Johnfromoz

The above has been illustrative of the problems with the exle boxes. I wonder how many in receipt of the current locos will just end up cutting the caps off the plastic bushes and just glue them over the hole on the bogie. Kinda ruins one of the main features of this model touted as innovative (rotating axlebox covers) but I know I would forgo this rather than put up with poor running.

Thanks Jack and Rob, Pretty much as I had suspected. John

Hi, I am aware that this has been touched on in past topics, but was wondering if anyone out there can give a rough estimate of the number of VGA/VKA vans that were repainted into EWS red? I have built up a rake of 12, 6 of which are in the red livery. How prototypical is this, given the majority were left in original silver livery? Best I can find is two red ones running together. TIA

Many thanks 25901. This document is great background and context to the half height containers and their usage. John

Great photo. Fair to say the half height containers as modelled by accurascale haven't been used sine 2015?

Noticing that Hattons are now stocking Accurascale, I picked up the last DRS half height container set the other day. Researching the history of these, I was struggling to find images of the 68s hauling these red half height ones which seem to have gone out of use 2015/16? I guess as the 68s came in around 2014 there would be a window of 18 months or so when 68 haulage would be feasible? Happy to be corrected on this.

Rather than straying off into the emotive area of who is a 'modeller' and who isn't (a lot of sniffy nonsense in my view) I would reiterate my earlier view that:- 1 Given the minute and bespoke nature of the part (axle cap) 2 Given the moving forces exerted on it over the life of the model It would surely be a common sense and low cost move for Hattons to include spares within their detail pack. That was the only suggestion I was making!! Lol.

Not suggesting its hard to use some superglue. Just not convinced at this stage that the axle boxes won't repeatedly come loose, thats all. They are the perfect candidate for disappearing unnoticed. For that reason some spares would be nice. Time will tell whether I am right or wrong. we shall see.

Moving away from bodies or chassis debate, I am very much wanting to order one of these, but am loath to do so unless Hattons include a packet of spare axle covers with each loco, given the reports in this thread of them coming loose. Either the carpet monster or obscure parts of the layout will swallow these up, I'm sure. I certainly don't want to be contacting Hattons several times a year requesting spares. How about it Hattons Dave?

James, I feel your pain with these. If ever there was a model railway product not fit for purpose its these Oxford Mark 3s. Sorely regret investing in four of them. Cheap, rubbishy product. Once you dismantle them, good luck with reassembly. All parts bar the body shell are insanely flimsy. I too returned to the Hornby version for my Virgin push pull train. Whatever minor errors they may have (hst/loco hauled detail) in my view they have a better visual profile and are streets ahead in build quality. John

Having recently unpacked and examined my oxford Mark 3s purchased a year or more ago, I feel the topic of Oxfords appalling build quality with these coaches needs revisiting. The issue of loose/missing door footsteps, buffers etc has been well documented and such issues were present on all five coaches, but on opening the Mark3a buffet I find that they have surpassed themselves.....chassis so loose from the body that it dropped down to the floor, the plastic chassis so thin that it bows severely on the slightest pressure. And of course, the minute springs upon which the close coupling mechanism depends are missing from both ends and loose in the box. As some would know, relocating these is a nightmare. All in all, a cheap and nasty product. People may bag the Hornby Mark3s as crude and long in the tooth (and with their own errors in production) but they are at least a solid, robust build that I much prefer. I will not buy further Oxford coaching stock while such poor quality persists (they are not THAT cheap after all...)

For the benefit of those still inquiring about decoder fitting to the 87, I can advise that I have just fitted a branchline 3 function 8 pin with harness. Initially, I tried to lay the decoder flat on the surface of circuit board, but noted that the body would not quite sit true to its base on the chassis. Ultimately, I had to blue tack the decoder to the underside of the PCB at the pantograph end. As others have noted, the space for speaker at the other end of the circuit board is a joke. Interestingly, there is a 3 second lag between lighting commands and illumination/change of ends. Unsure if this is down to he decoder or circuit board, either way, doesnt bother me. Loco runs superbly.

Thanks for the info guys. Just want to put non sound in for now. Might try lenz. Crazy that an 8 pin direct wont fit?

Returning to the Hornby model, can any forum members provide definitive advice about any dcc decoder that WILL fit the 87? So far I have deduced that even the dcc concepts 8 pin direct will not fit? Thanks in advance John

Good to know, thanks guys.

Thanks. I guess what im asking is. Can no 20 be produced from the Hornby model or are dimensions etc different?

Apologies if this has been covered before/elsewhere, but does anyone have a view on how accurate the current release is (with a repaint) in representing the rail blue Ruston which operated Reading signal works in the 60/70s? This loco could often be seen on the lower level tracks on the right when entering Reading from the London direction. John

Thank you so much for these and the earlier pictures. Amazing range, covering so many eras there. Much appreciated. A location regularly visited during my childhood, the pics have stoked so many memories. That last pic of the two Hymeks seems so show yet another loco dropped into the turntable!! Would love to know the story behind that one..... John

Same sh***y experience with him a couple of years ago. My advice is get tough with him on refund.

I would be interested to see a side by side comparison to the Hornby Mark 2e.....

Would advise that you keep them on a shared address, so that motor control and sound output will be in sync as per the real thing (ie both chips will respond to the one command) John

Would love to recreate the ones which languished at Stratford in the early 1970s, ending up in the storage lines withe the Baby Deltics. They had a strange patina of oil, black paint and rust on them giving them an overall charcoal look. Can't even remember idenifying a totem on them.

Returning to the model in general, I note that all of the pictures so far show no depiction of windscreen wipers on the cab front windows. Is this prototypical? Are the wipers hidden by roof cowling or someting, or are they extras to be fitted?

I have my two (Biffa & 66705) seperately running 10 Dapol Super Low IDA s, ( 5 x pairs) each wagon loaded with a Stobart 45ft container, no problem whatsover, even on my third radius hidden curves at each end, there being no slippage or loss of speed that I can discern. Given the wagons have solid metal spines I was amazed, given the prior history of this motor bogie Only caveat is that I am on DCC and the locos are each fitted with Hornby Cl 66 TTS chips, CV150 set to 1, and some small change coins wedged in the chassis cavity immediately to the rear of the motor bogie for weight. The CV change transforms it. See Dragon Junction on u tube.

All water nozzles glued back on mine. Obviously I can see that each wagon has only one spraying bogie. was just asking about prototype set up. I.e. do the spraying bogies on my water jet twin pack run back to back or at opposite ends of the train, or maybe it doesnt matter. Hoping someone has knowledge of the real thing.