Major Clanger

The Wizard website is now fixed. The motor gearbox combination Tony refers to is Canon CA1620 plus GB8/15. Due to different fixing screw spacings, this gearbox is the only Comet one suitable for use with this motor, and vice versa. On a related theme, we still have plenty of Mashima motors, except 1620 (sold out) and 1024 and 1833, both of which are almost down to single figures.

I am aware of the website problem - the webmaster is on to it.

Don't bother - we haven't got any either (both flavours). It looks like you've found a sort of a bug on the site - they correctly show as out of stock on the individual product pages, but when more than one product appears there is a button saying "read more" as opposed to the "add to basket" for products which are stock, which does't make the status as obvious as it could be.

The tender chassis frets seem to have been withdrawn from the range before Mainly Trains closed down. I have no details of etching tool numbers etc, but will make enquiries in due course.

Yes, and more stock is expected from the etchers, hopefully in time for me to pack it.

I put the GC wagon on the website but as "out of stock" so those with previous expressions of interest could see the details, and then place orders by other means. All the pre-orders are now in, so it will be changed to in stock later today, but there are only 2 left from the first batch. More castings are expected in time for Expo and Railex.

All fixed now...

Update - looks like the problem is due to the database running out of space (no warning received from the host). More space has been purchased, but it could be up to 24 hours before everything is working again.

There is a problem with the Wizard website today - looks like some sort of meltdown on the host's server. They are working on it...

GEM: Matthew Richter says the suspension of retail sales is temporary, pending an operation and subsequent convalescence. There may be limited wholesale activity in the interim, depending on what stock is to hand. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Perhaps not the best title, as the phrase "winding up" has other connotations, but I wanted to start a new thread to keep the rampant commercialism separate from the tributes to Dave Cleal. Mainly Trains is now part of Wizard Models Limited, and all the stock, paperwork and computer files have been transferred to their new home. There are essentially two types of product: Mainly Trains own products - these will all be continued, and the process of adding them to the Wizard Models website has begun. Other manufacturers' products - some of these will be kept in stock, and will be added to the Wizard Models website. Others will be sold to exhaustion and then discontinued, so they may appear on the website for a limited period, or I might not bother - keep a close eye on the Bargain Box at exhibitions! If there is any particular item you are desperate to buy, please let me know and I'll give priority to adding it to the website. For those of you with old printed lists, please note that the some of the prices are now well out of date, so no cheques/postal orders at the old prices please. I hope to have a lot of items on sale at the Nottingham show this coming weekend, and just about everything by the York show at Easter. Advance orders very welcome... The domain name www.mainlytrains.co.uk has been lost. The other one, www.mainlytrains.com is now owned by Wizard Models, and a redirect to www.wizardmodels.ltd should soon be in place. Finally, I would like to thank the Cleal family for their help and hospitality at the weekend, and I hope to keep up the standards that Dave Cleal established over the years.

Site now back up again - I don't know what the problem was, although the whole internet seemed a bit slow last night.

Some reasons why you think it is badly designed would help, rather than such a broad statement. BTW, you never could order directly from the old Comet site... As mentioned later in the thread, all the Wizard owned websites are slowly being amalgamated into one, but it is a long job. Photos to take, frets to scan, instructions to write/reformat etc. The webmaster has been informed about the Google problem.

What makes you think it isn't?

We don't know why it wasn't, as the information was sent to RM in good time. However, it did appear on p985 in a Late Show Entries section, along with a preview opposite on p984. There was also a quarter page advert on p57a.

Of which C10A (short, 103 in stock) and C10B (long, 224 in stock) are the ex-Kirk roofs. I bought up the remaining supply (not from Coopercraft), so once they're gone, that might be it.

Thanks for the kind words Tony - your tenner's in the post... Seriously, I can't really take any credit for this motor/gearbox combination - it was drawn by the late Geoff Brewin, due to the previous end of Mashima scare. I just dug it out of the development drawer, sent it off for etching, and Roy Jackson did the test build. Please let me have further feedback once the loco is finished and tested under a good load. One other point - it's actually cheaper than the Comet GB1/Mashima 16xx equivalent.

Definitely not me!!

None left now.....

For anyone put off by the boiler taper on the box label (as I was), the actual model looks a lot better - at least the one on the Hornby stand at Peterborough did.