New For 2011

That's a shame, the body had any number of inaccuracies in it

Regards

 

Looking on the Hornby web site today I see Hornby have put a link to Feb new releases

http://static.hornby.com/files/newsletter-issue-30-february-2011-547.pdf

Any one going to buy BR (EX-LMS) 0-4-0ST 0F ‘PUG’ CLASS ‘611’ or BR 4-6-2 ‘Lamport amport & Holt olt Line ’ Rebuilt ebuilt Merchant Navy Class - Lateate BR?

 

I'm interested in 35026, but it'll be a while before I purchase. 70010 is top of the list for my next purchase, followed by the Beattie Well Tank and Winchester.

 

After buy 30901 Winchester myself the other week I can safely say you won't be disappointed with this loco. I'm also still waiting to see 34107 BLANDFORD FORUM. With any luck Hornby will also bring out 34105 SWANAGE with high sided tender and early crest? A loco I couldn't resist buying

 

I think my loco purchasing power this year is going to be non-existent now my car's failed its MOT (emissions, which usually spells a lot of money for finding a small problem, whilst I have been advised that all four springs will need replacing fairly soon). Its at that stage where there's no point shovelling more money into a lost cause, so I'll have to buy a new one- which I can't afford on my wage. I hate this time of year!

 

My last car, a Peugeot 306 now scrapped because of gearbox problems, failed it emissions test last April, the replacement components and labour came to less than £100. The shock absorber problems should cost about the same.

Regards

 

This is very true; for the 306 is was a matter of replacing the catalytic converter and the Lamda/MAP sensors. Basically the MAP sensor had failed and this had knackered the Lamda and converter. No big deal for me, but it might be if you are a low earner and need the car to get to work.

Regards

 

Which is precisely my situation. However, there was also advice as to what was likely to go in the next year, with all four springs heavily corroded, the front baseplates going, and the front axles heavily corroded. So its probably best to cut my losses and get rid of it. I'm intending to to take up a credit agreement offer with my dealer, which means for a deposit (they are offering £750 for my old car), I get a brand new car for £109 per month over 37 months with an option to purchase it at the end of the period, or swap it for a newer model under a similar agreement. That way, the car will be under warranty, will need no MOT for three years, and will only need servicing and tax. The only thing I need to worry about is telling my insurer that I either need to upgrade to fully comp mid-term whilst changing my car, or shoulder the financial burden of cancelling the remainder of my cover. Either way, I think new locos are out of the equation for a while...

 

This type of finance is ok until you no longer want to continue upgrading to a newer car every 37 months. Then you are left with paying the out standing part of the loan or refinancing the remaining purchase price. This type of finance is like leasing a car which you never own .

 

Yes, I realise that, and as a chap who's got at least 40 years to go before retirement (whenever that'll be), I'm fairly happy about not actually owning the car, but closer to retirement age, I'd need to have some money set aside to service the loan and purchase a car. My Mother's doing a similar thing, and my Father was the one who did the leg-work for me. In any case, if I wish to end the agreement by purchasing the car, then there's a lump sum to pay at the end of the term which is do-able, providing I'm happy to over-exercise my lack of spending muscle at that point! However that's potentially three years away, and I haven't fully committed to it yet, and hopefully career circumstances might have improved by then. However, living where I live, and working where I work at the moment, I really do need a car that I won't be spending big bucks on, and effectively 'renting' a brand new car off my dealer might be the way to go for peace of mind.

Anyway, an interesting tangent from model railways to car finance. Who says we don't discuss real issues on this forum?

 

Apparently Bachmann are announcing their plans for the next 18 months on Sunday 6th March.

 

Surely it must be time for Bachmann to announce a new range of ready to run Industrial locos!

 

I'll have to clean the cobwebs off my wallet should that day come!

 

Quite tempted by that pug, if only to bash into something vaguely resembling Beyer Peacock 1827! Think I'll wait and see it in the shops before I decide whether it'd be any more suited to the task than picking up the old one second hand...

 

I think the only untapped areas of model railways are:

1. Industrials
2. Pre-grouping designs

Both of which would have a good market...

For Industrials: a Andrew Barclay is the obvious starting point, then maybe Peckett tanks, Avonside 0-6-0T, Hudswell Clarke etc..

For Pre-grouping a good starting point was City Of Truro... others I could suggest would be a Dukedog, Bloomer (Tyseley Association), LNWR Hardwicke, GNR single, L&Y Coal Tank, GCR director and anything else that may have run in those early days of preservation..

 

Lets hope there's at least one Southern-based design amongst the new crop. The LNER have had it even better than our lot over the last couple of years, although admittedly, it tends to be the more glamorous locomotives that get the attention.

 

I now have 34107 Blandford Forum after my grandfather cancelled the order with CMC (still not in stock) and got it from Hattons instead (dozens in stock). First thing I did was rip off the historically inaccurate coverings forward of the cylinders (there was a bit of excess glue which left a permanent grey mark, but nothing a dose of Tamiya's matt black acrylic won't cure at a future juncture), but overall a nice model. Thankfully, it also doesn't have the garish red-painted bracket that holds the slidebar, thus making it look the business. Now for a trial run...

 

Great news Bulleid Paciffic I'm hoping to get my hands on this loco in the next few weeks. Marking the loco out of 1 to 10 what would you give it?


Thanks