Yep, I remember mine being 2.5m, but never needed to know to the mm. How accurate do you need? There's a bit of slip in the couplings/bogies, so it shortens a bit when pushed.

My working length assumption has always been 2500mm from when I measured one about 25 years ago and found it was 1/160 of the full sized 400 metre train.

Quote from: EtchedPixels on Yesterday at 11:22:40 AM

Quote from: OffshoreAlan on Yesterday at 09:49:40 AM

Quote from: njee20 on May 02, 2026, 12:00:20 AM....... I don't believe that price is a barrier to entry for young people in any meaningful sense.....

I would challenge that statement. You only have to look at the predominant age group exhibiting or attending shows. It's certainly not youngsters.

Most people under 40 I know are having trouble paying the rent let alone buying model trains, not that they'd have anywhere to put them in their pokey HMO room either.

And a value range really isn't going to help because they have zero money despite working 6 days a week.

It's true that disposable income is higher among Baby Boomers than Millennials and Gen-X, but that's all a bit Daily Mail. People of all ages are struggling in pockets. Others are fine, I'm under 40.

Quote from: OffshoreAlan on Yesterday at 09:49:40 AM

Quote from: njee20 on May 02, 2026, 12:00:20 AM....... I don't believe that price is a barrier to entry for young people in any meaningful sense.....

I would challenge that statement. You only have to look at the predominant age group exhibiting or attending shows. It's certainly not youngsters.

That isn't what i said. If you halved the price of trains there wouldn't be a huge influx of young people. It's not a cool hobby. I fundamentally do not believe that price is the barrier to entry.

My children are 5 and 9; among their classmates there are a handful who have/had a typical Hornby train set. Not a one who actively models (my son aside). There are plenty of games consoles (and brand new Range Rovers!), and other expensive toys. Toy trains just aren't on their radar.

Aeroplanes are cool. Particularly military ones. The reason army stuff is popular and trains aren't is not price. Simple.

Quote from: EtchedPixels on Yesterday at 11:22:40 AMMost people under 40 I know are having trouble paying the rent let alone buying model trains, not that they'd have anywhere to put them in their pokey HMO room either.

And a value range really isn't going to help because they have zero money despite working 6 days a week.

Although this does indeed sadly describe a huge number of under 40s, I'd offer an additional perspective to that. I'm also active in the plastic model kit and tabletop miniature gaming hobbies, and those markets (especially tabletop minis) have zero trouble attracting and retaining loyal customers under 40. There are many with a bit of money for hobbies, even £500-1000 a year can go a very long way in those hobbies if you can get the most value out of the off the shelf products you buy without even having to buy used goods. Like really putting effort into building and painting the models, or having a few Warhammer games with your mates over beers.

I'm wouldn't suggest for a second that model trains could ever be as remotely attractive a subject matter as genetically engineered super soldiers of the dystopian far future - but my own personal feeling is that I think that much of that format could be adapted to model railways in very beneficial ways that might be a more manageable point of entry for those so inclined.

Much of those other two hobbies when you get down to brass tacks, are about building plastic kits, doing the best you can painting and finishing them and putting them on some kind of small diorama scene that can be stored easily. It doesn't demand huge investments of living space or spare time, and the cost to hours of recreation ratio is very high (even with "expensive" Warhammer models!)

Even if you still have to invest a fair bit in an RTR loco and a control system, I think storable micro layouts with kit built rolling stock might be a good format to make the whole thing more accessible to people like me without needing my levels of DIY determination. It's not "toy" trains or dumbed down modelling, just a different format to what's traditional in British railway modelling as showcased at mainstream exhibitions (i.e. big complex layouts populated by large collections of RTR locos and rolling stock.)

There are people doing this and getting a lot of recognition like James Hilton for example. I think it would just be great if there were modern products (not "garage kits" that can be "pretty good" with some work and don't come with wheels, decals or couplings) made specifically to suit this kind of participation in the hobby.

I fully intend to have a go and see what happens, putting my money where my mouth is and all that! But I don't expect everyone to agree or have the same perspectives, and I certainly have my own biases I'm sure.

Anyway thank you for coming to my TED talk.....

OK, so my friend had 2x. 16 car set.

Measurements in old money

1) power car + first coach  = 11"


2) string of 4 articulated coaches = 18.5"



3) String of 4 coaches as 2x (articulated + bogied coach)) = 20". Presume these form the middle of the set?



I'm afraid I'm not an expert on Eurostars - European N is my thing - but does that give you enough to extrapolate to a full 20 coach set (is it just another 4 articulated coaches half-and-half into the two half-sets?)

That would make it
11 + 18.5 + 18.5 + 20 + 18.5 + 11 = 97.5"  or 2476.5mm

Quote from: Steven B on Yesterday at 02:48:47 PM372-775  #271 SE&CR Plain Green
372-775A #4 SE&RC Lined Green (Simplified)
372-775ASF #4 SE&RC Lined Green (Simplified) - DCC Sound fitted

I have 372-775 and 775A. They are both SECR lined green (Simplified)
372-775 is pictured above in the OP

It's disappointing Farish have chosen not to do it in full Wainwright, Dapol managed it on the Terrier and I have plenty of locos in it. If the brass dome was an issue a number had it painted green pre simplified livery just like the Terrier.

372-775  #271 SE&CR Plain Green
372-775A #4 SE&RC Lined Green (Simplified)
372-775ASF #4 SE&RC Lined Green (Simplified) - DCC Sound fitted

Bachmann have done the model in OO with a polished dome - 31-460 & 31-460A. This model also has extra lining on the underframing; I'd guess the size of the N Gauge model makes it hard/impossible to replicate hence no RTR polished dome in N.

Quote from: thebrighton on Yesterday at 01:24:06 PMPolished domes were part of Wainwrights elaborate livery. When it was simplified as Farish have reproduced the domes were painted over.

So the leading loco in the pic was a DIY job?