Moccasin

Hmmm. Looks like my four Mk3s are coming in at least two deliveries.

See the Mk3 as an investment/down payment!

Mk3 will likely have the longest overhang until they do the class 800!

Engine shed or goods shed? Goods shed might be too close for some stock.

I’m hoping that as it’s my thread and it’s not really too far off topic, it’ll be allowed…..

Incidentally, the 2024 catalogue suggests similar 1/4 curves are coming for other radii. One of those might close the gap and align better, as well as being less tight. Presumably the 1/4 R1 is so short that it’s less of an issue for models nominally unable to cope with R1.

Yes there’s just the small level change at the interface with Eldon Sq now. The basement changed a bit when Monument Metro opened and then again a couple of times as Monument Mall has changed. Maybe I should add T&W Metrocars to the TT120 wish list.

Will be interesting to see if that licence applies to TT120 - ie how well/tightly the contract was written and if/when it expires. The 68/88/93/99 family are ripe for modelling in TT120.

it certainly has changed, even in the 30 years I’ve known it. I recall the major works in the 90s when they rebuilt it and removed some of the higgeldy-piggeldy-ness! To be accurate, I remember them erecting the tower crane one Sunday morning - a small crane to set up the jib of a larger mobile crane which then hoisted in the tower crane sections. I have to say that the recent improvements (escalator atria) have made it even better and the next step is to to re-do the frontage. In those days Bainbridges was closed on (I think) a Monday (?). I was born on Teesside and my brother remembers going to the Christmas window that was based on Trumpton/Chigley/Camberwick Green - probably early 70s. When at university there, I also memorably arranged to meet my Mum in the Fenwicks cafe - not realising there were about 5. We did find each other eventually (I had no mobile phone then, even if I had I think my parents finally got them around 2007 😀) The fact that there was more TT120 stock and several new OO locos suggests that it is worth their while, which is encouraging.

Just idly playing in rail modeller express and using that 1st radius curve at both ends, a loop is pretty much ok (some minor gaps required in the loop but they do line up) if you use an extended half straight in the mainline and a half straight and quarter straight in the loop. Obviously, a 6th radius curve would work instead of either point,. or you could use an opposing sided point to create a stub/headshunt.

Yes my old West Yorkshire home town of Heckmondwike had a large Co-op that had Lego & Hornby. Also a photographic shop that stocked Hornby Fenwick are better than John Lewis (Bainbridge’s) here. Huge store, lots of investment and a great toy department. Seems unusual now and suspect that this is an experiment for Hornby (it’s their concession).

This is a clear benefit of starting from a clean CAD model and not relying on tired toolings. Putting the work in on the variations at the start of model development means that everything is there in the future. The 37s have more variations than many classes I suspect.

Popped in to the store today (pushing through lots of very happy Newcastle fans). They have more stock on show, including all three HSTs (DCC ready versions). The executive and GWR versions were showing and I must have accidentally moved them around so that the GWR was at the back and the Blue/Grey & executive version on view at the front. How careless of me. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Possibly it’s a more accurate date based on vessel sailing information. To change just by a few days like that does suggest these dates aren’t mere placeholders. My credit card statement date is 13th/14th, so it can have a break after a hammering from the HST & Mk3s this month.

It’s definitely a worthwhile poll. I think it confirms what many thought. Hornby will likely be missing a trick if they don’t have a 37 between era 6 and 9, especially given the presence of Mk2s - we still need those blue/grey Mk1s though!

I think they might arrive next month from what others have said about the dates showing in the website data. I was told June when I was at Model Rail Scotland. the antidote to a shortening pre-order list is of course to add some more!

That coach appears deficient in the window department to the tune of 1* *with apologies to Pete ‘n’ Dud.

The shipment notification and initial email from DPD on a Friday, knowing that it won’t arrive until midweek is always frustrating.

tried to think of a tenuous link but failed.

Yes I received the notifications for my 4 blue/grey coaches today too. Maybe Friday is for people called Peter. An interesting order priority system if so! Am assuming despatch will be on Monday or Tuesday

Given that many are ordering 4 or more coaches each and there were likely a few hundred pre-orders of the 4 HST power car sets, the warehouse order fulfilment team must be working flat out. That’s likely 2000+ individual orders to fulfil on top of normal order volumes. Even if 200 orders per day can be processed, it’s probably two weeks or more to get through them all

I haven’t got access to the 2024 catalogue right now but recall that the two 37s were an early and late (era 11?) example. Hopefully they’ll maximise their tooling investment with an example somewhere between.

It’s karma for me constantly posting about my HST despatch journey, so I ought not to complain. I can see the coaches being “despatched” on Friday or Saturday and them sitting in the Hornby warehouse until Monday or Tuesday. That said, if they don’t get processed until next week, at least my credit card will get a short reprieve as my statement date is Saturday.

Not at all jealous waiting for notification that my order is being processed. Nope not a bit.

Thanks. Might apply too to decoder leaflets - maybe a link to The Manual will help there too! Again, only when the current needs updating