PLD

Having seen the 'before' and 'after', whatever the debate about the density of forrestation, the refresh has undoubtedly transformed the layout to something much better presented and more lively than it was. It may possibly have lost a little prototype fidelity but it is now a much more atractive and inviting exhibition layout...

Shame about the prototype selection (personally the L&B is of little interest)

I have to agree on this, though maybe it's just personal taste.

So once again we have members decrying an inovative manufacturer taking a risk because it's not of interest to them. It seems a bit selfish to be saying it's not what I want so no-one else should be able to have it...

Actually we have two manufacturers working in tandem to deliver a substantial range of complementary stock putting a conplete 009 layout within the skills of a good many modellers who don't have the skill/confidence to attempt kit/scratch building and I think that should be applauded... OK it is one relatively obscure and short lived line in a remote corner of the country, but it is a starting point and better than a disperate mismatched selection for example a Ffestiniog Loco and Welshpool coaches...

Is it a coincidence that Peco announce r-t-r 009 rolling stock but no loco, soon after followed by this Heljan news? I wonder if they got their heads together before moving into 009. Some joined up thinking by manufacturers that are not direct rivals.

Reading beteen the lines of what was said by Peco reps, it was obvious they knew there was a matching loco in the pipeline, they just didn't give away who.

First impressions: there is obviously a long way to go for it to be the finished article, however the potential is clearly there and it shows the thought put in at the design stage. What was noticable, was that it was one of the better presented layouts in the show...

 Looking forward to seeing it again hopefully in a more complete form at Ally Pally.

On the Yorksire side, Meadowhall is sensible, giving an interchange with Supertram and, Leeds looks like the best option available for interchange with the existing public transport services, but East Midlands looks a classic case of trying to serve two places and not serving either very well. Perhaps an extension of the Nottingham trams to Derby via the new station??

When I tried N gauge at the start of the 90s I remember Andy Calvert's "Nether Stowey"

 

Really impressed by it.

 

Dave

Not only the layout the proved for me that an N gauge shunting layout could work (despite the perceived wisdom of some 'experts' at the time) leading to thoughts of a sort of Midlandised Nether Stowey before I built Red Wharf Bay.

Also a good guy - always willing to talk and explain how it was done to encourage others...

It's a multipack, although I do not know how many come in a pack. Dave will able to tell us.

I think ten was mentioned (or was it ten pairs?)

Very poor scenic treatment - obviously a rushed job:

 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=383402&nseq=0

It'll be nice when it's finished...

One man's idea of scenic may not be the same as the next. In my own order of things (and considering those layouts I've actually seen first hand) Chee Tor is very firmly in the scenic category whereas The Gresley Beat isn't. For me it's not about size, or the urban vs rural dimension it's to do with the setting dominating the trains/railway rather than the other way round. I get the impression from exhibitions, the internet and print media that most layouts place the railway centre stage, the setting having a lesser priority. I prefer layouts where the railway is almost incidental to the scene but I suspect that many would feel otherwise. I couldn't and wouldn't argue that one style is better than the other, but I would say that one is less usual.

Have to agree with Neil's definition of what is a scenic layout.

Gresley Beat vs Copenhagen Fields is the perfect example. They both represent the same geographic setting in the same period. In one there is some of the highest quality architectural modelling to be found on any layout but it is dominated by the volume of trackwork and trains; whereas the other has some very nicely modelled rolling stock but it is almost incidental to the vast expanse of the landscape modelled...

Both are very impressive layouts but for different reasons and will appeal to different tastes...

Paul

Are the Dapol panniers out yet? all the sites i've been checking either still have pre-order only or they dont even have them listed. This was supposed to be my Christmas present (i have a decoder eagerly awaiting) but I've not been able order one yet.

 

Thanks all!

-Cody Fisher

Yes - they've been available since early November and I think all scheduled liveries/variations have now been released. There are plently of others who have then and put comments/reviews in the thread in the Dapol forum.

It may be that you weren't quick enough and those not listing any have already sold out...

Sunderland 101 (AKA Blackpool 703) at Beamish a couple of weeks ago. When the bus pulled up I initially thought it had spoilt the shot...

This was posted on another forum on a different topic, but I think it fit in here.

Health and Safety 1950s style...

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=416326&nseq=7

Unfortunately that's my best pic

Fine, no criticism of the photography at all, just interested in where abouts this "photo of the Prototype that looks like a model" was taken...

Even the landscape looks like a model...

 

Best, Pete.

It's Network Rail's experimental insulated plastic frogs that had me fooled...

FOLK WISDOM

3. He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Haha this is brilliant!!!

Quoting a three year old post?

Guess you've just proved no 3!

Right... but how do you get to the hammer...

Real-time Passenger Information displays can be very useful, however when the text is longer than the screen can cope with, there can be some unfortunate messages...

Any possible reference to any well known modeller is purely coincidental...

wasn't the 2-6-4 based of a LMS design?

The WL class was originally built for the LMS's NCC subsidiary at Derby and while their appearance closely resembled and they shared many components with the contemporary Fairburn version of the LMS 2-6-4T, they were as much derived from the earlier W class Moguls particularly the wheels and boiler. The main differences to the Fairburn 2-6-4s were 72in driving wheels vs 69in on the Fairburn, the parallel boiler from the W, and that they were 6in wider (taking advantage of the wider track and loading gauge) to increase water capacity.

As above, November for Brush Car (hopefully) want to get it as right as possible...

 

Out of interest how is the balloon coming on? I cant wait to see one painted up by someone else, ive been watching forums regally ... waiting for the first photo of a none Thornton Gate N balloon car to appear!

TBH The Balloon is way down the list of jobs at the moment. Too busy with the real thing over the last couple of months - four different tramways in the last five weekends (Heaton Park/Crich/Blackpool/Birkenhead...)

After Balloon, Jubilee & Brush, the obvious choices are then Centenary (but original condition or 4 styles of rebuild) and ex-towing Railcoach (which has the advantage of being reusable as a Twin Car Motor)...

Thanks for update. Enjoy reading them. I'll have a bet the next new tram is a brush car

As that's 'my big green toy' in post 37 I hope so!

Great models and i too went to and enjoyed the Manchester show on Sunday.

 

Can i ask a really big favour? i want to try and scratchbuild a jubilee tram in oo but can't find any drawings. Can you point me in the right direction please.

There is a booklet published in the late 1980s called "Modernising Blackpools Tramway" [green cover with a pic of a Centenary] or something similar which dealt with the introduction of the O-M-Os, Jubilees and Centenary cars. That had dimensioned drawings of at least side views of each of those three classes.

[i'll update/correct as necessary when I get home and can dig out my copy...]

Tramalan card kit

I presume you actually mean Peter Watson's range of card kits http://www.transportnostalgia.co.uk/ not Tramalan (which were whitemetal...)

The way threads such as this, that start out as a bit of light-hearted fun, always get dragged down to a guage-war or Diesel vs Steam argument or R-T-R wishlisting and end up being locked by the Mods...

Life, Work, and everything else that gets in the way and uses up the time you'd rather spend modelling...

​Had a fantasic day in Manchester on Saturday...

Good to meet you on Saturday Tom, and Sam and Anna.

Those trams look even better in the flesh than the photos and from comments of others who saw them you certainly made a good impression.

When you go into production I'll have a Balloon please and if you do the Brush Car I'll also have one of those. (If you need any more detail photos of the Brush just yell and I get them next time I'm in the park)

Paul

Yeah should be possible, im going up on the Saturday, hopefully be visiting Heaton Park as well, I'll ware one of my plain blue Thornton Gate id badges so anyone that wants to chat can say hello

Hi Tom,

Looks like I'll be in the Park on Saturday. (should be 2 cars in service on Sat and 2/3 depending on crews on Sun) If you visit ask for me and please do bring along a couple of those trams!

Paul

Paul, what do you mean, you'll be at the show, you'll be operating as per normal!! Otherwise there'll be a couple of cars circulating all show as per Kew last year, I seem to spend more time talking than anything else.

Yeah all right Mark, I'll be at the show Sunday. Suppose I could manage an hour or two if you need a break...

And above all, isn't it ironic that the most vocal complaints about the control method are from self proclamed 'Electronics Experts' or 'Control Systems Experts'; just the sort of people who (you would think) would be capable of adapting the signals to their own particular needs... Whereas several others more modest about their skills have actually got on and adapted the Dapol product to suit and shared their methods on here.

To the the first group - put-up or shut-up!

To the the second group - Thank you!

Paul