tomparryharry

How, or where, did Oxford enter the equation? I'll stick with my Mainline-Lima conversion. With a bit of work, it can be made to work on DCC, although my stuff is all analogue. It's out a millimetre here & there, but nothing to get too stressed about. With an expected RRP price of £150-160, I can get a reasonable model for about a quarter of the price, Naturally, there are other variations of the theme out there. As a brief aside, I notice the 94xx prices on Eeh-Bah-Gum have risen considerably in the last year or so. I wonder why? Ian.

Some interesting posts from the last fortnight. Firstly, the news about the EM-gauge Peco track, and the 00 Polls. I will assume that at some point in the future, there 'might' be am EM-style Poll, as the scale remains the same. After all, this is RTR. One thing that does interest me, is the possible rise of niche style commissions. After all, if a high-polling example fails to make it from the poll to the shops, are we looking at alternative avenues? If Rapido can produce GNR No1, then Great Bear, perhaps? Finally, how long before we see an EM-only model locomotive? Just thinking..... Ian.

Reading your topic gave me some thoughts. I wondered if Hornby released the old Lima 94xx pannier, in a Railroad range? I'm not looking to ruffle any feathers, but, just a thought..... Ian.

Once again an excellent Poll, and its contents. I'm a bit concerned about how the votes were garnered..... I voted for the Taff Vale Railway A class about 500 times. It would have been more, but the 'enter' key on my keyboard popped off. (JOKE). Well done team. The next few years could prove expensive in RTR land. Cheers, Ian. Oh, can I add a vote for the TVR 04? Too late? Oh well, maybe next year.....

As we speak, 2018, I'm still wearing what is essentially 1950's clothing. Yippee! I'd fit straight in! "Cor Blimey Mary Poppins, I look right tasty on Snapchat!" Remember, that people throw back the good, and 'not so good'. So you will need a goodly representation of Little Britain amongst your ranks. Not everyone lives in suburbia.

That particular locomotive (TVR 85) is an 02 class. Slightly different with boilers, etc. Cheers, Ian.

Cymru A Fy A Chymru A Fydd "Wales has been and Wales will be" Very roughly translated from my schoolboy Welsh. In fairness to the 01 tank mentioned earlier, it's a bit of a dogs breakfast. It's had rebuilds in Western, Longmoor & NCB days. The loco is a real archaeological case and fair play to the Gwili Railway & the NRM, trying to get some semblance of order. Ian.

Hello Folks, Apologies from here. I seem to have strayed off a little. I thought it was an RTR poll. Silly me! I realised some time ago that if I wanted anything remotely authentic pre-grouping, it would be down the modelling route. I've acquired a goodly amount of Finecast U1's as a starting point for a fleet of Taff Vale & Rhondda & Swansea Bay locomotives, which if I turned out one every year, it should last me to 2050 or so. Modelling is a problem for me; I've lost a great deal of manual dexterity post stroke. I know full well what a locomotive looks like. Shape, form & operation. More importantly, I'm minded enough to appreciate the hours of skill required to turn a lump of base material into a miniature icon. Some modellers on here blow my mind, and full credit to them. My limits as such are limited to 'plonking' a model onto tracks, and enjoy watch one of them run. It's a bit frustrating for me admiring someone else's work at the moment: I want to do that as well! Keep going folks; I derive a great deal of inspiration from the posts on here. Have a great weekend, Ian.

Oooh, we're back to niche again.... Realistically, unless you can garner enough people wanting any particular model, no producer will touch it, unless there's enough money in it. So, despite my cravings, I'll await in vain for a Taff Vale Railway 01, or a Port Talbot Railway 0-8-2 tank. It's the same for coaches; unless you're battering a rake of Ratio 4-wheelers, that's about your limit. London Road do some exquisite Taff Vale coaches, but my skills aren't up to do these beauties justice. I like pre-grouping niche, but pre-grouping niche doesn't like me... Cheers, Ian.

Sorry Paul, you're quite right. llantarnam Abbey sits in the frame a lot higher. The boiler of AB 2201 Victory has a lot of interchangeable parts with llantarnam Abbey, as it's a mix & match going on at the moment. Cheers, Ian.

I had a artery blockage removed, and a stent installed 2 years ago. No invasive surgery, and all done within an hour. They saved my life, and I can't express enough to the people who saved me. If this is the future of technology, count me in.

llantarnam Abbey is a 14" 0-6-0 Barclay, which is mechanically identical to the 0-4-0 loco, but larger, for the 6-wheel version. I think Salmon & Swordfish are 16" versions. The extra pair of driving wheels allows the larger cab & bunker. Naturally the larger locomotives are longer overall. Hope this helps, Ian.

I must confess I'm interested with another 4871, to be renumbered 4821, the Cowbridge roster. However, here's the problem; am I buying the last model? My initial model works a treat. Hmmm.... Ian.

Hi Corbs, Some small addition would be the 0-6-0 st variety of the 14 & 16" Andrew Barclay, as by Hattons. Funnily enough in real life, the motion, tanks, etc are the same across the real life locomotives. An extra set of wheels, and a different cab & bunker are about it. Cheers, Ian.

There is a bit of dilemma with industrial locomotives. There are large classes, such as the Hunslet 18" austerity. some 400+ built, and quite a few survived. Some train spotters call them J94:- AARGH! Then there are industrial locomotives on one class only. However, just one locomotive can have a huge renown, and a public following. Which one to model, or vote for? Harry? The last Barclay to work in industry? Desmond? an Avonside product from Orb steelworks, South Wales? The list is expansive. The probable truth is that if you know the 'ins & out' of the industrial scene, then having an RTR loco of your personal choice is a bit of a long shot, at best. The real chance is that you'll have done your research already. Niche with a capital N. Cheers, Ian. post Script. I once travelled to Hutt, just outside Wellington, New Zealand, where an Andrew Barclay loco was plinthed outside. I made polite conversation about the 'blue' locomotive. "Ah, it's just dumped outside, we don't know what to do with it", came the reply. I was happy to tell them the locomotive is unique; only one made, and is a true bespoke one-off. I'm truly happy to say the team at Hutt took full notice, and are now restoring the loco. Well done to them. Here's the problem: How could you garner enough votes for a model locomotive that very few people know about? Oh, did I mention Niche?

Spent slag ballast is a bit of a no-no. The high metal content plays havoc with track circuits, etc.

Hello Brian, I can't really comment on certain locomotive makers, but I do know Andrew Barclay built standard gauge locomotives in cylinder size increments, from 10", up to 18". This style went in both 0-4-0, and 0=6-0. llantarnam Abbey is a 14" 0-6-0 variant of the 0-4-0. both wheel arrangement having the same style of mechanics, etc. The 12" variant is called a 'style 52'. Basically, a 12" outside cylinder 0-4-0. There were some 60-odd of these built, of which 12 have survived to the present day. Apart from 'from stock' sales, Barclay built bespoke locomotives, to individual order. Hope this helps, Ian.

I think your on 'bay nowadays. However, try Argos...... Or, Screwfix, and my last gasp, Toolstation.

What you haven't been told, is that Young Jonners is doing a soldering job in Cardiff, whilst sitting in Bristol.....

Oh dear! Look at all that mazack!

The fact you're looking at it is a pretty positive reply. Cheers, Ian.

Hello njee, good points. I'm going on the presumption that the filter will sort out the scales very quickly. The big question is whether having the scale choice is the predominant choice. My predominant choice is 00, and I wouldn't vote out of scale. Call me narrow-minded, but I'm unlikely to vote for something I won't buy, because of the scale differences. I do like the other scales, and I'm appreciative of another modellers work. However, I won't shell out on things I don't need, on any scale. I guess that anyone voting in say, 7mm, will attract only those participants within that scale. The bottom line from me is this: I wouldn't find many 7mm modellers voting for a 2mm night owl in the normal scheme of things. Of course, there's always the exception that proves the rule! Cheers, Ian.

Hello Folks. Thank you for your points, and my apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick. I may have mis-posted this, but I thought a straight filter would suffice "What's your scale?" I think the 00 poll is fully fit for purpose, but I can't get my head around the same poll being used by a different scale. Hang on, I'll try again..... So, Ian Smith, filled up with froth, enters the poll. He looks through the pre-poll notes. They're pretty much the same as previous years, so he's on familiar territory. A couple of rules changed, but roughly in line for the 2016 poll. Moving on.... Next, come a question page, "What is your scale?" A choice made here, takes you to that scale. (for me, that's 00. I like the other scales, but I'm into 00). Having made the choice, you're pretty much locked into the 00 poll. You'll see the well recognised poll voting form. But, no other scales, you've made that choice a little way back. These polls are identical: You'll see the same pannier tank. But, your desired filter has already played a major part. You're in 00 now. Another voter has tapped the 2mm filter. Still the same poll, still a pannier tank, but you're in the 2mm zone. Yet another voter has tapped the 7mm filter. Yet again, the pannier, but different scale filter. I hope I've explained myself, but, it is only a view. Just looking at a way to include people who seem concerned they're might being excluded. As I've said, the 00 poll works well for me. 30,000 items is a lot of spreadsheet. Well done poll team. Cheers, Ian.

The curved running plate is likely to be a problem encountered when the part is ejected from the moulding machine. As the part cools, gravity is still in play, and unless supported, it will sag. One business used a cooling former, where the recently made part was allowed to retain its shape. Cheers, Ian.