Trade News
The NGS receives many products for review in our bi-monthly N Gauge Journal. In order to whet your appetite about the new releases from major manufacturers, cottage industries, and also some of our more active retailers, we will be adding a selection of new product images to this gallery.
Although these usually represent models being reviewed, unfortunately pressure of space or time may mean that the associated review may not appear in the next Journal, if at all.
It is our intention that older images will be removed periodically, to keep this section relevant.
If you have a product you would like to submit to the N Gauge Society for review, contact our Trade Liaison Officer via our Contact Us page.
New models at The International N Gauge Show (TINGS), 8 - 9 September 2012
The N Gauge Society had hoped to announce the 2013 RTR project, to follow on from the 2012 project of the 50' Inspection Saloon. Sadly, some vital details had not been confirmed in time, so the announcement had to be delayed. We anticipate an announcement soon, so keep your eyes on the website.
TINGS 2012 - new models
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New models presented at the May AGM
With both major manufacturers present, we were treated to a feast of new and "in progress" locos, coaches and freight stock. Dapol were particularly proud of their 38xx, with split chassis and tungsten weights, but were also showing and talking about a number of other products. Farish were proudly showing an undecorated Blue Pullman (Grey Pullman?) operating on their demonstration layout.
The following list is your webmaster's interpretation, and is not intended to represent official announcements by Dapol or Farish. But hopefully there are at least a couple of things worth waiting for!
Dapol painted
Mk3 buffets, Class 56 (various liveries), Class 86 and A2.
Dapol undecorated
Class 27, 38xx (Modified Manor tender with 6pin DCC socket).
Dapol also rumoured
Future Class 52 and Class 142. A3 is expected soon.
Farish painted
Autoballasters, FNA nuclear wagons, Class 20, Standard 5MT
Farish undecorated
Blue Pullman (Operating), WD 2-8-0 (operating), Class 70, SR Pillbox brake vans, Mk2a coaches
Farish also rumoured
Ivatt 2-6-0, Bulleid coaches, Merchant Navy (longer term), Duchess (longer term)
New releases seen at the 2012 AGM
These images include engineering samples and early views of future models in decorated form. SInce they were all taken on the 2012 exhibition floor, with many items behind glass, the quality of the photos is not perfect, but the models will hopefully whet your apetite!
Unfortunately, time was short, so I did not capture every new or "in progress" model on display.
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Bachmann update May 2012
To whet your appetite, here are a few photos of the Bachmann Standard 5 and WD 2-8-0. Yes, they are N gauge! To emphasise the detail below the footplate, the exposure has been adjusted.
Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 19/20 Nov 2011
With the last Journal of 2011 having been ‘put to bed’ and the first of next year not likely to thud onto the doormat much before late February, here are a few items of N related news from the feat of modellers’ endurance that has become the annual Warley Show. My apologies if I missed anything (feel free to send any updates to the Webmaster). There is no particular order to the following:
Gaugemaster
The usual fine display of European N characterised by sheer quality along with clever ‘bells and whistles’. The trend for ever more exotic and colourful liveries on Europe’s railways is being replicated in model form. American N Scale also featured with products from Atlas and Kato USA, also noted for high quality and finish but at surprisingly reasonable prices. For those favouring Narrow Gauge using the neat Peco kits on Marklin mechanisms, a new name to me, ‘Rokuhan’, produce very nice looking plastic based sectional track as per Kato Unitrack, etc, in the smaller scale .
Dapol
Livery samples of A3 and A4 Pacifics representative of, but not quite up to, the standards expected of the forthcoming production items. Very nice too (but how can a Gresley Pacific not be, and how nice to see them in forward gear!). The Former Ixion Manor is now a Dapol product. Nice boxed set of Class 26 with Dogfish.
The anticipated new knuckle couplers did not quite make the show, but should be available in a week or so, and the new operating semaphores are expected in about a month or so. Stand-alone NEM pockets to convert older Dapol/Farish/Peco stock to take the new knuckle coupler are planned, but no schedule yet.
Farish/Bachman
Blue/Grey 411s airshipped for the show and on sale. Look nice and photos and mini review will follow. In the display cabinet were Autoballasters, nuclear flasks, steel coil carriers, 13t opens, and the super looking 350s. I think there were also a couple of new Mk1 variants I hadn’t seen before. Less obviously shown were the first examples I have seen ‘in the plastic’ of the GP7 and DD40AX US locos with dual mode DCC as standard. Speculators who track the lag/lead time between Bachmann’s OO and N models may like to start guessing when the OO Blue Pullman shown will get miniaturised!
Dean Sidings
To the existing small range of resin bodied tank loco kits will be added a Southern E4 which ought to please Thomas fans at least.
N Brass
The usual display of all sorts of useful items that you didn’t know you needed, but with Dean goods and Southern 0-6-0 kits for sale. I believe you can now order at least some of the loco kits with the boiler pre-rolled at a very slight increase in price.
Mill Lane Sidings
Gantry and travelling cranes which use new technology for the intricate girder work involved. The basis for a freelance trestle bridge???
York Modelmaking
Offering a bespoke etching and laser-cutting service, they also had various sets of windows and other architectural features available ‘off the shelf'.
CWR
In a similar vein, another unusual stand was offering bespoke 3D printing or "rapid prototyping" services. The proprietor Chris Ward is offering UK-based services as well as products. The target market appears to be in 7mm and narrow gauge, but as resolution is not quite leading edge, perhaps there are some adventurous uses for N structures?
Two MM locomotives
New to most of us this year, a new name/face, with some excellent loco kits in prospect and the first on sale at the show. A very attractive Midland/LMS 0-4-4T which looks superbly engineered and manufactured. Despite the name, N versions are available. A notable feature is a plan to produce his own wheels.
County Rolling Stock
Some interesting new products, based on 3D printing: GWR/BR S13 Insixfish van kit (with Stove R chassis, van body,
etched detail and transfers) ; Nn3 wagon kits of brake van, gunpowder van, tank wagon, 2-plank wagon and cattle van, all come with Full Throttle wheels. Also on show were a laser cut signal box and dry stone walling from MiniScene.
NGS
Last but not least, some trumpet blowing on behalf of the Shop/Society stand. The superb Queen Mary brake vans were on sale thanks to sterling efforts by Ray and Carol hopefully appreciated by those collecting their pre-orders at the weekend (and indeed those whose pre-ordered vans were dispatched in the few days before the show). New images of the forthcoming Inspection Saloon were available for viewing and an added ‘extra’ now available is a ‘rebadging’ sheet of labels to transform the Corn Exchange building into a variety of different commercial or other premises.
Branor Systems Fibre Optic Module
We have received a sample of the latest example of electronic innovation for N Gauge modellers from Bruce Piggott of Branor Systems. Following up his neat Video Truck which many members saw at the AGM, he has sent a sample of a simple LED lighting unit to bring life to our small models.
No electronics knowledge is needed, as everything you need is in the package. A neat plug-in power supply (or "wall wart") has a socket for the plug-in LED assembly. The business end of the system is a white LED, pre-assembled with ten optical fibres of less than 1 mm diameter (I measured 0.8mm), making each one about 4.5 scale inches in diameter. Each fibre is about 15 inches long, so one unit can feed lights into a fairly large area, provided that one is careful with positioning.
As the photos hopefully illustrate, the lights do stand out, despite being so small. As I have tried to show on the left of this close-up, a bit of filing gives a nice long light effect (short neon tube, perhaps?) and even a quick splash with a gel pen shows the potential for colouring the output (fairground stall anyone?). The
obvious use is as vehicle headlights, or indeed as table lights in your buildings. Notice the light reflected on the ruler from the fibre on the right which is pointing downwards.
Note that following initial feedback, Bruce tells us that he plans to include a longer cable with production versions, extending the 2 feet of the prototype to about 3 metres. Since it is advisable to keep anything mains powered as far from the layout as possible, this is good news.
Note that there is no adjustment to the power level, but individual fibres could probably be reduced in intensity with some paint or ink. Besides, the aim of this unit seems to be simplicity.
More details are available on the Branor website:
Bachmann's Open Day 2011
Bachmann Open Days highlights
This was the first opportunity to have a close look at a prototype of the forthcoming Standard Five 4-6-0. It had been expected that the loco would be just a continuation of the Jubilee/Scot/Black Five line in terms of mechanism and design. In fact, it represents the start of a whole new line of Farish steam locos and uses an all new coreless loco mounted motor. This is encased in a heavy split metal block which gives the model comparable weight to one with a metal body, and is combined with bushed axle mountings which also serve as pick ups in a similar manner to that seen on some Japanese and American steam locos. The tender, all wheels of which collect power, has little dead weight to reduce the loco’s haulage and is fully detailed internally but also has space for DCC fittings for which there is a four-wired connection to the loco separate from the draw bar. There are three different tender body types each with its own detachable coal load. It is hoped that this will be the first of what will effectively be the ‘third generation’ of steam locos since Bachmann took over the Farish brand and the new motor is likely to be used in forthcoming multiple units and diesel/electric locos.
Also new was the decision to market smaller wagons in three vehicle boxed sets with different running numbers and in some cases weathering effects. To this end most of the forthcoming wagons like the press flows, PCAs, ‘Eastern’ vans, etc were displayed in sets of three.
Fully painted 101 DMUs were in abundance including the Express parcels two car set. As this uses two DMBS units, it unusually feature two powered cars.
The much awaited buses in the Scenecraft range are closer to release with more livery options on display. These are very neat models moulded in plastic with inset glazing and compare favourably with anything similar on the market.
Other items worth noting were the 13t open wagons, Mk3 sleeper, Mk1 GUV, BG, RMB and BCK, and later type containers for the Conflat wagons, whilst the A1 and 03 shunter move ever closer to production.
The advances in manufacturers' weathering are underlined by the inclusion of faded or repaired planks.
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Some of the new models displayed by our major manufacturers at the Leamington TINGS show. Note that many of these were shown in various pre-production states, so will not yet be in the shops. They will, however, whet the appetite for treats to come!
Thanks to Bob Gregory (our Helpline Co-ordinator) for taking the photos and providing them for use on the website.