Russ (mines a pint)

Yep thats exactly what I meant - I wondered if they were molded or printed ! I've seen you can order individual metal ones!

Thanks Steve & Tim - it is the smokebox door number most worried about- aren't they in relief?

I'm really not one for resolutions, there is a part of me that likes to be defiant once I've made them, ten years since I joined RmWeb and started modelling again - with a Bachmann Class 25 . It was all new again and half the fun was learning some of those advances since my last involvement with the hobby, since we moved and my layout was dismantled I've tried all sorts of different ideas and scales to try keep myself interested. This year I've decided to start afresh with a new era I really m not all that sure of , the early British Railways years, it gives me a great chance to thin out my stuff and start again (-anyone looking for late crest N2/ J72 give me a PM ) - gone for a new J50 in the early livery - half the fun is research so its good!

Cheers & good health Callum , Just put myself out of my misery and ordered that variant - have been reliably informed its just 1 number away from a 37C based loco 68988 - cheers Tim for your help I looked some other resources and found the same in Leeds (Copley Hill) pictures in Late crest - will try round up these links and pm you - which may show why the database doesnt show it as a Bradford loco, but it'd make sense either as a lend or just appearing in the area! - still with or without the renumber it'll look the place - liking but not knowing the prototype I didnt want the Eastfield or London only ones for mine - as a mainly diesel modeller can someone give me some guidance on how to change front number/shed plates on front of loco?

Actually found this on 'google shop' as best price & placed (my first) order - price is outstanding even before factoring free carriage even compared to certain Liverpuddlian box shifters and others available of course - so was just dreading looking up reviews on this site! .... but it seems we are in safe hands lol - virtual pint for anyone who can guess what it is before I get it (not difficult lol )

http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10879&start=45 Was just reading this out of interest it seems that LNER 635 was an Eastfield loco for all its life , as such has a couple of details missing shunters steps/handrails etc... also lining was out of the policy by 1928... though if it was introduced in 1926 most of the lining would have disappeared with weather & soot ? ...it seems I must wait for the one that did the Queensbury line

Much as I love the progress being made with models, I often wonder what it is that creates that effect with the glazing? - modern diesel models have it too , but seeing the cab fronts like that , the Hornby looks a bit frog-eyed compared to the old lima cab Though I am really struggling to pick fault, apart from the clean-ness lol Was reading LNER forum topic on this new release...out of interest it seems that LNER 635 was an Eastfield loco for all its life , as such has a couple of details missing shunters steps/handrails etc... also lining was out of the policy by 1928... though if it was introduced in 1926 most of the lining would have disappeared with weather & soot ? ...it seems I must wait for the one that did the Queensbury line

Still looks too clean ...

Yep - that certainly looks the part and the way to get a decent runner from the lima , I often wondered about having ago but I was not sure enough of the prototype for detailing purposes (I'm not really steam era, but like a select few classes ) - good discipline to put the remaining bits back on ebay to help the costs, think here they might have just have been lying about in case they came in useful for something EDIT to add thanks everyone who posts pics and vids of this- I have ordered the Early crest that hasnt been released yet (JUNE 16) - just wondering whether to go for a late one too before they all go lol

Now you've got one could anyone offer a comparison on how they run, esp. regards very low speeds - compared maybe with 08's or bacchy pannier or jinty for shunting moves?

I am always a bit loathe to knock old lima models as back in the day they were they did give us a lot of good models - the J50 was an early venture though and even though you have considerably improved with detailing the lima model looks a little short and the angle on the tanks looks wrong - thats assuming Hornby got it right? You can see from the green J50 pic- original lima issue- things have moved on regarding chassis detail etc, we are looking at a 30+ yr old model? - the centre axle was never coupled and spun freely, maybe to negotiate sharp curves? Shall we compare apples & pears?

I'm after the early crest low bunker version, today received an email to say it is due June 2016... http://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2016/locomotives-train-packs/br-0-6-0t-j50-class-early-br-1.html ah well at least I might have somewhere to run it by then? ... or not

These posts mean nothing without pictures - Happy festivities

How would you determine whether they were doing less than 10 mph ? particularly re cyclists? I think this would only be on the uphill or maybe flat if they had a basket on the front, which you wouldn't be able to see from behind ?

Mobile auto corrects are a very bad thing

That's great Simon, out of interest there looks to be less webbing on the mk2 version? - that ought to mean re-moving and adding gentle curves should go in its favour, I do agree with many that the cast frog would look better with a C&L rail type pre-made frog - that said in this scale it is less obvious - as many who choose 'handbuilt' OO over the EM and P4 variants of 4 mil it is the sleeper spacing and point geometry which make the most difference, there comes a point at which the trade-off between 'looking right' and being 'actually right' comes and most who want things actually right are prepared to do their own to achieve that. You'll need tweezers to handle those chairs right enough!

I've been watching the finetrax stuff with a huge interest - like you say 4mm copperclad is do-able just but there is a lot of faffing & swearing and getting something that works doesnt always come round first time. It is something that should really catch on - as it is a true kit in that you just put it together like a wagon kit , to my mind the various ways round offered as kits weren't really kits they were just enough scratchbuilding materials to end up with a point if you could build it right . - understand a mk 2 version is now offered with some of the specialist chairs moulded in the base and ready-made switch tiebar assembly (www.britishfinescale.com/product-p/finetrax-turnout-b6.htm ) also think they are doing the right thing by getting the product right before going for a mass of range/geometries as it will mean less problems in the future?

Kind of ironic, given VW's origins... - but what about further down the VW foodchain, ie SEAT & Skoda, they have done very well so far out of VW but what happens next for them? - it wont be easy to find which engines are affected either for customers as they are typically a bit behind getting the most recent engines into their cars. - also the lower VED tax brackets are a concern if they are subsequently raised - though seemingly this comes to an end for new cars in 2016 anyway. Personally I bought a 2011 Octavia estate for £800 more than a 2009 one cos it had the cheap tax being a 1.6CR rather than a 1.9PD £30 VED instead of £180 - its probably paid the difference already as the fuel consumption is BETTER than the quoted figures, though we do live in a rural area. I think this is a US thing anyway - I've not heard anything re UK yet?

Just had to read this thread - and the one with your 3 (now 4?) layouts in from start to finish. Really enjoyed it love the minimalist modelling - not operation but atmosphere. The quay layout tons of atmosphere, neatly sidestepping the 'expensive' bit of O gauge - ie the loco Keep the pics coming :)

I would say put like that Steve the single apa is definitely a micro.. in that it is min space and maximum operation and cleverly planned to be so. It would also translate into 4mm The other layouts are very nice but if built in 4mm they would be quite big ? You could say thats the benefits of N gauge, you also have a way of making N gauge looking much better than many ( particularly the double APA ) looks like a larger scale layout than it actually is? I hate the way labels have to be applied and things put in boxes - apart from the actual layouts of course

Its splitting hairs, but there are a number of 'double apa' box layouts on here the apa boxes are quite a bit larger than 2 square feet - I think from my own measurements 2 joined together come out at about 4 and a half feet - slightly less if you remove the intermediate end pieces, they are also deeper/taller than exactly a foot. I would say such a layout is still a micro despite being a bit above the nominal 4 sq feet?