One of the questions Phil Parker asked us as part of the National Festival of Railway Modelling YouTube panel - was: has YouTube become a new community for people (much like a model railway club).

 

He quoted some pretty startling figures from, I believe, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness (2017) with updated stats from the ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (2023/24):

 

* 8 million men say they feel lonely at least once a week.

*1 in 4 have contact with friends and family less than once a month

*1 in 10 can't remember the last time they contacted a friend.

 

That said - it's great to see so many organisations recognising the importance of social connection and the part that a model railway group can play in reducing loneliness and isolation.

 

Last year Grumpy Cameraman, who works with me on my You Tube channel started a model trains and buses group for employees of Transport for London where he works.

The group now has nearly 90 members and group members from that group have started its own monthly model railway meet up with OO and N gauge test tracks - everyone bringing their own locos - it's quickly become a fantastic, employee-led model railway club.

 

In my opinion, TfL is one of the chief organisations leading the way in recognising how valuable groups like this are for social interaction. It kindly provides a room for the meet up each month. Anyone from TfL can attend - not just group members - men and women - and it's helped people meet and make great friends in an organisation that's large enough that they might never have met otherwise.

 

The venues offered so far have been incredibly welcoming, including the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton.

 

With employers increasingly focused on supporting mental health, TfL has really shown what that looks like in practice by backing staff-run interest groups. Hopefully this inspires other employers - large and small - to start special-interest groups of their own. It doesn't have to be model railways; it could be football, netball, a walking group... anything, really. It costs employers nothing, and the benefits are clear.

 

The monthly TfL meets are always well signposted and attended. I caught up with Tim Dunn over the weekend (from the TV series Secrets of the Underground), and he mentioned that he'd seen posters on staff notice boards at head office inviting people to come along.

We also found several exhibitors for our model railway shows through this group.

rivet rivet

Jeez, All I can say is 'ignorance is bliss'
Face? Bovvered? 

Quote from: Steven B on November 24, 2025, 09:53:36 AM

Quote from: Bob G on November 24, 2025, 08:26:09 AMIf I said I think you'll find that the separately molded wire roof drains (or whatever they are) at one end of the roof are on the wrong end of the buffet car, firstly, is that true or false? And if it is true, how much does that bother you?

I don't believe that Dapol have said if they're also re-tooling the roof.

They have said they are not retooling the roof. I think that the roof drain pipes (whatever they are) are on the wrong end, based on photos. But who am I but a southern modeller!

Hull Trains 802305 Humber Bridge no longer carries he monochrome stripes and now has the full colour versions.

Quote from: Bob G on November 24, 2025, 08:26:09 AMIf I said I think you'll find that the separately molded wire roof drains (or whatever they are) at one end of the roof are on the wrong end of the buffet car, firstly, is that true or false? And if it is true, how much does that bother you?

I'd say the roof that's shown on the current CAD is a copy and paste from the original release of the Gresley buffet car that doesn't have the changes made to the ventilator pattern as seen on the later diagram/build that survived into blue/grey livery.

I don't believe that Dapol have said if they're also re-tooling the roof.

It's all compromises - the HST and loco hauled HSTs share a roof in Dapol's world when in 1:1 scale they were different and the Mk3 buffet is neither an HST or loco hauled vehicle.

Dapol should have done better with the bogie positioning on the initial batch of Gresleys - they proved on the later runs that they were capable. As they've got the Collett's and Maunsell's right they've clearly improved.

I do wonder if we'll see any more coach types from Dapol - Mk2b/c/d/pullmansm Mk4 and plenty of non-corridor big four types to have a go at.

Quote from: PLD on September 13, 2025, 06:52:55 PMAn obvious but welcome development.

Will be interesting to see how closely they represent the variations - the TP 802/2 and HT 802/3 are the same externally but the interior layout is different.
The Hull Trains livery is also a potential trap - the colour band is different on every one of the units,so need to pick one identity and customise

I resisted the Revolution 180 in Hull Trains colours (hateful unreliable units), but could be more tempted by one of these.

The coloured bands on the Hull Trains 802s are different on each coach but the same across all units. The exception is 802305, which carries a monochrome version of the stripes and 21st Anniversary logos.

HT were really helpful in my Electra days and kindly sent the full artworks.

Quote from: Bingley Hall on November 23, 2025, 11:56:40 PM

Quote from: Cols on November 21, 2025, 03:38:25 PMWill these new Buffet Cars and BGs have the correct 43' centre to centre measurement? 

It's not an error though is it? It's a manufacturing compromise - every model has them.
It even happens in larger scales, but people just seem to pick their pet peeves and ignore others.

The "compromise" in the original maroon batch was simply awful in appearance. It was done to achieve the installation of a close coupling mechanism.

From batch 2 onwards the "compromise" was reduced by having a large notched recess in the bogies to allow the bogie centres to move out to (almost) where they ought to have been placed.

It's no different from the bogies themselves. Every manufacturer's rendition of Gresley bogies looks different too. Same as different eras of design of BR's B1 bogies and B4 bogies. And what about all the gubbins that is underneath a coach. Every manufacturer "compromises" on what they model underneath versus cost of production.

Personally I'm more worried about whether the model captures the "look" of the prototype or not. So Yes I did notice the inset bogies of the original batch 1 issue, but I'm OK with batch 2 onwards.

Now here's the rub. Today's question, if you like.

If I said I think you'll find that the separately molded wire roof drains (or whatever they are) at one end of the roof are on the wrong end of the buffet car, firstly, is that true or false? And if it is true, how much does that bother you?

Bob G

I saw that, much to my chagrin!

Quote from: Cols on November 21, 2025, 03:38:25 PMIf I remember correctly, the Dapol Gresley 61'6" stock has an error in the bogie centre to centre measurement (too short). (Minitrix apparently got this right.)
Will these new Buffet Cars and BGs have the correct 43' centre to centre measurement? 
Just wondering... or is an error being perpetuated..?

It's not an error though is it? It's a manufacturing compromise - every model has them.
It even happens in larger scales, but people just seem to pick their pet peeves and ignore others.