Buz

Hi Hornby newbie I don't see the problem this is an old idea that goes back to the 1960's that I now about. You go into the hobby or toy shop and buy a track pack, that's what they where called back then you got enough track for a complete layout some simple some complex. Today a "track pack" is usually an add on to a train set not a complete layout. I was bought one as a child it had a double track oval cross over and two sidings all in one box dad set it up with the addition of what good track and points I had left after a domestic accident. My opinion on these packs is that they are a train set thing this is not a bad thing just my opinion I would be very surprised if it costs more than the combined price of the component parts these sets are usually a cheaper way to buy it all. Hornby is not the only train company to offer track packs or layout packs others do it as well. The new part is the building packs this while a bit on the pricey side of things is not a bad idea. Given my preference for creating MY own world not Hornby's world I will not be buying them. I prefer to design and build my own layout with at least some reference to real railway's and something resembling a realistic setting. Something layout packs are not usually suited to. They have there place in the model railway world just not at my place. Seasoned railway modelers are unlikely to buy them because like me they want to create their world not Hornby's world and in all probability they already have or are well on the way to having a layout that suites their view of the model world. regards John

Hi ConfusedRobotCat The main thing you need is to have a power feed at the facing end of the points this is the end that when you look at the points you can see the toes of the blades. This can be done with a power feed track or by having track dropper wires as used in more advanced layouts. The thing that you must make sure of is that all of the wires for one rail are connected together and all the wires for the other rail are connected together to form a complete electrical connection with no short. I am a fan of setting up a main track cct that forms a ring main with even spaced feeders to the track to make sure you can have feeds where you need them. I do not pin points at all in fact if you need to force the point flat then the point or the base it is sitting on have problems that needs to be fixed. I have only ever had point pick up problems with one locomotive and that is the Triang Hornby old Dock Shunter which has a very short wheel base knurled wheels and is known for pick up problems I have a Hornby sentinel another SWB loco and this much to my surprise does not have point pick problems. The other thing often overlooked is are all the track joints clean inside and properly connecting with no loose joints something that should be made sure of when the track is laid on a permanent layout. regards John

Hi Nick73 I used it once never again It is a pain it the BEEP!! to get the track level and working right and it deteriorates over time I had both problems, and it just doesn't look right I use split cork underlay and glued loose ballast to do my track the rider being make sure every thing is thoroughly tested and works, and the track is wired exactly as you want it and properly laid before spreading and gluing the ballast. Take great care around points you don't want to gum them up or ballast stuck in the check rails. My method can be a bit noisy with older locos but I can live with that and also, I would suggest sealing the base board with a good coat of flat earth tone house paint this will seal the board from moisture and looks a lot better between the bare board stage and fully scenic-ed stage of construction. A lot of people don't seal the board forgetting that just about everything we use for making scenery is at some point a wet and messy process that can cause warping and twisting in the board regards John

Hi all Pre tinned wire will be fine the real railways use it where ever possible including all the digital and communications stuff that goes into modern railways. They use both mechanical and soldered joints on pre tinned wire To know about solder compatibility you would need to check the manufacturers specification but it should be alright. Its big advantage is that it helps with corrosion protection a very big need in the kinds of conditions real railways run in. But do consider the cost it will be more expensive than ordinary automotive wire which is perfectly adequate for model railway wiring I have joined pre tinned wire easily enough basically twist the two wires together and then solder the wire is pre tinned but like an un-tinned wire its tin then solder connection remembering the wire is pre tinned so doesn't need tinning and resist the temptation to tug the joint to test it they don't like that kind of test and do heat shrink the joint to insulate it from anything around it. regards John

Hi all Error correction commercial USA OO gauge was 19mm It was made by a couple of company's Lionel being one of them I have only been able to find a few pictures and comments on it on the internet and had it continued I think it would have turned into a very good range of products. The locomotives and rolling stock appear to be of all metal construction and very good for there day It did survive long enough to go from three rail Bakelite base to two rail track and is very collectable today and very difficult find good track for it. regards John

Hi WTD They did it was even produced comercialy on the much closer gauge of 18mm. But it did not take in the USA. It is now a special interest scale in the USA. regards John

Hi Jimbopuff Lets get one thing straight right now, There is no such thing as a stupid question asking is how we learn and find out things create understanding etc. The stupid or dumb question is the one that should have been asked and was not. So ask your questions and work through the answers you get and you won't be a nube for long, not only that There will be things you know that we don't. regards John

Hi LC&DR Yes the L&M R NO not that one 😆 Did have some interesting stock shed roofed balcony coaches, transporter wagons and Indian looking milk vans Some nice looking buildings as well. One of the European manufacturers makes roll bocks and transporter wagons if they are in use your clearances are going to have to be the same as OO so the train can get through. Would make a very interesting operation moving coal down a narrow gauge line on a transporter wagon. regards John

Hi Margate-Richmod That is a strange statement since OO9 & OO are both exactly the same scale down to the last fraction of a mm. A lot of OO scale product goes onto OO9 layouts including scaledale structures even Hornby trains as an end point a transfer wharf is a common feature on OO9 layouts. Yes the prices are a bit ouch!! 😢 but the more players out there the cheaper it will get. Hi LC&DR In this context what is a proper OO layout given they are both OO scale 😆 My answer steam not those new fangled noisy boxes on wheels 😆 My OO9 HOe can't make up my mind which way to go is a tiny 50 cm 40cm. The Norm seems to be about the old 4' X 2' mark but the C & M and C & D R where and are much bigger than that more like what we would expect from a smaller standard gauge layout. Maybe we could convince Hornby to do a Campbell town and Machranish (spelling) loco, coach, coal wagon and brake van being Pickering rolling stock the information is out there just nothing to scan and measure the railway is long gone. Like you I don't think I will hold my breath waiting. I do have to concede the Welsh narrow gauge is a good starting point, but I think both Bachmann and Peco has stolen the march there. regards John

Hi all My opinion is only if they are willing to go the whole hog and make a complete Metropolitan railway locomotive hauled train. I consider the loco on it's own to be a waste of time and money both for Hornby and the disappointed purchaser when he or she finds out they can't get the rest of the train. I would like to see a tube train but the other mod got that and its limited edition so a silly price if you can still get them and its to late for me I would like a red one from my child hood or 1960's period. The other mob did do a Metropolitan short goods train set as well. I think a Pannier hauled underground goods train could an interesting addition to the Hornby range if properly done with the appropriate underground brake van and London based PO wagons that did go underground because freight did actually at one go on the underground system. regards John.

Hi Jimbopuff PVA water drip of dish-washing liquid for everything ballast flocks lichen etc However in some cases ie steep slopes neat PVA may be needed to initially hold the flock and then lightly over sprayed to make sure it stays put. plant trees in neat PVA If using tea bag tea or coffee grounds or other food based products some people do, you must add some disinfectant to the mix this makes it unpleasant and unpalatable to the munchy critters that would otherwise eat it. PVA is a railway modelers friend. No need for the super expensive products to stick things down to the base board. To remove the excess once dry a vacuum cleaner and stocking is ideal to recapture for re use Use a green mix of two or three greens mixed together for a more natural look the only thing I have found good to use a grass mat for is a manicured lawn in a suburban or country garden that is supposed to look like that. Some people recommend a spray with water and IPA before spray gluing but I have never done that. regards John

Hi Tony57 Or in my case balconies for the coaches and a Ned Kelly Body (Davy Crockett for the Australian market) and bell. Have you thought of 3D printing catenery clips in WSF or whatever they call it now. I thought about that for the balcony rails but don't know anyone that does 3D printing regards John

Hi Kris537 The differences as far as I can tell is the box and the coach numbers printed on the coach. I have the philosophers stone set, and some prisoner of Azgaban (spelling) coaches to make a 5 coach set. regards John

Hi all I REPEAT I am not prepared to pay top dollar for a made in Margate range, unless it is genuinely made in Margate and has a full and comprehensive spare parts backup like the original made in Margate models had The only upgrading that is acceptable to the models is LED lighting and metal wheels to run on modern track and only maybe the glowing firebox and chuff chuff on steam locomotives where practical No other upgrading is necessary. and defiantly NO to DCC If you really want the older models back how about retiring the modern train set buildings and bringing back the 1950's Victorian / Edwardian buildings and 1960's modern even the Dublo plastic ones they all had more detail than the modern flat ones do. They also had a railway like presence that the modern train set buildings just don't have. Its a slippery slope that I don't think is sustainable There will also be just to much demand from people who don't understand what it's meant to be, to improve them to the modern standards of break it just by opening the box. regards John

Hi all I have just stopped counting at sixteen on the fine fish vans on evil bay so there are more than that avalable and they show up quite regularly. the same with a lot of the others. regards John

Hi jeremiabunyan Do an evil bay search most of the wagons you mention will show up usually at reasonable prices That's what I did with the old ones I wanted by the train load. I also bought a couple of packs of modern Hornby metal wheels for them. I also found a wheel wagon minus it's wheel load cheap it now has the old metal axled plastic wheels for a load I fitted modern Hornby metal wheels, so it doesn't have the derailment issues it did when brand new because of the light weight it had and I have a usable works wagon. regards John

Hi all No no definitely NO and I mean "NO". This idea completely failed for me when the words made in China came into it. If the words Hornby Made in England RXXX cannot legitimately go on the base piece under the model then it is not made in Margate is it. And in the case of locomotives I would expect the same original spare part service IE all of it as spares no exceptions for any piece and if they won't last as long as the original ones I already have, and are not repairable like the ones I have then there is zero point to making them because they are not anything like the originals. So don't deserve the name or to be allowed to play on that good reputation. What is being suggested is in my opinion just more cheap Chinese rubbish Not as it should be quality made in England product. Sorry guys not for me this one. regards John

Hi jimbopuff I have used packing foam layers covered in plaster for my scenery. card strip web covered in newspaper dipped in plaster is another chicken wire covered in paper and plaster These two methods do need some sort of framing to suport the mesh or card web The biggest problem is all the methods are easier to do than write a written explanation for them. Look on line for Dave Frary (spelling) Fiddle town and copperopolis build his sugar cane railway build series yes Luke Towan is good but don't forget at one time he was asking exactly the same questions you are now. Really the only way to learn scenery is to have a go, if it doesn't turn out the way you want it rip it out and do it again until it is what you want. Don't let how good people are scare you get passed that and see what they are actually doing. What materials is he using how did he cut that what mix did he use how was it applied. why did he do that its all there in front of you on the video's Forget the he or she is good I can't do that because you can do it and the more you do it the better you be come and the more you learn over time. Get the Kalmback book basic scenery for model railroads or the railway modeler shows you how booklet on scenery these two show the very basics for scenery in easy to understand text Peco's starting in OO has a section on basic scenery as well. regards John

Hi cowside I have just had a daft thought turn the tender over and see if it was one of the locos that was fitted with a chuff chuff device It will have a tag fitted to one axle that rotates with the wheels and rubbed on a plastic strip coated with a very mild abrasive. If the abrasive is gone it will click instead of chuff and the click varies with the speed just as the chuff did. just a thought. regards John

HI pgcroc What does the grid size represent 1' or 300mm ? I would not recommend going over a 2% grade that will mean a max of 6mm rise for every 300mm travel Defiantly do not go over 3% or 9mm rise or every 300mm. Also make sure you get your top and bottom transitions right or you will have endless derailment problems. regards John

Hi Jimyjames A pug is an 0-4-0 tank engine this term is more often used for loco's from north of the border. As a side issue the Caledonian pug should be black only one was ever painted CR blue and that was used as station pilot at I think Edinburgh Waverly station and they often had a home made tender for carrying extra coal regards John

Hi all I don't use track pins I use 1.5mm panel pins even buying the 1.5mm drill cheaper than track pins this does mean easing the holes a little. I use only just enough pins to hold the track in place and no more I do not pin points. Like LC&DR I use a bolt to drive the pins home this leaves a little sticking up and should be done with care. Do not super glue track down if you make a mistake it = broken track to fix the problem. If you want to use track screws flieschmann do them and they are expensive. The only time I use super glue is super glue for difficult surfaces to fix one side of an insulated joint I have had problems keeping the slippery little things in place during track laying. Once happy with the track all the pins get a dab of sleeper colored paint to hide them. Once satisfied all is working as it should including electric points and any other track fitted accessory, the track is then ballasted once this is done the ballast glue will hold the track and ballast in place with no movement. regards John

Hi Walkingthedog Yes they do make some odd choices. In this instance a well meaning relative bought the loco as a gift when I was going through a difficult time. It gave me something to do find out who or what Wemys was which led to the discovery of a source for Hornby LTD Edition Wemys wagons I cleared out the last of them which gave enough wagons for a train. The fact the loco was catalogue and wagons where limited edition annoying to say the least defiantly a HUH!??? moment when that was discovered Just need a suitable brake van now as Wemys had their own rail network . Oh! and to change dream layout plan to include exchange sidings now where did i put that suggested plan for exchange sidings small enough for what I have and will take the train to private fiddle yard and back to main line. regards John

Hi walkingthedog Well if you can point me at an NBR brake van plastic kit and suitable Wemys decals I will happily build it to finish the train. So far the only kit I have found is brass and out of my price range and the less said about my soldering skills the better. The good alternative would be the modern (pin point bearings) Triang NE like brake van which with decals would be close enough, so far can only find very battered through metal axle boxes version of the van. I use the term modern some what loosely but think it just about fits. Regards John

Hi all I would like to see an end to Hornby's Fascination with orphan products Ie products that can't be combined into complete trains. Wemys (spelling) loco has been done, wagons have been done but no Wemys brake van train incomplete. Hornby would have been better off just making the wagons. So where is the brake van I need it to finish the train WC&PR locomotive has been done no balcony coaches wagons or brake van train nothing like complete Hornby why bother loco on its own useless Pre grouping locomotives with little or no stock to go with them so incomplete trains I personally want to have complete trains If I can buy the locomotive I quite reasonably expect to be able to get the rest of the train.. If I cannot then there is no point getting the locomotive is there. regards John