The arrival of the latest N Gauge Society Journal this morning set me thinking, once again, about the humble merry-go-round hopper and the difficulties it presents to the D&E modeller. The most accurate model to date has been the Minitrix offering in N (featured in the latest Journal, see centre pages) but unfortunately this has long been out of production - N gauge modellers often end up paying silly money for these things when they appear on the second-hand market. Fortunately the new model from Graham Farish draws ever nearer, and pre-production shots certainly look encouraging.
For those of a 4mm persuasion the situation is rather less inspiring. For a couple of decades the only option has been the rather crude toy-train era representation from Hornby with it's host of errors. Then along came Hornby's more recent attempt, which unfortunately fixed none of the old errors whilst introducing still more. How come a 20 year old offering in N is vastly superior to anything in OO? How can the latest N gauge product be a step forward (fingers crossed!) yet the recent OO release a step back?
If you get chance to compare one of the N releases to a OO example, don't be distracted by alleged 'super-detailing' but look at the basic shape. Or, if you've a 4mm example to hand, compare it to the photo above. The real thing is a big tub on rails, with the main bulk being the tub itself - the flat side of which comes right down to the red/brown framing half way up the wagon. This is fairly accurately represented in both N gauge models, but not, alas, in their 4mm cousins. Both Hornby models have a large gap between the flat bodyside and the framing, something that wasn't very impressive in the first release, but it's perpetuation in the re-tooled product is, quite frankly, beyond belief. Add to that the various new errors such as the tippy-toes chassis and you have a product that offers nothing of value to the prototype modeller, quite simply the shape and proportions are all wrong. The body looks too small against the exagerated mid-section, and the solebar looks too thin compared to the same mid-section and the rest of the vertically stretched chassis. Even if you could fix these errors, would you fancy doing a hundred or more?
Things have been quiet on Nigel Burkin's workbench of late, as he's all packed up and ready to go live in an igloo in the northern provinces, but yesterday's entry is worth a read. An industry with the basic commercial sense to put a cohesive range of desirable products in front of potential consumers is essential for this hobby to flourish. There's only so many nice, new HTAs you can sell to somebody when there isn't a suitable loco to haul them. A HST isn't going to shift as many units without a TGS. What's supposed to haul those Intermodals? Where are the basic building blocks of recent eras, such as HTVs or the original Freightliner flats? How can you hope to coax the credit cards from the wallets of those with the disposable income if the best you can offer them is the Hornby Freightliner? Children's toys are far better than that these days, yet alone most of the kit that more sophisticated adult hobbyists have come to expect from experience in other spheres.
If anybody out there wants to sell me a 4mm model of a HAA then I'll gladly take hundreds, but if you want to sell me a model of something that clearly isn't a HAA then you're out of luck. I'll continue to spend my money on CDs, Hi-Fi, computers, books, gardening, cars, DVDs, beer, wine and having my Hollyoaks calendar cleaned...
Currently On My Stereo: Marillion - Clutching at Straws