JimF51

For those who want digital, a subscription for RM through Exact Editions will give you access to allo back issues from number 1 on. Just FWIW Jim F

Not sure if it is the same over there, but in the US, your payment for a item received no longer goes to you PP account. You have to register a bank account with ebay. Payments now take 2 to 3 days to become available. The fees have gone up, also. Per law, ebay now has to charge state tax on the amount paid for a item. That's fine, but they charge the tax for the item amount plus shipping. And their fee is based on the total amount, as well. I just sold a large model kit (and will be my last sale on ebay) for $100. Postage to buyer was just under $50. After the tax deduction and PP's fee, I think I cleared about $85. I have avoided FB all these years, but I went and set up a phony FB account (page), and have used it to sell items, with moderately decent success. There are groups for all sorts of hobbies, and most will allow personal sales. I just sold a large number of WW I aviation books on there, with a lot less hassle than on ebay. My wife does pretty well selling dolls house items she is disposing of on etsy, as well.

If the above is the case, I may just have to subscribe again. For diesel fumes and flashy modern paint schemes, I can drive over and visit the local truck (lorry for you UK types) stop.

Steve, Nile is correct. Unless there is someone in the UK making US types in 009, it will all be HO scale. If going HO, there are several 3d printed conversion kits that use N scale locos as the base. There is also quite a number of 3d printed rolling stock, as well as a few kit makers who do wood laser cut kits. But again, nothing I have found if 009 of US prototypes. Jim F

It came from this posting on my Early Rail .io group, which is mainly focused on US modeling. "Our local Ford dealer has a photo on their wall of the Highland Park, Michigan, assembly plant taken in 1913 showing Model-T's being loaded into freight cars that look very European. They are short all-steel 4-wheel cars with arched roofs. They have side doors but are being loaded through end doors using narrow portable ramps for each wheel. Has anyone here ever heard of such cars or have any information about them?" Jim F

I've now been informed those are 1916 models, not 1912. Would autos have been mfr'd during the war? Jim F

Can anyone help with the location? These are 1912 UK Fords being loaded. Thank you. Jim F

Hi James. I'm in NC, and just a FWIW, if you have been shopping for Peco track here in the US. It is much less $$ to order from the UK, such as Hatton's. I've compared pricing from Hatton's, Model Railway Imports in Canada, and my fav dealer for prices when I was doing US model rail, Blue Ridge Hobbies. As example, for a box (25 count) of Peco SL-404 Mainline flex track, per piece cost is $4.77, MRI is $6.21 and BRH is $6.36. That is US prices, converted from £ for Hatton's and Can $ for MRI. I do forget if I took off the VAT from the Hatton's price, however, so it may even be less. Turnouts are priced comparably, IF you can get them over here. Of course, this is all moot, if you plan to use N scale track I'll be ordering a box of flex track in the near future, though I don't have need for that many pieces, if you are interested in some. Jim F

I seriously doubt the Society directors failed to discuss most, if not all, of the points that folks have brought up in this thread. So... A) If you are a Society member, and have concerns, contact the board to discuss. C) if you are a member, and plan to buy the track, contact the sales person direct, to discuss what your postage options might be. B) if you are not a member, and have no intent on joining (whether you model in EM or not), than really, you have no say, so why comment on here? Just my thoughts. Jim F

Alright, using Hatton's was not a good choice, but was easier than trying to calculate via the Royal Mail website. But my point was, for all the comments about how Peco should revise it's methods, or maybe the Society should find some volunteers to cut the track into mail friendly lengths, has anyone actually calculated out what it would cost them for postage to buy some of the track? Or again, are folks just enjoying finding negatives? Jim F

Ok, so I may be way off course here, but I just went to Hatton's website, placed a 25 piece box of Peco code 75 OO flex track in the shopping cart. The postage shown, from Hattons to a Central UK address, is £4. To my address, in the US, it would be £15. Wouldn't the costs for the EM track from the Society be similar? Jim F

having wandered around and dabbled in most of the UK's rail/scale combinations (N, 2mmFS, OO, OO9, EM, P4, 7mm and 7mmNG), I never could settle on just one. Each had their pros and cons. I kept coming back to OO, as being in the US, it would just be so much simpler to acquire what I needed. Yet I still hesitated, as the 'narrow gauge' look just put me off, and I wanted track that looked better than the standard Peco, but was not inclined to build my own. So I just continued on with other hobbies. Peco then comes out with their bullhead track, and the interest comes up again, but still, that NG look. Now, however, the EMGS is having track produced, eliminating building track and points, and just about fixing the NG look. Excellent! I have no issue with having to join (rejoin) the EMGS in order to buy track, and staying with it for help as I proceed in EM gauge. I have no issue with using paypal to pay for membership, and to pay for the track and turnouts. Unless shipping doubles the cost of the order, I'll willingly pay that, as well. It's the only way I'll be able to get it, over here, so I'll bite the bullet. I honestly do not get why there is 16 pages of posts about this track. I could understand if they were all from folks who are either going to buy it and are happy it forthcoming, or folks just saying 'well done' EMGS. But all the comments regarding "'it should be sold by other sources (Peco, hobby shops, etc..)", or "It won't bring more people to EM gauge", or "I don't see why people don't just build their own track" and all the similar comments, just seem like folks have nothing better to do than criticize. And, I'd be willing to wager, a number of negative comments have been made by folks who have no interest in EM gauge, to start with. As I stated above, I will not be joining the Soc. solely for the track: however, if it is NOT possible to ship track to me without it breaking the bank, then I will forgo joining, as well as working in EM gauge. But I will wait till I know for certain, one way or another. Excellent move, EMGS, other Guilds/Societies should take a page from yoru book. Jim F

Can I ask some kind soul who has one of the models in their possession, measure and post the overall length and width one? Thank you. Jim F

Not sure about that, think they do agree it's anything prior to 1923, and probably all agree, for diesel fumes and flashy paint schemes, a truck (lorry) stop would be more interesting LOL Regarding the digital mag issue, yes, I do prefer a physical magazine/book, etc.., but being in the US, getting digital issues is much less expensive, and I does not need physical storage. And, regarding the whole 'privacy' issue, anyone who is that worried about it, should not be online, via computer, smart phone, iPad, etc.. (of course, make sure you shred all your paper mail, with addresses, account numbers, etc.., so the trash bin divers don't find them LOL) Jim F

It's funny, regarding many of the folks who like to 'peruse" (aka read) a magazine at a model shop of news stand, then put it back without buying because "there was nothing of interest in it". They are more often than not the ones who will complain the loudest when said magazine dies off. Saw this happen with Model Railroad Craftsman, here in the states. As much as I still prefer the printed versions of magazines (and I did as John does, with my US magazines, cutting out any and all content that I felt was worth keeping), the cost of UK modelling magazines here in the US is extreme. It's about double what the price of a copy in the UK is, either by single copy or subscription. So, digital is the lesser of 2 evils One nice thing with the digital edition of RM, as a subscriber, one gets access to all the digital back issues from 2011 (when they 1st went digital) to current issue. And, as long as one subscribes, any articles in all those issues can be bookmarked. So that is one plus, at least. As for magazine preference, RM is my primary choice, the sub I will keep. It seems to strike a decent balance between the different railway eras, and covers 009 better than others (granted, probably due to Peco producing 009 RTR items), but whatever the reason, it works for me. BRM has way less 009 coverage, and it, Hornby and Model Rail magazines seem to be much more focused on 'modern era' nowadays. Just a view from this side of the puddle. Jim F