Mark Forrest

15 hours ago, Southwich said:

Even if it is out of era I’m hoping I’ve made the cab rather than my old man!

 

Will

Unfortunately I chose based on era; you'll have to wait until the next one!

41 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Can we get Bram to do the unboxing video?

I've already had to stop him eating the package from Modelu containing the crew for the 56!

37 minutes ago, Southwich said:

Slightly disappointed you didn’t say nice new 47 if I’m honest… 🤣

I think you're expecting too much of Spams' loco recognition skills.

It's another example of the "flat front, two windows" class.

1 hour ago, Ingleborough said:

 

 

Tried to order P4 wheels with my 56049 from Rails, but they weren't listed at the time. When eventually listed, they were described as EM/P4, but I was only able to 'wishlist' them. The p4 wheelset is listed today, but the button to pre-order wouldn't function. Went to my wishlisted set and the pre-order button worked, but then showed as EM. Question is, should I wait for Rails to sort out their site, phone them directly, or order from elsewhere before they sell out entirely?

 

Jon

The email reply I had from Rails yesterday morning said...

"We have received wheelsets but until we have gone through all our pre orders for these we aren't sure what stock we have left available on these.

Once this has been gone through we will be adding the remaining stock to our website."

Personally, I felt I'd given Rails adequate opportunity to work out their stock levels of the wheels and was conscious that my loco would be arriving soon with no chance of getting the wheels as part of the same parcel, so I chose to buy them elsewhere.

I understand there is no shortage of the wheels and that other retailers are expecting more stock next week, so really it just depends on how long you're prepared to wait.

2 hours ago, Keith Simons said:

Hi Cavalex. Did you manage to speak to Rails about scale wheel sets please? I phoned them this morning and they are still saying they are waiting for them to be delivered. 🤔

Kind regards.
Keith down in not so sunny Devon. 

I emailed Rails about some P4 wheels and had response yesterday to say they had them, but didn't know how many they would have left after fulfilling their pre-orders.  You'd think it was as simple as counting up number in stock and subtracting number of pre-orders!

I was starting to get a bit twitchy about having a loco but no wheels, so have just ordered a set from Trains4U.  I had their last P4 set although they are expecting more next week.

Lesson learned on my part and in future I'd order both loco and wheels from Trains4U!

2 hours ago, Southwich said:

Best course of action would be to call Rails to sort as they do have both EM/P4 wheelsets in stock. Although please bear with them if you can’t get through immediately as from Facebook comments they’ve been quite busy with the 56 dispatch! 
 

Kind regards,

 

Will

I've had an email from Rails this morning saying they don't have the wheels in stock yet.  I guess it may be that they physically have them, but don't have them on their stock inventory yet for some reason.

I'll keep looking out for updates from Rails (and other retailers) for a change in the situation.

11 minutes ago, NickL2008 said:

Really tempted now the more I Look at the pictures! did any grids make it onto the GWR branches in the 1980s? im guessing they were only on the mainline on the mendip traffic mostly?

 

NL

In the mid 80s, the miner's strike resulted in class 56s (and 58s) appearing on a variety of freight due to the decrease in coal traffic.  That could provide the excuse that you're looking for...

1 hour ago, Southwich said:

They’re in stock with retailers already Mark!

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

Cheers Will.  I found the wheels on the Rails website, but it wouldn't allow me to add them to basket.  I've gone ahead and ordered a loco and emailed to ask if they can add wheels to the order.

14 minutes ago, IRC said:

Getting jealous as well. I have two on order from Collets so hopefully Leigh can get them out to customers early next week.

I am wobbling though. Is two enough having seen the fantastic images?!?

Does anyone know when 074 lost its beacon and gained the NRN aerial? It seems to still have the beacon in late 1988. I run 87 - 89, so any help would be appreciated.

Seems to have received an aerial by January '89

But had the beacon in November '88

These do look (and sound) very nice; I could be tempted.  Is there an ETA on the drop in P4 wheels?

20 hours ago, Coldgunner said:

Many places have said online that doing 20 minutes a day is better than doing a single long ride at the weekend.

I'm no expert, but that does align with my experience.  I've found that by doing one (longish) ride each week my fitness decreases (and weight increases).  Two shorter rides are enough to maintain a level of fitness/weight.  Three times a week is the sweet spot where I begin to see improvements.  My goal for 2024 is to get back into a rhythm of riding three times a week and worry less about distance.

A survivor in industrial use.

https://flic.kr/p/7cBh65

The same source notes that the grounded body of another survives at one of the stations on the Welshpool & Llanfair and that there is another survivor which is/was at Crewe.  Whether either of these were is service during BR days is unclear.

1 hour ago, tractionman said:

anyone been out and about on their bikes for a festive ride?

We (that's Mrs F and me) popped out for a couple of hours on Christmas Day, nothing too exciting just a loop around Cannock Chase.

Might do a ride on Zwift tomorrow but otherwise my end of year stats are looking like this:

Mildly disappointed to have missed my target to ride 2500 miles, but it's been one thing after another this year.

According to the relevant section of LNWR wagons vol 3, number 740 was withdrawn in 1949, the rest were thought to have been withdrawn much earlier.

I use one of these when cutting the steerer tube to length.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/lifeline-saw-guide

While you still need to ensure you measure twice, cut once it does at least mean that the cut is reasonably clean and square.

Even with this though, cutting the steerer and pressing in headset bearing cups remain my least favourite bits of any bike build I do!

A star nut setter is also a great help (although not essential); but for a one off, by the time you've bought a saw guide and nut setter you might as well ask your local bike shop to do the job.  That said, anyone close to Staffordshire who needs them is welcome to borrow mine.

I don't have any reference books that early which show brake details, but it was dual braked by early '86 (and Landore allocated).

34 minutes ago, NFWEM57 said:

It is where the switch radius is equal or very close to the turnout radius and they are called natural turnouts.  A8, B8, C10, D12, E16 and F20 are the ones according to the 2mm Scale Associations excellent book on Track. 

Yes, natural turnouts; that's what I thinking of.  Is it A6 rather than A8 though?

You may find this table of use/interest, taken from Andrew Dow's excellent book The Railway - British track since 1804.

On a model railway it's rare to see anything larger than a B switch and I'd imagine the vast majority of turnouts built by modellers are B6 to B8.

There are certain preferred combinations of switch and crossing which (if I remember correctly) give a better flow through the turnout.  Somewhere I've seen a table listing these but I'm currently unable to remember where I've seen it!

Normal practice is to form them from guitar wire, I'm not sure I've ever seen or heard of etched AJs.  I don't think brass of nickel silver would have the required combination of strength and springiness that you get with steel wire.

1 minute ago, multivac said:

If I remember correctly Bill Bedford sold the rights to those "Bill Bedford Models" to Elieen's. I don't know what happened to the the masters.

These was a suggestion in another thread on here that some of this range (specifically the axleguards) might become available through Scaleforum Stores, I'm hoping that's still the case.

Unless running light engine, having rear lights that aren't visibly lit might be considered an advantage.

I'd be tempted to look at a traverser or sector plate (or cassettes) in the fiddle yard which might allow a bit more space for some form of scenic break between the layout and fiddle yard.

For those looking to make contact with Branchlines, here's a link to a similar thread with an email address that seems to work over on the S4 Society forum:

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8890