Peco have announced an N gauge model of the GWR 2251 Class 0-6-0, see Peco's website for further details. Of particular note is the fact that it's supplied DCC-equipped as standard (not merely DCC-ready as incorrectly reported elsewhere) which is a first for UK N. Pretty much a first for the UK RTR full stop, in actual fact, unless you count things like Bachmann's DCC starter set releases.
Pre-production photos should always be approached with extreme caution, but nevertheless the Peco shots suggest a loco that shares little with the rest of the UK N steam market other than the track gauge. I've never been able to take RTR steam in N seriously in the past, with models being exceptionally crude and toy-like. The whole Graham Farish steam range looks laughable to my eyes (that should upset a few boiler bunnies!) and only the recent involvement of Dapol has offered a ray of hope in this forgotten backwater.
If the Peco Collett looks as good as the photo suggests, then it could quite easily stand the N steam market on it's head. I'd certainly buy some, although what else I could run alongside them is open to debate. The ancient Farish range needs chucking in the skip and replacing wholesale as far as I'm concerned, and, while the Dapol challenger shows promise, I'd need DCC compatability and wheels that don't look like wine gums before I part with any cash. This is 2005, not 1965.
Currently On My Stereo: Ian Dury - Do It Yourself
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I've at long last got around to ordering some Vallejo acrylic paints from Models In Motion. Although acrylics have been popular for many years (and Vallejo have featured in many magazines recently) I've always stuck with enamel, simply because that's what I'm comfortable with. I know which colours produce the effects I'm after and don't really want to start from scratch.
However, coming back to painting after many years absence, I've found that a number of old favourites are no longer available, so it seemed as good a time as any to try something new. The other factor is that modern enamels give me a thumping headache and make me light-headed - older formulas don't have that impact when used with sensible ventilation. A classic case of things complying with health and safety legislation rather than considering my health and safety.
So I ordered a selection of weathering-related colours to try and they arrived next day - time to get the brushes out and play...
Currently On My Stereo: Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus
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Greetings infidels, Bob here - bringing you all the latest in completely unbiased, guaranteed completely accurate reviews.
Over the last few weeks several people from our advertising department, to whom I showed the Heljan Class 57 model, commented (completely unprompted) on the primitive appearance of the front end below the cab. They further commented, again completely unprompted, that both the 47 and the 57 bogies would benefit from a prototypical cross-piece at the end. You'd think they'd be able to afford such a minor detail from the money they've saved by not advertising with us.
Several other people (coincidentally from the advertising department, but not the same people as before) commented, again completely unprompted, on how much better the latest Hornby Class 31 is in this respect. The highly sophisticated bogies are well detailed, the only omission being the end cross-piece, sensibly left off to reduce wear and tear on the tooling. The loco is easily the best model in the history of the world, raises the bar, cures cancer and we've never had it so good. It just shows what a company can achieve if they're willing to put time and effort into solidly researching their advertising budget.
The final word must go to Mrs Miggins, our friend, tea-lady and editor of our sister publication 'World of Kettles' just across the corridor. Mrs Miggins definitely "liked the green one bestest" once we'd assured her it had no connections with any of our rival magazines.
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Going through the wagon shops at the moment are some of my older Bachmann MFAs with the cruder, chunky chassis. I'm combining the bodies from these with...
...the much finer chassis moulding from more recent releases. Making one wagon from two might sound wasteful, but I'd already got a few of the older models kicking around doing nothing, and the chassis swap was just a quick way to get two different running numbers into the operational fleet without digging the transfers out.
I've fitted Smiths instanter couplings and Gibson wheelsets as normal, albeit not the correct disc-brake variants as I've run out. The spare bodies have been set aside for weathering practice, and a few useful parts such as axle-boxes, springs and air-brake cylinders will be salvaged for other projects.
At some point in the future I'll tackle various tweaks and details (Bachmann have got the air brake gear on the wrong side, for example) and weathering. But the main thing is that having dumped the tension-lock couplings and wobbly wheels, I've got another couple of wagons for the Bachmann Shed to shunt.
Something I hadn't noticed until looking at the photos is the way the chassis bends, obviously glue will be a better solution than the supplied screws.
Currently On My Stereo: Wigwam - Nuclear Nightclub
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Hornimann's much-anticipated new model of the Class 34 "Hampton" has arrived in the office at last - and it's quite the thriller. Performance is good throughout the speed range, although out of the box it was a little hesitant at low speeds. 15 minutes running in and a little lubrication soon settled things down, however. Regrettably the DCC socket is wired back to front and the product goes "zzub zzub zzub" unless you reverse the plug.
Although your reviewer is more at home with steam driven rather than electric models, I'm assured by my mates at the club that this is every inch a faithful replica of the real thing - apparently Hornimann's design team crawled all over several prototypes at length. It certainly matches all known drawings, but inexplicably seems much larger than your reviewer's own measurements. If I was forced to find fault I'd say that the rivets seem a little on the large side, but at least it makes them easier to count.
Another excellent product and one which can be recommended unreservedly. I'm sure many collectors will find a place for one.
Currently On My Stereo: Jethro Tull - Rock Island
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Nigel Emery popped round this afternoon, with his new Roco Crocodile. The prototype really is a captivating machine and this is reflected in the model - I could watch one of these moving up and down the layout all day.
If truth be told, this older Roco model lacks some of the finesse of recent products, but that needs to be taken in perspective. It dates from a time when most UK models, metaphorically speaking, still had a hole in the side for the key. About a week ago last Wednesday...
Currently On My Stereo: Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese
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Time for a shameless consumerism update - postie delivered a parcel this morning while I was out mowing the front lawn. I finished in double-quick time and didn't bother with the edges.
First up is this CSX SD60 from the Life-Like Proto 2000 range. I'm not a great fan of the stealth grey livery, I think the yellow nose versions looked much better - see the CSX Photo Archives for further information on CSX liveries.
On the other hand, the RailBox scheme seen here on this InterMountain boxcar is probably my favourite freight car livery of all time.
The InterMountain release is a whole lot finer than the older models I had when I first got into US modelling.
Also from InterMountain is this 60 foot Pullman Standard boxcar...
...along with it's sibling with a different running number...
...and this double-stack car.
The double-stacks come as a set of 5.
Currently On My Stereo: Fleetwood Mac - Penguin
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The addition of a final turnout means the staging yard mods are now complete, including all wiring and testing. The train nearest my treasured Jethro Tull official tour mug is leaving the staging yard and venturing onto the layout proper - the mug denoting the transition between staging and scenery. The other train is heading for the return loop which will ultimately position it in the siding vacated by it's sibling, facing the right way for it's next turn of duty.
Shells of a few buildings on the right mark where the scenic area will finish. Although technically part of the staging yard, the far side of the tracks will be visible around the view-block and so will need to be presentable...
...although most of this sorry spectacle will be kept under wraps.
Currently On My Stereo: Jethro Tull - Roots to Branches
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Having recently modified one end of my staging yard to better suit US operation, I've now tackled the other end. 'Before' is on the left of the photo, 'after' is on the right.
Basically I've scaled things down from a 4 track UK scenario to something better able to feed trains onto a US layout. All traffic now exits through one fan, courtesy of the new turnout added bottom right, as opposed to the two discrete fast and slow halves I had before. At the moment the line to the return loop (on the right) still follows it's original curve, but will eventually be slewed over to join the other new turnout - just as soon as I finish testing the wiring.
Trains will enter the staging yard via the rightmost track, before curving around the return loop, running through the staging and coming to rest where the locos are visible in the photo. The track-circuiting and software for automation are going to need substantial revision to support these modifications.
This is very definitely a US layout now, with UK trains only having running rights when I'm not having a 'serious' operating session. Walsall Victoria, as such, no longer exists as I've started recovering track from the old station area. Ironically the layout is returning to it's original format, after a few years wasted chasing the UK impossible dream.
Currently On My Stereo: Alice Cooper - Muscle of Love
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