Revolution Ben

Ha! So since the end of November we have gone from the Warley show at the NEC to zero shows at the NEC to two shows at the NEC (Model World Live in April, now this one in November.) I thought high prices/nothing for the kids/too little competition/too much competition/too much detail/ageing population etc etc were supposed to be killing the hobby? cheers Ben A.

Hi Les, With the caveat that not everything is available all the time these days, I feel the choice in N has never been better. What is the missing prototype(s) that are putting you off another British outline layout in N? (Apologies for slight thread drift, though I think it has some relevance.) cheers Ben A.

Graham, I am very sorry you're still having trouble with your Mk5s. Please email our support manager Simon using the email address in the instructions and give us the oppotunity to help you. The scrap train looks great! cheers Ben A.

Hi all, Wow - way out of my era but the LMS twins look a bit tasty. Well done Farish! The Poole era Mk3s seem an odd choice, but they seem to have printed a raised rim around the windows which improves the appearance. I had hoped they might retool the underframe of the HEA family of wagons as the solebar is too deep - I think this was a miscalculation made when the wagons were originally tooled about 20 years ago. cheers Ben A.

Hi Martin, Glad you like them! Can’t wait to see them running on Tulloch Bridge – one of the best layouts on the circuit right now IMO! Cheers Ben A.

Hi there, Have a look on You Tube at some military diorama modelling of waterways and coastlines. Some of their techniques are very subtle and lend themselves to railway modelling too. cheers Ben A.

Yes - the onboard diesel is designed to give the batteries a top up if there isn't time to get it back to the charging location for a full charge, but obviously this is not intended to be the default operating method as that would impact its green credentials. cheers Ben A.

The loco is 183mm over the outer faces of the tension lock couplers. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, When the drone video was shot nearly a year ago the Class 18s had been sent to Wolverton for storage pending Network Rail approval. This process was necessary because it became clear that customers would need the locomotives to occasionally 'touch' the network. The Tata steel and Sellafield versions, which do not need to run over Network Rail track, do not require this so have been in service now for several years. My understanding is that later this month the first will be deployed from Wolverton, with further deployments taking place over the coming months. The locos require (I think) a 415V charging station but this is not considered a huge issue in most industrial applications. The 08s have had a fantastically long and successful service life but in terms of ongoing maintenance, sourcing spares and environmental concerns they are reaching the end of their days, at least for mainstream industrial use. cheers Ben A.

Hello all, Just a quick note to say that the first tranche of models, Class 59/0 including the exclusives for Kernow and Rails, should be with us imminently and we will update our website with full details when we have them. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, All the HOAs are in twin packs. cheers Ben A.

Hello all, The long-awaited HOA hoppers are going through final checks before shipping. Production samples have been received and checked over. We are entering the Chinese New Year slowdown, but we will update on delivery dates in due course. cheers Ben A.

Hello David, Thanks for the kind words. Just to help: 1) If your DT continues to list noticeably then it may be worth removing the bogies and checking for any small burrs or tags on the moulding that may be touching the underside and that the axles and pick-ups are correctly seated. If not happy please do not hesitate to contact Simon, our customer service manager, using the email address in the instructions, and he will assist further. 2) The lights are designed to offer functionality for DC and DCC users without the need for underside switches that would involve lifting the coaches off the track. The frustration of DC users when they reset because of, say, a station stop, was overlooked. For future runs we are investigating reed switches that maintain their state when power is cut. This isn't such an issue on the Mk5a vehicles, which have just one lighting circuit per car, but has been a real bugbear on the Sleepers which have not just interior lights but also red tail lights on each coach. cheers Ben A.

Hello all, To answer the post above, both models in the T4U twin pack are powered. For clarity: all models of locos or units offered by Revolution are powered. cheers Ben A.

Hello all, Well-known Peterborough-based retailer Trains4U has commissioned an exclusive twin-pack of N gauge Class 66s with a miitary them - GBRf's 66723 Chinook and 66775/F231 HMS Argyll. (Photo: Aaron Roberts) (Photo: Richard Jones.) The models will be supplied in an attractive presentation box, and every sale will include a donation to two armed forces' charities associated with the RAF and Royal Navy, with a minimum of £1500 guaranteed for each. Thanks to Revolution's comprehensive tooling suite, these locomotives will feature accurate combinations of detailing, and they are expected to be ready to ship by Q3/4 2024. Each set is priced at £325 and can be reserved by contacting Trains4U. The models are supplied DC Silent but like all our models feature factory fitted speakers so upgrading to sound is simple. For more information see our news page here: https://revolutiontrains.com/news/ cheers Ben A.

Hello all, As mentioned above, Revolution is producing a limited number of 59101 in its new Heidelberg green livery. We were invited to Whatley Quarry in December on the day the locomotive arrived to haul its first service train following its repaint at Arlington. Although our 59s were already nearing the end of production at this point we were able to negotiate for some to be produced in this eye-catching livery, and we'd like to thank both Freightliner and Heidelberg Materials for their assistance in making this happen. Both DC Silent and DCC Sound versions are available to order on a first-come, first-served basis - for more information see here: https://revolutiontrains.com/news/ cheers Ben A.

Hi there, I'm all for it. For able-bodied men and women aged 21-45 and all Members of Parliament under 80. I doubt there'd be a war then. cheers Ben A.

Yes, we are just waiting for confirmation of a shipping date. Once we have it we will update. cheers Ben A.

They are only 'limited' to the number Hornby Magazine want us to make. Production hasn't started yet, so we can easily add more. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, You should be able to access via your account a notification from Royal Mail when the models are in transit to you. Our software does issue a dispatched notification automatically before but this is misleading, as the postage labels are generated before the models are packed and sent. Some were sent yesterday; some more are being sent tomorrow. I think this is explained in our FAQ! cheers Ben A.

Hi there, We are doing our best to ship PCAs and Mk5s at the same time. We've dispatched a large number of PCAs today, with some to follow (if possible pending other commitments) tomorrow and then more on Friday. cheers Ben A.

I thought the item was fun and entertaining and, most importantly, with the input of the little lad who'd built a Superquick kit (that wasn't super quick!) would've engaged with a Breakfast audience. As to the reporting: How much depth did you want? This was breakfast telly - not Panorama. The vast majority of the audience will be half-watching while they're dressing or munching toast. As to the camera work: Broadcast cameras are not small - this is intentional as their inertia helps to keep the shot steady when hand-held in a scrum. The camera operator will also have been responsible for the sound, the signal back to the satellite truck that relays the item back to the studio and in that environment would've been *very* wary of walking into something or swinging the camera round and causing damage. And at that time of morning they'd probably have had at most ten minutes to rehearse the live and get people into position. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, It depends which email address you used. If it relates to a specific model you own then please use the email address in the accompanying instructions. If it's a general query then you'll get an answer but maybe not quickly - there are four of us in the business and we have to prioritise. For example today no one will be available to answer emails as the Mk5 coaches have arrived and those with access to that account are working to send as many out as we can. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, Glad to see my former employers are still able to turn out some balance! There was a piece on ITV's News at Ten last night which I thought was very fair too.... it's available on ITV X catch up I think. cheers Ben A.

Hi there, But this is your view. I find a 313 or 321 EMU far more interesting than, say, a green tank engine and a couple of old coaches. And to be 'evocative' something has to trigger a memory; the green tank engine and old coaches may trigger memories for some but with the march of time it is increasingly blue DMUs or, as you say, 37s that trigger those happy childhood memories; and in another 10 or 20 years time it will be Class 321s or Pendolinos. This is why preserved railways are so important - they enable today's children to harbour happy memories of the trains of yesteryear. cheers Ben A.