John M Upton

Throughly agree. I really wish Hornby had held off another six months or a year even to take the time to get it right, maybe release a few of these into the hands of experienced modellers to test drive them and identify all these problems and then rectify before mass production. You get the sense (whether true or not) that Hornby were under pressure to rush this into production as it was already quite late. I was going to buy a second one as soon as retailers started discounting them much as Hattons et-al have done with the bargain (and superior) Bachmann CEP's recently but in light of experience, the VEP is being restricted to the carriage shed for the time being, blacked by the train crew depot's Trade Union rep until I can find the enthusiasm to return to it and make still further corrections to make it run properly. I think the fact that no one has yet announced any retailers limited editions yet speaks volumes and probably shows that any potentially interested parties have seen the first ones, heard the lets be honest large number of horror stories that seem to have just got worse as time has gone on, gone 'eeek!' and backed away for now waiting for a better upgraded version to come along.

Well it would appear that the traction tyres being present or being replaced actually make very little difference to the overall performance. Unless your track is absolutely dead level flat, the VEP will not negotiate any corner less than fourth radius!!! The motor simply does not have the oomph to push two, pull itself and haul one coach or vice versa. Either it is going to need a lot more weight or else I am going to have to consider remotoring it completely. A pity as with a little work the cosmetics can be largely sorted out to a satisfactory level but if the innards are quite simply not up to the job of moving it then what is the point!!!

Well the err 'interesting' Mk 2 Lima cut and shut engineers van thing (without the wheels!) managed to sell for the thick end of thirty three quid!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150665870899?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 I have a pile of old Lima Mk 2's around somewhere, time to get my razor saw out if this is this is the sort of money some loonies are prepared to part with!

But we do have The Data Protection Act, a vertiable minefield of potential offences for the unwary business where data about people and organisations may be stored (which when I last looked was pretty much everyone!)

Original numbers: 7701 to 7894 Renumbered in order 3001 to 3194* Refurbished examples renumbered on overhaul into the 34xx and 35xx series in random order of overhaul except the first twenty which remained at the start in the 3401 to 3420 series but with one unit out of sequence for some reason. * Minus the couple that got nabbed for the 8-VAB unit and never returned to original form plus a few reformations that lurked about) Also: Overhead flashes only fitted to the cab ends of South Eastern area units and even then not until the early to mid 1990's when the wires went up at Dollands Moor and Ashford beneath which they passed. Definitely a case of make sure you refer to plenty of photographs!!!

Admittedly I have not run a micrometer across them (mostly because I don't have one!) but the Heljan wheels are very slightly larger, no more than half a mm in my opinion if that.

Well all I did initially was unclip the motor bogie side frame moulding (clip at either end and four, two each side of the middle bit if you see what I mean!!) lifted out both wheel sets and simply put the new ones in, being careful to make sure the pick ups were inside the wheels. Seems the cogs although being of obviously different design/manufacture do fit as they worked. You could swap the cogs over from the Hornby axles to the Heljan ones as well. The abrasive resistance of the traction tyres on anything even remotely resembling a slight curve has now gone. Still not perfect and may need further minor adjustments before it is running to my satisfaction but it is improvement on what came out of the box!! I haven't had to do this much rectification and improvements to get a brand new model running properly since the bad old days of Lima!!! At least the VEP didn't require a full respray, rewire and virtual rebuild to get it at least reasonably decent from new out of the box condition!!!

Oh yes, no wheels!!!

Just removed the offending traction tyre fitted wheel set and replaced both wheel sets in the motor bogie with Heljan Class 33 replacement wheels (available from Howes) and things are starting to improve. It still won't go around one specific corner properly (the motor bogie keeps lifting the leading wheel set as it reaches the corner and carries straight on whilst the rest of the motor car carries on around the corner!) This may be more due to poor track conditions at this precise location as the cornering abilities of the motor car (at least when running on its own) have now improved considerably. Still not perfect yet, more experimentation to do...

I think that can be more attributed to Hornby's long standing poor record of the reproduction of NSE livery!! Having said that this is their best shot at NSE livery so far in twenty years of trying, the spacing of the stripes and the shades of red and blue used actually being right for the very first time!!!! As it is the Kent Coast logos should not be on the model anyway (too late for the black cap variation) and I was having nagging doubts about the cant rail orange. I know they became standard on later repaints but as you say they were continued across the front, normally... Let's not forget that Hornby seems to have changed their mind several times on the variation of livery to be applied to this model as various images were produced by them showing angled stripe with double arrow NSE (wrong for refurbished VEP's) which later became curved up sweeps with arrows (wrong) and then same with black caps and the now missing front cab window black edging (still wrong) as shown in the catalogue for 2011. Quite why all the mind changing I will never know!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engineering-Dept-Short-Coach-Conv-Lima-Mk2-GCU-/150665870899?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item231462be33 Different... Actually I quite like it, sort of a Mk 2 Generator Van!!!

NSE light blue with angled ends (plus the different area logos on the MBSO) Plain 'undercoat' white - some with thin blue Connex skirt/buffer beams/sole bars, others just plain) Gatwick '4-VEG' variation of Blue/Grey (Really hoping for either a Ltd Edition of this or transfers from Fox for this one) NSE with Connex 'Balaclava' half black front ends The one thing that really bothers me is that at least one Magazine Review stated that the trailer cars of the VEP model had pick-ups for the lighting and it clearly doesn't which makes me start to question just how thorough some of these reviews really are if they failed to spot even that simple omission. Were some of these reviews given a quick write up in the heat of the excitement of the review model's arrival to make the copy deadline per chance? If so that is quite simply lazy and sloppy journalism.

I vaguely recall reading something, may have been as long as two or three years ago now that the Inland Revenue were starting to look at how income from on-line auctions and car boot sales etc could be taxed as they have become increasingly aware that many so called 'private' sellers are actually making a substantial living out of this and not paying any income tax or business rates on the proceeds which they would be if they were a business seller. I gather the consensus was that it was virtually unenforceable but the tax man is lurking in the shadows and one day he will pounce...

Unfortunately my money is on Option 3 which is a pity as the VEP (suitably rectified of course) is the perfect base for a CIG/BIG. Meanwhile as I am doing things to my bogies, something blatantly obvious occurs to me. Somewhere in the world at least one magazine review said there were pick ups on the non powered cars for the lights - there aren't!! So which reviewer was being lazy and not paying any attention to the product in front of him/her? Further experimentation - I have run the three unpowered cars together (a 3-VEP I suppose!) with a 33 shoving it. The drag that the motor coach is causing is extremely noticeable now as these three are running with little problems. I have now found that one wheel set was a tad too wide, easily fixed. A second problem is with the couplings (Thanks Kintbury Jon for giving me the idea!) as the end and inner ones are just fouling the bogies frames when turning corners. Therefore I have removed the outer end NEM pocket/arm and have trimmed a little section of the bogie frame away on the inner ends to allow better clearance, turning the unpowered bogies through 180 degrees as I was about it. Further testing will resume later!!

Erm, we have Loco Toledo down here... Not sure which is worse to be honest!!!

The pick ups on the unpowered vehicles are only for the lighting, the pick ups for the motor are on the MBSO only, apparently...

The Bachmann Collectors Club NSE EPB was just another example of blatant profiteering on a still readily available item and at least two mugs fell for it, a common occurrence these days. There are however countless other examples of ones born every minute who are bidding way OTT for items that are still on shelves and traders tables for far less.

After a morning of testing including turning it around and running it the other way, I have narrowed down running problems to two distinct areas. 1: Much like Hornby's steam locos of recent times, it doesn't like turning left through older production Peco three way 'Y' points, easily fixed with a new set, pity they are now so ruddy expensive!! It also means until the S&T boys can fix it, the bay platform is barred to the VEP until further notice!! 2: The wheel set on the Unit causing pretty much all the problems is the one with the traction tyres on it, it likes to climb up and derail at random points during the journey!! It is also causing the motor bogie to stall and squeal alarmingly. That wheel set will have to be replaced, any suggestions for a matching wheel set sans said tyres that will fit easily?

Just given mine its first run and... oh dear. Because the leading two coaches are light and unpowered they were getting shoved off the line on the points, the motor is pretty lame, the traction tyres are going to have to go as they are causing the unit to almost stall on the curves and the inter unit couplings are TERRIBLE!! Bit more work needed methinks...

"Upselling" is another seemingly meaningless load of cobblers being used in business nowadays. Saw it on a sign in the back of a Burger King once, think it is the bit where the burger wallah asks if you want to upgrade to large/supersize/meal etc.

For those looking for the parts I used for my VEP ends, it is the sprue of end fittings that Replica produce for their MLV model but would work equally as well on any of the traditional BR(S) slam door units. http://www.replicara...ies/accessories Towards the bottom of this page, Ref RA110. The buckeye coupling in particular is much more realistic looking than the rather small piece Hornby have supplied (seems to have been on the same crash diet as their horns!) Simply pull out the existing draw bar hook, trim the end of the Replica coupling and push it in with a small dab of glue. The horns just lift off, then a small drill bit to open out the holes ever so slightly then refit the Replica ones. The window edges are done with a fine permanent marker, very simple to do. In fact Hornby's advert shows the NSE VEP (and incorrectly the blue one) has carrying this feature and all black cap front end VEP's should have them but yet for some reason the production version has omitted them! Better picture which shows the replacement coupling: By the way, should the inner ends of the DMCsoL's have a full set of steps to the roof? I thought these got chopped off long before last NSE livery came along like most Mk 1 stock?

The artwork on the box appears correct on the bogie orientation issue and my model is wrong. Ah well... Anyway, whilst watching The Hunt For Red October, I got to work doing a little work on one Driving Trailer: Apart from the obvious renumber to a Brighton VEP and the addition of the rather unimpressive headcode stickers (67 - decidedly unglamorous Littlehampton - Bognor shuttle!!) I have used a pencil on the ridge between the two sections of the corridor connection, used the Replica Railways EMU cab end detailing pack to replace the horns with something a bit more realistic and also fitted the tightlock coupler from the same pack as well. Meanwhile the cab front windows have been picked out in black. The background of the cable recesses should also be black, a job maybe for later. Not a huge amount of work but it does seem to at least partially address some of the more obvious cosmetic issues, especially the horns.

Whilst there were two official shades of NSE blue, fading, time since last repaint, number of times through the carriage washer, patch repairs etcetera meant that various variations in shades even on different coaches within the same unit were not uncommon.