I have only just stumbled across this thread... A Minimal Wish List does much to concentrate one's mind! I'd go for:-
 
1) LOCOMOTIVE - BR Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 (single and double chimney): a very useful model with a wide regional appeal.
2) COACH - Bulleid BCK Diagram 2405 - one can then pair it with the existing Bachmann/Graham Farish r-t-r BSK(semi-open) Diagram 2123  and make a useful two-car Set (Set Nos.63 to 75).
3) WAGON - any twin-tank 6-wheel Milk tank, for variety...

...and I am a Western Region (Eras 4/5) modeller, with a an interest in the Southern Region, but it seems to me that a GWR/BR(WR) modeller is very well served at present, and, yes, a "King" and a "County" (Hawksworth) would be nice, but the SR/BR(SR) is, as usual, very much the poor relation in comparison to the GWR/BR(WR) and is missing so much in r-t-r!

Quote from: Newportnobby on February 20, 2026, 12:34:47 PMI have to say maybe 99% of N gauge diesel horns just sound like a sparrow farting IMHO.

That raises more questions than it answers...

 

Quote from: Newportnobby on February 20, 2026, 01:13:03 PMThis popped up on a compilation - the original Nirvana. I seem to recall them and The Small Faces were amongst the first to use 'phasing' on their records but could be wrong on that

Never heard of this one. Much better Nirvana.

"London's calling" by The Clash would be ok though, except I probably wouldn't get up

Quote from: Bealman on February 20, 2026, 08:45:09 PMOne of them doesn't beep, it says, "Fire, fire, alert, fire fire" in a weird female voice.

Marginally better than it singing 'London's burning', I guess

Correct George!

Ooh, I've got that on an Island sampler somewhere. Could be "You can all join in"

Two of ours have lithium batteries, which it says last 10 years. To be fair, when they failed and I pulled them down, I'd written the installation date on the side as being 1/1/15, replace by 1/1/25, so they've done what was advertised. I haven't replaced them yet as they're $60 each.

One of them doesn't beep, it says, "Fire, fire, alert, fire fire" in a weird female voice.

We have 6 of the things including 2 that also (supposedly) alarm on CO.  They're all connected together, so if one goes off they all go off.  I'd like to know what technology they're using that ensures it's always between 1am and 3am  .

Ours are driven from mains power, which is backed-up from a generator, so the battery is never used, so the batteries probably last longer than the life of the radioactive source.  When that reaches end-of-life as far as I can tell it does not tell you 

The whole thing reminds me of the acronym "CATNAP" - Cheapest Available Technology Narrowly Avoiding Prosecution.

Jon

Mine has a flashing light as well.
2 x 9v batteries ain't cheap unless you buy them in packs