irishthump

I'm sorry but that's a lame attempt at a defence. The page says "If you need to reach us, please email us". It's a webpage on an online store with a facility for electronic payments. The absolute first point of contact should be by email which should be answered promptly (within 48 hours, not including weekends). I mean his listed opening hours lead us to believe that he's working 4 days out of the 5 day working week. If it's a case that he can't devote the time to answering emails then he should at least have an automated reply directing people to an alternative form of contact. Customers will accept delays as long as there is adequate communication. As people have pointed out this all happens AFTER their payments have been accepted, to get the silent treatment and to be treated like you're an inconvenience for asking about the products THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PAYED FOR is dreadful form in anybody's book.

Absolutely no need to apologize. I dare say someone may have lit fire under his arse and that's the main reason you're getting a response all of a sudden!

Was that not several years ago?

I've only bought from them a couple of times. Stuff arrived ok, but the customer service is non existent. I had purchased some DCC soundfiles from the website and had some queries about them, my emails were basically ignored until I managed to get to get in touch with the creator of the files himself. As said, truly dreadful form for a retailer!

Great layout. Lovely weathering on those containers too!

Sorry I mean to say point motors!

Well at worst you just need to replace the points, so it’s not a total loss.

Sorry to hear of your problems! I've had similar experiences on my old layout and I would'nt dream of fitting points until AFTER ballasting is complete. I know that's not much use to you now though... Maybe try removing the point motors from the baseboards and try to free them?

Unfortunately not! If you look at the bogie side frames they actually wrap around a little so they’ll hit anything mounted behind the buffer beam.

Not as time consuming as you might think. I used MIG washes on the body and roof, let in run into the crevices then feather the streaks with a brush moistened with thinners. Underframe was stippled with track dirt and brake dust acrylics.

I have used the Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance for years and have no complaints at all. It's very simple to use, I found the Powercab a little more involved when doing simple programming tasks. Gaugemaster also had excellent after sales service on the rare occasions I had any problems. The only problem now is Brexit has made them difficult to get your hands on so I've been shopping around for an eventual replacement. I think I'll go for a Lenz Set101 when the time comes, I have no interest in iPhone or tablet control and I like the look of the Lenz handheld. Incidentally, if anyone is selling or knows of anyone selling a Gaugemaster Prodigy please let me know. I'm constantly on the lookout for a spare!

Never ceases to amaze me the amount of modellers I have heard complaining that Kadees are not prototypical for UK/Irish rolling yet are happy to use big ugly tension locks! That aside, my main reason for liking them is their reliability and the added feature of hands free uncoupling and shunting.

Yes, any photos that I could find of the prototype were'nt very mucky so I went easy! Thanks! The rust effect is simple enough; various weathering powders mixed with thinned down matt varnish and simply stippled on.

Welcome to the Kadee Converts Club! The operational difference between tension locks and Kadees is night and day. Converting my stock was the best decision I ever made. Did you opt for draft boxes on the wagons or the NEM couplers? Any plans for adding uncoupling magnets?

More from the lockdown workbench! Dapol Interfrigo refrigerated van. Assembled, painted, weathered and Kadee couplers fitted.

That's some stunning modelling right there!

Thanks for the reply, Blarney. I dont use Digitrax myself but I've heard of that issue affecting some brands of controller.

Great news. Nothing more frustrating than having a new loco act up! What exactly was the issue?

So I removed the bogie mounted NEM pocket and built a bracket and new pocket to fit to the back of the buffer beam…. I used brass angle strip and box section tube to create the bracket. After cleaning up my dodgy soldering it was fixed to the buffer beam. A quick test proved it was at the correct height. Although the couple now protrudes further past the buffer than o would like some black paint should make it far less noticeable.

So I’m stuck at home now for the next week or so. Both my youngest sons have tested positive for Covid! I seem to have escaped it for the moment so that leaves modelling as just about the only thing I can do right now. A flurry of activity has been the result! First up some US freight cars got hit with the weathering stick… Next was something I have been pondering for a while. I prefer to fit Kadee draft box couplers to my all my locos but my Heljan Class 26 was proving to be a pain. As you can see there is no room to fit a draft box on the underframe because it would interfere with the bogies…

Have to say I never saw it coming! One of my sons noticed me watching Youtube videos of the real loco then found the model on Modellbahne Lippe. Even ordered the correct decoder for it!

Yeah this is the Taigatrommel.

OK you're gonna have to explain that one.......

A present from the wife and kids, a Piko M62 in DB livery. Fitted with a Loksound V5. Still some tweaking to be done with the various sound levels, but overall delighted with it. Can’t wait to detail and weather it as these locos got pretty grubby in real life.

Yeah my eldest son was crazy about the Tomy stuff, he amassed quite a collection. It's still sitting in the attic!