The son of Triangman

Loof Lirpa day joking aside it's actually a good idea, if you could bottle the smell of steam locos you would make a fortune!

The R.089 signal extension set fits the R.169/R.170 junction signals. These very over scale signals were introduced in 1978, and remain in the range to this day. 1977 was the last great flowering of the ex-Tri-ang range including the close to scale old plastic ex-Tri-ang signals, R.140 being one of the old ex-Tri-ang plastic signal range,

What state is the field magnet in?

It could indeed 81F.

It has been tried in N gauge in the past by UK Graham Farish company, it wasn't a great success.

Another factor to consider is a duff suppression capacitor. This fault can manifest itself if the suppression capacitor is faulty. I had a ringfield class 37 in for repair with the same fault, a strip down and full clean didn't cure the issue, the windings checked out fine, brushes and springs were new and properly installed. Removal of the suppression capacitor saw the motor running very sweetly, so a replacement was fitted and the issue was cured.

It's a grey area. Uniform fading can occur but the blue plastic tends to go a muddy shade of blue. The factory did however did run out of plastic from time to time, a batch before the yellow ended version came out were produced in rail blue. Without the records from the old shop in front of me I cannot give an exact year, but around 1965 amalgamation year would be my guess until I can confirm as money was tight due to buying Hornby-Dublo and Margate did use up stocks of surplus plastics around this time. The rail blue version turns up now and then, they aren't rare but not far off that category.

ff2nd I wasn't suggesting qc in the 1 to 1 area, just storage after qc. Qc could be done in part of the old factory which is practically empty (I've been there), with a bit of the 1 to 1 warehouse area used to store products after UK QC. The Herston site could even be disposed of then. In the old days at Margate every single model went through a 3 stage QC process.

With overseas product QC being distant it's not always easy. There needs to be a QC department set up at Margate and every model checked before putting it out to customers or to warehouse. Maybe even a bit of the old warehouse could be used once a model has been through UK QC, I know it's where the 1 to 1 collection is, but a bit could be used.

I have fitted a decoder to the old ex-Tri-ang moulding Stephenson's Rocket you have. It is possible using a micro decoder, however there are a few things to watch out for, the wires on the decoder need to be flexible and it needs to be able to handle a 1Amp stall current as the X.500 motor is quite current hungry. It is just possible to fit a decoder in the loco body behind the motor, with the decoder mounted vertically, I have done it. However if you aren't used to such fine work it is better to fit a decoder in the tender or underneath the tender.

Thank you, Bee, all useful info for when the time comes, I intend to make a video of the product working and use social media to the full . Working on the limit switch mounts at present. Once complete the unit will tested to destruction including the 3ft drop test.

Was a lovely model shop, very famous in model railway circles, an aladdins cave, loads of old parts in drawers too. Could usually find what you wanted. One of the good guys in the trade, will be missed.

I'm waiting to see how TT does in the marketplace, the past history of TT hasn't been great. The lack of small Hornby tank locomotives is off putting, no level crossings, no turntable, no signals. TT120 is growing but it will take time, I will look at it once matures more.

The biggest problem for small suppliers is that if the model isn't in a red or blue box, and is made by a small supplier it tends to get over looked by the hobby. I used to make a fairly scale range of TT signals, but take up was minimal. It wouldn't take a lot to reintroduce these semaphores and colour lights but whether they would be a dead duck again is another matter and justify the investment. Plus Peco are doing some so no point in a small supplier making them.

Comments are always welcome Bee, you are never too old to learn. I have done a fair bit of research and there's enough people who want the product to make it worth manufacturing at least in small volumes. The design is "design clever" too and can be scaled up or down to be able to be used in more scales than OO. Costs are being kept to the minimum with standardisation of screws and electronics as well and are cost viable. Marketing is a big challenge for me.

Making a commercial product is always a challenge

Have you tried Hornby? Failing that the toy and train fairs as similar wheel and gear sets turn up in the boxes on stalls, failing that a friend with a 3D printer is useful.

Work continues on my easy fit motorising unit, work has been concentrated on the motor mount for the custom gearbox and off the shelf motors from China. Minor modifications and motor retaining top brackets to make now. The 3D printer has been working overtime.

By keeping costs as low as possible using a dedicated team of unpaid volunteers I think it has a chance. The model can be a simple 0-4-0, a new Nellie body mould as per the Tri-ang model would be good, married with the Hornby basic 0-4-0 chassis, or the D class tank loco, keeping the mechanicals to chassis moulds that still exist. Tools can be hand tools for assembly, keeping costs down, the only expensive bit of kit being a computer controlled tampo printing unit to put people's names on the loco's. Parts and loco bodies from the China factories. A decent laser printer would be needed to the print special imstruction sheets, perhaps they could be signed by the volunteers? Boxes could be standard boxes, but with special end labels. All cost effective. It could also be a sales improver and bring in more revenue as people would then pick the finished model up from the shop and might be tempted to buy more items. Feel free to add and kick the idea about folks.

Yes indeed, one of the first things I learnt in business management studies, stock on the shelf is dead money until it's sold. Had it drilled into me when the old family shop was going and when I was at college in the early 1980's. When the old family shop was open we used to have a summer time sale when the summer visitors flooded the town, it would be items that were no longer in the catalouge or were slow movers, they would be at cost to cover all costs plus a smaller margin. Christmas was the same and the end of Feburary as well. Three clearances a year. Restock was the latest models and on items that sold relatively quickly and usually items that sold in quantity that were low on stock.

Indeed. I know this all too well as I ran my own model railway company and in the past ran a big London based business for 12 years. You need stock inventory, but it has to be a constant rotation and at an efficient level. I feel the current range is too big and has been for years, too much and you get the possibility of production delays trying to fulfill the catalouge. As you rightly say, ita balancing act, and a very fine line, right now I would be running down stock Inventory and getting the money in.

Indeed visitors could assemble a simple 0-4-0 under supervision. It's just an idea at this stage, but it would bring more back to Margate. Boxes could say assembled in Margate. Wonderworks would indeed be a proper living museum. Keep your opinions coming folks.

Good point Brew Man. I think using volunteer/enthusiast labour would make it viable as there would be little in the way of labour costs other than the usual H&S and liability insurance, Chinese imported parts would be used, the only manufacturing bit would be tampo printing. Some of the set up could even be done by crowd funding to further cut some of the start up costs. People visiting the Wonderworks would queue to see their loco assembled and decorated. The whole process unfolding before their eyes including a small QC section before the model is boxed and passed to the shop. It's just an idea? Assembled in Margate.

I've been thinking recently about UK production at Margate and how it could start. How about an enthusiast and volunteer run assembly operation at Margate. A simple 0-4-0 could be assembled from parts by unpaid volunteers/enthusiasts/former staff, it could be part of the Wonderworks museum experience, a small tampo print machine could be used and loco bodies decorated with the name of your choice, three or four body colours could be used, it could be exclusive to visitors or could be a main catalouge special. Visitors could see their loco being built as well so it would add to the wonderworks experience. Opinions please?

I agree Moawkwrd. However if I was CEO I would want to clear that stock down to the barest minimum as soon as possible, it's dead money sitting around doing nothing, better to get it sold and out the door, if that meant discounting to encourage small retailers to buy more then so be it. Better to clear at cost plus a small margin that have it sitting around taking up space, a percentage of that £22 Million could be used for putting the company into really good shape. The main range desperately needs a cull, it's far too big, too much to produce in a year, better to reduce the range of loco's and rolling stock, natural wastage is best letting the stock get down to a level where what's left can be discounted or discount heavily to small to medium retailers to clear the stocks. A £1 Million to £2 Million stock holding is plenty.