bmthtrains - David

A good day modelling today. I’ve glued the buildings in place and started to mock up the scene with vehicles etc to see what works. The glimpses of the layout between the industrial units are coming out just how I wanted them. David

Another step almost completed now - fence and extra buddleia. Just need an order of N Brass fencing to complete the gap, but I can press on with adding the buildings and weathering the ground. David

That’s all the OHLE portals in place so now on to the front scene! David

I finally made a start on the OHLE portals for the left hand board today. One more to make up and then these can be painted and added to the layout. With a few days off ahead I’m hoping to push on with the front industrial units scene. Hopefully the FL 90 will arrive in the next month or so, I’m really looking forward to it pulling the imaginary FSA flats from C-Rail that really need to hurry up and appear! I have plenty of containers but no wagons! David

Hi Ben, a 66 definitely makes sense from your business perspective and competition itself I have no issue with, it’s the limited availability on such an important item that worries me. I’d love to see Revolution expand but hopefully with your models on the shelves in lots of local model shops, with good availability over a longer period of time. Without that I’m not sure this would offer consumer choice as you say, due to the pressure to preorder all the liveries you want in one go, or buy afterwards from a very limited number of retailers before they sell out. As you imply, things might be a little different with this currently hypothetical 66 so hopefully my concerns will become moot. And at least we know yours would be the right colours… I will watch with interest, and thanks for responding to my thoughts. David

I’m sensing mission creep here. An unpopular opinion perhaps but I really hope Revolution don’t produce a class 66. The noble aim of using the crowdfunder approach to produce models that wouldn’t be viable for the main manufacturers seems a bit at odds with duplicating 2 existing models of the most numerous class of locomotives around. Given the grumbles about lack of availability of core items of rolling stock, producing models of said core items using the pre-order-only financial model that leaves no stock on the shelves after a few months at best only makes things worse. If this were to put Dapol off, for example, as they would be more exposed than Revolution who only make what is pre-ordered, and Farish drop any (likely) plans to upgrade their model, we could end up in a situation 6 months after Revolution’s model comes out where you can’t buy an N gauge 66 at all. This doesn’t seem healthy for the hobby at all. How about making some OTP instead, you know you want to… David

N Brass Locos now seem to have also added a range of what Nick is calling ‘modernisation’ portals. These look to be very recent ones used where lines are upgraded, so are ideal for contemporary modellers: https://www.nbrasslocos.co.uk/ncatmod.html David

It’s a useful announcement and (if free of glaring errors) will undoubtedly sell very well but I’m not surprised there isn’t a lot of fuss as it is a new version of an already fairly decent model. It’s a bit like a new loaf of bread - you need it, you eat it, but it doesn’t have the same excitement as a soufflé arriving, for example. The close coupling on the loco is a little worrying though. David

Finally I’ll be able to get a standard GBRf 66! To be honest I’m perfectly happy the current models from both Dapol and Farish but the price for this is pretty good for an all new model so I’ll be having at least one. A logical use of the 59 chassis I imagine. David

I definitely wouldn’t use n gauge buildings, they are almost half the scale and will look very odd indeed. David

Thanks David! A little more detail today - the roof ridge, down pipes, and some alarm boxes have been added. Next is a few door signs and some light weathering. David

And then there were two… David

A bit of careful assembly of the elevations and the first building is on its way… David

I managed to spray all the component parts of the two industrial units today so assembly stage one can commence! David

I wouldn’t be surprised if Farish release both new Mk3 coaches and FSA container flats this year. These would duplicate Dapol’s coaches and C-Rail’s forthcoming (been saying that for several years now) wagons. When the 90 was announced Richard Proudfoot said something along the lines of ‘the right stock for all these is coming’, which I took to mean the above. David

Although if we are being pedantic the lack of OTP stops even the WCML being modelled 100%. David

Perhaps on some locations, but where I’m modelling I’ve got nothing missing - rugby area. Also, depends as much on when you are modelling as where. David

I model the west coast mainline with RTR stock - no gaps there as I have 390, 321, 350, 150, 158 etc… David

Pendolino banana-ing is where all the coaches except the powered ones have gradually started to curve longitudinally so it looks a little like a Loch Ness monster… a real shame as it’s a lovely model and a good runner. David

Curious as to what is causing the jolt over the points in that video. Is something catching? David

This could only be more melodramatic if delivered from a fainting couch. Did you miss all the new releases last year? The 319, 08, 60, 03, 90…? David

Great to see more wagons re-released, and another 90 livery - though odd they went for Powerhaul over normal FL green or EWS/DB liveries. David

A little bit of running today, Pendolino style! David

Interesting to see the responses. From memory they seem broadly similar to previous surveys, though the rise in other scales to challenge N’s position as number 2 has firmed up - the growth in OO9 particularly. What has surprised me is the sheer size of people’s collections - a staggering number of locos and wagons etc. I do hope everyone has them insured… David

A very useful survey. I’ll be keen to see the results. I did have to pause a few times as I couldn’t put down the answer I wanted though - for example, having just said I spend more over the past 3 years (as I am now back active in the hobby again, and earning more), I then had to say I spend less in response to rising prices. What I really wanted to say was that rising prices mean I restrict my spending to important items. The idea of seeing a loco I like and then buying it is over. If it’s not on my wish list I don’t buy it. A well timed survey that should give a good view of the forum members views though. I do hope everyone remembers we are a tiny proportion of the overall ‘market’ however, so extrapolating outwards would not give a particularly accurate view. David