More model ideas

[TrainsRule88]

3 hours ago, MattR said:

 

Completely off-topic, but any chance of seeing a photo of your layout? The discounts on O gauge stuff is very tempting, and really small-ish shunting layouts sound doable.

I haven’t laid any track yet but the plan is a simple branch line terminus station that can fit a 2 car dmu into it. I decided to build an O gauge layout when Heljan announced their upcoming class 153 DMU. 
 

The layout will be 10 foot long by 1 foot wide. 6 foot of it will be scenic and 4 foot a small 2 road fiddle yard that can store 2 DMUs. The layout is going to be modular so it can be extended when space allows. 
 

If there is interest, I might start a blog or something to show progress and display some pictures. 

[Hal Nail]

14 hours ago, TrainsRule88 said:

A Collett goods in O gauge could be a good starting point.

Heljan were doing one and stopped because their prairie and mogul sold so slowly, and they already had the tender so anyone else has far higher tooling costs.

 

Rapido pulled put of their J70 through lack of interest and there's a thread discussing that O gauge isn't selling well at the moment. The mk1s you specifically mentioned selling quickly were heavily discounted by Hattons and Rails. Modellbahn were offering them at £125 in all liveries around Christmas.

 

Runs in 7mm are smaller so some things have sold quite quickly but then when they've done a 2nd run have often struggled, hence the discounts. 

 

I wouldnt be investing in O gauge development personally especially given the obvious good sellers have been farmed already.

Edited June 19 by Hal Nail

[Stefen1988]

Class 55 Deltic, and those Mk1 Sub Urban Coaches, but in TT....

 

The Deltic would close a gap between Hornby's Gresley A1/A3/A4 and the HST for ECML Express Trains.

 

[Accurascale Fran]

Hi everyone,

 

The comments about O are interesting and of course something we keep an eye on. 

 

Of course, you can also argue that from a customer perspective, there has never been a better time to dabble in O? After all, there are huge discounts on models and so much variety to try. The current sales offer a very cheap way to get started. Food for thought!

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[rob D2]

23 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi everyone,

 

The comments about O are interesting and of course something we keep an eye on. 

 

Of course, you can also argue that from a customer perspective, there has never been a better time to dabble in O? After all, there are huge discounts on models and so much variety to try. The current sales offer a very cheap way to get started. Food for thought!

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

Not sure what the margins are like in O, but you could take the fight to HJ by making the revolutionary step of locos actually the same shape as the real thing. - It’s the future !

[No Decorum]

18 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Not sure what the margins are like in O, but you could take the fight to HJ by making the revolutionary step of locos actually the same shape as the real thing. - It’s the future !

My stuff is 00 with a sprinkling of 009. The cost of Heljan offerings is one reason not to go for 0 but when I saw the price of Dapol’s Terrier I couldn’t resist. Even though I have nothing more than a yard of track to run it on occasionally and no plans for a layout, I have no regrets. I can see the attraction of the scale.

[Islesy]

3 hours ago, No Decorum said:

Even though I have nothing more than a yard of track to run it on occasionally and no plans for a layout, I have no regrets

And that, fundamentally, was our reasoning behind producing the Ruston 88DS - a model that would fit in with any layout, and yet inspire or convince any model railway enthusiast to take the plunge into 7mm without spending huge amounts.

There is so much in favour of the scale, and it’s perfectly reasonable to create a table top shunting plank with plenty of operating opportunities.

[Hal Nail]

I'm not really following the arguments here!

 

No one is disputing O gauge is great, particularly if you can buy it massively discounted. We are merely saying there are some signs that things aren't selling particularly well at the moment, so huge investment is probably a risk.

 

Having said that Ellis Clarke's black 5 seems to have done well, although I've got no idea how many they've sold.

[TrainsRule88]

6 hours ago, Islesy said:

And that, fundamentally, was our reasoning behind producing the Ruston 88DS - a model that would fit in with any layout, and yet inspire or convince any model railway enthusiast to take the plunge into 7mm without spending huge amounts.

There is so much in favour of the scale, and it’s perfectly reasonable to create a table top shunting plank with plenty of operating opportunities.

I think the Ruston looks stunning and I have one on pre-order. I think the value for Money is excellent and I really

hope more O gauge is announced. Would love to see an Accurascale Manor in 7MM. 
 

O gauge will always be a smaller market but with options such as monthly payments when you pre-order, this might encourage more to uptake O gauge. 
 

 

[Fredo]

Hi, how about MK 2 Pullmans coaches 

 

Fred

[nightstar.train]

4 hours ago, Fredo said:

Hi, how about MK 2 Pullmans coaches 

 

Fred

 

I'm slightly amazed that no manufacturer has done these yet. They lasted about 20 years in BR service, then have gone on to charter service for 3 more decades. At least 4 different liveries you could have, and they have generally run in fixed formation trains so would be ideal for packs. 3 types to tool, so less than the Mk5s. I'd certainly be down for a rake in Intercity Executive livery and a rake in the red and cream charter livery. 

[nightstar.train]

From the Buckjumper thread

 

 

Quote

Personally, I’m not a fan of having the same loco repeated in the same run when there’s such a large number of locos to go at yet.

Of course, the 89 is an exception, and to stoke the froth, my next two project announcements ‘may’ have multiples of the same number 😉

 

So let the froth be stoked! I'm guessing either very small classes that have lasted a long time, so the same locos will be repeated, or larger classes where the same loco has received multiple special/celebrity liveries. 

 

I'm really really hoping that one will be the Caledonian single, no 123. That's been in a few liveries over it's life, and like the 89 is a single member of it's class, so would definitely be repeated! Hopefully if I keep asking enough here and over on the Rapido board one of you will eventually produce it! 

[Jackson3592]

Hi all,

 

We've had quite a few DCC advancements from Bachmann (digital coupler) and Hornby (steam generator) recently. I do wonder what the next DCC innovation could be and if Accurascale could be next to drop something revolutionary. The detail on modern releases is almost at a level where little more can be done enhance them further however, I feel there is still plenty of room for development in terms of adding DCC features to enhance the playability of model train. 

I would like to see someone attempt adding a "free wheel mode" or "drag" mode to locos. Simply put, a mechanism controlled by a DCC function which can disengage the gearing to locos to roll freely. Ideal for adding multiple locos to a train without them having to be speed matched or if a loco is to be dragged. Although not a new idea I would also like to see some of the UK manufactures try and impliment the "Roco onboard camera" into some locos (as part of deluxe release or something) (https://www.z21.eu/en/products/camera-locomotives)

 

Could more be done away from DCC and electronics? Maybe magnetic controlled hopper doors to allow realistic unloading? 

 

What other DCC advancements or non DCC advancements would others like to see to improve playability?

 

[AY Mod]

6 minutes ago, Jackson3592 said:

I would also like to see some of the UK manufactures try and impliment the "Roco onboard camera" into some locos (as part of deluxe release or something) (https://www.z21.eu/en/products/camera-locomotives)

 

Shhhh, someone's on the case - all they needed to do was make the loco lamps big enough to fit it in.

[Phil Parker]

8 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Shhhh, someone's on the case - all they needed to do was make the loco lamps big enough to fit it in.

 

[scottrains29]

39 minutes ago, Jackson3592 said:

Could more be done away from DCC and electronics? Maybe magnetic controlled hopper doors to allow realistic unloading? 

 

What other DCC advancements or non DCC advancements would others like to see to improve playability?

I'd like to see someone/Accurascale produce motorised opening sliding doors for multiple units. Some units eg the Class 314 had doors that all open (platform side) at each station, no matter if anyone actually got on/off.

Recreating this feature in model form would be very nice.

Edited June 24 by scottrains29

[The Johnster]

And the little orange lights to go with them.  The evocation of passengers getting on/off even on the non-platform side of the train would be worth the effort.

[KeithM]

Wagons that's what we need not much point of all those cracking Locomotives and nothing up to today's standards for them to pull, we could do with some grain wagons the whisky blues for example, co2 wagons as well as some upto date engineers wagons catfish,dogfish, just a thought 

Cheers

[Ian J.]

Wagons with individual DCC remote coupling control so that they can be uncoupled anywhere on a layout, and also with a 'brake' so they can't roll away...

[Pmorgancym]

2 hours ago, Ian J. said:

Wagons with individual DCC remote coupling control so that they can be uncoupled anywhere on a layout, and also with a 'brake' so they can't roll away...

Does than mean decoders for wagons though?

[The Johnster]

Ideally, yes, with the handbrake levers applied by servo, and operating brake vans as well.  Handbrakes were a major feature of working in yards and sidings, especially where there were gradients.

Edited June 24 by The Johnster

[rob D2]

8 hours ago, scottrains29 said:

I'd like to see someone/Accurascale produce motorised opening sliding doors for multiple units. Some units eg the Class 314 had doors that all open (platform side) at each station, no matter if anyone actually got on/off.

Recreating this feature in model form would be very nice.

TBH , I think it’d look doubly odd if no one gets on or off 

[melmerby]

9 hours ago, Jackson3592 said:

"Roco onboard camera" into some locos (as part of deluxe release or something)

Already done that using a Raspberry Pi ZeroW and a mini camera module. It also pans when the bogie turns.

It's contolled direct from the PC via WiFi.

It's in a Triang Mk1 carriage but could easily go in a diesel or electric outline loco.

[melmerby]

8 hours ago, scottrains29 said:

I'd like to see someone/Accurascale produce motorised opening sliding doors for multiple units. Some units eg the Class 314 had doors that all open (platform side) at each station, no matter if anyone actually got on/off.

Recreating this feature in model form would be very nice.

One of the continentals did DCC controlled doors on coaches.

[Ian J.]

2 hours ago, Pmorgancym said:

Does than mean decoders for wagons though?

 

Function only. It would take a manufacturer / commissioner to order up rather a lot of them to get the economies of scale working so that they would be cheap enough to be viable for modellers to consider.