Hal Nail

I really wouldnt bother personally - i love adapting things and restoring old wagons but I wouldnt do so if it was going to cost as much as a good alternative I've picked up all of my Lionheart/Dapol ones for around £30 due various issues I've had to fix and for me thats effort and money better spent. Just to add though, I've admired the skill of those who have done these.

no not usually. you take a risk buying them.

They did but they've run out again since then. They have changed - the problem was addressed in releases after those initial ones. Whilst this is undoubtedly irritating, the models in question are something like 10 years old now so legal action isnt going to get anywhere.

I realise im repeating others experience here but this is one of those issues the brings in the red mist. I tested my 33 a year or so ago and it and it was fine, whereupon I put a load of effort into modifying it to the earlier silencer version, put it back together intending to sell it, only to discover that 3 of the 4 drive gears had now split. I've been told more 33 gears are coming but since then I've been brushed off by Gaugemaster twice so I just bought a couple of the Ultrascale. As they aren't cheap I just got enough for one bogie so at least i can get it running.

If you place them roughly without pressing, wet the back so it goes clear, you have a few seconds to adjust and press home. I've floated them around as if waterslide and sealed them with varnish before now as well. They aren't easy though - i try to cut them out with the bottom straight to use as a guide but that's not getting any easier as my eyes get older!

Just out of interest, do you get a choice of axle boxes?

A product of lockdown and my increasingly limited tolerance is that my attention leaps around between projects. I have been playing around with a Mitchell 45xx I bought last year: this was very nicely made and a bit risky attacking it to represent 4505 just before withdrawal. I'm replacing the rather flat smokebox door with a Dapol spare; a short safety valve, tank vents and late sand boxes are from Warren Shephard. I'll be adding steam pipes which I nabbed off someone I saw doing an early version from the same kit. What I havent worked out yet is how best to strip the tank sides and boiler without immersing the whole thing. Ideas welcome!

I'll ask on here rather than start a new thread: I'm working on a 7mm Mitchell brass 45xx and have changed the cab plates and swapped safety valve bonnet and added a missing handrail so its needs stripping and repainting but ideally I am looking to just strip selected areas- tank and cab sides, probably the boiler barrel. I dont really want to immerse the whole thing in IPA or similar as the backplate etc is nicely done and fixed and I dont know if the details such as lamp irons are soldered or glued. Plus it usually makes a hell of a mess and dont want to be scrubbing paint away round fine details. Any recommendations for stripping selected areas such as tank sides? I presume something like nitromors gel is a bit heavy duty to be putting on an expensive model?

I havent tried at Rails but other box shifters will test them first if you ask, which removes these issues. Knowing stocks won't last indefinitely, I'd be returning it quickly rather than risking damaging things taking it apart which might limit your options (in the interests of full disclosure, I think this is the first model I haven't immediately dismantled, mostly on the back of your warnings!). Given the way their business model works, expecting a certain level of returns, we are entitled to keep trying till we get one that works well, (and unfortunately the only way things will change is if the level of returns is higher than they expected). Frustrating of course but we dont set the rules.

On that basis I hope your observation saloon is well under way.

Even just a light coat of Humbrol leather looks better than the bare plastic I think. I fact every time I look now i see the unpainted controls!

Feels churlish to try and add to that comprehensive reply other than to point out that it was probably rare to find an auto trailer in a siding with only the cab end accessible, as would have taken a deliberate shunt to get it there?! In terms of how they generally contrived to find a trailer facing the right way for a bunker connection (reminding me a bit of the similar brake van orientation thread), it wasn't just a case of turning the loco as many branches always had the loco the same way round. I'm curious to know were all coaches pooled for all lines (in the area) or would there be a branch regular? I've read that the first and last Fowey train (or loco movement) of the day ran over the freight only line from St Blazey. That would imply the coach either stayed attached to the loco, or was left at Fowey overnight, and whichever was the case, it must have required a separate trip to somewhere to swap the coach. Nevertheless I've seen at least 5 different trailer types attached just to 1419, let alone different examples of those.

Thanks guys. A few things to check. I had already checked the power and track wiring was connecting and i did take the box apart and couldnt see anything loose but I will have another look at that. I might buy new cables to try as bound to need them one day anyway.

It's the 5 amp power command version I have 3 Masterpiece locos none of which are working. One suddenly came to life when selected, had sound working, started nicely, went about about a foot then cut out and that was that. I must have had the right loco code tho. I'd think unlikely to be wheels or pickups on all three. The track isnt spotless but i did clean it a bit. Some sort of poor connection inside the box or one of the leads perhaps?

If you haven't got any form of tracking surely you would struggle to win a resolution anyway?

I have an NCE set up for 7mm wired to a couple of lengths of flexi (or a rolling road) for testing. Can't get it to work at the moment but it has been fine previously. I have a red status light by the control bus and an orange for the track, both on. the other status light is off. I have two factory fitted locos from the same source. I cant find the leaflet for one but the other is Loksound equipped and I'd been surprised if the other is any different. The Loksound loco simmers when placed on the track but absolutely nothing else works - cant turn sound on and off or move it. The other attempts to move a few mm when first put on the track even with nothing selected but is otherwise dead. No sound and doesnt respond. I've tried every conceivable DCC loco code including the default 3 so I'm pretty sure its not that I'm calling up the wrong loco. Besides which the one moving when not under power is clearly odd. I have a Dapol 08 which I bought second hand which came DCC fitted and this actually seems to be working. The sound is pretty ropey with a lot of background fuzz and it moves pretty slowly but both of them are probably the loco and the way it was configured. Any ideas what I should try please? Edit. Just tried again and the loco responded normally for about 5 seconds, then went completely silent and stopped again. Theres clearly a fault in the unit or the wiring somewhere.

Modelu come with holes in. Just reality is you cant expect to replicate a thin piece of metal in 7mm scale. Depending where the lamp iron is fitted that might mean the lamp doesn't sit quite in line and for me it showed up too much at the top of the boiler.

Well, they would still look like an ugly Bulldog, but in BR black!

In the interests of full disclosure, I still couldn't get the Modelu ones to sit how I liked given it is near impossible to file a hole to anything like scale thickness from the side of the lamp, so I shaved off the side of the lamp, glued it to the lamp iron and painted that white. I figured it was an easy fix to repaint the lamp iron black if I ever sold the loco (and I'm far too tight to chuck in a lamp!)

Modelu.

The previously reported order of releases had the Mk1s, bolster E, conflats and 122 railcar ahead of it so can probably gauge from when they actually start to come out. To be honest the only concrete timings we get are once they are at sea and then its about 6 weeks. Until then I tend to take no notice!

If anyone hears anything about products it almost certainly appears on here. Failing that keep an eye on someone like Tower Models who give regular updates from the manufacturers.

I think they simply clip into the glazing units at the sides. Ease the body outwards and lift the cab units out. Watch out for two clear parts which transfer light to the headcode box which are loose and slot in the cab unit at the front. (I'm assuming this is the same as the old one).

In one of the Keith Pirt volumes there is a 9 compartment all third shown at Looe as a branch strengthener. Exactly the same body style with the recessed handles of the Airfix brake composite and on the same 7 foot bogies. I thought it was a C61 but again little info in the various books but there is a drawing online.