MRDBLUE17

Hi Kev, It was good to see you and glad the bus has a home on your layout. Looks just right on that bridge. The EMU’s do look rather good, especially the 325. I was able to visit Crafty Hobbies on Saturday and there was even a steam special through Barrow around 7pm so all worked out well. Hopefully we will all be able to meet up at a show again soon. Cheers Mark

Hi Fran, Nice to see the progress, those BS blue ones do look very good but I’m pleased I ordered the grey/orange ones to create the workings from Shap up to Scotland. Cheers Mark

Hi Alex, These look splendid you and Cav have done a great job making these. They have arrived before track work is completed on the new layout so need to get cracking on so they can get a run. all the best Mark

Which one did you go for in the end?

Hi Fran & Co, Another fantastic announcement from Accurascale. Great price and a popular wagon. The really good thing is you can run all these together in one rake from watching various workings on YouTube although I plan to double up on the GBRF coal branded packs to form a nice 20 wagon block working to go alongside the HTA’s and HHA’s. The real issue is building a bigger fiddle yard to hold them. Cheers Mark

Hi Fran, The high containers would be good for the occasional workings to Hull. cheers Mark

Eric I don’t think anyone would disagree, everyone would expect to get a nice smooth running model as a minimum. With the high levels of detail demanded now compared to even 10 years ago it’s not unknown for the odd part to be loose, not be glued in properly etc. I was certainly looking forward to these new models and got one from the first batch. I had already read issues reported on here and out the box it looked great. A couple of axle boxes missing being the only fault. However on track it wobbled, very badly as others have encountered. I worked out you could rock it diagonally across the body length by 2mm. After reading a helpful post on this topic I chose to pull off all the axle covers and test again. The model now sat solid on the track, ran smoothly as I had expected it to do. Hattons as normal were friendly and helpful and sent out a couple of replacement axle covers. I decided to simply cut back and glue on solid to the frames as I don’t want any to fall off at say a future exhibition and after doing that I’m really pleased with it. I’ve not done work on my second model that arrived recently. It ran reasonably smoothly out the box but has a lot of white glue residue all over the bogies, nameplates wonky but easily straightened, an axle cover broken (looked like it had split during assembly). My main niggle is the light bleed through the cab roof. Again all things I can when I have time work to resolve etc. Again Hattons sent a replacement axle so I will be happy once I’ve got it up to standard. Whilst happy to do the work to resolve, many won’t be and I can understand that especially with the high spec expected. Whilst I am/will be happy with my 2 models I don’t think I will get any more either as a result of the poor build quality. I have actually gone back to Bachmann for a couple of DB red ones and the GBRF pride from Rainbow Railways. I know you keeping asking Hattons for some sort of response on here but you have 7 models you’ve kept for example as I’ve kept mine. They sent the replacement parts and that’s the only issues they know as wee accepted our models as they are. I suspect a lot of people have as seen on here kept and sorted so there might not be as many going back or reported as expected. Probably more comments on Forums and Facebook. With the sheer volume Hattons have now produced I suspect it will be at least a couple of years before we see any further runs. cheers Mark

I’ve simply pre-ordered a plain DB class 59 just to be sure of getting one and also helps my preferred smaller model shop for ordering. That way I can then get Bifs new sounds from Charlie and fit later. cheers Mark

Same here Dave. I had an email from John at Crafty Hobbies with the new range attached in case I wanted anything before he orders. It’s great to get such fantastic personal service and avoid missing out on certain releases. These will look nice with an EWS/DB 66 new the front. cheers Mark

Hi Andy, Thanks for providing the latest Bachmann news in one easy to find and read place as usual. EFE Rail was unexpected but sounds like a great initiative with Kernow. Nice to see some JIA’s as I never got any first time around. The DB 66 is what I’m most pleased to see announced. I think they will fly out as it’s about the easiest loco to simply renumber and potentially add etched plates to create so many current locos. It’s a superb choice. Cheers Mark

Hi Andy, I first took an interest in trains at the age of 4 and soon had a Hornby track plan pinned on a sheet of chipboard. By chance I discovered N gauge at the age of 8 as a result of moving house. My mum had commented on a train board to the owner of a house she went to view that was folded up against the wall on brackets. He said it was going to get scrapped as he would have no room for it where he was moving so when we got to go and look round I was shown how to operate the layout and it was left. We use to go to Poole to visit family and the Graham Farish range and layouts were in display cases at Merley House. I always liked watching the 100 wagon train on one of them. I wonder what happened to it all. Cheers Mark

Joseph, Not sure what you were trying to achieve but you send an email then moan on a public forum straight away. You shouted the word NOT and then complained it must be better than this. It comes across as rude and moaning that you didn’t get an instance response which it turns out you did. And all this could have been avoided if you had read the automated email response. Perhaps a proper apology for your opening comments to Ben & Mike wouldn’t go amiss instead of telling Roy to retract his perfectly reasonable comments! Cheers Mark

Hi everyone, Has anyone contacted Hattons for spare/replacement axle covers and received them? My first model had 2 missing which I phoned and a really friendly lady made a note to get them sent. I followed up a couple of months after on the email chat and was told they would come when they had some. My new model that came this week had one middle axle glued on and looking underneath you could see this had split during assembly so I used the chat again to ask for a spare. I was just curious as I see a couple of posts saying they had them. I didn’t really want to send models back for something that I can fix. Thanks Mark

Looks great. cheers Mark

Northern versions like these? Unbranded purple and the white. Both look smart on the new Bachmann models. cheers Mark

Fran, I thought you told Clive “neigh chance” when he asked lol! cheers Mark

Fran, I thought you told Clive “neigh chance” when he asked lol! cheers Mark

Hi Fran, I’m not suprised the superb LLW nuke ones have been so popular again and great that they’ve sold out. Amazed at how quickly, that must be some model record. As soon as I got the email I messaged my not so local model shop to get my name on the two packs. He had already placed an order and think he knew I’d be after some. It’s good Accurascale are supporting local shops that know their customers well so you don’t miss out. cheers Mark

Hi John, I discovered last week there is an issue with doing this Unfortunately. Whilst rebuilding a 66 with this bodyshell I found the 2 part windows don’t fit as these were what I had to hand. The 3 part Windows fit a shell that has a raised plastic lip that is curved at the corners where the front part of the glazing fits nicely into. The 2 part glazing has sharp angles for the front pane which won’t fit and the 2nd pane towards the cab doors is smaller in height than the opening on this bodyshell too. Sorry it’s not a nice simple swap as I thought it would be for the model I was doing, but hope that saves you some time/money getting bits that won’t fit. cheers Mark

Hello everyone, I agree with Andy about how smooth and quiet the Deltic is. As mentioned a few pages back at Glasgow the sample had a little run on Rannoch with its ordinary DCC decoder and before it had its proper circuit board and it was very impressive. What you can’t see from a video/photos is the amount of weight the loco has too, so it should be able to handle any prototype train with ease. Personally I’m looking forward to the 92’s and 37’s, but the Deltic is going to be superb. cheers Mark

Hi Fran, Hope you guys are all well. That is sounding very good indeed. cheers Mark

Hi James, are your operating crew trying to attract a new audience to shows with the full monty routine lol! cheers Mark

Alan, Did you really think this through especially at the current time? I have my own business which was doing quite nicely until March when through no fault of mine, I’ve had to close my doors with no income at all from it. Whilst doing everything I can to ensure I get through it I don’t know when I will be allowed to reopen and money will run out at some point. If I didn’t get through it I would already have lost thousands I’ve put into it. Please just think before typing in future! Mark

Hi everyone, I phoned John & Shelagh at Crafty Hobbies in Barrow-in-Furness yesterday just before 1pm to pay for a pair of 33’s they had in for me and they arrived before 12 today. Absolutely outstanding service. I had the WCRC release on order but having seen 33021 in its post office red livery decided to get that to, just because I like it. Both are cracking locos and run nice and smooth. Cheers Mark