jivebunny

Hi Mark, They're standard Kato storage cases with modified foam (that I simply cut to size with a sharp knife). The cases and foam are really sturdy and if you cut the foam to a snug fit the stock doesn't budge an inch, whilst still allowing you to remove it without resorting to a crowbar. I must have fifteen or so now of them now, they're great space-savers compared to the volume of space taken up by seven or eight Farish / Dapol / Minitrix cases. There are plenty on eBay and Amazon.com (the global site rather than amazon.co.uk), I import all of mine from Japan three or four at a time without any customs / postage problems to report so far. The references are Kato 10-214 for the eight-slot case, 10-210 for the seven-slot cases (the slots are a slightly different shape and a Farish Mk2 fits right in out of the box), and 10-212 for the small four-slot cases (ideal for multiple units or short rakes). I wrote a how-to on another forum Alternatively you can remove the foam completely and shorten your Farish / Dapol foam inserts up to fit as I've done here (still need to sort something out for the old Class 31 at the top). Hope this helps! JB

Hi Ben, Thanks for the photo and the heads-up, it'd be great if they did come out for Christmas! I've taken the liberty of linking to your photo to save people having to hunt down the TINGS thread Looking forward to completing my Virgin and Swallow HST rakes! JB

Can't really tell from the footage but that's the sort of coupling you get with the standard short buckeyes supplied with the Mk3s. Nice vid!

Some lovely photographs in this thread. Here's my contribution, a telephoto shot I took a couple of years ago, of no less than four TGV-A sets on the approach lines to Paris Montparnasse. I'll concede it has little photographic merit, I find it's more of an interesting shot of operations from an unusual vantage point. JB

The 47 I ordered is also the old tooling and it's a nice fit for the Dapol Mk3 when coupled up. I haven't had a chance to put everything together on the rails yet, but here's my rake I have the new IC Swallow DVT on pre-order to replace this one, which will be relegated to post-privatisation duties on the back of a Virgin Mk3 rake. (Ignore the Regional Railways 31, that's for my RR Mk1 rake!) JB

Which country are you in, DropTheTap? I'm in France and have everything sent via Royal Mail Airsure from various suppliers and without fail my parcels arrive four working days after they're shipped. I have yet to order anything from Hattons but if they're shipping things off in good time then the delay is very unlikely to have anything to do with them. JB

Hi Ben, Thanks for that, I didn't know they did those. May have to get myself a couple of sets! Cheers, JB

Well, my Swallow-liveried 47 arrived today and I've just had an e-mail from Rails telling me my eight swallow-liveried Mk3s are being dispatched (alongside a Regional Railways 31 I ordered from their eBay store). Add that to the Kato storage case I have coming in from Japan and the 70-odd yards of Code 55 track I bought on Saturday, and March is quickly becoming a very expensive month! I will of course get the whole lot set up and photographed at the earliest possible opportunity JB

Thanks Mark, saw this last night but forgot to reply as I wandered off to eBay and ordered myself an IC Swallow 47! They seem a fairly good match, it's just a shame the 47's livery makes the thin red stripe on the coaches stand out so much. I'm tempted to see if the coaches can be rectified with a tin of red paint and a very steady hand. I already have one of the original DVTs which, as you show, aren't a great match for the new coaches. I've got the new version of the DVT on pre-order so the old one will probably only see service on the back end of the occasional loco-hauled Virgin rake, as was often the case (with Intercity markings still present). Hopefully by the end of the month I'll have an IC Swallow 47 + nine-coach rake + temporary mis-matched DVT while I wait for the new one to be released. Then I need to start building up my Virgin L/H Mk3 rake... And then maybe stop spending JB

Hi Mark, Yep I realised this on another forum just after I posted! I immediately called Rails of Sheffield to alert them to that fact, and I expect they'll have been on the phone to Dapol shortly after to find out where their shipment was. Sod's law would have it that this is the only time I've ever ordered anything online without first shopping around, since I have my orders shipped to France and wanted to combine postage with another item from Rails. Had I shopped around I would have seen other retailers already selling them... Still, these things do happen unfortunately, and I trust Rails will sort it out quickly enough. I only placed this "pre-order" two weeks ago so it's not like I've been sitting here since November waiting for delivery. In fact I've just "pre-ordered" three more from them, to give me a full rake with the new buffet and the old (wrongly-coloured) DVT I already own. Can anyone supply a picture of a Farish 47 in Swallow livery next to the newer-liveried Swallow Mk3s from Dapol? Curious to see if they're a good match. Cheers, JB Edit: Just had an e-mail from Rails to say they've been onto Dapol and their order is now on its way to them.

Hi All, I've just been on the phone to Dapol regarding a couple of Intercity Swallow items which I pre-ordered from Rails of Sheffield a couple of weeks ago. The DVT in this livery (the corrected livery, that is) is unfortunately still 3 to 4 months away, however the following items, which the Dapol website lists either as "Awaiting Production" or "In Transit", have actually arrived and should be in the process of being shipped out to suppliers. I already have the buffet coach but I'm tempted to add another 1st and two more standards to the order to get myself a full rake in one sweep: 2P-005-221 MK 3 I/CITY SWALLOW 1st CLASS # 11065 loco hauled 2P-005-222 MK 3 I/CITY SWALLOW 1st CLASS # 11073 loco hauled 2P-005-231 MK 3 I/CITY SWALLOW 2nd CLASS # 12004 loco hauled 2P-005-232 MK 3 I/CITY SWALLOW 2nd CLASS # 12019 loco hauled 2P-005-233 MK 3 I/CITY SWALLOW 2nd CLASS # 12037 loco hauled Thought it may be of interest to others modelling the same era. Cheers, JB

Thanks, I suppose the official website would have been a good place to check! In that case I think I'll wait until the month is out to see if it turns up before ordering my set. I must say in all fairness though that I'm very impressed with the Dapol Mk3 stock I've purchased so far (a HST set, a HST buffet and a DVT). The loco-hauled Intercity 125 stock had me stumped though... Can anyone confirm this livery was applied to L/H stock? JB

Hi All, I'm looking to put together a loco-hauled IC Swallow Mk3 rake, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer as to whether or not we'll be getting a loco-hauled IC Swallow buffet (or if so, when). Hattons have it listed for pre-order as 2P-005-211, but if I'm going to chuck the best part of £250 into putting together a train I want to be sure I'll be able to get everything I need. I have the DVT for now, but I'm now reluctant to buy any more bits for this rake since discovering that there's no buffet available. Any advice (or insider knowledge) would be greatly appreciated! Cheers, JB

Popped in again today, after collecting some N gauge trackwork from Stevelewis and seeing his cracking US narrow gauge locomotives in action! Fell victim to "but it's so pretty!" syndrome and came back out with a beautiful Dapol 26, which I believe has been weathered by GC Weathering. In fact I think it may even be very same machine that's in their website's gallery, as every last detail looks identical. Had to buy it even if the class isn't relevant to the area I'm modelling (although I do have a soft spot for Scotland, having lived for two years in Edinburgh). I'm sending one of my two 37s off for the same treatment, the other one having already been weathered (possibly also by them, it was second hand). I can't recommend these guys enough.

Hi All, Haven't posted on RMWeb in years, but I'm planning on getting back into modelling once I get over the minor hurdle of buying a house which just happens to feature a large redundant space I was in Chester today and couldn't resist popping in to have an innocent look around... which ended with my wallet becoming £150 lighter (whoops). Still lots of stock in boxes and crates, as is normal for a brand new specialist outlet, but the chap there was very helpful and was more than happy for me to have a rummage around, which allowed me to spot a couple of interesting items. Bagged myself a pair of second-hand weathered 37s, a motorless 156, a pair of boxless Mk1 BSKs, and a pack of Kato Unitrack straights for good measure. If you have a dig through there are - presumably for a limited time - some interesting new and second-hand items to be had, in addition to what's already on the shelves (in fact I'm regretting not buying the Regional Railways 153 I spotted on said shelf). GNER 91+DVT packs, Network Rail 86 twin packs, a couple of DMU and HST packs, a bunch of 1950s Mk1s and some obscenely large american steam engines, as well as some German bits and bobs; in other words plenty to please the eye, if not the wallet (although it has to be said, prices are very reasonable). OO gauge seems well-stocked too, although I didn't take a particularly good look. It was pleasant to see a good handful of customers in there as well, looking at all sorts of things. I'm not sure if the Modelzone staff are still there, I only got a chance to go in once in the whole time it was open (Arts & Crafts when I was little was a different story though!) For those who want to avoid the parking costs, there are usually a couple of spaces to be found in the Queen's Park area of Handbridge, just across the river Dee (which is where I parked today, only a five minute-walk from the shop). Otherwise tickets for certain council car parks work on a no-charge basis after 3pm, which is quite handy. There's a four-hour limit on free stays though, which I suppose is fair enough. I'm only in the UK a couple of times a year but I'm going to make a point of dropping in whenever I'm here now. As someone else said further up, use it or lose it. Cheers, JB (a.k.a new happy customer)