SamThomas

Well, they are better than they used to be & again with some effort could be made to look reasonable - not as good as finescale but certainly better.

Certainly the offerings from other manufactures are considered better, but flexytrack & a little imagination would go a long way to moving away from the trainset trackage look.

IMHO the section modelled on PW's layout certainly are. However, I do think it gets more interesting further north.

They could just show the start, finish & then the distance covered. I don't think they do that much work on the VC. Some years ago a friend of mine carried out some testing for a company that manufactures HO European Outline locomotives - they would often rack up 1,000+ actual miles before wearing out the wheels or pickups. I have in my own collection & that still runs well after a new wheelset. The test track was a monitored figure of eight with a 1 in 50 gradiant pulling 10 x coaches. Be very interested to see what sort of actual distances Hornby loco motives would run.

As you say John - they produce flexible track so absolutely no excuse for set track curves i.e curve, curve, straight, curve on the VC layouts. They do (or probably buy in) a fair range of scenic poducts so still no excuse for the train set image. At least they could have something better than what they have now - scale (apart from the gauge) rolling stock in toy train settings. You could certainly produce a "model railway" as opposed to a "train set" from the Hornby stable.

Agreed - it does have a bit of an "unneutered tomcat" sort of smell. Was not aware of the issue with UV light.

They have had plenty of opportunities well before the change of ownership. In anycase, there would be ample room in the VC if they cleared out some of the "well past sell by date" stuff.

Agreed -regarding the tired layouts at the Visitors Centre - they have had several opportunities in the past to do something about them but in this respect are firmly stuck with the "trainset" mindset. & with all that space in the former factory they could easily construct a decent length test track with gradiants in a figure of 8 format which would curve both ways. Never seem to see them doing any long term testing though...........

So, it's more like Copydex then

SK's comments along the lines of "it's just got to be right" seem a bit hollow to me with the abundance of trainset curves & poor senery on all the Hornby "layouts". Mrs T thought the APT & other trains looked "stupid" on the tight curves but did admit that it was probably to show off the tilting mechanism.* Still not impressed with PW's layout. IMHO it's boring** & the speed of construction shows. Still, the public like it so I suppose in this media driven world that's all that matters. *I was under the impression that the main problem with the APT (apart from the motion sickness it induced) was that the tilting mechanism was not reliable & that the pendalino's used a different system ? ** Then again, most of the WCML is boring !

A point often missed is that whatever type of compression connector you get a better termination if the conductor "fills" the connector which is why you often find conductors "doubled over".

Excellent - more so (for me anyway) to see Black Prince at the end.

I'm well past retirement age & went "full time retired" about 18 months ago. Plenty (in fact more than enough) to do but I felt I had "lost my purpose" in life. I'm not really one for exercise & felt both my physical & mental health were possibly declining. Mrs T stated that my demise would be earlier than I thought if I did not "do something" about it. So, I found a part time, 3 x days a week HGV driving. Certainly, the 03:00H starts are a bit of a pain, but I'm out there doing something I love - driving, driving something that many other people could not. I stop & help other road users & drive my vehicle in a manner that can only improve the image of the logistics industry. I feel my physical & mental health is much better (as Mrs T will testify -= she no longer plots my demise). When driving home after a shift I reflect on a day well done. Sometimes, I get unnecessary grief from a shop but hey, next week they may want a favour "can you put that round the back ?" "no, sorry sir we only have to deliver it to the front door" - or "can you take this out of date food back ?" "no, sorry sir we have run out of waste transfer notes". (Moral here is the delivery driver can be your best friend or worse enemy). Double manned days can be that much of a laugh if you are paired with someone with a GSOF that it goes quickly - most jobs are what you make of it anyway. I do actually meet some great people, work with some great guys (as an aside I also meet a fair amount of stupid people, mostly driving other vehicles). I get some exercise & fresh air, paid for by other people. So, my advice to retiree's is to keep occupled, find something regular to do away from our collective hobby (that should always remain a hobby) - look to the past - anything you have fancied doingg - play the piono ? (or other musical instrument, then take up some lessons, flying, like Koi Carp - anything you always fancied doing but work got in the way then take it up or at least look into it. Maybe something with your good lady, ballroom dancing maybe. Whatever you do don't vegitate. You have earned your retirement - enjoy it.

Are you looking for Liliput as originally manufactured in Austria or "Bachput" as manufactured in China ? It may help to narrow it down for people to respond.

Indeed, whatever the rights & wrongs of the test, it was to demostrate to the public, (most of whom had no idea about the technical railway aspects & would not care anyway.) & to put their minds at rest regarding the safety of nuclear flasks. As regards "pure vandalism" the same could also be said about the level crossing safety video that destroyed a very nice (& now very rare) MkI Astra GTE some years ago - a car that is now a very desirable "modern(ish)"! classic.

You can just remove the capacitor(s) but as already suggested soldered connectings will be better if you have reasonable soldering skills. However, some people are not very good at soldering (& some will never be) - bad/not very good solder joints will be a future cause for frustration. Thats why pre-soldered wires to fishplates are made & bought. Please lets not discourage the OP with the usual RMW debates that seem to confuse people, never to be seen again.

Don't seem to be able to delete - post now hidden anyway.

Interesting Rich & thanks for the link. This is where the inflexibility of rail & the flexibility of road rears it's head. lets compare the outfit I work for & how it would fit in with those proposals ; The small satallite depot I work from has 4 x trucks which deliver to small supermarkets & "corner" ttype shops. Monday to Wednesday 3 x trucks work. Thursday to Saturday 4 x trucks work (mine is the 4th one - i work 3 x days). Yesterday the transport manager told me not to go in - there were only enough sheduled deliveries** for 3 x trucks - I stll get paid but they save the diesel & wear/tear on 1 x truck. Now, if that equated to an empty container on the train then who would have to pay for that ? ** Completly down to what people have bought earlier in the week.

Thanks - maybe I should have used google to look for one instead of the forum search !

I have "clashed swords" with you on other posts but I do agree with you on this one. VOSA/VDSA (or "The Wombles" as they are affectionatly known as) only really patrol the motorways & major routes. Traffic police are, thesedays a dying breed & the local police too busy with domestics & not enough traffic law knowledge that would stand up in court if the other side has half decent legal representation.

"Half ton (or tonne) car" - what is it - a pedal car ? "Overall safety" - yess, it's poor in places & I would like to see standards improved - but they will come at a cost to you, reflected in the price of everything you buy. "Anyone can driver a truck" - fancy quoting such drivel - again 03:00H start & i guarantee you will have a different opinion. You have stated that road haulage is what it is due to "market forces" & so it is. As you are clearly so anti road haulage then I respectfully you stop buying stuff & start growing all your own food & making your own cloths (oh, & don't buy a new car because that will be delivered on an unroadworthy HGV driven by an overtired homicidal maniac - better still, get rid of the car & go everywhen by public transport).

& there lies the problem - every time a load (in a container or otherwise) is transhipped the cost goes up. By the time your load has waited for the train to take it a few hundred miles & transhipped the other end The HGV from the factory will probably be at the delivery point.

Do you honestly believe that us HGV drivers set off to work (often at very unsociable hours to get your food on the shelves on time) to "kill innocent people" ? Would these "innocent people" be some like those that undertake left turning HGV's, correctly road positioned & indicating on their cycles & electric scooters or just plain walking accross the junction heads down looking at their "device" ? These "innocebnt people" also have a duty of care to themseselves. Many a time I have had to brake sharply to protect those who act in a selfish manner & then have to explain the cirumstances to a transport manager why the on-board telematics grassed me up. & yes, I am sadly aware that there are some (too many) cases of HGV drivers not paying attention with the result of death/life changing injuries (& these should never, ever be allowed to drive again). Please do not generalise when referring to us hard working HGV drivers - in fact meet me at 03:00H tomorrow at my depot & I'll show you a very different take on the matter (I'll even buy the coffee). For various reasons already discussed general freight will never return to the railways in the UK. Railfreight will never have the flexibility of road logistics & certainly not all the while people "want it yesterday", so bear that in mind the next time you order stuff from that unethical organisation that would pack something like a decoder in a box big enough to ship a pair of boots.

Thanks Ron, most enjoyable. I see the US habit of flying flags on the front of locomotives has now crossed the atlantic (or had I not noticed it before now ?)

I think a lotta blame can be layed at the door of predictive txt. If u proof reed all the posts in RMW & other antisocial media that you inhabit u wood need 2 bulk by red pens. or I think a lot of the blame can be laid at the door of predictive text. If you proof read all the posts in RMW & other (anti)social media that you inhabit you would need to bulk buy red pens.