tomparryharry

I raided a sweetshop... The police have put a Bounty on my head.... Look now for the 'groan' button.......

I think it's 'education' on our part. We've covered this with Dapol, and the large prairie, and 43xx classes. As a market, we can lead pretty much any producer to make what we want. In turn, however, any producer will need to ensure that returns in a commercial sense will work out. No Philanthropy here! Is the 94xx too much of a niche market? Especially in volume terms? Look at your subject model. Limited time frame/era. Probably the last knockings of Western steam. Dirty, unkempt locomotives. Does it bear resemblance to the popular 57xx, a cute little model? It seems that we're on an upward trend, in terms of quality & fidelity. I'd guess it only takes a respectful request to ask a producer to 'take a look' to set the ball rolling. Cheers, Ian. PS, I have no intention of knocking Bachmann, BTW.

Being post-stroke, I was told that when I need to sleep, go to sleep. I had 6 months recuperation, and I couldn't tell when I'd wake up: 12 minutes, or 12 hours. Thanks to that, I had lower than average blood pressure, to the point that after a year, I had a clean bill of health. There for the grace of God, go I. Cheers, Ian.

I don't want to pour cold water on this, however.... Seeing how Dapol & others are charging nearly £20:00 for a wagon, where the gate price is about £2-£8:00, then someone is making a healthy margin. However, that's business. If you get into making plastic locomotives, then the production costs for the other items should have a pro-rata cost. Don't believe that you'll get anything seriously cheap, where there is a serious buck or two to be made. If Kooper-Kraft can't keep it together, with what was a first-class reputation in tatters, then keeping a profit margin for plastic toys is tricky business indeed. Sorry to be a party-pooper, but that's how I see it. Please, please prove me wrong. I'd be very interested to see such a development hitting the market. Cheers, Ian. PS. What happened to the gent whom asked about wagon kits a few weeks ago? My proposed colliery layout will soak up mineral wagons. I'm still in the market for a bulk of those little babies.

Hi Pete, Can I suggest that if you have a piece of off cut profile sheet, you can cut it lengthways, and bend of said sheet to your own requirements. It works for me. If you are lucky to have enough, cut the sheet at 1& 1/2 of a full profile. The half profile give you a fixing area, and the remaining 'full size profile' is used to form your gutter. Cheers, Ian. PS. What wood did you use for your triangular 'gusset' on your trusses?

Hi Pete. Probably a bit late now, but I invested in a drill-driven nibbler. It's compact to work through small radius profiles for large sheets. A word of warning though. The 'chads' are quite extensive, so find a way to recover the rubbish afterwards. I like the shed. Still taking plenty of interest. Cheers, Ian.

I can't bring a model railway exhibit this year, but I can deliver an exhibition on pasty consumption for the benefit of fellow modellers. I'll even bring my own KFS & napkin. happy weekend, everyone! Ian.

Are you taking the monorail, Mr. Stubby? Cheers, Ian.

If price hikes are beyond your reasonable expectation, then keep your money in your wallet. I'd dearly love a 72xx, but I'm not going to pay absolute top-dollar. However, it is my personal view. It wouldn't surprise me if Hornby have sat on these to create a demand for what might be described as 'rare'. "It'll sell, it's got Great Western on the side" sort of mentality. In an earlier post, we discussed the excessive sideplay encountered on these models. I recall that the class 95xx from Heljan also exhibited that trait. This leads me to wonder if using 'C' style spring clips will cure the problem, just like the Heljan model. I haven't tried my model yet, as it's all still stowed away. Happy modelling, Ian.

Forgot me as well.... Ian. (No, not that Ian, another Ian.....).

Hi Folks, The Transit transporter got himself stuck under the bridge at Abergavenny. He has just exited the A40, off the A449 (Newport-Monmouth-Hereford) towards the Heads of the Valleys road (A465). Abergavenny Station is about 400 yards from here. The rail line is Newport (Maindee) to Pontrilas. Funnily enough, I drove under the bridge about 2 days ago. No, I didn't get stuck! Ian.

Good morning Folks, from a slightly grey, but quite sunny Newport. Roads here are clear, and the visibility is very good. After a weekend off, I'm back to the decorating today. This week sees our gas fitter arriving to change a boiler, then I'm into final niggles to finally finishing off. Have a great week folks, and stay safe. Cheers, Ian.

I'm still watching your progress over here. I like the idea of the profile roof sheets. Cheers, Ian.

Good morning Folks, from a decidedly wintery Newport. Visibility is good, and the M4 seems pretty clear. I don't think I'm going anywhere today, so I'll get back to making some 3-link couplings. Another cup of tea and some toast beckons. Keep warm & safe, everybody. Ian.

Most probably the printer didn't want to pay loyalties to the owner of the photographer/locomotive. I've had this one before, when other companies have used photos of my installation work without permission. Cheers, Ian.

Good morning from slightly grey, but sunny Newport. I've also trawled through the dog rehoming websites recently. I shouldn't do it really, it brings on a bout of depression. I specifically look at Staffies. A much-maligned breed, and by and large misunderstood and poorly trained. Some dog walking beckons, and in this weather, I'll try to get some photos of the deep lock on he Monmouthshire canal. Afterwards, it's back to decorating. Have a great Friday everyone, and enjoy. Cheers, Ian.

Things are looking up. Nice day out in Taunton. Cheers, Ian.

Don't give up, just because someone's opinion doesn't always match your desires. Good luck, and keep going. Ian.

Keep quiet! They might want the cheque back!

Good morning folks, A wet & miserable day in not-so-sunny Newport. The dogs are very firmly anti-rain, so only a quick trip to the garden. Decorating continues, and when I get the chance, over to Youtube for having a look over the shed building tutorials. Mrs Smith has asked for some chain maintenance on her motorbike, so that's a job between cups of tea. As I write this, it looked dull & miserable. However, it started to brighten up! The clouds have lifted slightly, and visibility much improved. Have a great day folks, and enjoy. Ian.

There are simple rules when using Aldi or Lidl. Both companies use a different packing technique which British find slightly different. Rule 1: Always use a trolley, unless you are positive you don't need one. Don't pack your bag at the checkout; put it back in the trolley, or basket. Take your basket or trolley to the large shelf, which is found behind the checkouts. This is a far less stressful operation, as you don't need to go rushing the packing. Rule2: Take your time! You will not die for that last tin of beans. You've paid for it. There is not a race. When Lidl first opened, I wondered why it felt 'strange'. Now I know. I had to educate Mrs Smith that the Modus Operandi is different. The fault, as such , is failure on the part of the retailer to educate his clients. "Why should we change?" I hear you cry. This is because that's how certain parts of Europe operate. We don't have tin boxes with glass fronts any more, or butter & cheese cut individually. For some reason, Tesco can't seem to have fresh bread on their shelves. As I eat bread, I prefer to have fresh. That's why I don't normally shop at Tesco. Cheers, Ian.

Good morning folks. Very grey day down here in Newport. a very easy day. so some dog walking, and some decorating beckons. Stay safe, everyone. Ian.

We were lucky. We were 'Dinkys'. (Double income, no kids). Plus, we both had pretty good jobs. At the time, there was rampant interest, but we managed to keep up. Once the rates came down, we kept going, and we managed to clear the mortgage early. Now I'm more or less retired, we've downsized a bit. My interest in models has resurfaced. But it has to be relaxing, and it has to be 'right'. Little wonder therefore, that you'll hear me banging on about quality & fidelity. Why not? Nowadays, I need my hidey-hole. Mrs Smith has her music, so naturally I'd like a layout to call my own for the first time in my life. Some of my stuff has been in storage for nearly 40 years, time to blow out the cobwebs! Cheers, Ian.

I do like that. That's what I call a 'layout sized layout'. Happy modelling, Ian.

Hi Folks, Still a stunning afternoon here in very sunny South Wales. Took the dogs out along the Monmouthshire canal today, but a route not normally taken. I'll need to get some photos, as one lock has a single drop approaching 20 feet, very impressive. I ordered some spares from Bachmann, and lo & behold, they have literally 'overnighted' me. It was only a piddling amount, but, spares are spares, and the service thus far has been first- rate. So, instead of Tuesday night television carp, I'll be putting a 56xx tank back together. Much talk of inclement weather later, so stay safe everyone. Cheers, Ian.