PenrithBeacon

Not of you model in P4 and the standard model is 00! Now if it were offered off the production line in P4 at a premium then that would be a different matter! Regards

I have cancelled my order for 'Dodo', just a waste of time without finescale wheels. I have, in the past, speculatively ordered RTR being reasonably certain that either AGW or Ultrascale would do the wheels for it. But now it seems that both traders have changed their business model and will no longer do finescale wheels for upcoming RTR. In doing so they have also changed the assumptions that both the EMGS and S4Soc are built on. Forty years or so ago there was a company called Studiolith. This company had what can only be called a Stalinist approach to railway modelling, it want to control everything even the then Protofour Society. One of the results was that not much was being done in the way of supplying parts and what there was usually of indifferent quality, the other was the formation of the Scalefour Society. After taking a look at the policy of Studiolith the founders of the society decided that it would encourage private enterprise to come up with the supplies needed by finescale modellers. It followed from this that the society would not go into business in competition with the private traders. This policy has been followed since and the results have been wildly successful. Now we seem to have a situation developing where the duopoly of AGW and Ultrascale are not willing anymore to further develop their product lines to provide finescale modellers with their needs. I hope the private enterprise model on which the EMGS and S4Soc are built on is not breaking down, but I fear it is. Regards

I had a brief conversation at the AGW stand on Sunday re the possibility of further RTR wheel sets but it would appear that attention is being paid elsewhere on more pressing managerial and marketing issues. Regards

I spent a very pleasant couple of hours this afternoon at Tilehurst Station and found that, in addition to the usual gantries with hexagonal and rectangular holes, there are two which are made of plain I section. This I found very surprising given the emphasis on structural strength. All very odd!

Thanks, new to me! Regards

IIRC BR std 5, 6 & 7 used the same wheels and AGW supply them with a 3mm i/d hole. Pretty sure that's right. There seems to be a backlog developing for aftermarket wheels. I now have the Heljan 05 in stock but no wheels and the same appears to be in prospect for this model too. I think I'll have to be more circumspect in my future purchases. Regards

The i/d might be an issue. I would imagine that the current wheel has a 1/8" i/d. Regards

Yes, all too true. I have one of these on order because I'm hoping that someone will do the wheels. If not the executors can sell it of when I've gone mouldy. Regards

I think this was the loco that went past Northwick Park on the up slow on Wednesday afternoon. It was pulling a dead EWS 66 from Crewe TMD. EDIT having taken a look at the video, it wasn't this engine

Not so long a go I drove on the flyover at Cricklewood and noticed that at least two of the gantries have been replaced with the new design. Regards

?

There is headspan OHLE on the WCML south of Preston and at Carnforth. It can blow quite hard up there and I've never heard of it coming down (but it might have). The portal design on the WCML is very much of a 'Warren Truss' design. The features of the Warren Truss is it's light weight (so reducing the amount of steel required) and it presents a very low cross section to winds hence it's less vulnerable to storm damage. My concern about the current design of portal is that its chunky design does present a very much greater resistance to the wind and is therefore more vulnerable to storm damage than the original Mark 1 design still in use today on the WCML. I accept that the Headspan Wiring in the ECML is too light in design, but it does seem that the Headspan Wiring on the WCML does the business. The conclusion I reach is that NR has gone OTT and should have revalidated existing designs by BR. But then, the current railway has a distinct prejudice about it's predecessor. The taxpayer pays no matter what. Regards

I was at The GWS bash at Didcot yesterday and the OHLE in the station area looked just terrible. Of all the variations of OHLE since 1900 this has to be the worst aesthetically.

The AGW wheels will have a 1/8" i/d not the 2mm that seems to be the standard for RTR

Ultrascale have withdrawn the webpage they used have for encouraging interest in potential new wheel sets. But on the other hand they seem to be getting involved in other, non wheel related, matters. Regards

Thanks

If it is the colour used on aircraft, and it might well be, see http://www.modelsrgo.co.uk/xtracolor-yellow-zinc-chromate-14ml.html , http://www.creativemodels.co.uk/paint_conversion.php/manufacturers_id/2/page/2 , http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=42685 , http://ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_humbrolauthentic.htm . Regards

What is a 'Bang Road', please. Regards

Saw a three car 144 at Carnforth last Saturday. Are there any plans to produce the middle trailer? Regards

Quite so. But the diesel fraternity can't put a diesel gala on by themselves they have to ask for outside help. Regards

But perhaps on his own thread in Smaller Suppliers?

From your Shapeways page http://www.shapeways.com/product/XWQZYNU6N/fr-k2-body-wsf?li=shop-results&optionId=56757349 " 'White Strong & Flexible: White nylon plastic with a matte finish and slight grainy feel. ' ". My query is the phrase 'slight grainy feel'. I assume that this is a reference to the surface finish, its sounds like a bit of spin to me. Regards

I've also had emails from Hattons. I do think it's very good of them to keep the customer informed. Regards

To the same scale?

The only Wickham Trolley I've ever seen working is the example on the Bluebell Railway. When linesiding, as I used to, the horn was particularly shrill but also very quiet, too quiet for safety. Is this typical of the breed? Regards