Allegheny1600

You have your own importer - who is distributing to hobby shops in Australia!

Hi Keith, Your problem has already been identified and solutions suggested but may I add that if you do try and repair the split axle muffs, for superglue to stick, it is imperative that the joint is clean, dry and FREE FROM GREASE AND OIL! For me, I use a, long impossible to obtain, wash of carbon tetroclorate (nasty stuff!) but I suspect a soak in methylated spirits should do the trick. HTH, John

WRT the model pictures posted by @AY Mod above, they look absolutely gorgeous! I’m sure going to be happy with them if they run reasonably well.

Some; https://www.piko-shop.de/en/warengruppe/tt-scale-42/l-100/o-preis_desc.html I’ve tried to set the page so you see locos first but if it reverts to it’s original state, do LOTS of scrolling! In case you think there’s a lot not available, try here; https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/Loco+_and_+Wagons/Diesel+Locomotive/gb/liste.html?spur=TT&hersteller=Piko&gattung=Diesel+Locomotive This is just the available diesel locomotives from one manufacturer, one shop - all TT. For those who say “but, it’s in Europe “ - yes, there’s import duty and shipping but you will save 19% German VAT!

I’ll start off by admitting that I have no interest in this model despite it being an early electric locomotive, which I am usually very interested in - it’s simply the wrong scale for me as well as era, location, everything. What astonishes me is that none of the usual suspects have been braying about how this manufacturer can’t be trusted to make a worthwhile model, you’d be far better off becoming a “proper modeller” and building a kit etc, etc. Should I name names? I’m sure many of you will know to whom I am referring! And to which other manufacturer, they deeply criticise! It just seems rather lob sided to me, particularly when, as noted above, Heljan have been criticised for numerous errors over the years. Just needed to get that off my chest! John

You lucky thing! That is a wagon that’s absolutely exquisite, it would be very difficult to find a model to better it. It’s also rather valuable, have a look at completed listings on German eBay, like so; https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=bavaria+h0&_sacat=180250&rt=nc&LH_Complete=1 I should imagine it’s worth north of at least €200! Enjoy, John

I thoroughly disagree on this point! Just look at the new Hornby 9F in 00 - in real life, it’s quite remarkable! I had a good look at one in my LHS last week and it’s heavy and powerful, looks the part and will surely pull the house down. It’s virtually as good as a Trix H0 loco but at half the price. Apparently, they are selling well too. All this is to say that Hornby have little to fear in 00.

I’m not telling anyone any such thing! I’m saying why I no longer enjoy it. If exhibition attendance drops off - would you rather know why or just carry on in blissful ignorance?

I’ve been a member of four different groups in my time and at least two of them, maybe more, certainly used to have local traders, builders merchants, timber supplies etc advertising in their guides, it was good cheap advertising for them. I admit, it’s probably different now with “social media” , such firms probably use that to a greater extent now but I’m sure that some firms are still in the dark ages!

I might be a bit of an odd one out but I’m becoming a bit jaded with model railway exhibitions! My first show to visit was when I was about 14 years old - that’s over forty years ago now. I have no idea how many shows I’ve been to in the intervening years but it’s quite a few and includes European ones. I’m still a fully committed railway modeller, indeed it’s my only hobby. I don’t do football or any other sports, any other pastimes I do are either free like walking or very cheap like watching TV. I did have other hobbies but they have fallen by the wayside over the years. I have most of actual models that I want but I’m still buying books, magazines, videos, tools, glue, track and ancillaries. I have an adequate car and house and enjoy good home cooking - I really don’t get out that much but I don’t feel trapped or inadequate in any way. I quite object to paying any more than £10 for an exhibition entrance - even one of the “big” ones. When you add in the cost of getting to the show and at least a drink or two, it doubles the price of a local show and for something like Warley, well I’m looking at close to £50 to £60, for what? Getting squashed, pushed and shoved and pummelled, strangers barging into you, kids screaming into your ear and one’s nose being assaulted by the inevitable soap avoider. Plus, the chance of picking up a cold or flu, never mind Covid, because some folk have to get their fix when they should be recovering at home! Inspiration? Can get that from YouTube and the internet including on here! Socialising? No. Purchases? Maybe but see above. Sorry but I don’t find it appealing enough to pay for anymore. John

Hi there, During the course of this thread we have learned that there is an Australian importer who will be distributing the TT range to Australian dealers - quite unlike how Hornby are doing it in the UK (so far). Surely, there must be an American importer Stateside? Reynaulds, perhaps? Otherwise, how did they distribute their own US outline H0 stuff by Rivarrossi? Fingers crossed for you anyway, John

Thanks Ron! Yes, I know it was risky and quite expected to have it deleted, no worries if it does. I had a very close mate from the Emerald Isle and he told more such jokes than I could ever post on here but that’s by the by. Anyway, that method of construction is actually quite remarkable - very clever indeed in my book. Thanks for the description of how they do it, I find it fascinating. Cheers all, John

Ah, begorra! They’ve actually figured out how to build something from the top to the bottom at last! Paddy and Murphy would be proud! 😉

Not to my recollection! Indeed, weren’t some of the first generation British DMU’s, Diesel Hydraulic transmission? I confess, I know more about the German railways than I do British but they had some remarkable DH trains. DB’s VT08, VT12.5 and VT11.5 and DR’s VT18.16 were 90 and 100mph express multiple units that also gave TEE service from the early 1950s through to the early 1990s. I always thought the East German VT18.16 to be a very stylish looking train too.

In addition to my answer above, I forgot to mention countries that use DH as well as DE traction; Spain, France (experiment), Italy, Austria, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, China, India, Russia and I’m quite sure, several African and Asian countries. I have left out numerous countries that only use DH traction for shunting/switching purposes, my list is of countries that use main line hydraulics but I cannot swear they are all or have been used in express train service. Not all are actual locomotives of course, some are multiple units.

Hi Tim, Please forgive the way I “predicted” this, I was so shocked that you would give up on the various benefits of good running etc that is so difficult to achieve, I was probably rather rude! Anyway, it’s great to see you back and I hope your health is fair. Cheers, John

Very sorry to read that, old chap, I really feel for you and your family. I know these things happen but after Saturday, it sounded like she’d be okay for a while. Very sad news.

Hi Mike, Might this be because the SNCF often ran TGVs “doubled up”? (Sorry this is off topic). I think this is around the time when they introduced the TGV Atlantique, I only know for sure the original TGV PSE ran as paired units (I rode one!) but can’t recall the TGV-A doing so. Cheers, John

Sorry Mr Johnster but that’s not entirely accurate. While you are correct about the Germans running their very fastest and heaviest trains on electrified lines, it’s definitely not correct to give the impression that the V200s were mollycoddled and given an easy life. Back in the 1950s, the German electrified network was much less comprehensive than it was in the 1980s, let alone today. The V200s did share express duties with the VT08 and VT11.5 DMUs along with BR01, 03, 01.10 and 03.10 pacifics, however they did undertake some express and international TEE work. They only lost this express work after further electrification. Later in life, they were used in pairs on none other than 2000 ton iron ore trains in the Ruhr area. I have pictures in books and magazines but - copyright. So I don’t think such work as performed by our D800s would “destroy” a V200! Believe it or not and admittedly, after substantial rebuilding, there are still some “V200”s still running in Germany, in private commercial service. The V180 you refer to is probably the V80, this was an early class of DH loco dating from 1952, ten in number. There were other German BB centre cabs in the medium horsepower range - the V100s! These were built from 1958-1963 and ranged from 1100hp to 1350hp, 360+ examples built. All withdrawn from the big railway now but still working in private hands; My pictures! Cheers, John

Many, many thanks for your comprehensive reply, Mike - it’s very interesting and I really appreciate it. Wow! Being born and brought up in such a railway town as Derby, I should have been a proper railway man but somehow I never made it - rather galling that another chap I knew made it due to getting into trouble with the law but that’s another story. Anyway, I had always felt that there was a sense that “Derby” was somehow “superior” to other places, Doncaster, Crewe, Swindon and so on. It sounds like there were some shenanigans going on behind the scenes that weren’t entirely “fair”. Does anyone know more details about this kind of thing, are there any books or anything, please? I’m aware of G. Fiennes book “I tried to run a railway” but have never read it. Maybe Station Master Mike is doing/has done something? I’m sure such reminiscences would be fascinating! Cheers, John

The Japanese.

Maybe a related question or statement but certainly true - in Germany, the home of the diesel hydraulic and the Diesel engine itself, of course, development did take place. The V200 has been mentioned already, this was first put into service in 1953/54! The “V” means in German, “diesel powered locomotive” and the 200 means 2000hp. The next development was the V200.1 (production model) later class 221 that came out in 1955-58 with 2170hp - just an incremental change really. The next increment was actually Yugoslavian but German built - initially the six axle ML2200 of 2400hp, curiously. The forth example of which was rebuilt into the V300 in 1958 which ran in Germany until 1980. After this, power wise, came the 1961-69 ML4000 (3540hp) which were the locos best known on the Southern Pacific and DRGW in the USA but also used in Brazil. Things stabilised for a while, the German market was flooded with hundreds of V160 ranging in power from 1900hp to 2500hp, roughly. There was one double V160, the V320 built in 1962 by Henschel (DH4000) speculatively for DB that ended up in private commercial hands and operated until 2015! This actually had a maximum of 3800hp. While there were no further examples in Europe, the Chinese did build copies! Horsepower development paused for a long while, as the fleet of V200s of all types were withdrawn and the V160s grew older, development might have been expected but in 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, precipitating the collapse of East German industry thus allowing a flood of powerful Soviet built Diesel Electric locos to work throughout both Germanys and eventually, just the one unified country. However, in 2006, the company Voith (sound familiar?) introduced the Maxima, a six axle monster of 5000hp! It was available in either 4000hp or 5000hp versions but sadly, DB the “big” railway in Germany, opted to go for smaller diesel electric locomotives and Voith only sold a total of 19 Maxima’s, all privately. This is a necessarily brief (!) summary of happenings across the English Channel and as far as I know, it’s up to date - this is the end of the hydraulic horsepower race. There are still plenty of Diesel Hydraulic locos operating in Europe but they are generally smaller ones in the 500hp to 3000hp categories. I only present this to showcase that Diesel Hydraulic development in the UK could have been very different. Cheers, John

As someone who hails from Derby, I feel terribly apologetic about these happenings! However, my only railway experience is actually only a very short period in the 2000s when I ‘temped’ at Litchurch Lane, oh, and at the tech centre! Seriously, with the passage of time and everything - do the serious railway men on here believe that the BRB decision to concentrate on DE power (getting rid of the hydraulics) was a good one? I say serious railway men, meaning proper operational guys rather than enthusiastic amateurs like myself!

Wow! What a commitment to the scale they had - not. TBH, I’m really not surprised, HJ don’t do TT in Europe either so it was more them jumping on the bandwagon with the Peco and Gaugemaster announcement.

Hi there, In my orrible opinion, it’s so the ancillaries at least, can cross over - if not the actual rolling stock. However, there are several instances of British rolling stock being used in Continental Europe, 58s in Holland, 20s in France, 86, 87 (&92?) in Romania and Bulgaria, not to mention 37, 56 & 58 helping to build high speed lines in France and Spain at least. As has been mentioned several times, the Europeans would quite like to model British outline, having a fully compatible scale will help for numerous reasons. Familiarity with the scale being surely the prime reason. I have read on numerous European fora that people would like to have some British trains but up until now, the scale difference puts them off.