Oh that's a right pain especially if you don't like endless filing to reduce body and chassis. I managed to file and shape a kato mikado to fit in a minitrix decapod body to create a passable l1but what a chore to make it fit.
Change is good, I always thought about going 0 but am dabbling at the opposite end German Z scale, also done American N, 00, 3mm, Triang TT but never finished anything.
Reckon it is a joke, something from April 1, see this in the article
"During the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (opening this week), TAC lollipop people and crossing chaperones will patrol the CBD streets to ensure pedestrian safety. "
Well you can only hope it is a joke like the mary poppins walk signals
The SD1 line had that problem at the plant and there were similar hassles with Jaguar at the time of the Series 3. At one stage they could only do 3 colours due to problems.
IIRC it was to do with a trade deal with the Soviet Union around 1977. They sent over a load of steel in exchange for, well dunno, Levi Jeans and Doobie Brothers albums and sent in return steel with way too many impurities from poor manufacturing. So not just BL had the problem of 1:1 scale Mazak rot but also the Italians and the French. That's why so many Alfa Suds disappeared too.
I have auto lights and wipers in my 2007 Citroen C4 but luckily a manual overide. I figured being French they would probably break very soon anyway and be no use. Lights can be useful sometimes but the wipers are pretty hopeless.