bmthtrains - David

Watching a video of a class 90 the other day made me realise how pockmarked and bumpy the metal panels of all but the latest locomotives and rolling stock really are. Take an HST for example, with its distinctive panel-beaten look. Models however are always smooth, and it made me wonder - there is a demand for paint weathering but so far nobody has released a locomotive that has the dented surface detailing of the real thing. is this something modellers might want to see? Certainly in O gauge this would be visible, and probably effective in OO as well. Could fully realistic surface detailing of all the various imperfections be the next step in super detailing and weathering or is the smooth but unrealistic perfection of current models more strongly desired? I guess it comes down to what we are each modelling - reality or a sort of perfect imaginary world… David

That’s encouraging, I may consider one in that case! Thanks! David

A great improvement, but this is of course ridiculous that people are having to repaint brand new models to correct the errors… David

Having seen the colour of the NR version, I think I’ll be passing, it is a very strange almost orangey yellow. With the errors on these and the Mk3 sleepers it’s not exactly inspiring me with any confidence in Dapol at the moment… David

I’ll be keen to hear your thoughts on them, whether the motors have been upgraded etc. I may be tempted by one if they don’t wobble like my old SWT one did! David

Dapol have announced a new run of 58s. Look to be similar liveries as before. Would have been interesting to have done some in the HS1 construction and export liveries as well. David

Oh dear lord, have we finally reached the stage where even non-announcements are being announced in advance…? David

I despair that underneath posts filled with photographs of plenty of new models such as the 319, cut 47, sound locos and the hoppers, and with the 69 announced, plus several new models such as the 31 having reached the shops over past 12 months, this narrative that Farish have abandoned N gauge still persists, seemingly invading every mention of the manufacturer in every thread. If it really is the case that ‘announcements’ are worth more to the hobby than actual models in our hands, then it is not Farish killing N gauge, but the modellers. Farish have a backlog and evident production slot issues, but there remains a steady stream of new models coming out, and until that is caught up no there won’t be anything else announced. Some people really do seem to live and breathe the old saying that every silver lining has a cloud… David

If so few people were wearing masks I am glad I passed this year. Looks like it was a good show given the circumstances and I agree this year can’t be held as an example of the norm. I’m glad it was organised well and that those who attended enjoyed themselves, and hope the traders who went made enough money to make it worth while. David

Those 47s look astoundingly good. The under frame detail especially. lovely to see all the new stuff coming soon! David

Didn’t see that one coming! Fascinating! David

My dream choices precisely, though I’m expecting at least one announcement to be a wagon. David

Having been staying near Peterborough for a week, I called into Trains4U and was pleasantly surprised by the n gauge selection. There was actually stock to browse, which is rare in shops these days. In an excellent 2nd hand cabinet I spotted this Mk2 in Network Rail which had completely passed me by as I had no idea Farish had ever released it. It will look great with my Mk1 and class 37 but the difference in ride height compared to the Mk1 is a little alarming! David

I’m not sure the classification between ‘modellers’ and ‘non-modellers’ is quite right. A more appropriate distinction to make would be between modellers and modelmakers. Modelling as a description of the hobby covers the making, collecting, and playing with models, whereas modelmaking is really just one part of the wider hobby. Any hobby has to be a broad church, and if anything the trend of the last 15 years has been for many to take part in the hobby by just reading about it online. I suspect far more time is spent this way than actually building or operating a model railway… Do remember though that a hobby is simply a structured activity undertaken for pleasure, and so if reading about model railways, buying/collecting stock, or devoting decades to hand building a masterpiece replica of a particular flange profile in XYZ scale gives you enjoyment, then I say celebrate it, keep at it, and never mind what anyone else thinks of it. David

Superb to see this starting, I’m very jealous of the space you have available to do the whole station! David

To get back to ‘playing trains’ while I wait for construction of the layout to start, I’ve invested in a Kato Unitrack elevated 2 track circuit. The whole thing clips together very easily and has given me somewhere to run my stock. Unbelievably the Pendolino still hadn’t had a proper run in so both that and the 92 have been stretching their legs today. I also have a rake of Network Rail falcons, the IPA car carriers and a pair of Freightliner box wagons to test out. David

Really useful post Jo, I’ve been trying to work out which model to order as Rugby doesn’t see many 59s on aggregate trains. I’d like the Hanson liveried version as it’s quite striking and visually different to the standard 66s in EWS and DB liveries but had assumed only those and the GBRF one would be suitable for my layout. Seeing an aggregate industries 59 on a network rail train means I can probably get away with a Hanson one on a NR train. They might never have done so, but they ‘could have’ so that’s good enough for me! David

Fascinating. And cheaper than Dapol’s, so that’s me switching for a start. Disappointing in one way that it’s a duplication, but a) Dapol sat it on the shelf for so long it’s their own fault, and b) I trust Revolution to get this right more than I do Dapol. I just need to work out the best livery to get as not many 59s are seen on the WCML. If Revolution are feeling bolder with their release schedule then I do hope a class 90 is next… David

I’d be even less likely to attend medium shows like Taunton than I am Warley or TINGS. I normally take my Dad to Taunton but with those narrow school corridors and 2-way entrance/exits to rooms, no chance he’d risk it. At least at Warley it’s much more of an open space. As it looks like no one is going to ask people to wear masks, add protective shields, or space things out I’m ruling out any shows until next spring at the earliest… David

Sums it up well to me. The actual level of risk of infection is now probably much lower than people’s perception of it. The cancellation seems due to people remaining cautious and not wanting to attend, so it is an ongoing perception of risk that is behind the cancellation. I had been planning on attending TINGS next month but unless they publicise what safety measures they will have in place I’ll be passing as I remain very cautious. Had Warley put any measures in place or just business as usual? If the latter then I’m not surprised it’s being cancelled. David

I really don’t get this obsession with announcements. If you look at what models were actually released over the past few years it’s been very healthy. These are all new models. Why everyone is so desperate for new ‘new’ models over just plain old new ones is beyond me… David

The focus on announcements has been the worst trend in the hobby over the past 10 years. It creates a false peak of excitement that inevitably upsets those who feel personally wronged or excluded from other people’s pleasure when another gauge/era gets a catalogue of future new toys that’s bigger than theirs. Announcements are just that. They don’t run on our tracks and so have no meaningful value as far as I am concerned. As far as the Farish range goes, yes there have been few announcements recently, but there has been a steady stream of excellent new models already announced and this is set to continue - the 319 is now due in January and looks very nice indeed. David

No wonder that got a separate video before tomorrow’s Autumn announcements, they seem to have spent a fortune on this. To tool all the variants at the same time is a big change and the level of detail and added features are extremely impressive. David

This reminds me of when I had to deal with a customer complaint years ago that his book had arrived a day later than his friend’s copy of the same title. Insisting that I correct the error, it took me some time to explain the linear nature of time and that I lacked the temporal abilities to retrospectively make his book arrive yesterday. I do worry how the instant 24 hour on demand world we are chasing alters our enjoyment of things. Does it irrevocably spoil our pleasures if someone gets their treat a few hours or days before we do? Constant online posts of ‘here’s mine!’ certainly don’t help as it seems to make everyone else waiting impatient and frustrated. I suspect if all the ‘where’s mine?’ emails to Ben and Mike contained a £1 coin, they’d be busy buying expensive yachts by the end of the first week of a new model despatch… David

A Mk4 set in ATW livery would be a nice one to do as well if Dapol could do a matching 68. Loco-wise, the 91 seems a sensible bet but I’m still holding out for a 90 - I’d be buying several of those! David