Nova Scotian

I have no idea if you or the other poster is male or female; that is beside the point. There was a gendered comment made to perpetuate a stereotype that has no place here, nor in the hobby. You are only less tolerant because you have not been the group about whom these comments have been made in the past, I assume. Had you been on the receiving end your position may be different. In this case there was a clear link that the original post was made as a slight on women, a woman that works at Hattons. Belittling her by calling her a girl, and questioning the efficacy of her efforts in her role - based on nothing other than being female. So, this is not a ridiculous accusation on my part; it was a ridiculous assertion on the part of the original poster that I have highlighted. Try some tolerance sometime. It won't hurt.

I appreciate you seeing the same. If someone made that comment about one of my daughters, both of whom are interested in modeling and I'm trying to encourage, I would be extremely hurt and unimpressed. I do not see it as light banter. A comment such as that would easily put them off for life as they would not feel welcome in the hobby. There's no place for it.

You mean the woman holding the loco? And why is it you think she's incompetent? Because you've demeaned and belittled her by calling her a girl? Because she's a woman working for a model shop? Or do you have a problem with the retailer?

Is there a current price/stock list? The last I've seen is from Autumn 2018.

If you really want to see something in a publication it'd be more meaningful to do an "opinion" piece. Discussing impact on the hobby, bit of an obit, bit of forward looking. Less chance for defamation and elevates it to talking about the hobby, not raking over the ashes.

Well, I think you're brilliant.

Oh, I'd missed that. Thank you!

Things I'm mildly interested in, that may not have been mentioned already (I've skimmed the 27 pages, for my sins): - I wonder if there's anything in progress, or due for shipping - most likely OO austerity/j94 that's been held up by cashflow. If finished, or close to finished, will the liquidators look to pay, then flog cheap? Could we see some product being dumped in the UK marketplace, or have we had the last ever shipment of new DJM? It'd have to be non-crowdfunded. - Liquidation is painfully complex, given the number of likely creditors involved, and so any progress on seeing any of the business assumed (IP, tooling etc) would take a long time as there'd have to be agreements on value, how much the creditors get etc. However, it is possible that key pieces could be picked off individually. For example - cutting out the "middleman" on the N gauge King - could there be direct work between a retailer and factory given progress had apparently been made, thus costs sunk, and pennies would be paid on the pounds owing. - I'd been surprised at the lack of spares for products - that can only get worse from now on? Perhaps someone is working away now on a traditional folded brass chassis for underneath the DJM bodies for a traditional gearbox and mashima type motor? - There are some products that DJM clearly identified a market for (in my mind) such as the N gauge Clayton. Could we see more collaboration between manufacturers, factories and retailers across the different gauges? As Heljan I may not want to jump into N gauge, but I have an existing sales channel, I have the CAD etc - risk-sharing with a factory willing to take a punt on providing the mechanism could be an interesting way to do these smaller runs. All the above is pure speculation, and if this is the wrong place for that I'm happy to edit (the 27 pages before this suggest this is pretty mild...). It's sad that so many people may have lost out on models they wanted, and money they once had (if they are not able to reclaim). It's sad that an individual has lost something they tried to build. Hopefully, from the ashes, there is still a business model in the hobby for small runs, retailer commissions, some sort of shared-risk model where the risks are better communicated and understood. I wanted DJM to succeed, because I don't want to see anyone fail who's trying to provide new and/or better models for the hobby. I've seen that sentiment echoed here. I sincerely hope for those that may have lost out; that your losses are small and life sees its way to compensate you in some other way.

If you gave me 85 to take it off your hands that might compensate me for the inconvenience of cleaning up all the little bits after I'd smashed it against a wall a few hundred times (to make it look better). 120 would seal the deal. The lister clearly doesn't understand that how they've listed it suggest someone would have to pay them, not be paid to take it. An easy mistake.

I'm not planning on any "roundy". The board will also sit on the floor when being built - so it's less than 3 inches off the carpet if the kids do accidentally run a train off into the abyss.

This gives good thought too, thank you. This was why I'd planned the road coming over a hill/bridge, down to the station (Bertie races etc). When looking at my trackplan it's pretty empty front left - this could be a fun "activity" area, or where we build up a small village or something. One of their favourite games is picking up livestock in the trucks - so perhaps by the station I should create a siding with a ramp where livestock can be walked up into the trucks before going to market? Interestingly the thing they want more than anything is the model building. I've already done a couple of aeroplanes with them, peco sheds etc. They're not quite six yet (so lots of supervision and some assistance required - especially with painting!). So one of my overriding concerns is the ability for them to try different crafts - so was thinking a duck pond near the road (practice making water). A quarry near the sidings (shaping expanded polystrene and the painting thereof). Making the station building and some other buildings for the layout. I'm happy to ballast, I'm not sure I can face doing the grass with them though!

They are. I don't have any troublesome trucks - and most of what I have are shorter chassis - so in my initial trackplan I can fit an 0-4-0 and three trucks fully inside with clearance, or 3 trucks and a brake van. I'm trying to wrap my head around the two levels. This would be far more interesting and give much more room to play with the track

This is fantastic, thank you @The Johnster

I like it - but I'm not sure I'd be allowed to still be their father if I sold Thomas!

Update - I've figured out being able to fit an 8x4 layout into my space, moving furniture around, out, etc. I've kept the original 2x4 request below as there was really great info, but updated scenario starts in a few posts ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Before I can get working on my layout, I've committed to working with my kids to create a large diorama / small layout first. Which only seems fair, because kids. My kids are getting into putting models together - they like crafting, and so they requested the opportunity to create buildings, lakes, roads, and "somewhere for Thomas and Percy". So, I've put the baseboard together. It's as good as 2x4 (123cm by 61cm to be precise). There's no real need for realism - but I'm thinking about a modified version of what we see at the end of the Thomas intro - small branchline with a station. I can build up a road that then goes over the tracks - to replicate the hill Bertie comes down during their race. To make it more interesting I'm thinking of a slightly larger station, with two tracks (one of which I can continue on to a new baseboard if I get more room), so a platform + station building. Then at the opposite end of the board I'd have room for sidings to do some shunting. So, a 2 foot wide board gives me more space than most inglenook type layouts I've seen. However, 4 foot is quite compact. There'd be nothing to stop me adding a fiddle yard later on a new board. What should I do with the wider board? Sidings for coaches? Pay and display car park with a couple of hoodlums loitering? Somewhere to load milk vans? Anyone have suggestions for a decent trackplan that gives a hint of operating (within a confined area) - and if it's one I can expand later then we're golden. Would only be running 0-4-0 and 0-6-0, so tight radius good. Probably going to use settrack, but worried about if this limits me. Should I use flexitrack? It'd all be code 100. Thinking about wiring the whole thing live with droppers for reliability and simplicity - disconnected from what I later do with the points (motors etc). Ultimately this is for the kids - and for them to build plastic buildings, paint, have design input etc. I expect their design input won't cover track design, so, please, I'm hoping someone can help. Thanks

I don't model in O. I have OO, HO, and have considered N. But this e-mail today had me seriously reconsidering my options. These are fantastic prices. A proper bargain.

The best feature in a new model has already come and gone; possibly before its time. Hornby Live Steam.

Rails have one less of these than they did when the e-mail was sent out. How about an N gauge Kato 373 for 120 pounds? https://www.traintrax.co.uk/101295-kato-eurostar-class-005006-powered-classi-p-1205.html

I have a soft spot for Bure Valley Models - no affiliation, links etc, just a decent shop doing their best. Bargains here: http://www.burevalleymodels.com/c/112/Locomotives Couple of Bachmanns caught my eye: DB 08 for £69.00 - http://www.burevalleymodels.com/p/8078/32-119---Class-08-DB-Schenker-Red-08-907 Bachmann Patriot for £99 - http://www.burevalleymodels.com/p/7987/31-214---Patriot-45538-Giggleswick-BR-Green-Early

I really like the clean ploughs on the bogies - it sets off the "cow's bottom" weathering elsewhere so you aptly described and named.

Class 139! I count four liveries, one in service, three various prototypes/trials. No-one else has done it. It's not a 10 car DEMU. You could build a massive flywheel into the floor driven by a small vertically mounted coreless motor to try and stay more "true" to type. And no need to worry about smoke.

I love this track plan - you've fitted so much into the space, with operational interest. I'm looking at potential plans for my own in a similar size, and this post has really helped me, so thank you.

Excuse the awful drawing, I was travelling, then deleted where I stored the file, and now it's late and I had a long day... It's an odd situation - I have no "permanent" room that I could designate. My apartment is 60 sqm, two bedrooms - one for me, one for kids. I would use an area by my bed for storage of the layout when not under construction and in use (which is where my space restraint comes from for something that folds/wheels/breaksdown). In the living room I have a large entry way (on the right as you look at it), even with my storage furniture overhanging I have about 105cm through the entry way. Directly opposite that is a window with an electric radiator beneath (high temperature - you can't put anything above or next to it). On the wall at the top of my diagram are a tall filing cabinet (180cm tall), and then storage furniture including bookcases, tv stand, toy storage etc. This is all the same depth, and the height varies. I see this wall as "done" though, I can't move the furniture elsewhere as most of it is fixed together, the TV has to go there because of where the connections are etc. Down the right wall as you look at it, another bookcase (slim, 140cm tall), a wardrobe (two girls, only room in their bedroom for one wardrobe, so the second is in my living room!) that's 180cm tall. The corner space is inefficient - I have a chair diagonally that fills the gap between the wardrobe and the sofa, currently a rocking chair. I rarely use this (as my kids are now older), and there's a potential to use that corner, but it's only 80cm by 80cm approx. It would be hard up against two walls and the wardrobe, and then against the sofa (but higher) if I were to try and fix something to the wall here. Back wall is a large 3 seat sofa. Gap between it and the outside wall for cables, speakers, various reasons (15cm gap). Therefore I believed my best option is something I can drop into the middle of the room. The coffee table is light and easily moved. If I can move the layout to storage, and I believe I'm competent enough to create a folding/wheeled solution, then this seemed best. I COULD push an absolute maximum of 300cm by 180cm if taking up the entire empty floorspace, but then I couldn't store it, or get around it. To leave reasonable working room on all sides and be able to store it, I settled on roughly 183cm by 130cm - or 4x6, 48x72. Red box is rough (not to scale) placement and dimension of layout if I were to take this approach. You'll see why I feel as though 36 inches (91cm) would be preferable, or even somewhere inbetween, as pushing the full 130cm will make it slightly tight. (45cm on each side - whereas 60cm would be much more comfortable!) Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? My understanding from this is I'd want something that's "scenic" all around - I could put scenic breaks in to split into two, but there'd be no storage area or fiddle yard that's not devoted to being scenic. With the ability to walk around etc this is why I was thinking some gradients would add interest and chop the scene up a bit.

I'll take one day at the races for 95 of your finest British pounds. Disappointing that the retailers et al. have it marked up so high at 170-200!