Hello 2123

by Phil Cooper

Hello again and welcome to 2023. In the final blog of 2022 I mentioned that I was going to look into weathering this year. When I look at the weathering by our regular modellers, John Batley and Neil Stanley I can see it really is ART and I’m glad to say that these 2 fantastic modellers have promised to give us some tips Thank you, gentlemen.

NEIL STANLEY

Neil has been busy over Christmas building floodlight towers to be used in layouts. They are excellent as you can see here:

He wants to earn some pocket money to add to his collection of 125 x Class 37s so is selling them. They’re made with brass wire and soldered. One tower takes roughly 5/6 hours to make by hand,

Small towers with 3/4 lamps cost £35 each and large towers with 3/4 lamps  are £55 each.

Neil is also building electricity pylons

The pylons  take about a month to build from scratch and are very fiddly.

POA

I’m happy to be a go-between if you’d like to order some of these or you can contact Neil direct via Facebook Messenger

You will love his amazing work, I assure you. The man is BRILLIANT

The word “Brilliant” can also be used to describe the work of a modeller new to me.

Say Hello to RACHEL COPE

That’s a high standard to follow

You can see more of Rachel (down boys, we’re nearly all gentlemen here, yes even Neil S and John B). As I was saying you can see more of Rachel’s work on her YouTube channel

BACHMANN EXCLUSIVES  FOR RAILS

Rails of Sheffield has bolstered its range of ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge wagons with a selection of new Bachmann wagons, exclusive to the retailer

Leading the selection are two versions of Bachmann’s ‘OO’ gauge Polybulk bogie hopper wagons in Tiger/Nacco branded grey and green (Cat No. 38-428Z) and Tiger/Nacco plain grey (38-429Z). Exclusive to the Sheffield based retailer, they are priced at £79.95 and available now.

For ‘N’ gauge modellers, Rails has also received three new Graham Farish ‘N’ gauge JJA auto-ballaster wagons in Network Rail yellow/buff livery. This is the first time these ‘N’ gauge wagons have appeared in this colour scheme, with each featuring a weathered finish and available in curved top form with generator (377-700Z), curved top without generator (377-702Z) and a flat top version without generator (377-701Z). Again, exclusive to Rails of Sheffield, they are priced at £59.95 each and available now.

Visit www.railsofsheffield.com for more information.

Dapol OO Class 59

Dapol produce a newly tooled model of the Class 59 diesel locomotive in OO gauge. This all-new model caters for all three sub-classes: 59/0, 59/1 and 59/2 - with accurate detailing variations. Four liveries are now available covering various eras for the class, in Foster Yeoman, ARC, DB Schenker and National Power colour schemes. These models feature a very high specification with a heavy & powerful chassis, many separately fitted details, opening cab doors, space for a smoke unit and a 21-pin digital socket.

A second batch has now been announced for release in Q1 2024, including 5 new livery choices. All models will be available either:

DC - Digital Ready

DCC - Digital Fitted

DCC Sound - Digital Sound Fitted

DCC Smoke - Digital & Smoke Generator Fitted

DCC Sound & Smoke - Digital Sound & Smoke Generator Fitted  

HELJAN 2023

Visitors to the Warley National Model Railway exhibition were the first to see Heljan’s 2023 catalogue featuring new locomotives and rolling stock for ‘OO’, 'OO9' and ‘O’ gauges, as well as the return of many existing models.

Headlining the all-new model releases are an ‘O’ gauge BR Class 58 diesel and ‘OO’ gauge Class 86/2 electric, together with the distinctive Newton Chambers TCV Car Transporters for ‘OO’ gauge. Development of these new projects is at an advanced stage with decorated samples of the Class 58 and TCVs on view at the Warley show. Release of these two models is anticipated in Spring 2023, while the new Class 86/2 electric is expected in late 2023.

Also featuring in the new catalogue are the Southern Railway CCT/PMV vans and updated ‘O’ gauge Class 45 diesels announced earlier this year, along with the retooled and upgraded ‘OO’ gauge Class 26s, with identities and colour schemes for the Class 26/1s revealed for the first time. New Pilot Scheme Class 26/0s are also in development for 2023.

A second batch of Heljan’s ‘OO’ gauge Class 45 is now being prepared for release in 2023 which will cover liveries that were not offered in the first batch, while BR/North British prototype diesel 10800 appears in the catalogue for the first time too. Reliveries include the newly-upgraded Class 57 diesels for ‘OO’ and Class 20 Bo-Bos and ‘Western’ diesel hydraulics for ‘O’ gauge - and more. See separate tables for some of the highlights.

Meanwhile, a new release that launched at Warley but does not feature in the 2023 catalogue is the PCA powder tank wagons in ‘O’ gauge, as these are being produced exclusively for Realism Redefined. CAD and livery artwork are complete, with first Engineering Prototype samples expected early in the New Year.

Priced at £3.50, Heljan’s new 2023 catalogue is available now from retailers.

eBAY

With the increases in the price of EVERYTHING I thought it might help to remind you of an earlier piece about eBay and show you how you can win every auction But first, be careful using this addictive website. It’s a very clever website which inspires users to buy and do so in a competitive manner. The first things that buyers need to consider are:

1. Do you really want the model you are trying to buy? I’ve realised too late that I didn’t need the item I’ve just paid for! For instance, I once bought some DMU “shells” thinking they were real, completed DMUs. Yes I’m an idiot I simply misread the advert. Then there is the HO/OO problem. HO and OO track are the same BUT if you buy an HO locomotive it will be much smaller than the other OO locomotives on your track. In fact, it will look stupid. HO and OO have the same gauges (the wheels and axles on the tracks are the same width).
2. Does the item you want have photos? Check the photographic evidence. What’s the condition of the item? Do the photos confirm the seller’s description? For locomotives & Running Stock check that the item has wheels? Are they clean? Does it have the correct coupling? Can you see the coupling on the photos? Is there a photo of the underside of the loco? Do the photos appear to be out of focus?
3. Be very careful of any item for sale which doesn’t have a thorough description

4. Your understanding of “good runner” and “works well in both directions” may well be different from the seller’s understanding. Ask specific questions. Keep a copy of your questions and his answers. eBay offers the facility of saving your messages to your eMail provider. Use it.

5. You can return most purchases that you’re not happy with. Sellers can state that they will not accept any returns. Frankly, I would be very wary of any returns that will not be accepted.

6. As a courtesy, contact the seller from within the eBay website to tell him your purchase has arrived. Do not make any comments about the state of your purchase until you have ensured it works well.

7. Take the opportunity within the site to give feedback on your purchase. This helps other potential buyers to make a decision on whether to buy or not.

8. eBay favours Paypal Credit as a credit supplier. Remember you’re paying interest on your purchase. As with usual credit cards try to pay off your balance and interest as soon as possible.

9. When you are considering a purchase stick to your top price. Watching the clock run down to zero can “force” you to go above your limit. Don’t go above that limit. Remember items for sale are being added every minute so that loco you missed out will soon be up for sale again.

10. Keep a record of all correspondence with your seller. You can save all correspondence in the eBay website, and you can receive copies of all correspondence in your own eMail inbox.

11. Before you buy that special limited-edition locomotive practise your buying tactics. Below I describe my tactics. They have worked every time. I’m amazed that eBay haven’t amended this loophole. I’m sure they will eventually amend it when they realise, they are losing money.

12. You can monitor all the items you are interested in by adding them to your Watch List. When you are looking through your list, I suggest you set the “Finishing Soonest” criteria.

13. Don’t get drawn in by the rapidly decreasing time left to make your purchase. Stay calm and stick to my action plan below. It works and it will save you money if you do it correctly.

So, there you are at your laptop looking through what’s on offer. Let’s say you’ve found a Class 37 which you like. We’ll assume it’s the loco you really want. If you look at the individual item you will see the countdown clock running down. We’ll assume the current offer is £120 and you are willing to spend up to £150. The clock is telling you that the auction will end in 3 minutes. Now your heart is beating. Suddenly you find that you really want this 37. The description and photos add to your desire to own this beautiful very popular locomotive. You MUST have it. You’re even imagining it on your layout. Nothing is going to stop you. Nobody will beat you to this prize.

Here comes the killer information which, if done correctly, will win you that beautiful Class 37. Check the bids that have been made. You see the bids are increasing by a few pounds by each buyer. Don’t be fooled by a bid that is very low. Depending on the popularity of the model those bids will rise quickly. I strongly advise you not to make a bid on any item until the last seconds. If you bid early you’re raising the eventual cost Recently I noticed that there was a procession of Class 68 locomotives up for auction. Early bids were made, and they were stupid money. I’m talking£4.50 for a loco which would set you back about £200 in a shop or on Amazon. So, ignore these low bids. DO NOT make your bid when the bids are crazy (low) money. The only time to bid is in the dying seconds. Any other bid will just raise the final cost This is why you should regularly check your Watch List. Many auctions will be live for several days. Keep your head, be patient. You must make your bid as closely as possible to the very end. I usually wait until the last 2 minutes, and I watch more and more bids come in. Of course, that just adds to the final cost. So now there are 2 minutes to go. The winning bid is £120 but now, with seconds to go, the bids have gone up to £140, very close to your limit. There is now 1 minute to go. Don’t bid yet. You have to finally set your limit. Stick to your original limit. eBay is addictive especially if you’re very competitive, like me! I have to force myself to maintain discipline. Remember, a similar model will soon be back on auction.

You’ll see the clock is running down in seconds now and it appears to have speeded up. Whoever designed eBay is very clever. But you’re about to make your kill. You might want to practise this tactic I’m about to share with you with some low-priced stuff. Wait until 10 seconds to go. I’m assuming you have a good Broadband speed. With 10 seconds on the clock calmly type in your price but go well above your limit. I’m talking about putting in a bid of £200. This is THE THING. Remember the highest bid was at £140 but now you’ve made a crazy bid of £200. Aaarrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh so much for discipline! Before I go any further, I’ll tell you now that eBay will ask you to confirm your bid taking a few more seconds. Any opponent is thinking madly but slowly. He’s in a panic. Stay calm and confirm your bid by retyping £200 and confirm it. Bidding this late will normally cut out any higher bid and as the countdown runs, you’ll see a graphic that “You are Winning the Bid”. You’re almost there.

Yes, I know we’ve lost our discipline and your bid is way above your limit. BUT, the first thing that will happen is anybody thinking about outbidding you will have a think about how high he can go, using up yet more vital seconds. Now, do stop whining that I’ve just cost you £200. Trust me. You see eBay will accept your bid of £200 but will only charge you a couple of pounds above the previous highest bid which was? Are we paying attention? Yes, well done the previous highest bid was £140 so you will be charged about £142! A KILL. 

All you’ve got to work out is how high you go to kill the opposition. But you’re not going to pay that. I assure you, this works but please experiment on some low priced items.

MEXICO

The new Tren Maya network will connect beach resorts with ancient Mayan sites in Yucatán

Mexico is one of the world’s most mind-bogglingly diverse countries. Not only is the central American country huge: it’s also home to everything from idyllic beach resorts and dense tropical jungle to towering mountain ranges and the ruins of ancient civilisations.

And soon visiting all that stuff is about to become a heck of a lot easier. A new train network called Tren Maya is set to link up legendary Mayan sites with beachside resorts, providing a new way of navigating Mexico’s many, many different attractions.

The first bit of the Tren Maya network will run from Palenque (known for its Mayan sites) to the Yucatán capital of Mérida, more Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá and the world-famous beaches of Cancun. This part of the network began construction in 2020 and is set to begin services at the end of 2023.

The Tren Maya project features three different kids of carriages, provided by transport giant Alstom. ‘Xiinbaal’ carriages will be fitted with huge panoramic windows; ‘Janal’ coaches will be the restaurant cars; and ‘P'atal’ cars will be a bit more comfy and luxurious, designed for long-distance daytime and overnight travel.

Eventually the network will cover a whopping 1,525 kilometres and provide a variety of rail links throughout the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. Later phases will link up the Palenque-Cancun route with coastal spots Bacalar and Playa del Carmen and Mayan sites at Tulum and Xp

  The Palenque-Cancun part of Tren Maya is set to begin services in December 2023.

A new night train to Venice and Croatia

The southwest German city of Stuttgart is the latest to be connected to Europe’s revived night train network.

Just when you start to think Europe’s new night train hype might be dying down a little, up they pop again. On top of the recent launch of a new night train route taking passengers from Prague to Switzerland and Germany, a new sleeper service has now been announced that runs from Germany to Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.

The routes were announced as part of a change in German rail timetables, with the new services being run by Austrian night train operator Nightjet. It’ll see trains leave from the southwest German city of Stuttgart and head towards European cultural hotspots such as Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Zagreb. 

 And better yet, at certain times of the year (specifically Christmas, Easter and the summer), Stuttgart will also have direct trains that go all the way down to the coastal Croatian city of Rijeka. In total, it’ll take about 15 hours to do the entire Stuttgart-Rijeka route. 

It should be noted that it was already possible to get the train from Germany south to parts of central Europe and the Adriatic coast. The new bit is the extension to Stuttgart, which is now connected to four train routes that link it up with the rest of the network.  

It’s difficult to think of a better time to be a night train enthusiast in Europe! The new Nightjet route timetable came into effect on December 11, so if you fancy a sleeper jaunt from Germany to Croatia next summer, now’s the time to book.

This spectacular new night train will take you from Prague to Germany and Switzerland

Czech national rail operator ČD is reviving a sleeper route between some of central Europe’s most fascinating cultural hotspots

Europe’s train revival is one of the most exciting shake-ups to travel on the continent in decades. From new mega-cheap high-speed routes to an increasingly huge night train network, Europe is showing that trains are an affordable, convenient and environment-friendly alternative to air travel. 

And now another rail company is getting in on the act. The Czech Republic’s national rail operator Czech Railways (České dráhy or ČD) has announced a new sleeper service that will go from Prague to the Swiss city of Zurich via Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main and Basel.

The new service will be called the ‘Canopus’ train and it’ll be a collaborative project with the national rail providers of Austria (ÖBB), Switzerland (SBB) and Germany (DB). It’s a revival of an old service that closed down back in 2017.

The trains themselves will consist of several seating classes, with couchette tickets starting at €69 (£60, $69) and fares for sleeping car compartments starting from €89 (£78, $89). The service will leave Prague at 6.25pm and arrive in Zurich at 9:05am, while the return will depart Zurich at 7:59pm and arrive back in Prague at 9.25am.

And that’s not all that ČD is doing to improve Czech sleeper services. The operator has ordered some brand-new night trains that’ll come equipped with Wi-Fi, new loos and better fire protection. In other words, some of Europe’s finest sleeper routes could soon boast seriously swanky carriages.

It hasn’t been confirmed when the new carriages will come into service, but the Prague-Zurich sleeper route was set to restart on December 11. There’s never been a better time to plan a night train jaunt around Europe.

Young people could soon get even cheaper train travel in Europe – here’s why (Ed Comment-what about old people like you, Phil???)

The governments in France and Germany have announced a plan to provide mega-cheap rail tickets for young people

Right now is a really, really great time to be exploring Europe by rail. Tonnes of dazzling night train services and mega-cheap, high-speed routes are popping up all the time – after decades of air superiority, we’re currently in the midst of a full-blown European rail renaissance.

And if you’re a young person, rail in Europe is set to get even better. Young ‘uns travelling between Germany and France could soon be eligible for special extra-cheap train tickets.

The initiative, which is a joint effort from the German and French governments, is designed to promote rail travel and help reduce carbon emissions. Exact details of the pricing and age eligibility of the scheme are yet to be announced, though more details are expected after ministers meet in January.

And this is far from the only spectacularly affordable new European rail project launching in the new year. Germany has recently announced it would be introducing a €49 (£43, $49) monthly public transport ticket which would cover pretty much all trains, trams and buses in the country. Not bad, eh?

Germany is relaunching its mega-cheap travel pass

From January, you’ll be able to get unlimited public transport in the country for just €49 per month

Earlier this year, German public transport users were the envy of pretty much everyone, everywhere. In order to promote sustainable travel and help out with the cost-of-living crisis, Germany’s government introduced monthly tickets for near-unlimited public transport usage that cost just €9 (£7.86, £8.80)!

That scheme ended in August but in the months since, the German government has been working on a follow-up. And that successor has now been announced: from January 2023, regional transport across Germany will cost just €49 (£43, $48) per month. Sure, compared to the €9 ticket, the new ‘Deutschlandticket’ might sound expensive – but it still works out really, really cheap. For reference, if you wanted to get a cheap train ticket from Berlin to Hamburg today, using only local trains, it’d cost you at least €35 (£31, $34). With the new pass, you’ll be able to do as many of those journeys as you want for under €2 (£1.75, £1.96) per day. 

The new pass is expected to have similar criteria to the €9 ticket in that it’ll be available to visitors but won’t cover high-speed Inter-City Express (ICE) trains. The €49 ticket will be available to buy as part of a monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

The idea, again, is to cut CO2 emissions and help out Germans with the cost of living crisis. In June, July and August, a whopping 50 million €9 passes were sold, covering one billion trips every month and saving 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The new €49 ticket is set to come into effect in January 2023 and it’ll be re-evaluated by the government at the end of 2024.

In other words, you could be enjoying super-affordable month-long jaunts around Deutschland for at least the next couple of years!

Check out this spectacular new northern European train route

A new rail route links up the Polish cities Kraków and Warsaw with Lithuanian hubs Kaunas and Vilnius

Previously, if you wanted to get a train between the biggest cities in Poland and Lithuania, it was all a bit complicated. While a rail service has been running between the Polish city of Białystok and the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for a few years, there was no direct train from the likes of Warsaw and Kraków to Lithuania.

Until now, that is. A new route has launched that sees Kraków and Warsaw linked up with Kaunas and the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius. In other words, travelling across northern Europe by train is now easier than ever!

The new route leaves Kraków at 4:01am and stops at Warsaw (7:35am) and Kaunas (4:26pm) before arriving in Vilnius at 5:34pm. The train has integrated ticketing but isn’t quite one, long direct route. Passengers will still have to change trains at Mockava, just on the Lithuanian side of the border.

Better yet, the new route is really quite affordable. Tickets for the entire 12-and-a-half-hour Krakow-Vilnius journey start from just 142 zloty (£26, $32). It’s run by Polish long-distance rail provider PKP Intercity and you can book tickets here.

Of course, as any Euro rail enthusiast will no doubt already know, the new Kraków-Vilnius line is just a stop-gap until the magnificent Rail Baltica project is finally completed by the end of the decade. Rail Baltica will see high-speed trains whizz all the way from Poland right up to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and, potentially, even Finland. Exciting times for Baltic rail fans.

If you would like to read more blog posts from Phil check back every two weeks or sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date on site news or when the blog posts go live.

The views and opinions expressed within the content are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Trackside Signs or its affiliates.