Northpoint

Oddly enough, last Sunday at Stafford show, I found somebody selling the 322 magnet for code 83 track so I bought some and installed them on my layout and had a much more relaxed time switching than I had on the Saturday with the pointy-stick! I agree with Jordan that as Kadees are not so widely used in the UK a lot of people still like to see the "magic". However, the home layout is a different kettle of fish - pointy sticks rule!

Ready for Trent Valley next year, Dan...??

Shame about the Swiss layout but good news about Freemo.

How's the construction coming along, Paul?

Thanks for that pointer, Jon. I've just looked at it - yes, I agree, Google translate is my friend as well!

No need to worry about the instructions. After posting above, I e-mailed Rocky Rail and recieved a reply with a pdf attachment 16 minutes later! I have to say I was expecting a couple of days at least! So, not only are their models superb, their customer service is as well.

It's arrived - and what a beauty! Thanks Jon for the initial post and pointing us in the right direction. A couple of points - are the handrails really metal or a really hard plastic? I feel a good test is whether a material is cold to the touch especially (not that I make a habit of it!) to the tongue. This doesn't have a cold feel to it. Also, there were no instructions so how do you get inside to fit a decoder? Any ideas?

Jon - are you trying to get me to spend even more money?? It's a shame it wasn't there last week as I would probably have had it over the red one. Never mind - with any luck the proceeds from the CM article should be here in the next few weeks.....

I'll probably be seeing him on Tuesday so I'll mention it to him! I agree with you re the Kadees. However, do you find that the NEM ones don't behave the same way as the US ones? I find that the NEM ones (that I use on all my UK and European stuff) tend occasionally, when over the magnet, to both go to the same side. I think this is because they swivel on the head as opposed to the whole unit like the US ones. Still preferable though to the UK tension lock or the standard European hook and loop.

I think the Grey with railion patches is good too - hopefully, as you say, it will be a few more months before it's avaialble. I now have to find a home for my 2 Trix ones... I don't know how Chris would take it if we were to start running Dutch... I could provide a MAK, 2 Spurts, 2 Syntus LINTS, a 2300....... over to you, Jon!

Good news - Modellbahnshop-lippe have the Rocky Rail MAK in Railion red - hopefully one is already in the UPS van on its way here!

The Lilliput one is overall too short but the trucks/bogies (as far as I know) are right. Re blue polystyrene, I take it you mean the insulating material sold in large sheets. I got a sheet some years ago from a specialist dealer in Worcester. I took my Stanley knife so I could cut it into manageable pieces and get it in the car! Have you got any dealers in your part of the world?

Jon - just picked this up. Nice looking loco. Nice idea for the layout, too. I have a Dutch layout in the works - about 90% ready. It should be in CM in March and at the Nottingham show in March also. I am very interested in the new loco as I totally agree with you re the other examples. I am currently making do with the Trix version as the best of a bad lot! The Piko is currently on Ebay and I have a box containing parts for 2 of the Liliput ones which are a devil to fit with decoders as well as the dimensional inaccuracy. I see that the grey and red Railion versions are not yet available. Fingers crossed they might be by March!

I should be there as well - already got my pass-out and pass-port ready! As Jack says, come and say hello.

It's the start of the season, Andy. Wrong continent for this thread I know but I'll be in East German mode at Lichfield on Saturday.. BTW - nice job on the hoppers, Chris.

Excellent. Glad to see another module starting to take shape.

Probably less than it would cost you to drive to Ikea!

I have an unopened Ikea APA box in my garage.....

I guess we can include it at TVNAM at a stretch! Looking forward to progress - let me know when it's ready for showing. A bit tight for next year - how about 2015?

That is a big layout for you, Jack!

Thnaks, Ray. It sounds like miracle grow is easier!!

How do you do the grassy track, Ray?

I can understand to a certain extent why they won't ship over here. I sold once to a buyer in France and it was nothing but trouble. Plus they have a big enough market in the US I suppose. Blooming frustrating for us all the same....