Your favourite model train ever!

[Foxhound]

Dapol Hymek in weathered BR blue with milk tanks

Or Farish Peaks.

N - you know it makes sense!

I used to love Lima Whizzos when I did OO as a lad, and their 40 too, and the Replica Railways Warship.

 

[Heinz57]

I used to have a favourite that I don't often use now, but of the RTR offerings I have, I love to see my MML HST running round....

I so badly want one of those in that livery. I have two in the newer livery but I want one in that one too. I've been trying for ages, I've came close a few times in ebay but some swines gone and put one of them automatic outbid things on it before me

Another I'd like to add to the list is Bachmanns 66 in Stobart Rail 'Eddie the Engine' livery. I bought this model about a month or so ago, its a brilliant model!

 

[Doorslammer]

Wouldn't mind finding a few more coaches to lengthen my Class 91 train a bit. When I do, I wouldn't have much trouble in elevating that to 'Dave's epic favourites'.

 

[sprinterguy]

Wouldn't mind finding a few more coaches to lengthen my Class 91 train a bit. When I do, I wouldn't have much trouble in elevating that to 'Dave's epic favourites'.

One of my greatest joys in railway modelling is the sight of real length train formations, always what I've worked towards: I got my Intercity liveried 225 up to five carriages, plus loco and DVT, formed FO+RF+3xTSO, just before I sold it, and it was just beginning to really look the part! Unfortunately, 2+5 formations, or 2+6 at a squeeze, is the max train length my layouts' platform loops can handle. At least my Virgin HST could be said to have been in an authentic formation at that length.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

One of my greatest joys in railway modelling is the sight of real length train formations, always what I've worked towards: I got my Intercity liveried 225 up to five carriages, plus loco and DVT, formed FO+RF+3xTSO, just before I sold it, and it was just beginning to really look the part! Unfortunately, 2+5 formations, or 2+6 at a squeeze, is the max train length my layouts' platform loops can handle. At least my Virgin HST could be said to have been in an authentic formation at that length.

I know what you mean, I have a full rake Pendolino and Midland Mainline HST, plus a 6 coach Caledonian Sleeper, which is awaiting its 7th coach as we speak.

You really cant beat the full authentic look of your model trains.

 

[sprinterguy]

I know what you mean, I have a full rake Pendolino and Midland Mainline HST, plus a 6 coach Caledonian Sleeper, which is awaiting its 7th coach as we speak.

You really cant beat the full authentic look of your model trains.

In the case of the Pendolino, are we talking the full nine carriages here? That must be quite an impressive thing to watch going round the layout. I've got one of the earlier (pre-Hornby model) Dapol Pendolinos, currently just at the original four coach length, as the extension packs that became available to lengthen the train to full length are immensely diffcult to find after Dapol fell apart.

Any scratchbuilt/kit stock in your Caledonian Sleeper formation? Unless I've missed some recent release, I'm sure that's the only way to get those all important mark 2 seated coach conversions that the Sleeper has. Sounds like an impressive fleet of model trains.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

In the case of the Pendolino, are we talking the full nine carriages here? That must be quite an impressive thing to watch going round the layout. I've got one of the earlier (pre-Hornby model) Dapol Pendolinos, currently just at the original four coach length, as the extension packs that became available to lengthen the train to full length are immensely diffcult to find after Dapol fell apart.

Any scratchbuilt/kit stock in your Caledonian Sleeper formation? Unless I've missed some recent release, I'm sure that's the only way to get those all important mark 2 seated coach conversions that the Sleeper has. Sounds like an impressive fleet of model trains.

Its the full 9 car Hornby Pendolino, Took some getting together but I just had to have the full rake. With the Midland Mainline HST, I took a risk on a rake of 5 Hornby Midland Mainline MK3s, 2x First, 1x Buffet, 1x standard and 1x trailer guard standard from E Bay, No picture but I got the lot for £35, and they were in mint condition. Added that to my Midland Mainline train pack, I had the full rake, each with correct coach letter.

With the Caledonian Sleeper I had the 3 coaches that come with the train pack, I purchased a 4th sleeper coach, and then got the vinyls from http://www.amsiesmodels.co.uk/OOmk2coaches.htm to complete the rake. I am still waiting to pick up a donor coach to do one of the vinyl conversions. I also added a Hornby 67 to complete the look, I also have a ViTrains 37 complete with Westie on the side, 37401 I think, to take it back a few years to when they hauled the Highland portions.

Id rather spend money on completeing authentic rakes rather than keep adding random locos and coaches to my layout, although I am always on the lookout for a bargain or 2!

My next project is to DCC fit my Virgin Voyager to run alongside the Pendolino.

 

[sprinterguy]

Id rather spend money on completeing authentic rakes rather than keep adding random locos and coaches to my layout, although I am always on the lookout for a bargain or 2!

Precisely. It's all well and good if someone just wants to collect loads of different locos in every livery they are released in, fair play to them, but I just can't see the attraction personally unless they have a good length train behind them. It's important to build up the rolling stock collection as well

 

[At_traction]

Precisely. It's all well and good if someone just wants to collect loads of different locos in every livery they are released in, fair play to them, but I just can't see the attraction personally unless they have a good length train behind them. It's important to build up the rolling stock collection as well

I agree, but a, say, 2+8/9 HST set (or a 2+9 IC 225 with its even longer coaches!) on a model railway the size that most have doesn't frankly look quite right. To really look the part, there should be IMO a straight (or at most, very gentle curvature) at least a couple of times the length of the train to run along, landscaped if possible. Running such a completed train along a layout with a straight barely the length of the train wouldn't do justice to the painstakingly assembled unit if compared to its majestic natural habitat such as a high-level border viaduct over a certain cold stream...

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Sometimes the illustion of a long train is better than the full train....

....but glimpses of the full thing are sometimes even better than seeing the whole thing.





(I'm not saying the videos are any good)

 

[sprinterguy]

I agree, but a, say, 2+8/9 HST set (or a 2+9 IC 225 with its even longer coaches!) on a model railway the size that most have doesn't frankly look quite right. To really look the part, there should be IMO a straight (or at most, very gentle curvature) at least a couple of times the length of the train to run along, landscaped if possible. Running such a completed train along a layout with a straight barely the length of the train wouldn't do justice to the painstakingly assembled unit if compared to its majestic natural habitat such as a high-level border viaduct over a certain cold stream...

I would love to see a 00 guage model of the Royal Border bridge, and it's surrounding area (the overbridge at Berwick station would make a good end of scenic section), that would be quite something!

I think that basically typifies your point, a layout has to be absolutely massive to offer sufficent space to successfully run full length trains realistically, with long straights, sweeping curves and so on.

It's very much a part of the reason why I graduated towards basing my layout around a preserved branch line-esque effort from modern image rolling stock wise, as the radius of the curves is far too sharp to allow realistic views of mark 3 and mark 4 carriages, and, as I've mentioned, my platform loops can only cope with 2+6 formations maximum due to the length of the baseboard, so I would never be able to fulfil my dreams of running full length trains in the medium term. Selling up a lot of my modern image stock as surplus to requirements was a really difficult decision to make, but I've kept hold of a couple of my favourites!

 

[At_traction]

my platform loops can only cope with 2+6 formations maximum due to the length of the baseboard, so I would never be able to fulfil my dreams of running full length trains in the medium term.

There is always the baseboard called "living room floor" if divorce is no objection...

But curves must indeed be the tough nut for any grand gesture layouts, unless a non-enclosed back-and-forth design like a terminal yard or such is accepted. The width required by an enclosed loop layout could be thus utilized and the landscaped mid-section turned into a criss-crossing maze of tracks, points, signals, gantries, lights, platforms, loading and depot yards with full length trains, shunters, mainline locos and goods wagons in various mixes. H*ll, one could even have a sprawling marshalling yard complete with a hump. And all controlled manually or by a computer program for daytime or nighttime simulation. Drool.

The movement and points operation within such a track maze might even go a long way in replacing the (unquestionable) thrill of a more traditional full speed single or dual track movement afforded by a loop.

 

[sprinterguy]

There is always the baseboard called "living room floor" if divorce is no objection...

The missus wasn't even too keen on me setting up a short temporary test track on the living room table to test a few bits of stock recently when setting up the full layout would be too onerous a task...probably keep any grand plans concerning 20 foot straight runs of four track main lines to the "long term" aspirations, you've got to break in the loved ones gently...

But curves must indeed be the tough nut for any grand gesture layouts, unless a non-enclosed back-and-forth design like a terminal yard or such is accepted. The width required by an enclosed loop layout could be thus utilized and the landscaped mid-section turned into a criss-crossing maze of tracks, points, signals, gantries, lights, platforms, loading and depot yards with full length trains, shunters, mainline locos and goods wagons in various mixes. H*ll, one could even have a sprawling marshalling yard complete with a hump. And all controlled manually or by a computer program for daytime or nighttime simulation. Drool.

The movement and points operation within such a track maze might even go a long way in replacing the (unquestionable) thrill of a more traditional full speed single or dual track movement afforded by a loop.

I've got to say, this sort of layout quite appeals to me, as I do like shunting operations; knocking together ten to fifteen wagons in some sort of conceived order with a little 0-6-0 loco is very therapeutic. Even better if you can then watch the result of your efforts trundling through the scenery.

A fully functional hump yard would be phenomenal.

 

[57315]

My favourite model has to be the sound fitted Roco Class 754 in HO gauge.
Lovely piece of kit, a close second is the Sound fitted Roco OBB 2016, the MTU R41 engine recording is a lovely sound. Beats them in real life, except 2016011....

 

[GearJammer]

Its not my favourite loco but today i bought Hornbys 59206 from my local model shop (brand new) for the grand some of £40, which to be honest i thought was a bit of a bargain, its in DB Schenker livery so had to line it up next to Bachmanns 66152 in the same livery and i don't think it looks to bad lined up next to it, like i said, its not my favourite, but im quite pleased with it!

 

[57315]

I was also impressed with Bachmann's 66152 paint job, Actually I was amazed Bachmann released the locomotive so quickly after the Locomotive had been painted.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

I so badly want one of those in that livery. I have two in the newer livery but I want one in that one too. I've been trying for ages, I've came close a few times in ebay but some swines gone and put one of them automatic outbid things on it before me

Another one on here for you, quite like it myself.