John M Upton

Class 319 in Southern colours is a day one purchase for me, less so a Connex example but would still consider it.

SWT/SWR 159 could be a possibility, a centre coach for the 158/159 must surely also be in the offing?

Of course I will also mention the woeful omission of a decent Class 25/3 again...

On 25/01/2024 at 20:08, markwilson said:

It’s a Lone Star and now you can see why I said it’s pretty old! 

I’ve disconnected it and put my old Gaugemaster D on (technically not an O gauge controller, but these Dapol units don’t pull as much current as my Heljan stock). Seemed to be running fine, but still a slight whiff from the DMU after 10 minutes running in each direction, so I may just need to accept these models are not made to run continuously.

 

My layout is end to end, so that shouldn’t be a challenge…

That antique should be nowhere but in a skip.  I would be interested to know if it has ever been PAT tested, if it is in use in a publicly accessible location such as a club room, it should be tested annually.

At least he hasn't resorted to the lazy man's tool, the wildly idiotic AI generated gibberish. 

The queue out of the door on the Saturday morning had to be seen to be believed!!  Initially it seemed the Dart was doing the Airport Parkway runs and this beauty:

...was doing the Eastleigh end.

The queue also had the additional entertainment of the utter wally in the car park reversing without looking where he was going and nearly smashing into a taxi!!!

6 hours ago, GEARJAMMER said:

Does anyone know if any of the trade sellers had any Cavalex 56s for sale?

Didn't notice any, I would have thought if there had been any, the traders would have highlighted them.  The most recent release I saw were GF Class 158's of which I was sorely tempted by the GWR one but just managed to resist!!!

Thirty years ago I went to my first Southampton MRC show at the old Eastpoint Centre, travelling on a Solent Blue Line ECW bodied Bristol VR.

Today I am going to the 2024 show... on a Solent Blue Line ECW bodied Bristol VR!!

The first Lodekka's built for BH&D had plain fronts, no radiator up front although they were later modified to the standard appearance. 

Not sure what to make of this seller.  Firstly a layout for sale:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285650638491?

and three trashed Class 37's:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285663899325?

But absolutely no description or details whatsoever!!!

The daily listings of newly added preowned items is down to one or two items a day now.

Not much left when you trawl through the remnants either. Will there be some sort of final clearance at the end?

8 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Keith:  I can't confirm it, but I'm sure that IHC had its early products made by Mehano.

 

Correct. There were a number of models including a couple of really bad locos made by the Mehano factory that turned up under various brand names, IHC, Model Power, even Lima I think.

The Alco C628 was a particular horror, I bought one once, not only did the loco self destruct in transit, so did the packaging!

Could someone please tell me what the destination screens say on the two GWR versions?  Also, does anyone do replacement destination screens for them (I would need Brighton and Cardiff Central or Bristol TM for example)

Indeed, I had one of the old ones but quickly got rid of it as it was just awful in almost every respect.

...and 'Plastic Cheese' here (along with bog domestic white sliced bread being known as 'Plastic Bread')

When I were a teenager, mid to late 1980's, I was the only one I knew in my school who was into railway modelling, first Hattons order for detail parts, paint and flushglaze being sent with a cheque in about 1987.

All my fellow school classmates were into models, but those came with very different specification pair of buffers if you know what I mean...

Not a listing but amusement for a quiet Sunday morning, I got a message from a seemingly long disused ebay account, apparently nobody is allowed to sell anything with Network SouthEast on it, copyright violation apparently and apparently this self appointed copyright ninja threats with "We monitor all social media".

I have filed it in my Nutter folder...

One thing about shows is popularity, no denying they are popular but that is now leading to another problem, severe overcrowding.  I have just returned from the excellent Bognor Regis MRC show, I was there for doors opening and for the first twenty minutes/half an hour it was okay but after that it became tightly packed and busy which was a shame a there were some very good layouts and trade there which became near impossible to see.

This seems to be a problem at most events I attend now, too much crammed into to far too small a space leading to being unable to see what it is I travelled to and paid to see!

As a result I have decided to no longer to attend Ally Pally anymore (last year was just awful for seeing exhibits to the point where, a few bargains I acquired but only after easing myself through a impolite scrum to reach them) I saw hardly anything except the odd layout where nothing was moving and technical faults were aplenty.

So, in addition to the growing issue of ageing volunteers, the shows as a whole need to start rethinking space, visibility and access if they are to continue to attract visitors.

11 hours ago, bradfordbuffer said:

Look on bright side ....moderators can get some sleep in march!

Highly unlikely, that's Ally Pally month!!!

Forgot to mention, 73965 was on the other end:

I do notice that whenever I am in a queue for a show, particularly at doors opening that the vast,vast majority of those present are very much of the older generation.

Mind you, I am only just shy of 50 now and will soon be adding to that statistic!

Bognor Regis tonight...

(My request for a stock swap fell on deaf ears though... 🤣 )

22 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I hoovered up a few of those between 1700 & 1930.

In that period judging by the order numbers, Hattons processed 225 orders.

 

Try again now. I just got straight in and could order US HO stuff

Yep, seemed to come back to life about half ten when I duly picked up a couple of bits that I had been thinking about for a while as it happens and was quite surprised to see still there.

Was trying one last order, picking up some Athearn Blue Box stuff but the website is just unusable now.

The fact remains that in this Internet age, high street retail is dead, we have become a nation of coffee shops and very little else.  Ironically, Hattons moved to be an online retailer in preference to a high street bricks and mortar shop in the traditional sense and still wound up in its current impending fate which shows even online retail is not the be all and end all of everything.

You see a lot of people in the local press complaining about high street shops closing and crying out in annoyance when yet another coffee shop/restaurant/takeaway announces they are opening but I have found those making the most noise are those who hardly ever use high street retail anyway!!!

I really cannot see any way back for high street retailing as a whole, no amount of Government funding or social media support will revive the corpse now.

On a side note, Hattons bought a US Railroad retailer last year, are they done for as well?  No one seems to know the answer.