TomScrut

They are 21 pin as per the discussion on the previous page.

Looks mint. Would really like this but Mallard and SNG took precedence.

I agree having just held my phone at an angle and looked down the line in question on the photos. If that's the only inaccuracy on the model then it's a darn good one, however. I don't think that's what they are getting at, although the rubbers maybe do need to look a bit more compressed and flappy if I am being fussy. This is what they are on about. The real thing looks to have a very large radius curve (probably about 10 metres radius by skeg of the eye) whereas the model looks straight.

My SNG is 21 pin. Haven't checked Mallard (as I don't intend running that (like NRM with the real the real thing). Photo just because I have one of it.

Very pleased with my Northern one, although it's a bit noisier than I thought it should be. Here are my Northern bois lined up. Just need a 195 and/or 170 now!

It will only let me put 10 in my basket, however... That could definitely be the case. FOMO is a big draw!

Interesting, given they were completely out for a while. I got my notification too, I wonder if I'll see it before Christmas. I'm sure Mallard took about a week from payment to arrival.

Completely agree, and you have IDed the biggest gaps in my opinion. Either the 185, or the ones Bachmann did in non DCC configuration that now fetch big bucks on eBay in certain liveries (170/220/221). The Voyager is probably a good one simply because two classes can be covered with near identical tooling, XC livery is already in high demand and there are at least two WCML liveries since the Virgin ones that are already out there. The Bachmann 150 is just about good enough IMO. I have one and I aren't sure I'd upgrade it if they did a new tool one in Northern.

I agree with the principle, however the issue is that it takes me longer to organise a return and to take it to a drop off point than it does to fix it!

Has 60009 actually sold out now? It hadn't a week or two ago. I originally ordered Mallard, SNG and UOSA but cancelled UOSA as it was getting a bit too expensive a job and I couldn't see myself needing 2 A4s for heritage tours. SNG won out though as I don't have a BR blue steam loco, have a few BR green ones. I got Mallard just because it was my favourite loco as a kid and have been waiting for a special model of it since I got back into the hobby.

I have a DPD notification for Mallard, should be with me tomorrow!

Same here, front right buffer was loose. Very happy with it, here she is running in

I'd say it also works in volatile situations where getting rid of staff in the case of a downturn becomes the suppliers problem rather than yours, but in general I agree with what you're saying. Also in the case of a cleaner (for example), the company might only need one. A cleaning company should be able to cover on holidays/illness etc. where if you employed them you'd either need to employ cover yourself or do without when they aren't there.

It's a bit like the mk3s from Hattons mentioned above, they have been this price all week as far as I am aware. Still a bargain however (in that case at least) if you can get the appropriate power cars (which is the reason they are still there IMO). However, I do think this is a good deal... 90028 from Locomotion in DB livery for £149.99 https://locomotionmodels.com/exclusives/diesel-and-electric-locomotives/br-class-90-no-90028-sir-william-mcalpine-db-cargo Only DB release of the new tooling 90 so far.

Maybe that more applies to N than OO; looking at Rails bargains section (as it numbers the amount of each era) OO: In OO, it is more balanced, with era 8 having the most bargains but still a lot of era 5-7 bargains. Understandable dip for Era 6 as I expect there's less Era 6 releases than 5 and 7. Era 9 is skewed as Bachmann regard era 9 as 1995-present day so some stuff from 9 on here should be in 10 or 11. I'd be interested to know, however, whether later stuff doesn't sell as well, or if it is because (IMO at least), there is more variety in liveries meaning more releases but still a similar uptake? There does seem to be a lot of post privatisation modellers in OO. There does seem to be a lot of sectorisation stuff which I expect is to do with the variety of liveries. Also skewing the balance is the amount of Hornby mk3s and mk4s on offer, and Bachmann mk2s. However, in N: Hardly anything until era 8, then quite a lot of stuff. I wonder if the demographic for era of interest varies with scale. I am into era 11, but I'd probably not consider N for there isn't the variety there is in OO (although it is getting better).

Haven't they had it repainted into that?

I concur. At work we occasionally paint vehicles yet a lot of the time customers stipulate pantone (for example) which is not generally a paint colour spec, more for graphics, printing etc. as far as I am aware which can make cross referencing/matching slightly awkward at times. Even then it's not an exact science. We also use colour impregnated gel on our fibreglass panels and that doesn't create an exact match when aligning with a painted panel.

I still aren't convinced it's not the test train colour or base IET colour rather than the TPE base colour. Bottom two probably the best comparison That said, in bright light....

Well just going off a colour code is a can of worms in itself if wanting an exact match. However I feel there must be something else at play here, as if it is a like for like colour code it should be close enough to be not discernible without offering the model up to the real thing. Isn't it a metallic colour, and the one on the model looks flat? That said at scale it probably wouldn't look very metallic.

There's the 88 missing off there. I agree, there is a LOT of money being spent on tooling that we are aware of. I aren't saying that's not sustainable but it seems there's a situation at the moment I feel where a land grab is going on, and whether some run out of steam (pun intended) in the process we don't know.

They took payment for Mallard yesterday. No payment taken for SNG yet though.

I think it would be interesting to see a painted sample. The issue on the real thing is the rectangular plinth is body coloured and the light unit is black. The EPs all the same colour create the illusion (IMO) that it's all in one bit

Likewise! 😁 Well done to them for honouring that.

My main concern is, IIRC, that they were all looking at it on YouTube and commenting as though it was exactly how they wanted it to look. I know they aren't necessarily going to say it's way off in front of everyone but I think I'd have been commenting on the colour publicly if it had been me to hold off this sort of activity on a forum.

TBH if it looks like the sample when it turns up, it will be going back. Which would be a massive shame as I have been wanting a TPE 802 since they were built, but it actually has to look like one! Also worth mentioning that the front end would look ridiculous next to a Dapol 68 and/or AS mk5a, I don't think either of these are perfect but they are a lot better than what the Hornby sample is and both are on the light side of the real colour rather than too dark like the Hornby one.