andyman7

It seems that I am in a minority for preferring lighter evenings even if it means darker mornings. If we stick with changing the clocks and I had my way, I'd change them in winter so that it got light at 2pm, because in the daytime I'm working and it doesn't make any difference if I'm cooped up indoors, but at least I'd have light evenings! But more seriously, I wonder why we fiddle with the clocks at all when we could just change behaviours to suit. I've never understood the 'but farmers will have to work longer in the dark' argument - seeing as cows can't tell the time why does anyone have to follow what the clock says? I think on balance I'd prefer just to leave the darn things on GMT all year round so that midday = mid daylight as near as possible. As it gets lighter in the summer those that want can get up earlier, and those of us that want more light at the end of the day can start earlier in winter. Given that so many more people work flexibly this could be accommodated much more nowadays.

CIGs and VEPs each had one standard class compartment per driving coach following declassification of part of the 1st class. So until 2005 it was still possible to use a compartment even in standard class if you knew where to go.

Yes, see post above!

Because of the shotage of testing resources, the number of people who have been infected and recovered is an unknown. Reported cases are just that - the known ones and there is consensus that the actual penetration of the virus is much greater. Everythings is being tested in real time but what we and a number of other European countries are evaluating is whether strong social distancing measures control the spread enough to load balance ICU admissions with maximum enhanced capacity. You don't want no-one to get it - what you want is to prevent the vulnerable getting it and moderate the spread so that health services can handle the spread in the general population, 90% of whom need no medical intervention.

For the very reason that you cite, I don't think that is feasible. The main reason for the lockdown is to buy time for: - increased NHS capacity - better testing (such as an antibody test) - better therapies (to treat people more quickly and effectively) Properly done (as now) it needs about 3-6 weeks to really slow transmission. The 12 week isolation for the most vulnerable , tough though that is, also helps minimise the potential highest peak load on the NHS. The very fact that COVID-19 is quite widespread means that there are also people building up resistence. Although I can't see all restrictions being lifted until next year, bringing the virus under control and getting better data on how it behaves, how many people really get no or mild symptoms and rapid testing/tracing would allow something like normal life to resume in the late summer (domestically at least) with the proviso that outbreaks are ruthlessly tackled. By this time the hope is that the spectre of more widespread lockdowns will make everyone much more compliant.

Sorry about the spelling in the title....

Hi, while we are all indoors, I am trying to resurrect a Hornby (superdetail) class 08 that has been robbed for spares. I am trying to replace some missing conrod nuts - on the Hornby Service Sheet these are shown as a set with the conrods themselves as part X9369 - X9370 - X9371 (and proabably others) depending on the conrod colour, but these don't seem to be available as spares and in any case I only need the nuts. I think the centre ones have a slightly longer shank but there must be suitable substitutes out there to match - does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you....

You can just watch it. no need to sign up to anything!

Yes, head on over to Twitter and type in #TwitterModelTrainShow

It's probably not particularly helpful to my mental health to keep doing table top scenario planning of different things, but I can't help it at the moment. The severity of this has come on so suddenly that we are all taking time to adjust, and it is clear that however the crisis pans out, we're not going to be back to normal in a couple of weeks. However, although this is a very serious issue for heritage railways, I do think that the majority of them are better placed to be able to come back than many businesses which have huge, unstoppable ongoing overheads - simply because of the high level of volunteer labour and the fact that they don'y run a 24/7 all year operation. Even if a large part of the 2020 season may not happen, it is survivable if the assets are mothballed and the costs minimised. What they will need is the same kind of spirit of endeavour against hostile odds that got many of them to where they are today, and I have faith that will prevail.

Growing up next to the DC lines the signalling system fascinated me. It was tripcock worked and incorporated an element of permissive working - the line was originally constructed as a L&NWR/Baker St & Waterloo (Bakerloo) joint line so it was from the start a hybrid Underground line, and when resignalled (by the LMS in 1933 I believe) the basis was relatively low service speed, high frequency and a similar 'stop on sight' approach to the Underground. This means that looking down the line ahead you can normally see a succession of signals and rather than waiting for a distant to slow you down, you will see ahead where the line of greens turn to red and adjust your driving/approach to suit. The wierdest thing (to me) was that each train was protected not just by the preceding red, but by a succession of reds. This was something to do with the mechanical way the signals were changed, which happened as the train was passing. Without continuous track circuiting, to have only one red could create the risk that the preceding signal cleared with part of the train still in section, so each signal at red had to have at least one preceding home signal remain red until the next signal (which was always more than a train length beyond) had been tripped. There were a mixture of two types of signal in use when I used the line. The Home/Distant ones used three aspect through a top serachlight lamp, with a repeater for the red aspect. The Home signals had a searchlight top light that showed red or green, and a two aspect repeater, the upper aspect of which repeated only the red. The lower light was a (unique to this route) calling on distant that would activate if the main aspect was red and hadn't cleared within a certain time, allowing the train to pass the signal permissively on sight and draw up to the train in front, unless of course the line and subsequent aspects cleared. By the time I used the line frequencies were a shadow of their former self and I only once ever saw this happen, on my way to school at Watford High Street up starter, when due to heavy delays a succession of service were backed up. I have a couple of old 126 film shots (hence the quality) that show these strange signals - one is the Hatch End up home; the other was the down Home/Distant immediately beyond Bushey that was normally (as here) at caution to protect the junction with the Croxley line.

If the magnet isn't the issue then, assuming the commutator is clean and the motor isn't clogged with grease and gunk the next suspect is one or more of the windings in the armature. As noted above these motors are prettu indestructible and there are still those that can rewind/exchange aramatures.

I too picked one up today, the headcode lighting is very good, not at all overbright and really echoes the glow of incandescent bulbs behind the blinds.

Waterloo to Exeter was an all station secondary stopping service post rationalisation in the 1960s, most definitely not InterCity. It was an edge case as to whether it was London & South East or Provincial beyond Salisbury but wouldn't have qualified as InterCity on speed, rolling stock quality or catering,

I have just picked up this MTK Class 25/3. It's fitted with two Triang motor bogies, although one is devoid of armature. All I've done is add pickups to the unpowered bogie and insulate the bogies from the body as it was shorting out. It weights a ton and the lights dim when it moves off....these days this loco is junk to most people but I love it, back in the 70s when I saw 25s every day on the WCML I know my eyes would have been on stalks to see an actual model like this when every other layout had nothing but kettles.

What is an isn't indespensible varies from person to person. Personally, the lack of clouds of steam/smoke is always going to compromise the illusion for me with model steam engines......

The Peppercorn and E3001 were to 4mm scale. The A4 and A3 were also 4mm scale. The Warship, Western, Transpennine and Mk1 coaches were 3.8mm/ft scale. The late Tony Matthewman's book is an indispensable bible as to the ins and out of Trix production.

Oh gawd, this whole Chromatic Blue/Monastral Blue/Rail Blue bunfight has been going on for years. It's not helped either by the unstable nature of any of the potential blue shades when applied to locos and rolling stock used outside in various climactic conditions; or by reference to colour photographs which are all themselves subject to both the nature of the film emulsions used and the subsequent stability of prints/slides. The effect of light, weathering and scale mean that in reality a range of shades can be justified ad infinitum. Even the reference to Chromatic Blue being lighter than Rail Blue doesn't really help as ANY blue outside gets lighter over time......

The Railroad range is a little inconsistent but none of the locos are tender drive - many are from tooling that used to be tender drive but all have been amended to modern loco drive can motors. A lot of the inconsistencies emerge from whether a Railroad model is made from old (ex-Margate) tooling; from ex-Lima tools; or from new tooling specifically designed to fit within the Railroad range. The latter items will generally have NEM couplings as a default, but for items based on older tooling it will depend on whether it has been adapted. The regular 9F is I would argue quite considerably changed from the old Silver Seal model - the loco drive and separate wire handrails making a big difference. The Crosti 9F, like the Tornado A2, the P2 and the current Flying Scotsman are all new tools that were deliberately engineered to be able to fit in the Railroad range, but which were also offered in the main range with enhanced decoration. It's probably best to ignore how each Railroad model relates to other Railroad models and instead to look at each specific model as being a budget version of something else, that something else may be a more highly decorated version of the same model in the main range (e.g. the P2); a superdetail model from completely separate tooling in the main range (e.g the Schools); or a superdetail model in another manufacturer's main range (e.g. the Class 47).

...but not the loco so this may be a solution for the OP. I think the 'missing' screws are omitted on all the models and don't affect operation - referred to earlier in the thread. Wire should be repairable and as others have said Hornby should be willing to do this FOC via their service centre. Hope this helps.

There are 15 listed on ebay right now, out of an edition of 1500. Reminds of that childhood joke, 'I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate...!'

I've no problem if they do another Tri-ang edition - it doesn't have to be a re-issue, for example they could the loco + 1 coach in the manner of the original R346 version of 1963. Limted Edition certificates are pretty decorations but have no effect on the future collectability of a model railway loco - what dictates desirability is supply versus demand. There are plenty of 1990s certificated Hornby models cluttering up dealer shelves and auctions with absouletly no premium attached, whilst many 'regular' issue models over the years have attained collectable status because there is a ready market for any example that turns up for sale. I originally tried to order the 'Triang' Rocket set from my regular dealer but he could not promise supply, so I pre-ordered from Hattons. Then my regular chap got one in, so I cancelled the Hattons one knowing that there would likely be a shortage. I'll never know whether I cancelled a phantom order or whether it genuinely enabled someone else to get one, but I hope it is the latter.

Obvious to whom? Triang items are collected in their own right so whilst prices may soften I doubt these will now be significantly cheaper. There are none on ebay right now but sales in the past month have been consistent with price levels over some time - unboxed they go for around £12-£20 each - mint boxed always commands a premium from collectors.

For most plated-headcode 47s, one end will need opaque white 'dots' which could be very thin plasticard - ideally edged in black to represent the rubber beading. The other end needs the little lamp inserts added and would have headlight lenses which could be made with Humbrol 'clearfix'.

The 'merger' (takeover) of Hornby Dublo by Triang was announced in May 1965 but there isn't really a definitive 'last' Triang item as the factory used a large variety of genetic coded boxes and there was considerable overlap in boxes. For example I have seen R753 E3001 in a Triang box even though it was released in the Triang Hornby era. The very last loco to feature the Triang Hornby name is actually the GWR 0-6-0PT released in 1972 - although the brand officially became Hornby Railways from January 1972 the tooling was already complete and the first versions have Triang-Hornby engraved on the body. Triang-Hornby boxes were being used until 1973. The quality of Rovex models did not decline after 1965 but after 1971 the new owners of Rovex pushed for the models to be more 'attractive' to train set buyers hence the move to gloss varnishes for locos, bright nickel plated wheels and red rather than brick brown buildings. These all lent a rather toy-like appearance to the models but the actual quality of manufacture was no worse. After the advent of Mainline and Airfix in the late 1970s and then the almost total collapse of the model-railways-as-staple-childhood toys market in the early 1980s there was a push for greater fidelity with the models but it was indeed the move to China that allowed a step change in quality whilst maintaining prices (back then - Chinese inflation has eventually pushed these up to perhaps more realistic levels.....)