Dapol put us out of our misery!

The new "mystery" model due for launch at the Warkey show this weekend is the Class 220 Voyager! Details on the Dapol website here:

http://www.dapol.co.uk

The photos on the website are stunning and this is one model that deserves to sell by the shed-load, regardless of how one may regard the prototype!

The model is fully DCC-ready and features magnetic inter-car couplers and the ability to be fitted with a sound chip and speaker system. Full retail price for a 4-car unit is £139.95. Not cheap but probably worth it for all the cool stuff on board.

Dapol are to be congratulated for raising the bar in British N Gauge and producing something that their competitors will find hard to match.

Also promised for 2007 will be a SR Q1 0-6-0, Class 73/0, Low Emission 66s, more Ivatts, Prairies and M7s, a new container spine wagon (FEA?), Blue Spot Fish Van and Tiphook steel carrier. Cripes.

Bachmann should really wake up and smell the coffee here and start to produce some of the models promised for 2005

89001 is safe!!!

Great news from the AC Loco Group here.....
http://www.aclocogroup.co.uk/index.php?page=project89.php

Wither the Class 442..?

Regarded by many as the finest Electric Multiple Unit trans currently in operation, enthusiasts will mourn the demise of the Class 442 "Wessex Electric" units, operated by SouthWest Trains between London Waterloo and Weymouth.

Introduced in 1987 but fitted with the redoutable EE507 traction motors from the 4-REP units, the units are undergoing refurbishment but are destined for storage, as they have been deemed "non-standard"....

All is not lost. Other Train operators are eyeing the 442 fleet for their own uses, with Southern taking an interest for a high-quality Victoria-Brighton service - who knows, this may become a reality....

Class 165 Progress

over the last few evenings, I have been in my loft whittling and polishing away at the Class 165 shell with Milliput dust flying all over the place. This is the result so far...

It doesn't look too pretty at present and there's nothing like a digital camera for pointing out any flaws in the job done! There is a lot of extra detail to add, such as footsteps, roof vents as well as general tidying up around the coupling hole.
Take my word for it, it really is Turbostar-shaped!!

There is a considerable amount of stray filler in the cab area to be drilled out to allow a Farish 170 chassis to fit, hence why the front bogie is some way back at the moment.

Watch this space for updates!