orcadian

I may be wrong, but I think 'they' (i.e. Union Mills) may just be Colin himself! If that is the case, it's quite understandable for him to give himself a break from loco production and just do ' life things'! At the very most, Colin runs a very small company! B) I can wait until he gets back to work, but it will be nice to discover which inside cylinder 0-6-0 or 4-4-0 tender loco he'll offer us next! Now behave, chaps! No wish lists! Seriously, UM deserve recognition - clean simplicity, simple solid locos which work and work and work! Richard

Whoever this 'somebody' was , he or she was copying the information which KERNOW MODEL RAIL CENTRE included in their Newsletter of Saturday 27th November, so the 'late running' list is, one can presume, straight from Hornby. Patience is probably still a virtue, or do we all 'WANT IT NOW!'

Red oxide primer perhaps?? Maybe the Paint Shop would be one of the last places in the Works for it go before final testing and release to traffic!! It's most certainly responsive to the controller in starting and stopping! Did any of them ever get into Kent? Richard.

If I recall correctly, Dapol have explained that the tender front/cab roof height discrepancy is the necessary compromise to achieve the tight engine-tender gap. As the model has to be able to negotiate the non-scale set-track curve radii, if the tender front were full height, it would hit the cab roof as the loco rounds a curve. Dapol's solution allows it to 'slide under' the rear of the roof. It seems that Dapol have noticed that a significant number of N gauge modellers comment on the excessive cab-tender gap in steam models from various sources, and have decided that the height difference will be the lesser of two evils. If we only used our models on true-scale curves, we could have full fidelity to design details! Has anyone got a spare barn in which I can build an accurate BLT, please? Richard

Whilst I agree that the screw-head clearly is unprototypical, I would be surprised if there is an N gauge modeller who does not own a suitable screwdriverto re-tighten or remove it! I have failed to find a source of a reasonably-priced set of very small hex nut drivers or box spanners. This has even been an issue in 00 gauge, mentioned fairly frequently on other Forums, etc since Hornby attached a speedometer drive via the hex-headed crank pins. For a time, there was a suitable spanner issued with Hornby live steam locos, but my local Hornby dealer tells me that even this is now not available! So the Dapol solution (on the samples we have seen so far, but do we know this is the same on the production run?) gives a solution which is more user-friendly but purist detail unfriendly. perhaps this is a necessary compromise? Also, at what distance do we normally see working, moving N gauge models? Digital cameras can have very close-focussing and quite high magnification - the 'mark 1 eyeball' is far less sensitive at normal working distance! As others have hinted, the Dapol 'Brit', even with its screws, has far finer valve gear, connecting rods wheel profile, etc than the Minitrix 'coarse scale' ever had! No, it's not perfect, but I definitely prefer the Dapol 'Brit' to the Minitrix one!

Just to confirm, the link given by Jack is working fine - it's definitely .com ( .co.uk gives something else) Site is bang up to date, the first illustration I found was the very recently-announced EFE 36ft East Kent saloon. (That's a bus, by the way:rolleyes: Richard

Dave, Thank you for keeping us informed! As you say, it puts things into perspective - we'll still have the chance to go "Oooh, yes - those are VERY nice!" at a later date, but some families will never be able say "Welcome back!" to their lost ones. Modelling at its highest price, indeed. I'm sure all readers here will join Dapol (and all other organisations and individuals who lost parcels on that flight) in extending their sympathies to those who died trying to deliver the goods. Richard

Hi, Chris! As Brian has more or less said, don't bother! Auto-Loco is excellent if you want 3-rail Hornby Dublo or old railway books! Last time I went there (first and last time since it changed hands), I could barely walk round for all the boxes of 3-rail track covering the floor, and the boxes of second-hand books being priced onto some racks. GE Models (used to be in the old Waterloo WH Smiths on the platform at Sheringham Station) is now just a stain on an empty platform. The souvenir shop in the main station building has, as has been said, a reasonable stock of Dapol special edition 4-wheel freight stock. Starlings, the toy/book/stationery/newsagents/post office only stock Hornby and Peco at retail list prices (at the lowest!) Nearest decent model shop, as has been said, is 'round the corner', nearly 30 miles west at Hunstanton . Inland, in Dereham (or East Dereham) there is another avoidable branch of Starlings, but also Hobby World, who also have a shop in King's Lynn (in a tool shop). Good Bachy/Farish/Hornby/Peco/bits & pieces selection in Dereham and at a small discount on RRP (or perhaps that's just for regulars, but try asking if he'll haggle. Partly depends on who is behind the counter - the boss seems to be the one to ask!) If you still have to go to Sheringham, the only good value deals are in the crab sandwich kiosk near the seafront - definitely makes the day worthwhile! 12 inch to the foot scale at Sheringham Station (NNR) and Weybourne is the other redeeming feature, but it's a no-go zone for models!

In Hugh Dady's book ' Heyday of the Warships' (IA), on p. 49, there is a photo of the up 'CRE' on 29 May 1967 with a blue & grey Hawksworth SK as the leading coach behind two Green 'Warships'. (Two because D804 has just failed at Par - must have been below par, then!). The picture also has two maroon Hawksworths (one a BSK) in a siding in the background. In Huntriss & Gray 'Diesel Hydraulics in the West Country' (IA), on 27th August 1966, picture on p.18, it loos as though the down Kensington - St. Austell Motorail has a rake of at least 7 maroon Hawksworths, including a BSK, and two CKs. Most pictures I've seen today show, as others have said, single vehicles as 'strengtheners' with Mk 1 rakes on mainline duties, or two or three as part of the train on various secondary (or lower) routes throughout the region, including Birmingham suburbans, Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire and West Country. Still, who needs to be constrained by reality? Richard

00ERMissus, have you seen post #118 in this thread? It's being suggested that D5700 with wrap-round windows is already sold out in pre-orders. Hattons did say that this one would only be 350, with a larger number available for the other versions. So even if there will be a small batch of 'curved', now we can only order 'flat fronts'. Presumably the slightly higher price for D5700 may well reflect the additional costs involved in making it in a different form from the others. (I know, I should have learnt how to quote a post before chipping in here, but hope this helps!) Edit - just re-read the news item on p. 10 of Hornby Mag 37 - July 2010 - the higher prices are for the weathered ones. There is room for confusion - the news item says D5700 in BR green as delivered. Does this mean that is has the livery in which it was delivered, or the structural form? Hattons seem to have given two different opinions on this one! Richard

Hi! Have you tried it with the tender disconnected? Some Hornby shortings come from the loco to tender wiring connections. I also know that the next answer is a boring nuisance, but as it's brand new and (apparently) bought locally, the advice must surely be 'Take it back!' Best wishes! Richard

That seems a fair assumption, Cromptonnut! It works out about £70 for a power car, and about £40 per trailer, plus about £100 for the sound chip and speaker. It would also seem to indicate that the lower prices are for the units which will be produced in the first round of releases, whilst those which may have been deferred until later haven't been marked down yet. This afternoon, I spoke to Kernow, to enquire as to the possibility of a GREEN digital sound one in the early releases (as there are likely to be two green ones), but was told that, at best, there may be green sound-fitted to follow 'sometime later'. Still, as a blue one is being released with sound, I'm hoping that all of them will be simple to adapt and after-fit sound oneself. Hope Howes read this Forum! (Or any other sound chip supplier!)

The Bachmann website now carries this announcement, and ofers a link to Kernow. However, Kernow have not (as yet, 11.47, Friday) said anything. The Kernow Newsletter this week (usually posted on line late Friday or early Saturday) will certainly be interesting! It makes sense - remembering that Bachmann must be in a very advanced state with the BR Standard-type 2-EPB - don't shoot me down, but won't there be a lot of similarities between the bodyshells, bogies, underframes, etc? Or did Eastleigh start again from scratch with the 2-H? This might also make a BR-Standard 2-HAP a future possibility! Richard

Hi! Nice looking models! Is it just 'urban myth' or did not the nickname arise from the design team being chaired by one Mr. E. Bear? There is a very detailled history of each loco in the class in Roger Harris' book "The Allocation History of BR Diesels and Electrics -Third and Final Edition, Part 5' (Published by Roger Harris). This book also contains the brief individual histories of many other classes, including all the diesel hydraulics, the early diesel shunters, all the prototypes, all the NB classes and classes 15 and 17. Hope this helps!