E100

Very excited about this with the Black 5. Relatively aggressive pricing considering the aftermarket prices for such an installation.

Does anyone know when the APT-U coach was developed? I thought this was a late additional so only suitable for the black window surrounded version?

Simon stated APT with 12 coaches needing the second NDM.

Any news from Rapido on progress with these? How long do we expect packaging and shipping to take. I'm assuming currently sometime around March/April? It'd just be useful to plan financially.

With regards the pickups. Normally I'd tend to agree that the spring spring type are best, however since this is an articulated set the only way I'd see this working is if they had power connections to adjacent coaches as it'd relay on just one wheel's contact with the track.

I'll be honest I was surprised it did as well as it did. Looks like with some feathered control it can do it which I didn't expect at all. This also suggests the motor has plenty of torque if there's wheel spinning. Nevertheless for anything above 10 car it appears like two is definitely the way to go and especially so if gradients are involved.

Out of interest has anyone tried fitting one or both of the flanged wheels with/without modification?

I would give them all a thorough lubrication i.e. gear train and bearings. There was none on my gear trains for my two.

Just was running in my preserved example and there was a noise from somewhere inside the model. Had a look at the gear train from taking the baseplate off and... ...zero lubrication. Personally more than happy for models to be not factory lubricated as there's often way too much and in places it doesn't need to be. Now running like a swiss watch of course! Hope this helps others.

Between coaches of the same class? Bear in mind the interior red or blue will have a big effect. Would make less sense for Hornby to vary LED specs.

Fair enough. That'll do for me Still my new faviourite!

My two sound fitted 828's (as built and preserved) have just arrived. They are my new favorite locos. Absolutely superb finish. The mechanism is wonderfully smooth and like the shunting mode option a lot. The firebox flicker is favourite of mine and my fiancee also loves this (along with it being blue as it's her favourite colour!) Couple of visual gripes are tender thickness and minor seem line along the top of the boiler. There's also the cable management block on the drawbar. That being said both of which cannot be seen easily when in motion. My main issue is the ridiculous tender connection. The ability for the tender to easily become detached as not screwed in is rather annoying.

It's the as built. Lighter blue, few embellishments (smokebox dart) and the early safety valve system.

Agreed. I'm often very critical watching / reading such reviews where they are given the model. I wish there were a few more somewhat similar to Sam with high quality recording. EuviRail and Dean Park Model Railway do a great job of the modern image stuff.

That's an interesting hypothesis.

I may be wrong but I believe the flicker (yellow LED) only works on DCC with a steady LED on DC.

Got in touch with key publishing email and no luck but then tried Hornby magazine direct through facebook and got a great response from Richard that he would sort it personally and was very sorry. Can't ask for more than that! As always issues crop up and it's how they sort them that defines them

Now £255...

If you do decide to go ahead with this please do let me know as I (and I'm sure others) would also like some so could go to the same supplier. I'm not necessarily suggesting a discount per say as obviously it'd get very complicated no doubt.

Yeah, I'd much prefer an email saying payment to be taken tomorrow. If it means I get my models a day or 2 late then so be it. That being said I've been able to upgrade the second of my two to sound and then combine the two deliveries into one saving £4!

I wonder if we need a separate thread for Accurascale appreciation! One thing I will say is that I reckon Accurascale have delivered thereabouts as many newly tooled products for mainstream modelling (excluding kids ranges) as other big manufactures over the past year. Within 5 to 10 years the range will be somewhat similarly sized at the current pace, which will be rather concerning for others.

That is disgraceful. I would nevertheless take it as encouragement that you must be doing a lot right if they are stooping to such levels!

Any one not got their latest issue? Saw it in the shops on Friday but no sign of it. Checked and I've still got issues left on the subscription.

Sorry was a bit late to the thread but still wanted to put my 2p in. On the topic of the Prairie I thought the finish was somewhat lackluster in mint condition (compared to others) but once weathered I think this will hide this well and the underlying good quality of print should come to fore. The lining looked to be particularly neatly applied. I'd love to see some member's examples. Whilst out of my area I do enjoy the GWR and models like this will encourage me to return one day.

TBF to Sam he's always maintained that he doesn't see himself in the loft long term so will do a proper layout when he moves. I assume the scenery was from when he was younger. I also like that the track work is rubbish in many ways as it means if it runs on his then it gives me confidence it should run fine on mine and probably 95% of the layouts out there. The thing I do like about him is that he will criticise when it's called for (granted he sometimes goes too far / down a rabbit hole / economics isn't his strong suit but at least he speaks his mind). Far too much of the railway modelling media seem to give the manufactures a nearly free pass when they really shouldn't with the prices the way they are.