tetsudofan

One of my sheds is a little on the large size:

It even has a back door for the trade......

....and there's a smaller shed:

..... but that has two front doors......

Keith

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

Gosh! It seems like I was one of the few people who didn't know where to get a working model rotary snowplow! Just goes to show.....

 

Dave

LGB have done a (brass) model of the RhB snow plough, in front of it is a picture of the actual plough which I took when I saw it one winter. Only problem was that there was not much snow that year.

The plough does rotate but, for health and safety reasons, the plough blades are made of plastic. Since purchasing the model only problem has been  that we have not had any snow down here in the far southeast corner........

Keith

...... and so is mine........ 🙂

5 hours ago, Market65 said:

Hi. I hope I may be able to ask this in this thread. In February, 2019, I pre ordered one pack of TPE Mk 5a’s. I understand they are being dispatched this week in order of date of being pre ordered. Well, I have had a notification from DHL, in a text message this morning, that something is due to be delivered in the afternoon today. I have not yet had a dispatch email. So I’m left wondering about the validity of the text message. If it’s the carriage set then that’s fantastic, but I was under the impression there would be a dispatch email first. I hope someone can advise me about this please, only I am due to be out in the afternoon.

 

Your hopefully,

 

Rob.

That's all I got yesterday......and the package arrived at 11.30am this morning.

Now to read the operating instructions and stick the coaches on the track.......

Two emails received, looks like my TPE's are on their way down here to the far south east corner!

Brutus is ready and waiting......

19 hours ago, nightstar.train said:

Finally got my Linda with tender today. What a superb model! It really is a magnificent little engine. Thankfully it runs beautifully in both directions even at a very low speed. Very very happy. Now i just need a Blanch with tender, and maybe a Charles? I wonder if the 2-4-0T-T versions of Blanche and Linda will be announced in February? 

...... and a Beyer-Garratt later this year?

1 hour ago, McC said:

Or for the low tech version - leave them

clipped down. It will hold the clips in place and won’t damage the mechanism. 

Yes, as well as changing the CVs I left the clips in place, double protection I think!

As I don't have any overhead wiring I followed the instructions on the "List of DCC functions" and:

Set CV22 to 0, then set CV's 359/360/367/368 to 63

and the pantographs stay disabled........

55 minutes ago, StuAllen said:

Well I’ve just had payment for my preorder taken, so it’s looking promising.
 

(Bank card taking a battering today though - Trains4U also called for payment for the Cavalex CDA’s) 

 

 

Same here down in the south east corner, Trains4U phoned on Tuesday and  the electronic receipt from Kernow arrived at 4:20pm this afternoon....... 

7 minutes ago, Market65 said:

Hi. I’m intrigued that a set of TPE Mk5a’s have been sent out today to the above member. I preordered my set in February, 2019, and thought I’d be one of the first to receive the set. I’m hoping all is well with my preorder. I have my order number, etc., if required. Or perhaps, after all this  time I maybe remembering how it happened wrongly. I certainly apologise if I have got anything wrong. 
 

Best regards,

 

 Rob.

Snap, mine were ordered and paid for on February 22, 2019

1 hour ago, R1ch1ew said:

I'm trying to get hold of a DCC Sound Linda with Tender (391-130SF), can't seem to track any down, have they sold out already? 

The Hobby Shop at Faversham is showing one on his website www.hobb-e-mail.com 

On 23/12/2022 at 16:28, Markwj said:

So ordered my class 92 Ravel from rails when the price was £250 (prior to the price increase deadline set by Accurascale) however they have tried to charge me the higher price and denied there was a price change. Have cancelled order and has left a bitter taste.

 

I am not going mad they were £250 to start with then a price increase wasn’t there?

Have just looked at my pre-orders listing with Rails and see that the pre-order for my Cl.92 has appeared twice for the same loco but on different pages.

One shows an estimated price of £249.99, deposit paid £30.00, estimated balance £219.99

Other shows an estimated price of £279.99, deposit paid £0.00, estimated balance £279.99

Nothing has hit my credit card yet, be interesting to see what does appear.....

92038 arrived a short time ago, all seems to be ok. Bit confused at first as the packing list shows:

"92038 DCC sound fitted Face Moisturiser with Vitamin E, Night Cream with Blueberry Extract and Organic Face Serum with Coffee Oil Dropper"

Checked the box and pleased to advise that it only contains 92038, no sign whatsoever of the Face Moisturiser etc.........

Now that 92032/92036/92038 have arrived just waiting for 92015 to arrive in due course from Rails. In the meantime must start loading them on to my Z21 ...... Something to keep me busy over the festive season.

Yesterday at 17:39 an email was received from Accurascale advising that my 92032 was on its way to me. Taking into account the time of the year and everything going on in the outside world my immediate thought was that if I was lucky 92032 might be delivered by this coming Saturday.

However, much to my surprise I was to be lucky:

- at 20:07 last night the parcel was collected by DHL 

- at 08:20 this morning the parcel was at the delivery depot somewhere in Kent

- at 09:20 the parcel was out for delivery

- at 15:58 the parcel was delivered by DHL to my home on the southeast Kent coast

For the package to be delivered in under 24 hours at this time of the year is just fantastic. Many thanks Accurascale for packing and dispatching 92032 so quickly and DHL for delivering it to my home within 24 hours.

Now I've got to digest the paperwork that accompanied the model........ somewhat more detailed than what came with the purchase of my first dcc sound-fitted locomotive - a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric locomotive produced by Broadway Limited around 20 years ago. Things in the dcc sound market have changed since then!!

I've received two emails from Hattons, first one covering the SECR 4-pack with the second covering the LMS & LNWR 4-packs.

This was followed today by two more emails, first one advising that the SECR 4-pack is due for delivery tomorrow by DPD with the second one advising that the LMS & LNWR 4-packs will also be delivered by DPD tomorrow.

Now I've got to find where I've hidden the LNWR loco for which the LNWR 4-pack has been purchased for........

On 27/11/2022 at 13:17, PhilJ W said:

More trams than trolleybuses but none the worse for that.

It also covers the early 60's, spot the Minivan towards the end.

Some great pictures of the trams running between Woolwich and the Yorkshire Grey (now a McDonalds!) roundabout via Eltham Church. 

It's also interesting that the Burtons building opposite Eltham Church (where the trams turned right towards the Yorkshire Grey and onto to London) is also a McDonalds now.

Brings back many memories of my schooldays when I travelled from Woolwich to Eltham Church on the replacement 161 bus to get to and from school at Shooters Hill.

Keeping my fingers crossed I've already pre-ordered 4001 in green (having ridden on them from Mottingham to London Bridge I had to!!) now that I've seen the latest EP and the comments made above think I'll take the plunge and pre-order 4002 in blue.

They are returning to G-Scale.............

4 hours ago, BoD said:

Direct Debit.  A regular payment set up between  your bank account and another account,  usually a recurring bill like phone gas or electric or a subscription like Word of Railways, Office 365 etc.  A direct debit is an agreement that allows the other party to vary the amount they take hence the talk of the monthly DD increasing.

As I understand it there are two types of direct debits, the Direct Debit which covers a fixed amount which can only be changed by the payer (which gives them useful protection in times like now) and the Variable Direct Debit which covers a changing amount.

In my case I'm with British Gas, have my meter read every month and pay the bill every month which, of course, means that the amount each month varies. Some people like it that way, others don't.

I do this because I got fed up with British Gas estimating what my annual bill will be and dividing that amount by 12 and sorting out the difference at the end of the year. Normally they ended up owing money.

Keith

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Good morning all,

 

 

On matters recreational, Mrs iD has approved my three week post immediate retirement excursion to Japan. I will now need to suss out a decent tour organiser and one that doesn’t do the “same old same old“. I wonder if @tetsudofan or @jjb1970 have any pointers? My budget is adequately robust and I am happy to stay in less opulent hotels and hostelries in Japan in exchange for business class or first class travel. Having spent most of my life flying around the globe for work, this body just does not “do” economy long haul. I did do a long haul in economy but only once – when I was much younger, fitter and not afflicted with the aches and pains of old age – and it was a horrendous experience - I needed a few days to recover from the flight, which sort of defeats the purpose of going on a relaxing holiday in the first place: never again!

 

 

In the early 2000s (after I left Japan in 1999) I did at least 3 trips back to Japan and joined tours operated by the Japanese Railway Society but since then I understand that they don't operate such tours these days.

My suggestion is that you make contact with Ffestiniog Travel (the profits of which support the Ffestiniog Railway) who have operated tours to Japan. Apart from arranging group tours I understand that they are good at arranging individual tours.

You can find them on: www.ffestiniogtravel.co.uk

I've not used them myself but have not heard anything bad about them. My only connection with them is that I'm a member of the Welsh Highland Railway Society.

Keith

11 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

The one to visit is the evergreen department on the top floor which is full of second-hand brass. Some of it is frighteningly expensive but it's all drool worthy and they usually have some really obscure and odd ball stuff. One of the things about brass is that because very low production runs are viable (even unique one-off models) you see stuff that is unlikely ever to be done RTR. Tenshodo are one of the great names of model railways, though they're probably best known for the US outline brass models they supplied. 

I can certainly confirm that....... just before leaving Japan back in 1999 I paid multiple visits to the evergreen department on the top floor and got hooked on some tram models two of which are currently posing on what will be a tram depot/museum whenever I ever get round to finishing it.

Both models are brass made in Korea by Ajin for Musashino Models in Japan. Just had a look at the two boxes, once priced at Yen 76,000 with the other at Yen 88,000..... think I was using up some of my Japanese pension fund which was paid out when I left Japan. At that time under Japanese regulations leaving a company was classified as "retirement" and pensions were paid in full subject to 10% tax, no need to wait until you became 65. One of the benefits of being on the Japanese payroll (rather than being an expat) when I was working for UBS in Japan.

Keith 

PS: putting the boxes away just noticed that at the back of the cupboard there are some more Musashino Model boxes .......... 

On 03/11/2022 at 04:58, iL Dottore said:

@jjb1970 those are beautiful models.

 

When I was in Japan, quite sometime ago now (about 2005?), I managed to arrange my business trip so that I had a couple of days free (my company was happy to allow that) and I had a wander around Tokyo and found a lovely model railway shop (I forget which neighbourhood).
 

I spent an enjoyable hour or so looking at some really beautiful models and trying out my (non-existent) Japanese. But with a bit of a combined amiable effort I was able to buy a souvenir which was a Kato suburban train set in N gauge. The price was quite eye watering (even for me) and, this is the interesting bit, it was secondhand – but looked as new as if it had just come out of the factory. It was taken out of the box and tested before being wrapped up and purchased. It ran flawlessly.

 

I remember thinking at the time, when purchasing the Kato model (and don’t forget this was back in the early 2000s), how crude the Graham Farish and Dapol models N Gauge models seemed in comparison (I had previously bought some British N Gauge rolling stock when I was deciding in which gauge to model when I restarted in the hobby). 
 

Whilst I was in the model shop I also looked at their 4mm handcrafted brass locomotives.  Utterly, utterly superb! Beautifully finished (albeit in plain brass and unpainted) with all kinds of Digital extras – such as sound, smoke units and controllable lighting and lighting effects. As much as I was very, very tempted the pricetag deterred me. One model I was very interested in had a pricetag of about £1200 (in Yen) equivalent to £1900 today. Ouch! Sadly, a wee bit too expensive for what was essentially a souvenir.

 

Finally, I came across this place (https://www.tofugu.com/travel/chou-chou-popon/) which I hope to visit during my trip to Japan next year.

Was the shop Tenshodo just off the Ginza? Watch/Jewellery shop on the ground floor and trains on three floors above it.

If so, I spent many a lunch break there! They even had some LGB in a large cabinet on the staircase up to the trains.

Keith

I've already pre-ordered a Charles as I saw the original on one of my visits to North Wales a few years ago ..... and as one of my rules is that if any loco that I have seen is produced in model form I have to buy one of the models when they appear.

A Blanche will be purchased if Bachmann produce a green-liveried tender version as that loco was seen by my late parents when they visited North Wales many moons ago, Mum didn't stop talking about it for ages.

Keith

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

For the bus enthusiasts

 

Certainly different to the buses running around in the late 1970s when I was living in Singapore!

Things were just starting to change as I was there when the CBD (Central Business District I think) was introduced, if you wanted to drive downtown your car had to have more than two passengers in it. To help with this prior to the introduction of the CBD the Government created some park and ride systems just outside the CBD so commuters could get to work - all very well organised.

Another introduction was a drastic increase in the taxes on the import of cars into Singapore. 

Keith