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Many thanks for such an informative article which will be very helpful to me when I try to build mine. However, my kit does not seem to have any sales as I remembered my original had way back in the day. Is this intentional with the new release - Although this is probably academic in my case as I don't intend using them. Also has anyone made one of these float and possibly motorize it? I am thinking it might be possible as I once succeeded making a similar sized Titanic float (although the motorizing was an acutely embarrassing epic fail). However, I wonder if the weight of the masts might make it too top heavy.

I think the reason why they seem to have closed earlier than expected is that the vultures (myself included) descended very quickly to snap up that last minute bargain. So with no stock left why remain open. The only thing I am not sure about is their Genesis coaches and a Barclay tank that I have on Pre-Order. The info on the site said the former would be fulfilled (date given in May) but the loco was being considered. So I'll just have to wait and see.

Just to add to the above, the new track is intended for finer scale wheels of more modern locos. I'm not sure when Hornby started to use finer scale wheels but my Ivatt 2-6-0 which I believe dates from circa 1977 is OK on modern track whereas my Triang Blue Pullman needed a wheel change. Interestingly, I think the Hornby Dublo range (later Wrenn) must have used finer wheel profiles as I havent needed to change any wheels on these.

Just a thought, are you running on the original track? If yes that could be the issue as I believe the new wheels are made to the more modern finer standards so are great for keeping old stock running on new track.

If new send it back. I'm not sure about body defects but I bought a PBA 0-6-0 sentinel that that didn't run. After a phone call and an email giving me instruction on where to send things, I returned the model to Hornby. I got the model back last week and according to the defects sheet they had to replace the pick-ups. The loco now runs perfectly. So much so I would say it is even smoother than another that didn't need sending back. Sadly even with the best will in the world things can go wrong, I am therefore a believer in the view that you can only really judge a company by the way they resolve any issue and in my case top marks to Hornby.

Although the coaches are in BR livery, some GWR practices continued into nationalisation. My tip would be to try and find photographs of similar sized trains on BR(W) and see how the coaches are arranged. I appreciate that it might be difficult to find the exact type of coach but as the GWR built many different designs coaches over the years that were handed I don't think the design will matter that much.

Has anyone ever made one of these float possibly even with a motor in it?

Can someone tell me what scale is the Forward Command Post is as well as th e Waterloo farm house and other vehicle kits are since I have seen them labeled as 00, 1/72 and latterly 1/76 (i.e. back to 00). I know the two scales are very close, but it does start to make a difference if you are displaying two items of different scale together (like trying to fit a tank on a 00 scale Warflat railway wagon).

During the early 1990s, I bought a load of Airfix Railway wagon kits to build for my model railway and stored them away and totally forgotten them. However, I have now found them and although the boxes and paperwork have yellowed with age are wondering whether it would be better to build them or to save them and purchase new versions now made by Dapol? The same also applies to a couple of old Airfix Aircraft kits.

Given that my local Authorities advice on recycling specifically excluded "polystyrene" yet allowed allowed allowed yogurt pots I telephone to clarify, but the young lady on the phone was ademant that the "polystyrene" sprus could not be. The same was also said of old Hornby plastic bodies. I think this was a classic case of a call-centre operative reading from a script which assumed that all polystyrene was of the expanded variety!

The most realistic material I have used for a wagon load is coal! Although this might be getting harder to get these days. For many years my needs were satisfied by a couple of large lumps of steam coal found lying around a live steam museum and another former loco shed site, but house coal would do. Just be careful smashing it up - I put it into a plastic bag and hit it with a hammer until the desired size was obtained.

I currently have a Triang/Hornby Ivatt 2-6-0 dating from the 1970s. It looked in rather good condition but the chassis was totally seized. Having stripped down the chassis to wheels and main chassis block H ave now got the wheels to turn after liberal applications of white spirit and partial re-oiling. I have now re-assembled it but using a "3 pole upgrade" motor from Peters spares in the hope that it will make fitting a DCC chip a little easier. If this works I have another to do and may think about doing the same to other X04/X03 fitted locos. The prime candidate being a Poly Chassis which I might use to create a GWR "Birdcage" tank.

I have had the exact same problem as RT when trying to cut a 3D printed body which is why I effectively send a virtual model to the printer with bits already cut out. I have now managed to source a tender body and chassis (spares for a Bachmann G2 so I am now committed to making it work. Sadly my latest test is not due to be posted from the Netherlands until mid-February as I have added a shortened replacement draw bar for a Triang/Hornby Ivatt 2-6-0 to the same order to sane on postage and customs handling charges.

What sort of boat is it? Does the hull have a complex shape or is it something fairly simple like a barge since you mention a canal? One model railway book I once had suggested using a sheet of perspex for the canal (canals are often very still as they shouldn't have a flow). In which case would it be possible to accurately cur a hole in the perspex th fit the hull?

I wonder if this is the same tooling as their previous, or have they at least got rid of that traction tyre which is nothing but trouble on all but one of the examples I have. Given the maximum train length was two Auto Trailers either side, I am surprised why the original manufacturer ever thought they were needed. My only wish is that the top feed was a separate fitting so that it could be removed/left off as this would allow for a wider age range.

Hello Bee, The body is cut away so that I could check the clearance between the top of the Motor and the inside boiler. Given that the test material is quite tough, I have learned through bitter experience printing a sectioned body is much easier than cutting sections out of a complete body to locate any issues. Regarding the height of the model, compared to the drawings I have, the Cab roof and running boards are about 1mm too high above rail level while the boilers diameter is about 2mm too large which is further compounded by its axis being 1mm higher than it should be. The footplate (which is totally hidden by the cab sides) is also 2mm too high and the centre point of the arc forming the front of the splasher does not coincide with that of the front driving wheel. I have now got the modified basic shell on order, and if that works I'll start adding extra detail such as boiler washout plugs, chimney and dome as well as anything else that will reasonably print.

I think if the question was "Can a scale die commercially" then the answer is yes although that doesn't mean it is totally extinct. TT3 being the example quoted above. However, a certain part of it can like British HO scale and the way that has floundered as far as mass produced RTR. However, anything can happen, just look at 009. Until very recently it was very much a minority without much hope of going mainstream with no rtr models and a mixture of kits. Now Bachmann and PECO both make enough rtr material to build up a decent railway

For sometime now I have had a chassis for a BR Blue Hornby B12/3 locomotive in my Spares drawer so I decided to 3D print an alternative body for it. After much consideration and prompted by some reduced Hornby LNWR six wheeled coaches I chose to attempt an LNWR Prince of Wales Class locomotive. Today my first test print arrived today (see below) This has revealed that I still have some work to do, such as lowering the body and reducing the Boiler diameter. Thankfully there appears to be plenty of room for this in the boiler (see below). I think I will also need to lengthen the body by a couple in millimeters as the front pony truck wheel is a little close to the buffer beam. Once built I will need to obtain a suitable tender (possibly from a Bachmann G2 so I can model it in LNWR condition. But if this is not possible I might use the Great Central tender pictured above since some of these locos received similar tenders from surplus ROD 2-8-0 in LMS days.

Many thanks to you all. I like ntpntpntp's solution and might go for a variation on this. Also I amn now thinking as the lights would not be on when unplugged, the use of a Magight is probably a bit of a waste and using an ordinary strip or even grain of wheat bulbs might be a more cost effective solution. This should also allow me to tow the coach away, either on a fictitious journey to be serviced or when I have an operating session outside the Camp Coaches era.

I would like to fit a strip of Maglights into a Camping Coach that I have converted from a Hornby/Triang short clerestory. Sadly having made an interior for it there is no room for the battery holder. As a result I am looking for alternative ways of powering the lights. Having given this some thought I was considering wiring them into the DCC bus via a basic DCC decoder or using a specific DC Supply to replace the the battery. I therefore have a couple of questions regarding what I need to purchese. For the DCC option, I have seen some decoders designed to operate lights but cannot remember what they are called.For the DC option (which is probably relevant to the DCC option) what voltage do the LEDs operate on. Also would using a non-rectified AC transformer work (notwithstanding possible flickering)?I should also add that if this coach will only need its lights when parked in its siding acting as a camping coach so there is no need for pickups from the rail (I would probably use a small plug). Any suggestions would be helpful including any alternative battery pack combination but this would need to be no larger than 8x8x20mm. Many thanks for any suggestions.

Sadly I have a few rakes of coaches on order due to arrive this month so will need to ring them to see how I stand as I wouldn't want to pre-order from another supplier and end up with two lots! However, I suspect everyone else will have sold out on pre-order. I also need to find out which of the Genisis coaches I will still receive, thankfully about half are in the batch they said they were still going to supply. However, I can appreciate how Brexit has messed things up as it has prevented my 3D printing page ever becoming a viable business

Also do not forget an express freight train from one railway company migh have wagons from other companies in its makeup

I would really like a DCC operated slip coach and a working Dynamometer car that would transmit data to a PC.

I used 9mm MDF for part of my layout on a frame made using 2x1 planed pine, bracing at 2' intervals. The choice of 9mm was governed largely by weight cost and availability, but cutting holes in it is marginally easier than 12mm! One of my first layouts used Sundela which I would recommend although you do need more bracing (I seem to recall it was at approx 1' intervals) you would also need to seal the surface. One tip[ is to plan your layout carefully and once you have worked out your track plan, work out exactly where you are going to put the bracing so it does not coincide with any below surface point motors. I also built my boards in modules and bolted them together, this enabled me to turn each module onto its side to make wiring much easier, but 6'x4' is probably just about manageable to turn on its side with help.

Off the back of several other threads and both the Hornby and Rapido Titfield Thunderbolt packs, can anyone think of films or TV programmes that might inspire a Train Pack, Layout or even just a running session and what models might be available. Given that I have both the above train packs and have just bought the PECO Monkton Coombe station building Kit (together with a Wills Ground Level Signal box), you can probably guess what I might try to fit in that spare 8'x1' area above my hidden sidings.