SouthernMafia

Agree, every modeller should have a length of track with a NEM/Kadee coupling jig to ensure all stock is at the same height. Great to see opinion from us lot was taken on board and modifications made to the model. These can't be far off now?

Just been checking up on route maps down to Cardiff in connection with the new signalling and bidirectional capabilities at Bristol Parkway. A lengthy note on the Cardiff page reads as follows: "Due to the limit of electrification for the diversionary routes towards Ninian Park, zero balises have been provided at the ends of Cardiff Central platforms. Therefore all 80x moves West of the station, including those to Line A and Brickyard Siding MUST be in Diesel Mode. Line A and Brickyard Siding reversal moves may perform manual power changeover to electric while static on Line A/Brickyard Siding and return to the station in electric mode. <snip> Class 387 are authorised to operate in electric mode to Cardiff Central* including Line A and Brickyard Siding reversing locations. Drivers must not accept any other route." *not sure how else they'd get there...! Does make you wonder why they bothered electrifying to Brickyard if GWR are only going to use it in one direction, and then from the other perspective if 387s are allowed to use it why not 800s? Similar situation at Newbury where all down 800s pan down before Newbury Racecourse, but a terminating 800 from London (ie not continuing to Bedwyn, there's a couple in the peak) has to pan down in the same place, even though it never goes off the wires. And then there's wiring the Through roads at both locations! No wonder the project is so over budget. What would have happened if the 800s were pure electrics as initially speced I wonder.

Sorry but this post is complete conjecture. Hilux5972 it would be prudent to email your questions to Hattons, you might not get an answer into their future plans since it's their business information but you might actually get a response! I've said before in this thread it's a shame Hattons have gone quiet, even if there's nothing to share. I suppose competing with the big boys now means a different comms strategy!

Livery samples out for most of the 33/0s: https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/2847/new-Heljan-class-33-locomotives An observant Twitter user notes these look like the original 33/0 tooling!? Still no word on 33008 and exactly which livery it will have, but judging by the description I imagine it will be the same as D6580...which is a shame.

I'm making a slight tweak to my layout and planning on having these accommodated in the yard onto a loading ramp. Could you advise on the length of the wagon over the ends of the buffers? Thanks.

Redbridge and the Winchester Railway Modellers are exhibiting at Fareham Railex this weekend 5th/6th October. Lots of progress since our last exhibition in January, including further detailing, a backscene, lighting gantry, and even a 4-REP/4-TC! Come and see us if you can. We'll be running mid and late 1960s.

Trouble at Didcot last night with a dewirement caused by an 802 coming off the Chester Lines, appears to have panned up too early and brought the run off section down. Platforms 3, 4 and 5 OOU this morning UFN.

What was the outcome of the colours debate? In particular the GBRf orange looking completely out, has this been corrected?

Have recently bought the 31, 33 and 50 and they're all fantastic. However, a slight annoyance for me in regards to operation is that I can't seem to turn the sound off by hitting F1 whilst the loco is moving. On an exhibition layout we want to be able to turn the sound on and off on the move as the train exits or enters the fiddle yard. I'm no CV wizard so could you advise if this can be tweaked with CV changes please? In the meantime here's the 33 in action.

Quite a serious incident this morning as 1B26 had a brake failure on the approach to Haymarket and could not stop, despite Driver and Guards best efforts. Signaller routed train through Waverley and train eventually came to a stand in tunnel outside Waverley.

Had a go at an EM2 in my Class 205 Thumper. It was easier to install under the body, but this adds another unsightly block to the interior, and I wasn't convinced it sounded as good as being mounted on the underframe, so this is the option I went with. Required an EM2 sized hole being cut into the chassis, and the underframe boxes don't cover the entire sides of the speaker, but I can live with this.

Typical. Looks great.

Keeping an eye on stock levels at various online retailers and the SWT 73 seems to be selling very well! Hattons down to their last one already. Hopefully Clive at AC Models Eastleigh has it in stock for me to collect tomorrow.

It's all rather suspiciously quiet on the 66 front which leads me to doubt August as a delivery time. They would be on the boat by now or very shortly and we've heard nothing new in regards to a 66 project update in a few months, on here or on other social media channels where Hattons are regularly posting content. And Hattons website is not exactly accurate when it comes to projected delivery dates as we've seen in the past. I could well be proven wrong but seeing as this is supposed to be their flagship model I'm just surprised there's not more of a fanfare with regards to progress, where other small and upcoming manufacturers, and even the likes of Heljan and Hornby seem to do well with the whole PR thing. I'm happy for it to arrive when it's ready, whenever that may be, but definitely a noticeable lack of engagement recently when it started off so well.

That was exactly my suggestion, probably the most common and widespread EMU at the moment? I'd love a 442, but it'll never happen...........

This is great news, and many predicted a new upgraded 47. But please please please Heljan, get it right, and listen and act on feedback if it's not...we don't want another 'almost there but not quite' 47 on the market.

Wagon mounted knuckle couplings on wagons without buffers (Dapol MRA, Bachmann MBA) have no problem negotiating tight curves with a decent distance between the wagons, it's when buffers are involved that problems begin, so provided there is enough swing in the coupling these will be fine. Have fitted Kadees to my 10 Dapol MRAs and they run really well as a set.

New batch on the way I see, delivery late 2019.

Agree with all above. This is what we should be getting from manufacturers, actually requesting, listening and acting on feedback! Well done Accurascale (provided you change the inner couplings to the prototype height )

Look, I'm trying to buy a house, please stop announcing things! Seriously, great choice and look forward to the later Yeoman livery in a presumably to-be-announced-later-in-the-year second batch. Although that ARC set might well have to be purchased first!!

Doubt anything has changed, it's just a rerun of a successfully selling model. Now if only they could do another run of the modern Warwell now Oxford have led us astray with theirs...

Ditto, but is the version just released the same as what is now planned in the triple pack, or another variation (less the mods that were mooted). If so, we might yet see the corrects shade of green...long shot I know after MK3 Gate...

Haha the middle coaches of the REP are waiting for me to get my arse in gear and spray them!

Thought you TC fans might like to see some REP / TC action on test. This is our club layout Redbridge set from 1967 onwards, so a REP was required! Almost finished converting one and have recently installed an EPB motor. It moves the full 12 well and looks the business. We have another Blue TC which will replace the NSE version for the fully authentic '91 experience!

Had the 4-REP out on test on the club layout and it had no problems with moving itself and a 8-TC