Roy Langridge

Looking at the photos I think the insulation is in the wheel, not on the axle? If so, for P4, would replacement axles that are stepped twice work or would they foul the chassis? What I am considering is, say 1.8mm in the centre to keep the wheel centred inside the bearings, 1.5mm through the bearings and then whatever diameter is needed in the wheel? Roy

Best of luck with it Dave - I am married into a Chinese family and can understand the way their manner of working is not always similar or compatible with ours. There is no way I will be cancelling my two pre-ordered 71s nor the two 74s I have ordered as well. They will arrive when they arrive. I waiting many years for my all blue class 205, so the 71 is being quite quick ;-) Roy

Don't want to think about where he inserted it... Roy

Forgotten your algebra? X can't represent two different values ;-) My money is on a headcode box 24 next, then a 25. Makes a natural progression. Roy

And he said...? Roy

We had a parcel left recently and a note put through the door saying "left in back porch". This amused me as we have no back porch - found said parcel just sitting on the patio in the rain. Was not amused anymore :-( Best parcel company in this area is DPD. Roy

There has been mention of missed opportunity on many occasions in this thread. I run a business and the word opportunity is very misunderstood. If we make an investment there are different types of opportunity: to express them simply: To make a profit; To break even; To make a loss. An opportunity is not necessarily a good one - it may be bad. Hattons are in procession of the information of what sells and what does not - perhaps they are able to look at their history of what sells and decide that an as built loco would fall into either of the last two categories. If that is the case then it is unlikely that they would invest: breaking even is a very risky decision. If the first case applied I am sure they would have gone for it. I say this as somebody that would have bought an original loco, but I am fully respectful of their decision not to do so. As an aside: a 517 would be lovely. Roy

Quite right - flying the flag upside down is a pet hate of mine*. When I rule the country is will be a criminal offence I once had a big argument with one of the European government establishments in Brussels that had our flag upside down. They argued there was no right way so they were firmly put in their place. One hour later it was the right way up! Roy * along with calling it the Union Jack.

I imagine Bachmann are just waiting for SLW to cover the 24 with a headcode box to have an excuse to drop it. Whilst the SLW was quite a bit more, given recent price rises I imagine the differential will have eroded somewhat. That said, I am expecting the next SLW locos to cost more than the first two batches. Roy

Very true, I will leave those two bottles and see if Dave leaves me the whole damn lot of them Roy

If we are down to bribery to get ours first, two bottles... Roy

Why? They have there chosen way of releasing models, I will buy more but will respect their way of doing business. What is more frustrating, waiting for news when they are ready or waiting for models years after the news? I would prefer the former. Roy

Only if somebody else makes a competing item? As good as the Hornby item looks I have waited for the DJ Models version. Roy

The top of the wipers extending so far above the window does not help, on the prototype they ]hardly go above the frame around the window. Roy

Unless there is more than one photo that has been mislabelled, try 86417. I found this on last night and although I can't find it again now, another claiming to be the same loco. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/3931377026/in/photolist-6Zpkqw-xqB42S-7mvCa3-CgBbdC-G7e373-DY2sqb-BfoSkB-cTvMr3-a93JEX-gVR1w9-9RR2vg-Jg6D2-chG6uo-e44e6E-9tE9gf-bw77Ww-a96wCC-a93KMn-a4it7U-aijbPd-a96xpW-a93KtD-a96yZm-aigoEH-a93JhM-a96wL9-a96wod-a93Jca-a96y3h-6mtzH5-78SsZs-byfc8v-a96wVA-wbBVjD-a93J4a-d3LH7q-dovnZ4-a96yfY-a93K9z-67u5Qo-52XBQa-8yWsGo-qZSVst-8yWsZE-a96xwo-BEZUQ-4rtyWH-a96yJd-52XBQv-dWNSUy Again - not my photo. I guess it may have had some damage at some point? Roy

Flickr is often a good source of reference photos to help. A quick look has shown 86257 with just TDM* in May 87 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/86020500@N06/14043884231/) and 86419 with both TDM and MW in September 90 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc31176/12861883755/). Neither are my photos. The photos also show that the MW cables were neatly plated over on some such that they did not show and on others just had steel patches put over the holes. I guess it will be a case of picking a prototype and findings photos to match what is needed or finding a photo and modelling to match. Roy * keeping in mind that this loco never had MW cables.

Hmm, giant hand from the sky? Roy

Andy at Dapol has said on their digest "we want to supply decals for the headcodes and destination blinds rather than factory printing them onto the models" and asked for help with them. See https://digest.Dapol.co.uk/forum/main-forum/class-121-122-aa/project-managers-blog/3455-decorated-samples-class-122 post 10. Roy

Fuel tanks aren't right for a 57/0 are they? The image is ok for several class 47 sub-classes though. Roy

£3.80 postage from Germany isn't that bad: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/381539133273?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=39159866351&rlsatarget=pla-268911519738&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=1007237&device=c&campaignid=698622927&crdt=0 And the set isn't a bad price either. Roy

Best reason not to do it in my book. As I have said before, I get fed up with the number of releases that are not mainstream liveries. If we are to have a post-steam model, I would be in favour of a more common livery. Given the NSE theme this year, I wonder if it will be something slong those lines? Roy

Larger window is on the driver's side, so I assume it was simply to make sure of a better view run bunker first. Roy

As you say it does not matter for a single speaker. However, some chassis have speaker terminals at both ends, in which case labelling is essential. Roy

Looking at the SulzerType2 website today I noted that two models are listed as "Limited Stock" and one as "Sold Out". Hopefully an indicator that they are selling well and we can expect more from SLW. Roy

Well said. I am beginning to wonder why, and for how much longer, people will invest their time, effort and money in developing the models for us that we have been asking for. Be it DJ Models (oh you might make more...), or Model Rail / Kernow (where's my model...) the level of criticism is reaching disproportionate levels. On DJ Models in particular, Dave has regularly said he would not repeat livery / number combinations. What was that supposed to mean if not that he would make more in the future? I am sure the modelling world would be a far poorer place if he did one run and said that was the lot and no more... I missed out on a Rapido model as I was not in a position to buy one, I would love to see another run but it isn't going to happen. Roy