YesTor

Sorry, I may have not explained very clearly, but I am very conscious that different liveries arrived at different times, so had already taken that into account. My reference was to supposed instances surrounding one single livery, and therefore the same model. There could have been other factors involved of course, however all I'm trying to say is that we'd never know for sure with any retailer as to whether orders are processed strictly 'first come, first served'. We tend to just assume that way because that naturally seems the 'right' thing to do. Al

Except that doesn't always seem to be the case though. Recollectons from the Hattons 66 thread appeared to indicate that while some customers who pre-ordered much later received their items early on from the initial delivery, while some who had ordered much earlier seemed to be waiting many months later for a further batch of models to arrive. For various reasons, some retailers might not operate on the 'first come, first served' basis that we tend to assume. Al

I'd agree, plenty more liveries to cover and more emerging on the prototype almost on a weekly basis (or at least it feels that way at times!). That said, I can't imagine they'd consider further versions of the more 'run of the mill' liveries that have already been covered - even if the niggles were to be corrected - at least not until those already on the shelves have cleared and Hatton's having a clear feel of there being justifiable demand for more. To do otherwise would be commercial suicide? Indeed, sort out the axle boxes, correct the lighting issues and it's pretty much job done. Worst case scenario, if Hattons did away with the rotating axleboxes concept altogether (and I'm not suggesting that they should), then they'd still have an infinitely superior model to any other 66 on the market. Some tidying up of the glue application wouldn't go amiss - although to be fair this latter advice could easily extend to almost all of the manufacturers anyway, so hardly a unique and unresolvable issue. Now, on a lighter note... did I hear someone mention 'Evening Star'... Improved axlebox design? Lights all in correct sequence? Where do we pre-order...? Al

May I ask, are these purchases of new or 'pre-owned' models? cheers Al

Oh well, that's it then, if it's "completely new" then it must be okay...

Some of us having been saying similar since last December... only to be beaten down in flames... Something about 'humble pie', perhaps...? Anyway, pleased for you that you finally have one of your own and are seemingly happy with it. Al

The Dapol 73 is generally very nice... that is, when Dapol manage to get the paint shades right... and unfortunately most of the initial production batch couldn't have been any more 'wrong' if they'd tried, on virtually every livery... There were some wiring/circuitboard issues too on the first production run - the two I had were rather erratic runners; however this latter issue appears to have been rectified on the second production batch - I have the Network Rail variant and it runs very well. Not wishing to divert this topic away from the Accurascale 73/9 - there's plenty of more in-depth analysis on the appropriate Dapol 73 topic. Best Al

Those 3D backscenes appear incredibly convincing.

Are the photos in 'portrait' or 'landscape' mode on your phone prior to uploading? Either way, try rotating the pics 90 degrees (for those that are sideways) and 180 degrees (for those that are upside-down) before uploading and see if that resolves the issue? Best Al

Hi James I wouldn't have thought so. Instead of soldering the ends of the rails you'd be better off simply creating wire droppers, ie. solder one end of a length of wire to the underside of your bullhead rail, pass the wire through a pre-drilled hole in your baseboard, then pass the wire back up through a second hole adjacent to the other side of your joint and solder to the underside of your flatbottom section - so effectively you have an invisible wire 'bridge' between your two sections of track. This will not only prove to be a far more reliable join, and if soldered discreetly will be a far more visually appealing solution. Finally of course, add your cosmetic fishplates for realism. Best Al

Looks like I missed it

Agreed, there is definitely a subtle, two-directional curve on the real thing. This was something I remember mentioning to DJM when the CADs emerged for his version, and after exchanging a few photos there are most definitely some subtle curvatures in the glass when viewed from certain angles. That said, looking at these latest Hornby shots and it is clear that the cabside window does indeed flow over the curvature between front end and cabside, so maybe there's a chance it's just too subtle to see the curvature in the glazing itself? I realize that this is an early EP, however one thing I am struggling to even see past is that unsightly waist-level joint running the entire length of the train. I really would have hoped that Hornby would have found a way to replicate that aircraft-like body as a single piece - minus any joints, moulding lines etc. To my eye this really spoils the overall streamlined, aero-dynamic appearance in general - which after all is perhaps the main feature/attraction of the train. If that joint really does have to be present then let's hope that it can be tightened up so as not to be so incredibly obvious/unsightly on the final model... Al

Ditto! A twenty-minute broadcast, six minutes in and still burbling on about Covid... Boring!

A clear case of acidic fingers...

@ERIC ALLTORQUE Looks like the perfect longterm solution from that last photo - no more fumbling around with plastic axles and glue! I've dropped you a PM... Best Al

Executive Dark Grey is the standard colour for bodyside grills and roof on Railfreight Triple-Grey livery. Hornby incorrectly paint the bodyside grills black on their Class 60s... Best Al

You're right, they're not gloss, but they're not quite matt either - as such, Satin Black should be just fine. If it were any other more specific shade then I'd be saying opt for either Precision Paints or Railmatch, depending on whether you prefer enamel or acrylic, but as it's a pretty standard black then to be fair I'd say you'll likely get away with virtually any satin black, so you might have something suitable on the shelf already, such as Revell or Humbrol etc. I hope that helps... Best Al

Agreed. All I can say from my own experience with the first batch (from which all of the DRS variants originate), are that I have not encountered any unique issues that are/were specific to any individual 'type', or perceived 'run', of any given model. Whether that indicates that all/any of the components were manufactured or/and assembled at simultaneous/varying times is impossible to determine. Al

Maybe once... or twice... *cough*

Rotating axleboxes, US styleee... concentric-rotating... impressive... A beautiful-looking model, I quite fancy one of those actually... I believe that what some of the US manufacturers are doing (Scaletrains, Intermountain etc) with their HO models is similar to this... although the sample here is apparently O gauge the principle is still the same... basically longer axles and shorter, more precise-fitting end caps, which is what we've been saying all along... Al @Hattons Dave

Some have certainly been debranded, although I don't know if it applies to all of them. A bit of a shame if so, as I thought the GREENERGY livery suited them very well.

I've 3 x DRS models in total, and as above: they are mechanically no different to any of the other variants. The liveries are well-applied and to my eye at least appear accurate in terms of shades and positioning of logos, numbering, lining etc. Only one version is named, 'Kingmoor TMD', and the nameplates are easily adjustable on this one should they require any slight repositioning (mine were fine though). 66404 will have the marker light issue, being the 'bug-eyed' version, of course. The lighting arrangement on the other variants are fine. No problems as such with 'bits dropping off', although to be fair I do feel that some of these 'issues' have been grossly exaggerated by some, with people seemingly declaring WWIII due to hitting upon a single loose footstep etc - but that's just my perception... The main issue with all variants is potentially going to be the axle-box covers, which you may well need to fiddle with if you want your model to run as it should, ie. without a 'wobble'. There's no real excuse or way around this, as it's clearly not the greatest design. So essentially, you are either going to be prepared to undertake some minor adjustments in this area, or equally you may not be happy/comfortable/prepared to do so - depending on which ballpark you may fall into. I won't go into detail on how this may/may not be done, as this has been done-to-death earlier on in the topic. The bottom line - I'm happy with my three DRS variants and feel them to be fantastic models, but as above I've been prepared to make the [sometimes] necessary adjustments to accomplish the finely detailed model that I tend to gravitate toward. Not everyone will share the same perspective, of course. I hope this helps... Best Al

How about simply, "Rail Blue"...

Ahhh, I'd take all that kind of stuff with a pinch of salt, it's amazing sometimes how perceived arch rivals can make amends when there's a deal to be done. Never say never etc... Al

Agreed. I must confess, I've very often been surprised on overhearing interactions between customer and retailer at various exhibitions, whereby said customer has quite clearly been blissfully unaware of something that has often been around for years on what I would regard as a 'standard range' item. This kind of occurrence made me realize just how many often standard products that a significant proportion of modellers must not know exist - and that's before we get anywhere near the umpteen exclusive lines and commissions. So any potential new sales avenues for some of those products surely have to be avenues worth exploiting. Any business would be crazy not to. On a positive note, I'm quite pleased that the JIA China Clay Wagons are available again, and for what seems to be a reasonable price - £38.50 at some retailers - which if my memory serves me correctly is perhaps even slightly less than they were first time around, and that's quite some time ago. Having missed out on the first run, I was advised by Kernow at the time that they had taken around 6 years to sell the unweathered examples, and my conclusion from that information was that a further run would be highly unlikely in the foreseeable future, at least as a Kernow exclusive anyway. Best Al