Post Brexit railway modelling

[DavidB-AU]

Won't have to deal with all those pesky regulations then! Anybody remember what The Guardian published on 1st April 2005? I don't think it was ever revealed exactly who wrote it.

 

Quote

 

EC critical of popular hobby
By Avril Poisson
European affairs reporter

 

A new report by the European Commission could affect one of the Britain's more quirky hobbies, model trains.

 

The EC Enterprise Directorate-General report entitled "Efficiency and Accountability of European Standardisation under the New Approach" criticises the UK's use of model train scales which are different to the rest of Europe.

 

The EU report accuses UK model train manufacturers of violating Technical Harmonisation Directives and not conforming to standard trade descriptions. In one example, the report describes some types of model train track being marketed as both 'HO' and 'OO' scales which it says are different sizes.

 

The report offers a list of 90 recommendations, including passing legislation if required to bring UK model train manufacturers into line with Europe.

 

Another criticism was of small model trains built to 'N' scale. John Emerson, editor of British Railway Modelling magazine, said "British 'N' scale is standardised to a scale of 1:148, unlike the rest of the world which uses a ratio of 1:160, while preserving the track gauge of 9 mm. The inaccuracy of British 'N' offends some purists, but that's how it is."

 

Emerson also said this is why American and European 'HO' scale trains use a ratio of 1:87 whereas British 'OO' scale trains use a ratio of 1:76, on the same 16.5 mm track gauge.

 

EC Standardisation Unit spokesman Aout Premier said the situation was confusing and the UK should meet European standards. He said that technical harmonisation standards were approved by the "New Approach" Council Resolution in 1985 and enacted by the European Commission after consultation with member states.

 

In Britain, the prominent anti-Europe MP Sir Peter Tapsell called on the Department of Trade and Industry to reject the European directives. He said "The nation that invented railways should not change its unique identity and bow to petty directives which the EU did not have the power to enforce."

 

But Premier said the EU can enforce common standards through several Directives concerning the design, manufacture and marketing of consumer products.

 

Premier said that Directive 378/1988 on toy safety and Directive 68/1993 on low-voltage electrical equipment could be applied to model trains. If the UK failed to meet standards, Premier said that EU could revoke the right of UK model manufacturers to display the 'CE' conformity mark.

 

The models could then be deemed non-conforming and measures could be taken to stop their manufacture and make their sale illegal.

 

Emerson rejected the claims saying "We are not talking about toys. We are talking about very high quality detailed models."

 

A spokesman for the Union Européenne des Modélistes Ferroviaires des Chemins de Fer, a Swiss-based group that represents national federations of railroad modellers in 18 European countries, said he hoped the UK would accept the EC standards and adopt European scales.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2019 by DavidB-AU

[luckymucklebackit]

Coming soon - the ultra cheap version driven by elastic band, deluxe version with hamster in wheel 

[DavidB-AU]

39 minutes ago, luckymucklebackit said:

Coming soon - the ultra cheap version driven by elastic band, deluxe version with hamster in wheel 

 

[petethemole]

Sorry, In a society that should be adopting total veganism, exploitation of hamsters is unacceptable. In fact keeping them in cages is also unacceptable and they should be let free to roam, along with all the other wonderful creatures that we have been exploiting so cruelly for so long.

[tomparryharry]

All joking aside, I thought the video was very good. I can't see there being another Sentinel shunter like that though. You can bet that Hornby will move sharpish to stamp on that!

[tomparryharry]

 

 

Having gone over my last post, I don't really worry about the prospect of a post-Brexit scenario. I'm willing to bet there are thousands of unfinished kits, layouts & projects out & about within the country at large. If I build a model wagon a week, that means that I can keep going and enjoy the hobby, instead of falling over the precipice. 

 

Naturally, there will be others that will have differing views, and I'll accept that wholeheartedly. Removing my 'wish list' however, would serve to re-focus attention on what I already have.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by tomparryharry
context clean -up