maq1988

I wonder if we'll ever see these released as an addition to the plastic kit range - I'd be happy to assemble + paint some myself. I know the 10ft wheelbase kits have their issues but it was a nice cheapish way to build up a quick rake of basic wagons.

I'd put forward "it depends what you want" from modelling. I model N because I want longer more prototypical trains. N isn't for shunting or constant loco swapping. The same could be said for O and space being used as an argument against it as 20+ wagon freights is far too large. A lot has been promised on TT:120 - but let's see how it goes. I wouldn't say TT is irrelevant but it does muddy the waters somewhat. At the moment Hornby 'only' have 88 items of rolling stock in the TT range whereas they've got something like 250+ coaches alone in OO. It's going to take a while for TT to settle in. I think it depends on Bachmann's take as they've now invested in OO9. Can they afford to move into yet another scale and not potentially annoy their OO and N customer base through more perceived lack of focus? Hornby's page for TT:120 says a 'good' size OO layout is 6x4, IMHO that's barely enough room to get OO track to do a 180. PECO TT doesn't even have set radius curves in the range right now. I'd like to see a starter fiddle with flexitrack to get around a bend easily. We've veered off topic, only Bachmann really know what the future holds for their product line. I welcome more entrants into the N space, should they see a market for it.

I wonder how big a production run they did on those - it's likely produced so it went with the matching 31. I did get the ModelZone Exclusive RTC Class 24 and matching RTC coaches a few years back. I'm now looking at some of the old split chassis models to convert to basic DCC control. Viewing from a few feet away some of the lack of newer detail could be forgiven. Though these can now command a hefty price second-hand.

There surely comes a point that if you can't actually get production capacity your business becomes at risk - not that I expect it'd be feasible for Bachmann or any manufacturer to be able to purchase their own equipment now to produce models either in the UK or abroad, PECO being the exception as they seem to already have injection moulding machines. You can't please everyone. I have no interest in Sealink Mk1s or Birdcage stock. I'm sure someone does. It's such an odd mix on the website. I don't know how Bachmann decide on what to do next but maybe just releasing set batches would be useful. Do BR Maroon, then B&C, then Blue&Grey, so on until you get back around. (They may already do this)

Nothing new here for me I'm afraid. I would have hoped that we've get more manufacturers on N rather than moving to a new scale (TT). I'm very glad I got a good amount of Mk1 stock a few years ago. I mostly missed out on the Mk2s of any version. I guess it's good that there are still N modellers who want things, just need products to sell. I'm after a couple 47s, 37s, 31s and it'd be nice to have another Class 40. If you miss the once in 5+ year release cycle then it's second hand time... which is almost full price retail!

Here's a link to the Minerva website news post - https://www.minervamodelrailways.co.uk/news/announcing-our-n32-coal-wagon/

I'm happy to put my name down in the queue for these and some 45s. Its been something I've hoped other manufacturers would do for a long time - Rapido gets there first, Rapido gets my money.

On a business scale backups are important - but a lot of people miss just how important backups for home are as well. It's actually World Backup Day today... how fitting.

A single drive failure taking down a RAID array, sounds like RAID5. You are just praying that a second drive doesn't go under during a rebuild. Keeping backups on the same array as primary data is just a no. Sounds like Dediserve really did not think out their systems at all. Andy + Team. Lots of hard work and frustrations that were needless if Dediserve had set systems up properly. Thank you for your continued efforts to keep a thriving model railway forum going. It's a shame to have lost data - but thankfully we've not lost the community. (Edit: I was interested in how big your data set is/was, I can only think it'd be into three, maybe four figures in gigabyte terms due to photos)

I used some of these > https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-90-corner-clamp-3/181hj, once I'd built the frame I then glued the top bits in and just weighed them down with odds and ends.

Hi Ray, I didn't need any specialist tools - although I would suggest some 90 degree clamps for the corners to hold as they dry. Highly recommend doing a dry run before final construction.

Great to get to see the layout at Doncaster, it really does show what can be achieved in a 'small' space. Even though the layout is only about 18" wide there's such a sense of depth that you get from seeing it in real life. Noticed some little details that sometimes might be missed in photos - such as on one of the sheds there's a missing piece of feather boarding and you can see the studwork of the structure modelled behind. The tiny writing on the side of the coal yard hut must have been quite the challenge.

The Mathieson is an open 8 plank wagon. I only took one photo (edit: looks like there's listing for a 7 plank version on Rails site) My first visit to Doncaster. Easy enough to get to from Leicester. There was quite the queue at 9:15! Came away having purchased a few more Farish coaches I'm sure I don't need. Highlight was getting to see Blueball Summit, Little Salkeld and Sandy Bay.

Chris, don't worry about going off topic. I'm modelling the S&C so a pair of 9Fs were on the cards but I knew the old ones had issues. Your video has been very very useful.

Andy - is the plan for the layout to be at Doncaster still on? It'd be great to see it in person.

Apologies if the mention of steam has shifted the thread somewhat from it's original intention. Ben you are right - I'm not a manufacturing expert but I can imagine putting together outside valve gear is a nightmare. Modern image N gauge modellers need representing as well and I suspect was part of why Revolution came to be. It's healthy for the hobby to have multiple successful manufacturers of any era. It generates more interest overall and there's some great layouts, including modern image, that showcase N to it's best.

Try buying them. Rails have 15 variations of Farish steam locos listed. One is sold out. 11 are 'Pre-order' with some shipping date in 2022, three are in stock. Two of those are WD Austerity locos. Basically the same with Kernow, three Austerity's and some N Class. TMC - WD Austeritys, and some N Class. I actually model BR Blue and was going to model the midland mainline. How long do I wait for a Peak? Class 25? 31? 37? Coaches? I've missed this production run, but now it's potentially a multi-year wait, if at all. Maybe I'm being impatient but if you want hobbies to grow people need to be able to get hold of things. This is the Revolution area - I don't model anything really modern but I've got some B tanks and they are nice.

I did see one in a picture on Rails I think that looked like the footplate was bent. Thanks for the video - very helpful. I was also considering a pair of 9Fs for long coal trains so it's good to see those in action. I know the early ones had some issues for some people.

Oh there's a few. I had a stage of just buying what I liked rather than any consistency. Less to do with problems of the models per say. As for a model with problems - Modellbahn/Dapol A4 Mallard. It just never ran well from the start. Even had it sent off at one point for repair but it still isn't great.

I've been thinking for a few days that more N would be nice across the board, actually just some re-runs from manufacturers would be welcome. For those people getting into N there's little choice of steam motive power right now. I guess if there's no stock one assumes N is still popular, which can only be a good thing

I'm looking at picking up a Dapol Hall class in N, I've gone a few pages back but can't find a discussion on these. Anyone have any thoughts before I commit?

Interesting idea. I'll give both ways a try on some small test boards and see how I get on with each. I'm still a few months from actually starting scenery yet

That's a good idea. I was planning to have the two pieces of foam glued down, do the contouring and put a thin sheet of something like OHP sheet in the gap when the top layers go on.

1. Do I connect the point motors to the same bus as the track? If not, what's the best way to do this? - Depends on the point motor, some will have a built in decoder that you can connect to a bus, some will require a controller board that itself is connected to the bus and the point motor. I use a separate 'bus' for my points (DCC Concepts SX-8 and PECO solenoid motors) that goes back to my controller. That way if I have a problem I can disconnect all the points from the trackwork for troubleshooting 2. How do I power the layout? Is it simply a case of buying a controller? - Yes, it can be that easy. I use a Gaugemaster Prodigy 2. I'm happy with that. Some people go as far as hooking up their layouts to computers to do complete automation. Make sure you have good electrical connections, I try to do wires to every length of rail 3. I understand that I can control points from a handheld controller the same way I would control locos. If I was to start out with this setup is it easy to upgrade to a system that has a mimic panel, individual levers etc, or is it best to start with the system I ultimately want? - Changing DCC systems can be expensive, so plan for what you'd like. I find changing points on the controller really annoying so I have a simple toggle switch mimic panel for point control, although these run through my DCC Concepts SX-8 for some future automation 4. When I come to extend the layout, can I have multiple mimic and control panels for different areas? - Yes. You can spilt the layout into 'zones', if you are using traditional mimic panels this might be a little easier, but more wiring for all the switches/LEDs. If you go digital mimic panels it does require a bit more knowledge on the computer side Good luck!

Thanks both - it's mostly about protecting the edges if I need to move the layout elsewhere. I guess in that event I could always bolt on some wood to act as a barrier.