59004 ( was Shedcombe....)

Jo, First time I encountered this project, so have missed out on progress, approach and details. Is yours similar to Grahame Hedges ARC one ? I'm coming over in June. Arriving Monday 7th, over changeover at Bath Spa and Westbury, arriving 16.41 Castle Cary. Staying the night a Paul's. Tuesday 8th, will be heading towards Devon and Cornwall / Falmouth, with an 8 day Freedom of the South West rover ticket. Going to explore the lines, and doing research of Falmouth Docks station, as I'm modelling that, afterall. Likely going to book two or three nights into a cheap B&B near Falmouth Docks station. Will come back to Paul's late-ish Thursday 10th or early-ish Friday 11th. Friday is recovery/preparation day, before Showcase. Driving up with Paul on Saturday 12th, and back on Sunday 13th. On Monday 14th, I'll move to Mark Begley. Staying there until Thursday 17th or Friday 18th, then over to Steve Rogers in Curry Rivel. I'm heading back to the Netherlands on Wednesday 23rd, ex-Westbury @ 11.38. Out of the 8 travelling days, I will use 3 or 4 for the deep SW. And again 1 to get to Mark in Cheltenham. Not planned how to get from Mark to Steve. So from Tuesday 15th to Tuesday 22nd, have still got some days to travel trains. Two are for envisaged plans / visits in Worcester and Stourport-on-Severn. The others, who knows ................. Hope to meet you, somewhere, somehow. You're welcome along, to whatever ............ Regards, Michel

Hi Jo, My dear Pet loco, although a little small here, seems to come along nicely. Regards, Michel

Hi Dave, Well, that's a HARD landing, back down to earth .......... The layout is indeed quite a bit smaller as I has envisaged. Shows indeed very well what you can do IN A LIMITED SPACE as well as what you can do WITH SUPERBLY TAKEN PICTURES to hide that all. Many thanks, keep up the good work, and best wishes to you and the family for 2010. Hurray for the girl with an interest in trains and layouts !!!! Regards, Michel

Hi, Bryan truly is the Rolls Rocye amoung the DCC sound market. He's actually not among the others, but stands well above them. I love the sleeper groan and flange squeal, however, intend to build this imbedded under my track, automated playing, for all stock passing by. Will need lots of experimenting for that. Would be nice if I could discuss things with Bryan. I'm not too found of manual notching, as I would like the same effect happening automatically. I would prefer that the response in revving up in relation to speed increase ( mimicing different train loads ) could change automatically by changing the Momentum/Inertia ( Acceleration and Deceleration ) CV's, so to say "on the fly" / POM, by way of function button, stepping through several loads ( as with the American approach to sound on/off and muting/volume steps by F8, as opposed to our F1 without these volumes steps embedded in ). Could these vlume steps be embedded in F1 as well, the same way as the Americans have F8 set up ? This allows for fading, going on/off scene. Thanks so much Big Jim, and all other contributors. Regards, Michel

Not into Deltics at all Dave, but D9009 certainly does something now. Either it's your modelling, your picture taking skills, or both ............... B) Regards, Michel

No objections there Jon !!!! Regards, Michel

That Rock Creek conversion is mouth watering for sure. Superb effort !!!! With the 60's almost sidelined, but 66's not coping to substitute, just cut and shut two of them. Remember 2 x 66 = 96 !!!!! Regards, Michel

Looking very good Chris. Can't wait for it to be ready painted. And see it in the flesh ................ I'm still intending to PM/email you, about this and other things. A reply has been in the making for some time now. Lots of distractions and other excuses ........... Apols for the slowness. Regards, Michel

This sounds more and more as if DBS is deliberately sabotaging its own chances to more freight by rail. The cynic in me wonders of this is the proof that the owner of DBS ( the German government ) is deliberately sabotaging UK economics, for the German economics the benefit ? Regards, Michel

Hi, There's likely a myriad of reason for choosing these loco's : The engine hours / how far off expensive maintenance/overhaul. Where the lease contract is. How long it still runs ( recently renewed ? ). The different lease cost over the different batches/ages. The better re-lease value of the younger ones, and linked prices for keeping the older ones. Availability, reliability, consistency of type/version/specs. The fuel range of the older batches is better indeed. Reasons for the chosen loco's going to Poland are : Build at a similar time as the original Polish loco's. Same components/versions/age/overhaul dates. They are all of the HSBC lease fleet and of the self-lubricating variant. --------------------- The 77's are indeed the Euro Cargo Rail 66's. There will come 60 in total. It's a 2006 order, but it's taking ages for them to come all over. 77001-77044 have now been build. In France are : 77001-77004 77006 77008-77010 77012 77014 77017 77019 In the Netherlands at Nedtrain Tilburg ( for final assembly / fitting out with [ safety ] equipment, and/or stored awaiting delivery ) are : 77005 ( tested in Belgium once, in Germany twice ), 77007 77011 77013 77015 77018 77020 ( tested in Germany once ) 77023-77033 77035-77044 Still temporarily parked at Rotterdam Docks, before going to Tilburg are : 77016 77021 77022 77034 It's indeed quiet on the 77's front, production wise, final assembly wise, and useage wise. Regards, Michel

Martyn, I merely quoted what I read elsewhere. DRS did loose some dedicated 66 traffic already. Similarly as Fastline lost/cancelled its 56 work really. The overall picture is just not good, even if it "only" means less 66's to be bored by. B) Regards, Michel

Hi, The 60's are owned by DBS. Stored in yards they own as well costs them nothing. The storage has been planned for some time now. They may well be taken out of storage when traffic volumes pick up and/or when they have the money available and are willing to spend it on expensive overhauls. The DBS 66's are all leased. Without knowing the terms in the lease contract, we can only speculate, but they either can't hand 66's back without being charged extra or the cost of keeping the 66's running is cheaper as keeping the 60's running. There are many 66's in France, and these were all to come back with 77's taking their places, but if this is still about to happen, who knows. Downturn in traffic is huge. Freightliner has already transferred 66582, 66583, 66584, 66586 and 66625 to FL Poland and more are rumoured to go. The 30 loco's Class 70 are about to be split over UK ( 20 ) and Poland ( 10 ). With the first 6 70's entering traffic, 66573, 66574 and 66578-66581 are about to be handed back to the lease company. It's rumoured that FL is handing back a total of 30 66's !!!! It's also rumoured that DRS is to hand back ALL it's 66's, as they have no real work for them. I don't see where 60's, if put up for sale, would be wanted. Regards, Michel

Hi, In relation to the downturn in traffic and the arrival of 70001-70006, the following 6 Class 66's, about to come off lease, are being returned to HSBC Rail. These are 66573, 66574, 66578-66581. Freightliner was also looking into only using 70001-70020 in the UK, and 70021-70030 in Poland. They are growing on me ever so slightly as well. Regards, Michel

Nice shots there Dave. Anyone heard what the name now is ? Regards, Michel

Tea Boy, You're right. As long as it's to decent Heljan standards, many will enjoy them. Have never experienced them in real life, but have a soft spot for their looks. More a baby 37 to me, in that sense. Sadly, building Falmouth Docks in Cornwall, of no use to me. Nor the BTH, and both would have been nice on the layout. --------------- RedgateModels, D5903, D5904 and D5909 did have the sandboxes ON ( if only briefly ? ) after overhaul !!!!!! Can send picture proof off forum ( PM or email ? ) Regards, Michel

Sorry, but have to challenge this. I've got pictures of D5903, D5904 and D5909, refurbished with headcode box / yellow warning panel, and bogies with sandboxes on. Due to copyright reasons, I'm likely not allowed to post these on here, but happy to share them in any other way. Collected them from the net myself. Regards, Michel

That's a nice one Phil. Any more ? Could you scan in high res and (re)post please ? Regards, Michel

The 20's come with 3 variants of bogies, the version with holes in the equalising beam is also on the Baby Deltic's. The Baby Deltic bogies did have sand boxes as well, but not on all loco's, at any one time. The sandboxes seem to go one and off, and picture proof is very inconsistent which loco ran with and which without. Must have meant many bogie swaps happening. Have got nearly 100 pictures on file to back this. Regards, Michel.

Hi Grahame, Having seen and admire your previous N-gauge modelling, gives all the confidence, that this project will be a mighty fone one. Hats off for starting this, and sharing with us all. I've only ever visited the station. Well only actually the concourse, to buy some food, when I visited London with my wife, in April/May of this year. It's an interesting station, but the deal with my wife was "no trains" on this one trip, so did not have a look around. I will follow with interest. Regards, Michel

Eye watering beautiful, even though seeing it again and again ............ and again. You're a goal in itself Dave, to achieve anything remotely in that direction of quality. Keep 'm coming, don't hold back !!!!! Regards, Michel

That's very good new, as I like these ( unloved ? ) loco's. It's also not such good news, as my layout, set in Falmouth, Cornwall, doesn't really make it viable to run one ..................... Still, should be a great new addition for us modellers. At least there were 10 and not just the 1. Regards, Michel

Must confess, but I don't own a Deltic, Kestrel, Falcon or Lion. Even with ditching the Shedcombe-upon-Frome TMD layout plans, in favour of something fully prototypical to a large extend, based in the SW, and pictured in 4-5 specific separate running years between 1970 and now, non of these qualify to make an appearance, even how pretty they are. I have to be firm and focussed, and not buy any of them !!!! Regards, Michel

Hi Mike, Just noticed my error, mentioning Lion twice in the order, and omitting Falcon. Falcon is my least favorite. So it should have read Lion looks indeed stunning in her white coat. Beyond believe it got cut up so quickly. Same for Kestrel as well, even tough its life was somewhat longer and stretched into Russia. Aplogies for the stupid mistake. Regards, Michel