Help choose the next Roundhouse loco

Roundhouse have asked for suggestions. Here is the link; http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/

Curlew
North Wales, land of legend , song and Beyer Garratts

It would be "quite interesting" to be on the receiving end of the survey.
 
Maybe we should also post ideas here to give everyone a public airing of desires?
 
Happy steamings,
 
John
 
 

Play: Groudle Glen Railway www.ggr.org.uk
Play: Isle of Man Steam Railway www.iomsrsa.com
Work: www.track-shack.com

Casey Jones Snr

If it looks right, it is right.

me too !!

RULE *8*

The most important rule...........
ITS MY RAILWAY, I WILL RUN WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT, HOW I WANT, AND IF YOU DONT LIKE IT..........
BUGGER OFF!

Well at least they are asking our community what we would like , which has to be a good move. Need to think about this now .

Cheers Garry.  
General Dogsbody & Area Manager of the Rotherfield & Seahaven Branch. (Now twinned with Seehafen Bahn )

garrymartin


Well at least they are asking our community what we would like , which has to be a good move. Need to think about this now .

Ive still gone for the Sharpe Stewart , Southwold 2-4-0's with a suggestion about an alternative cab for the Fowler

Cheers Garry.  
General Dogsbody & Area Manager of the Rotherfield & Seahaven Branch. (Now twinned with Seehafen Bahn )

I just want a Pannier Tank in LT livery..............Please...................

"Most garden railwaymen are ordinary folk - Albeit as nutty as fruitcakes"...D. Rowlands

minimans


I just want a Pannier Tank in LT livery..............Please...................

Good idea - but not some strange colour like the Aster G1 model.

David

Having built one using Roundhouse components, I just had to vote for a K1.
 
Peter

Attached Image(s)

'Lyd' could go down well

The Wild West Sussex Railroad lurches on 

Moonraker
 

I just had to vote for a K1.
 
Peter

 
Heh, heh! I already did!  Proper loco....bends in the middle..............twice. Not like these "Hammer" things.
 

You don't have to be mad to play trains on the TVBL....but it helps if you're a little loco!



Being long retired, I've discovered that now I work a lot harder than before, it's just that nobody pays!

funandtrains

minimans

Why not buy the Aster version?

 
Coz it's not right, the colour is wrong and it's Meth's and want gas and the Aster one's are way more expensive than I wish to pay for a used Loco...........................

"Most garden railwaymen are ordinary folk - Albeit as nutty as fruitcakes"...D. Rowlands

I think they should release some of their live steamers as battery-electric versions. To keep costs down they could use a lot of the same bits - frames, wheels, rods, bodywork etc - but install a fake boiler and cylinders and stick an electric motor inside. They would give us a nice range of British outline RTR electric locos for a similar price to new LGB European stuff. And if you ever wanted to convert it to live steam in the future then you'll just need to buy the necessary bits!

My Flickr photo site 
My YouTube videos

funandtrains

minimans

funandtrains

minimans

Why not buy the Aster version?

 
Coz it's not right, the colour is wrong and it's Meth's and want gas and the Aster one's are way more expensive than I wish to pay for a used Loco...........................

Roundhouse aren't exactly known for making true to scale models and I can't see them making a standard gauge loco. The unused Aster versions often seem to sell for between £750 and £1000, less than most new Roundhouse locos. From what I've seen about half the Aster locos ever sold have never been steamed or only had a test run and then put into a display cabinet so there are plenty of like new models that come up much less than the new price. If you don't like meths it is quite simple to fit a ceramic gas burner in place of the meths burner.
 
You could always by a Bachmann brassworks electric model which has been on sale quite cheaply and replace the electrics with a steam motor and gas boiler as you seem you have a reasonable workshop available to you.

Trouble is I have had a play with the Aster one and if you think a Ruby is a bit of a runaway the aster was rocket propelled! I like my Roundhouse Loco's because they are slow and sedate runners which is how I like them. I dare say I could work and fettle the Aster one to work for me but I must confess I would much rather buy something that works as it's supposed to instead of me doing the job for the manufacturer! So maybe accucraft could do the deed for me?

"Most garden railwaymen are ordinary folk - Albeit as nutty as fruitcakes"...D. Rowlands

GlenF


I think they should release some of their live steamers as battery-electric versions. To keep costs down they could use a lot of the same bits - frames, wheels, rods, bodywork etc - but install a fake boiler and cylinders and stick an electric motor inside. They would give us a nice range of British outline RTR electric locos for a similar price to new LGB European stuff. And if you ever wanted to convert it to live steam in the future then you'll just need to buy the necessary bits!

Really? Do you think this would sell? I cannot see this.  If one was purchasing an electric loco then surely it would need to be at least as detailed as the Bachmann double Fairlie – and they had to knock those out cheap because they didn't sell. The Roundhouse locos are a rubber scale pastiche  of the real thing, acceptable only because they are live steam and can be improved by the purchaser.  Best bet would be to buy the Accucraft IoM electric locos and stock if one wants British outline electric. These models are fairly accurate at 1:20.3 scale and would make a nice electric garden railway.

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

Don't forget,it's got to be affordable.

Allan & Helen, of the Frog and Ferret Railway.



If you only learn by your mistakes,don't join bomb disposal.

funandtrains

minimans

funandtrains

minimans

funandtrains

minimans

Why not buy the Aster version?

 
Coz it's not right, the colour is wrong and it's Meth's and want gas and the Aster one's are way more expensive than I wish to pay for a used Loco...........................

Roundhouse aren't exactly known for making true to scale models and I can't see them making a standard gauge loco. The unused Aster versions often seem to sell for between £750 and £1000, less than most new Roundhouse locos. From what I've seen about half the Aster locos ever sold have never been steamed or only had a test run and then put into a display cabinet so there are plenty of like new models that come up much less than the new price. If you don't like meths it is quite simple to fit a ceramic gas burner in place of the meths burner.
 
You could always by a Bachmann brassworks electric model which has been on sale quite cheaply and replace the electrics with a steam motor and gas boiler as you seem you have a reasonable workshop available to you.

Trouble is I have had a play with the Aster one and if you think a Ruby is a bit of a runaway the aster was rocket propelled! I like my Roundhouse Loco's because they are slow and sedate runners which is how I like them. I dare say I could work and fettle the Aster one to work for me but I must confess I would much rather buy something that works as it's supposed to instead of me doing the job for the manufacturer! So maybe accucraft could do the deed for me?

Sadly the Japanese like to run their live steam locos flat out as fast as possible and they forget that others prefer scale speeds.

Exactly, was going to post this until I saw this reply.  They love "flat out" for sure!

Garrett

Neustadter-Lokalbahn/Novomestské místní dráhy (NStLB-NMD)

Ferrysteam


Don't forget,it's got to be affordable.

Ah but affordable means different things to different people. )

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

tagorton

GlenF


I think they should release some of their live steamers as battery-electric versions. To keep costs down they could use a lot of the same bits - frames, wheels, rods, bodywork etc - but install a fake boiler and cylinders and stick an electric motor inside. They would give us a nice range of British outline RTR electric locos for a similar price to new LGB European stuff. And if you ever wanted to convert it to live steam in the future then you'll just need to buy the necessary bits!

Really? Do you think this would sell? I cannot see this.  If one was purchasing an electric loco then surely it would need to be at least as detailed as the Bachmann double Fairlie – and they had to knock those out cheap because they didn't sell. The Roundhouse locos are a rubber scale pastiche  of the real thing, acceptable only because they are live steam and can be improved by the purchaser.  Best bet would be to buy the Accucraft IoM electric locos and stock if one wants British outline electric. These models are fairly accurate at 1:20.3 scale and would make a nice electric garden railway.

Interesting points Tag, to be honest I really have no idea if they would sell or not.  But I think it deserves some further thought and discussion. But why do electric locos have to necessarily be more detailed than live steam? In fact I would have thought that finely detailed scale equipment would actually be a liability in the rough and tumble world of outdoor garden railways, especially as most of us go by the 8ft rule anyway. 

If this project was to suceed then the pricing would have to be right. After giving it some more thought this probably means forgotting all about batteries and RC and fancy sound systems and going straight to simple track power. This would obviously rule out 32mm users so the project would have to be aimed squarely at the 45mm LGB crowd, a huge potential worldwide market. You could even include LGB-style couplers on the locos. 

The electric locos from Accucraft and Bachmann Brassworks are all very nice but aimed at a fairly small section of the hobby. If they're looking for a larger audience then Accucraft should consider releasing some of their basic live steamers in track-power electric form. If they can sell a live steam Lawley for 650 then surely a 450 electric version is doable? In other words about the same price as a new LGB Spreewald.

It would be interesting to hear what others think of this (crazy?) idea. I guess we won't know the true answer until some brave manufactuer actually decides to give it a try. Anyone interested in a track-powered Bertie for 300 quid??!

My Flickr photo site 
My YouTube videos

GlenF

tagorton

GlenF


I think they should release some of their live steamers as battery-electric versions. To keep costs down they could use a lot of the same bits - frames, wheels, rods, bodywork etc - but install a fake boiler and cylinders and stick an electric motor inside. They would give us a nice range of British outline RTR electric locos for a similar price to new LGB European stuff. And if you ever wanted to convert it to live steam in the future then you'll just need to buy the necessary bits!

Really? Do you think this would sell? I cannot see this.  If one was purchasing an electric loco then surely it would need to be at least as detailed as the Bachmann double Fairlie – and they had to knock those out cheap because they didn't sell. The Roundhouse locos are a rubber scale pastiche  of the real thing, acceptable only because they are live steam and can be improved by the purchaser.  Best bet would be to buy the Accucraft IoM electric locos and stock if one wants British outline electric. These models are fairly accurate at 1:20.3 scale and would make a nice electric garden railway.

Interesting points Tag, to be honest I really have no idea if they would sell or not.  But I think it deserves some further thought and discussion. But why do electric locos have to necessarily be more detailed than live steam? In fact I would have thought that finely detailed scale equipment would actually be a liability in the rough and tumble world of outdoor garden railways, especially as most of us go by the 8ft rule anyway.  


If this project was to suceed then the pricing would have to be right. After giving it some more thought this probably means forgotting all about batteries and RC and fancy sound systems and going straight to simple track power. This would obviously rule out 32mm users so the project would have to be aimed squarely at the 45mm LGB crowd, a huge potential worldwide market. You could even include LGB-style couplers on the locos. 

The electric locos from Accucraft and Bachmann Brassworks are all very nice but aimed at a fairly small section of the hobby. If they're looking for a larger audience then Accucraft should consider releasing some of their basic live steamers in track-power electric form. If they can sell a live steam Lawley for 650 then surely a 450 electric version is doable? In other words about the same price as a new LGB Spreewald.

It would be interesting to hear what others think of this (crazy?) idea. I guess we won't know the true answer until some brave manufactuer actually decides to give it a try. Anyone interested in a track-powered Bertie for 300 quid??!

As far as the majority of live steam fans are concerned, the question is why should live steam locomotives be less detailed than electric locos! People are prepared to accept minimum detail and a non prototypical locomotive for the pleasure of affordable live steam. I do this myself, but add both working and cosmetic detail to all my locomotives. Accucraft are moving forward on this by way of their 1:20.3 scale range and I would have thought these are comparable with LGB locomotives in terms of appearance and detail – certainly in terms of scale accuracy. What one would lose from people who would prefer an electric Bertie, one would gain from those who wish to model UK outline railways rather than US and Continental. Most manufacturers I suspect, would consider that while those who don't care about scale or accuracy at all would accept a model that was a good representation of a particular British prototype, those who do care would not accept an electric Bertie, a design built solely to provide a UK built steam locomotive as cheaply as possible, with just a nod in the direction of looking like an actual steam locomotive.



I am not agin the idea you understand. I have the same arguments with those that want Roundhouse to produce Welsh 2ft gauge locomotives at 1:19 scale on 32mm only, instead of the extra wide models to accommodate those who want to run a 3ft gauge Ffestiniog ). It ain't gonna happen cos the market is not big enough. It is, of course, their investment money – but I would not put any of mine into this idea. Again, the best bet is Accucraft's 1:20.3 range – but I would not exclude an electric 1:19 scale Countess. Under consideration certainly...

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

I was just going to make a comment about the Japanese G1 fraternity like high speeds - they do here too in my experience!

I'm not going to embroil myself in scale/gauge arguements (as I have 3 foot gauge VoR etc.....) but at the end of the day this is a very limited market, and for a model to be viable they have to sell a good few - hence gauge adjustable models - surely it is no accident the two market leaders both manufacture in this way.

True scale models would be nice, but this takes us into the Finescale/TME area....costly, and huge waiting lists.

Back on topic.....Tal-y-llyn number 3 (3 foot gauge ) would part me from my hard earned cash!

A steamy fan from the Isle of Man

funandtrains


Because the 16mm Association as such a big voice in the UK I think people often forget that 45mm and not 32mm is the choosen garden rail gauge in most countries.

I personally think that some of the small bodied 2' gauge locos look a bit silling running on 45mm gauge in 16mm scale but the same goes for large 2'6" and larger prototypes wobbling alone 32mm gauge.

 


Indeed they do. This was why I got rid of my Countess.  Of course the Accucraft generic locomotives as well look much better on 45mmm than on 32 because they are big engines. I do like the idea of the 45mm IoM locomotives however because they just look so right on this gauge of track – as will Irish.  I think Accucraft have got it right with their approach and while there will be another hit on the L&B in 16mm scale with two locos and a full set of coaches, I expect to see the IOM expand in both steam and electric with an eventual move over the Irish sea. These latter models will go down well across the pond of course.

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

My opinion on electric steam outline locomotives is they are are not steam locomotives but an imitation or toy.Why not save a little extra and buy a live steamer.I personally won't even have RC in any of my engines.Don't forget,imitation is the greatest compliment to a live steamer...This is only my opinion as I've already said.

Allan & Helen, of the Frog and Ferret Railway.



If you only learn by your mistakes,don't join bomb disposal.

Ferrysteam


My opinion on electric steam outline locomotives is they are are not steam locomotives but an imitation or toy.Why not save a little extra and buy a live steamer.I personally won't even have RC in any of my engines.Don't forget,imitation is the greatest compliment to a live steamer...This is only my opinion as I've already said.

Hmmmn. Well I prefer live steam as well Allan and indeed I have R/C in only one gas fired engine. However there are all sorts of reasons for running a track-powered railway and we all like garden railways. You should see a catenery powered railway of my acquaintance. I could also perhaps draw an artificial distinction between gas fired locomotives and my 'real' coal powered locos... All of these things however, are toys at root, something to drag us away from the cares of real life and the working day.

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

funandtrains


I would of said that many minature live steam locos were a lot more toylike than the detailed electric models. Only when you get to the large scales you ride on are they anything like real locos.

 .


Interesting isn't it? What it points up is that all of these little railways are toys, but different people find different aspects of modelling more important than another. Now to me the sight of a real working small steam locomotive pulling a train through the garden is very satisfying indeed, albeit that the loco may not be that heavy on detail. The sight, sound and (with coal) the smell, I find very evocative of the real thing. Others will prefer the instant controllability and the high level of detail on some of the electric models. All of us filter out the inconsistent bits and use our imagination to add the missing elements. No-one however, gets on or off when we stop our trains at stations... When I say I like live steam locomotives this is not meant to imply that any other way of modelling a locomotive is somehow inferior to my own

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

Miniature live steamers have to be a compromise because coal fired are usually so expensive and very labour intensive to keep fired up.But I personally prefer compromise to imitation.I do not count overhead electric as toys as they work on the same principal as the prototype.Again this is only my opinion.

Allan & Helen, of the Frog and Ferret Railway.



If you only learn by your mistakes,don't join bomb disposal.

Ferrysteam


Miniature live steamers have to be a compromise because coal fired are usually so expensive and very labour intensive to keep fired up.

expensive possibly but not particularly labour intensive once you get used to it...

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

Reading my way through all that, I am pretty certain that we agreed to disagree on the next Roundhouse and scale/gauge combination. 

Called it toy or what ever, they still give me hours of countless pleasure. 

Here, here!
 
Fun and pleasure is where it's at everytime.

You don't have to be mad to play trains on the TVBL....but it helps if you're a little loco!



Being long retired, I've discovered that now I work a lot harder than before, it's just that nobody pays!

tagorton

funandtrains


I would of said that many minature live steam locos were a lot more toylike than the detailed electric models. Only when you get to the large scales you ride on are they anything like real locos.

 .


Interesting isn't it? What it points up is that all of these little railways are toys, but different people find different aspects of modelling more important than another. Now to me the sight of a real working small steam locomotive pulling a train through the garden is very satisfying indeed, albeit that the loco may not be that heavy on detail. The sight, sound and (with coal) the smell, I find very evocative of the real thing. Others will prefer the instant controllability and the high level of detail on some of the electric models. All of us filter out the inconsistent bits and use our imagination to add the missing elements. No-one however, gets on or off when we stop our trains at stations... When I say I like live steam locomotives this is not meant to imply that any other way of modelling a locomotive is somehow inferior to my own

i think this perfectly states my own thoughts,and is a brilliant statement regarding filtration- used to resent the fact that i had to do it when i wanted scale LGB-now its not an issue

live steam is a ceremony / process and involvement and a bit more of a planned 'ordeal' albeit pleasant

electric is immediate and no fuss

i agree regarding super detail and additional  costs-and fumbling/handling the little overheated darlings  -i think this is whyLGB kept things simple too-all the little stuff breaks off 

  I would love a nice little US outline loco-like a 2-4-4t, 2-4-2 t , something quaint like a Olomano style plantation loco or the one that ran at Ft Wilderness in disneyworld-just a beautiful little loco  -thought is might be versatile 'among the nations' not a per se US only loco 

 - or a tiny 2ft shay as used on the Gilpin County Narrow gauge- roundhouse does several 2ft prototypes


i imagine either might lend well to variations in superstrutures -ie german, US, colonial etc


my ultimate bank breaking wish would be for a mason bogie-one that runs, is bullet proof  ie is a Roundhouse-but since another maker already has done it i imagine the market is saturated -but if they can make the darjeeling, such a loco may not be too esoteric-but probably way too detailed to produce 

Mmm, I presume Roundhouse didn't do too well with the Forney, they didn't make it for long.  Maybe it cost too much in the States, and I have only ever seen one in the UK.

As for a generic US/colonial 2-4-4T or similar, I think you would find the majority of UK minds closed to this......IMHO.  That sort of wheel arrangement is almost exclusively (almost, I said!) US in outline, which looks rather odd the UK eyes.  Don't forget the Darj is a British design through and through.  The Fowler too, although British built for Aus, has a distinct British slant in it's appearance, despite it's colonial cab etc. 

I'm still on for more Taly-y-llyn models, and damn the scale-gauge compromise!

A steamy fan from the Isle of Man

stevedenver

tagorton

funandtrains


I would of said that many minature live steam locos were a lot more toylike than the detailed electric models. Only when you get to the large scales you ride on are they anything like real locos.

 .


Interesting isn't it? What it points up is that all of these little railways are toys, but different people find different aspects of modelling more important than another. Now to me the sight of a real working small steam locomotive pulling a train through the garden is very satisfying indeed, albeit that the loco may not be that heavy on detail. The sight, sound and (with coal) the smell, I find very evocative of the real thing. Others will prefer the instant controllability and the high level of detail on some of the electric models. All of us filter out the inconsistent bits and use our imagination to add the missing elements. No-one however, gets on or off when we stop our trains at stations... When I say I like live steam locomotives this is not meant to imply that any other way of modelling a locomotive is somehow inferior to my own

i think this perfectly states my own thoughts,and is a brilliant statement regarding filtration- used to resent the fact that i had to do it when i wanted scale LGB-now its not an issue

live steam is a ceremony / process and involvement and a bit more of a planned 'ordeal' albeit pleasant

electric is immediate and no fuss

i agree regarding super detail and additional  costs-and fumbling/handling the little overheated darlings  -i think this is whyLGB kept things simple too-all the little stuff breaks off 

  I would love a nice little US outline loco-like a 2-4-4t, 2-4-2 t , something quaint like a Olomano style plantation loco or the one that ran at Ft Wilderness in disneyworld-just a beautiful little loco  -thought is might be versatile 'among the nations' not a per se US only loco 

 - or a tiny 2ft shay as used on the Gilpin County Narrow gauge- roundhouse does several 2ft prototypes


i imagine either might lend well to variations in superstrutures -ie german, US, colonial etc


my ultimate bank breaking wish would be for a mason bogie-one that runs, is bullet proof  ie is a Roundhouse-but since another maker already has done it i imagine the market is saturated -but if they can make the darjeeling, such a loco may not be too esoteric-but probably way too detailed to produce

Accucraft are doing a re-run of Lyn the 2-4-2 Baldwin.
 
Regner do a small shay.
 

West Herts

Well I've voted for one of these:

Ex Beira Rlwy 2ft gauge 4-4-0 now preserved on Sandstone estate and very pretty. I imagine the cylinders would have to be significantly overscale to work well though.
(photo by Hannes Paling on the Railpicture.net site)

Attached Image(s)

Philip in Forest Gate
2 miles from the Olympic site
http://dunnsriverrailway.webs.com/

IF we look at Post #1 it asks for your comment to Roundhouse  yet here we have 41 posts on YOUR likes and dislikes

Back on Track chaps! or it will go on forever. 
Roundhouse NEEDS to know.

"That democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who will not."

 Thomas Jefferson

The less fiddly parts (detailing) the easier it is to clean your loco. Oil mixed with dust and debry accumulates around the small parts.
 
The arrival of Accucraft UK has boosted RH but now, as they run out of high volume prototypes, its working against them. Id love to have a rerelease of the L&B Manning Wardle with proper reversing gear but this loco will be done by Accucraft.

Maybe the withdrawel of the Forney has to do with the unstoppable release of models by Accucraft USA.
 
A double fairley would suit me, as a kit to keep the price low. Or a new diesel?

LGB
Massoth Dimax
Live steam

ROSS


IF we look at Post #1 it asks for your comment to Roundhouse  yet here we have 41 posts on YOUR likes and dislikes

Back on Track chaps! or it will go on forever. 
Roundhouse NEEDS to know.

Well to do this one should fill in the form on the Roundhouse website as per the link in post 1. This is just a discussion, largely for fun.


personally I doubt that Roundhouse will get any sort of idea from this either. last time they tried this, the popular choice was to bring back a modern version of Pooter. There were a couple of very vociferous posters regarding doing just this – but they went all quiet after Carrie came out. The only vote worth a light is the one made with a credit card and R/H would be better off looking at what sells now and improving on it.


I would go for gas pressure regulation, getting rid of those horrible crosshead screws and cheapo bent tabs.

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

The only thing that puts me off Roundhouse,and I mean no disrespect,are those cheesehead screws.

Allan & Helen, of the Frog and Ferret Railway.



If you only learn by your mistakes,don't join bomb disposal.

On the bottom of the warranty card, which is accompanied with each new RH loco , there is listed the same survey, so no need to fill in online!

They have got a lot of ideas over the years then.

RH probably is getting more and more annoyed about the numerous requests for the L&B Manning Wardle.

LGB
Massoth Dimax
Live steam

Ferrysteam


The only thing that puts me off Roundhouse,and I mean no disrespect,are those cheesehead screws.

I tend to use these locos as a base for improvement. There are two things at the very least that require changing on any Roundhouse loco – and that is those awful cheesehead screws and the bent up tab type buffer beams with the white metal buffers. You can make your own bufferbeams or Mike Ousby of Acme does some very nice riveted ones to order. Brandbright can supply some excellent sprung buffers (don't forget to paint the shank of the buffer the same colour as the beam itself. If a Walschaerts type, then don't forget to buy the dummy droplink kit from Roundhouse. Replace the gurt great shiny brass gas control knob, fit a proper drain to the bottom of the oiler as per Accucraft.... I could go on – and on.


It is nothing to do with disrespect. Roundhouse are a sound company that produce locomotives that work very well indeed (particularly for the novice user) and they are priced to provide excellent logistic backup – it does not absolve their products from any sort of objective criticism.

Tag GortonEditorGardenRail magazinehttp://www.atlanticpublishers.com/gr/Skype name 'tagorton'AIM name 'tagrailway'iChat name 'tagrailway'

Mmm, Ross, I think  (I hope) we are discussing what we SENT to Roundhouse.....

As Tag says, Carrie wasn't a good seller either, so I do wonder if the enthusiasts opinion is worth the electrons it's sent with!

I wonder what it is about those screws though...... and that (*&%&£ lubricator drain......and I dont think Accu's is much better!  Let's have a proper valve on it please!

A steamy fan from the Isle of Man