Roy L S

Mesage for Dapol Dave Royal Mail Track and Trace say the 26 has been delivered back to you today. In the covering letter sent with it is my e-mail address and I'd be grateful if you could e-mail me directly when the replacement is on the way back to me. Many thanks Roy

Hi Robert Mine ran beautifully from the off, as I said the one and only issue on mine was that the lights would only work in one direction, and I was half tempted to keep it notwithstanding! I was in a glum mood putting it in the post back to Dave yesterday and am very much looking forward to getting it's replacement. Cheers Roy

Hi Dave In the Post to you First Class Recorded this morning, marked for your personal attention.. Hopefully it will be with you Monday. Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.. Regards Roy

Hi Dave Thank you, the offer is very much appreciated and I shall take you up on it. I will post it back to you on Monday. Do you need a copy of the Hattons receipt to be sent with it? Cheers Roy P.S. These things happen, and for anyone reading this thread I do want to stress that I am not criticising this model I really like it.

Well, as hoped mine was indeed there waiting when I got home from work today. It certainly has a "wow" factor about it looks wise - a very fine model indeed and a credit to Dave Jones and his Team. I oiled it as per the instructions then gave it a run. Performance wise I cannot fault it - silky smooth, whisper quiet in operation, I would say up with the best. Mine is though sadly tembered with a bit of a disappointment. On the very first lap there was a wisp of smoke and now the lights only work in one direction I assume a bit of iffy soldering on the PCB somewhere Given the overwhelmingly positive reviews, for once I have just been unlucky I think. My dilemma is what to do now. Do I send it back which will be a hassle? Or do I put on the disc codes one end and live with it (I am not fussed about the tail lights because I think I am right in saying back in the 1960's they were not used, a good old fashioned oil lamp being hung on instead). I will ponder what to do tonight, but to be clear, even allowing for this issue on mine, it is a great model. Roy

Hattons have e-mailed to say mine is despatched. Based on the BR blue one I have had a chance to "play" with and all the pics I have seen to date of the green one, I can't wait for it to arrive! Roy

Hi 60027 Merlin Thank you, I stand corrected, I'm not sure where I read that it was, but never mind. Much better news that North Eastern was often "borrowed" I don't even have to apply "Rule 1" to justify running it! Cheers Roy

Hi Bernard Thank you, I have tried as far as possible, helped by Farish's excellent range of recent wagons to capture at least the look of the typical Waverley Route freights, for me, they are one of the many things that first attracted me to the Waverley Route, coupled to the fact that a fair proportion of it was in the charge of B1's V2's and Gresley and Peppercorn Pacifics, well into the 1960's. I have seen a pic on this site of a number of "Flats" carrying Ford Anglias marshalled amongst other wagons in a fitted freight (As opposed to a "block" train of them) so one of my next projects will be to make two, maybe three "Flats" from Farish Mk1 chassis, and order a job lot of Oxford Diecast's Anglias from Hattons to put on them:-) Regards Roy

To be honest no. I usually have no fear of renumbering but the finish of the A1's is just so good I do not want to risk spoiling it. I think I am correct in saying that 60147 "North Eastern" was a Haymarket loco at least at some point, and assuming this is correct I can justify running it under "Rule 1" and assume it was "borrowed" for a run to Carlisle and back. Not so sure about "Great Central" though... If I do pluck up the courage to renumber one, the choice for me would be 60159 "Bonnie Dundee". Cheers Roy

Just been playing with my new digital camera after my old Fuji conked out in a very terminal way. A couple of shots of Whitrope Siding from the other direction: -

Looks absolutely fantastic - just needs the headboard Regards Roy

Hi Matt Yes, there will always be a price-point, but I am in the camp of being prepared to pay more for a better quality more accuarate model which is what we are thankfully largely seeing these days. I just buy less of them. You can still shop around and as has been mentioned elsewhere some dealers do very keen preorder prices like for example £111 at Hattons for the exquisite Farish A1 which lists at £136 odd. Costs are rising, margins are not getting bigger, higher price these days will typically relate to increased cost not greater margin. The Dapol 26 is £76 from Hattons (Where I have preordered my green one from) the list price is a bit more (£90 ish?) but it is a beautiful model and the quality reflects in the price (along with the things I mentioned above). There is an old Yorkshire saying which I subscribe to fully - "you don't get owt for nowt" Of course, as you say you can still, in the case of the Western probably pick up the old Farish model cheaper but in truth the cost differential is probably going to be fairly minimal. Not a comparison of Westerns specifically, true, but if we take Hattons as an example - old non DCC non lighted Class 25 - £64. Preorder price for new DCC ready Class 24 with lights, headcode discs etc is the same. Do I think £95 for a really good highly detailed Western which is accurate, DCC ready and with lights is too much? No, not personally, and if I wanted one (which I do not) I would pay that price, I suspect the majority would too. Regards Roy

I am sure non N/2mil modellers will not mind the temporary takeover, there are some cracking models there, I especially like the A3s, they really look the part, and that typically grubby V2 too - very nice. Can I ask how you did the V2's outside steam pipes? I've often pondered whether they would be a viable aftermarket accessory, maybe in resin or whitemetal - something one could use as a quick and easy mod simply glueing in place and painting. I recall speaking to Graham Hubbard of Bachmann many years back and he told me that a number of different variants of the V2 were planned including one with outside pipes, but such is the way things have moved on in N even the V2 has been left behind somewhat and I doubt they will ever see the light of day now. Roy

I have a couple of old poole style A3's and A4's including "Prince Palatine" but for me the trouble is that next to the most recent offerings they just do not stand up that well - they look very dated and a bit crude (That said yours do look rather nice). I have to say, based on my experience of the A1s would also prefer a tender-driven Farish A3 and A4 as I am not a big fan of the Dapol driveshaft arrangement either. I had my fingers crossed that given the A1 tender-drive they would be next and also have a similar hunch that they will be produced. Also, in my view (to date at least) the new generation Farish steam locos are much better engineered, better finished and somehow have much more finesse. Now accepted that could all change with the Dapol A3 and A4 and the advantage of the big tender is that at least most of the shaft will be at least to an extent concealed. I am certainly not going to place an order for a Dapol A3 until I have seen good pictures of a finished production model, but the prototype lash up does show promise. Roy

And expensive... I already had the J39 and Ivatt on order and recently a 26 was added too but now how am I going to resist a "Lemberg" in final condition? Ok yes admittedly I would have preferred it to have been a "Prince Palatine", "Spearmint" or "Salmon Trout" with cabside stripe but that is probably just me being ungrateful! An A2 too though? That was a rumour I hadn't heard....it's enough to send my wallet into complete meltdown... Happy days... Roy I

I have spent a few days tidying a few bits of my layout following TaD-Rail and attached are a few more pictures in case anyone would like to see. In shot is one of my new Farish A1's (Just superb!) and a real favourite of mine the weathered Farish B1. I am a bit happier with the layout now than I was at the show (Lesson learned - look at it under really bright and make sure it looks ok like that - it is totally unforgiving). I still need to replace those signals (Which were only ever temporary for the show, but my dilemma is, do I try to make prototypical lattice post signals from MSE kits and leave them non-working or wait for Dapol's (albeit totally incorrect) LMS Tubular Post signals and have them working? Also need to find more correct handrails for the culvert (Bridge 199), but not sure where to source them from. I guess I could make them from micristrip, but I'm thinking one wrong move cleaning the track and... Anyway, nuff said... Roy

Riccarton was started with big plans but lots of compromises were needed as far as the track plan was concerned though, especially the junction/pointwork to the Branch to fit it in an 8ft by 6ft box-room. Something just did not "feel" right about it and working on it slowed down and in the end stopped - it became little more than a a glorified test-track in truth. If I do start to re-plan/build it again I may decide to make it portable (the curent one is built in around the walls of the room and removing the boards will mean destruction. In the meantime I will set Whitrope Siding up today and start work sorting out various bits and pieces of finishing that need doing.to it. Regards Roy

Hi Bernard Thank you for your kind words, it was a pleasure to meet you and talk about the Waverley Route, a line I have developed a massive interest in over the years, although I realise how little I actually know! The more I looke at the layout during the day the more I realised there were things I could improve on, and once it is up in my modelling room without the pressure of having to get it done in time for a show I will do more than a bit of tidying up. In my Railway Room I have had another layout (Also N) based on Riccarton Junction under construction for 10 years but it never got much further than track and a start on scenery, Now I have Whitrope to play with I think I will rip it up and plan it again. Thanks again. Roy

I had a chance to have a good play with a BR blue one today. E ven up close in the flesh it looks stunning and importantly it runs as sweetly and smoothly as anything out there. Well impressed! Roy

Finally resistance has crumbled. Having spent about three hundred quid on building a new layout and over £200 on a pair of those rather lovely Farish A1's I had said "no more" for a bit, However such has been the feedback on this lovely little 26 I have now preordered a BR Green one:-) Just a shame it will not be here till Warley ish, but from the looks of things it will be well worth the wait! Roy

Agreed on both counts. The 26 appears to have received universally good reports (and more importantly as far as I am aware absolutely nothing bad has been said anywehere). In terms of looks from these pics especially I can see why - superb. I must order a green one... The layout is so neatly and crisply modelled with lovely attention to detail, things like the ballast shoulders cabling trunking and track/ballast colouring. Roy

Just about finished now still a bit of tidying, detailing, dirtying that's all, attached (If I can get it to work!) are a couple of pics of my nearly finished Whitrope Siding layout taken on my good Lady's mobile (I need some new batteries for my camera!). The shot from behind the snow-fence seems to have bouced the flash back because of the glue I used to stick it in place - now remediated. Any thoughts/observations gratefully recieved. Roy

That would have been very useful but typically I printed the two Box nameboards in font 3 on white photographic quality paper, cut them out and stuck them on just last night before fixing the box down! They actually look reasonably convincing. Hey-ho, never mind, there's always next time (Riccarton Junction one day hopefully!). Regards Roy

Hi Bernard Thank you. The box is now fixed in situ on the layout, which is pretty much finished. All that remains is to fit the drape round the front and then figure a simple way to crate it for safe transport. I look forward to meeting you on Saturday. Regards Roy

I should add a big "Thank you" to Matt for all the information he generously provided me. Roy