reduce pumping losses and only turning on the power units you need makes a lot of sense - Rapid repair and overhaul of powerunits being able to disconnect and slide right in and out - Standard parts for inventory control - Standard cabs for training Disadvantages: - Complex control systems - Four small engines is more expensive than one big one - Still assumes diesel is main power source - UK likely does not have the volume to generate sufficient orders for such a family of locos. You'll notice I think diesel still has life in it; it's going to be very difficult to identify anything with the energy density of diesel, to produce high power in a compact package with long range and high reliability in a way that diesel can. Problem here is that sticking a new traction package in an old loco is cheaper, and you don't need to meet the same emissions standards. So you're not going to be able to get firms to drop their 73 for a new fangled loco. The UK's weight restrictions are not seen as much across Europe; so a nice 17t axle load that can handle the sharp curves of the west highland way is great for us, but apparently not many other places.

This project has been going a few months less than the amount of time I've been with my partner (that is not a criticism!). She knows exactly what "thread" I'm referencing when I excitedly try and tell her about what you've done this time. I'm always in awe of your ingenuity and ability to craft something new out of just about anything. The methodology for the top of the bar turned out brilliantly; and others you've come up with along the way are inspired.

Is the tender attachment causing weight transfer off the driving wheels? (additionally checking the running of wheels on the tender to make sure they're free running). Other forums make reference to overtighting of screws of the body to the chassis causing traction issues - and on older models issues with the keeper plate.

Is sawing lead weights wise? Isn't that going to cause airborne particulates?

Sorry there's no update here; due to travel restrictions I didn't have the days I expected to work on the second baseboard. I now do not know when I will be returning to start this build. I bid on some low priced locos on ebay to soothe my soul; the plan was to get a couple of cheap, rugged OO gauge the kids could repaint in their own liveries. I was outbid on the Airfix 14xx (which I coveted for myself), the Triang Jinty and HK era Bachmann J72. Got an Airfix/Mainlines LNER N2 though; and it's FAR too nice to repaint with the kids. I'll service it up and it can be in use when I'm there to supervise (along with some of the other nicer models). Now no more ebay bidding though; while I've been extremely fortunate not to be laid off (I'm even busier than usual at work because of current crisis) I've had to drop some $$$ on improving my home office and ensuring adequate food stocks in two locations (before being prevented from going to one of them!). Appreciate all the comments and advice - I'll let you know when I get started again.

Their case study here http://www.artemisip.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/190325-Railway-Gazette-case-study.pdf suggests to me the funded research project is over and they're looking for commercial partners to commercialize.

What an odd thing. Who made the class 210 kit? Assuming that's what happened; resin kit and lima donor? But then, East Midlands fictitious livery? The broad colours are actually done quite well, it's just been beaten up in certain places.

Errr, don't, please. This does go beyond politics - at least in most places responding. Be prepared. Stay calm. Build model railways

I'm in Canada. We're shutting our international borders tomorrow. Our schools are shut. Anyone that can work from home is. I strongly encourage you to read that Imperial University report. The best outcome of this is that in a year we'll wonder what all the fuss was about - that means the measures worked. The UK is late to the game though; you were slow to respond. The likely outcome is a tens if not hundreds of thousand of deaths and a critically overloaded healthcare system. The worst outcome, do nothing, is 450,000 deaths. So stop the "mass media" stuff - most of the media is currently relaying what Governments are planning for and are saying.

Any over-produced trainset - right from a "Highland Whatsit" to a "Freight Express" type thing, when its time is done invariably the discounts start and it's extremely good value for even the least proto-typical sets. Trucks can be modified, coaches cut-and-shut, pugbashes etc. All on the cheap. I've also found the costs of various eurostar, javelin etc sets quite reasonable when you think about the number of coaches (and tools needed) for these sets, again typically when they go on sale. Which almost all of them do at some point. Also a shout-out to the Golden Valley Janus.

Then go straight to the source of what they're talking about; https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf I saw the post title and thought "of course" - aging volunteers, reliant on tourism, etc. Hopefully they can limit their expenses in the downtime - and survive off donations until things start to pick back up in a few months.

Isn't there also a smell to old packaging? The way the mineral oil seeps into the cardboard on an old Dublo or Wrenn box.

Hopefully GA can figure out in the next couple of weeks doing enough updates, test-runs etc while keeping their staff protected that by the time people are using the service again it's actually working.

Do you reckon I could fit R2 in if I used some gradients? Eg. run one track under the other on the curves - it would mean the space available to climb the gradient may not be enough though? I'm happy with 4% as would be running short stock and half the fun for kids is seeing a train spinning its wheels as they add trucks...