What no comment from Mountain

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Bachmann have announced their NG7 range or 0/16.5 or whatever system of narrow gauge nomenclature you care to use. I'm surprised to not have heard about it from our friend Mountain, perhaps he has yet to recover from the shock of getting trade support from his chosen scale. Truly everything comes to he who waits. I could be tempted.

[Bigmet]

So of the present RTR OO brands in order of seniority:
Hornby: lets go smaller scale with no other UK RTR support so we don't face competition.
Bachmann: lets go larger scale NG with no other UK RTR support so we don't face competition.
Submit your predictions
Heljan:
Dapol:
Realtrack:
Rapido: let's go TT120BG18 for Brunel's broad gauge with no other UK RTR support so we don't face competition.
Accurascale:
Cavalex

[BingleyWorks]

One small thing to point out, Dapol in conjunction woth Lionheart were the first british RTR in NG7, or as it's known elsewhere O-16.5, though as it's Lynton and Barnstaple stock it's quite large, and over gauged from the real thing!

Assides from that, there's the peco track and wagon kits, and IMO Bachmann have gone for the right locos to make the scale more accessible for RTR modellers

[Bigmet]

One small thing to point out, Dapol in conjunction woth Lionheart were the first british RTR in NG7, or as it's known elsewhere O-16.5...

Had not a clue about that, what with living in the OO 'silo'. It was so much easier when it was two competing brands actively competing in a scale - if you were lucky...

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I can remember the time when Hornby Dublo, Triang and Trix all released a Western Hydraulic at almost the same time. They got quite a bit of stick for it, when there were so many other types that no one had touched!

[Lysander]

Wasn’t it just Trix for the Western, Bufferstop?

Tony

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No it was all three, CJ Freezer (in the RM) got quite worked up about the waste of effort in producing three similar models. For their efforts only the Triang one survived, the HD one disappeared in the "merger" and the Trix one just disappeared from model shops along with the rest of the range, although I think they were nominally "available" from the distributors.

[Bigmet]

...the Trix one just disappeared from model shops along with the rest of the range, although I think they were nominally "available" from the distributors.

Oh 'Tricks', a very appropriate name for that operation. When I had the cash for a Trix Pepp A2, not available. When one appeared in H.A. Blunt's window I didn't have the cash in my pocket, and in the time it took me to get home and return they had sold it. Whatever, I thereby dodged the mazak rot failure, very common on this model.

...the HD one disappeared in the "merger" ...

You have to suspect that it would have been a shorty* like the Deltic, no loss whatsoever. (*There was a reason for the shortness according to the one H-D afficianado I knew in my youth, something to do with clearance on some element of the track system when it was on the minimum radius curve, but I long ago forgot the detail.)

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H-D shortened locos and rolling stock was down to the central inside overhang on the standard curve fouling the the overhanging front end of steamers on the minimum radius curves. I have a rake of short Pullmans which look ok(ish) until they get close to a scale length MK1. The shortening was skilfully done, the doors are virtually full width, the windows slightly narrowed and all of the rest is lost from the blank bits inbetween. At least they didn't resort to losing a window. The diesels suffered the same fate. It was advisable not to put scenic items close to the inside of the curved track. I spent a few hours widening a cutting when some later models (Hornby) were found to strike the ground at the centre of the curve. The cutting had been intended to hide the tight radius of the curves, it never looked right after I'd cut back the banks.

[mrobs2002]

I remember the Trix Western - a friend had one. It was metal bodied and very heavy IIRC. But it was an odd scale wasn't it? Bigger than HO, smaller than OO. 3.8mm/foot rings a bell.

Don't remember a Triang Western at all. I do remember both Lima and Hornby producing one in about 1980. I picked the Lima one because I thought it looked better.

[Bigmet]

... 3.8mm/foot rings a bell...

Largely that figure. In common with HO practise right up to present, 'variscale' bodywork between 3.5mm/ft up to 4mm/ft was utilised. OO is the superior compromise for UK RTR, constant scale for all body work, avoids oddly proportioned steam loco bodies in particular.

Trix ultimately went full OO, which is why their A4 bodies are still found in Bachmann's range.

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mrobs 2002, I think you may be right, it's the old grey cells you know, even greyer than my hair. I think the Margate designed Western came later and was Triang-Hornby or even just Hornby. My 1983 specimen was branded Hornby Railways even if it was embossed in the oval frame that once bore the Triang Hornby legend. It's still in service, Ringfield motor replaced by a CD tray motor and the super heavy wheels replaced with something finer. You poke the plastic centres out of the Ringfield's wheels, slide them gear end first down the axle, glue them to the wheel backs with araldite, then when it's set mount the axle in the chuck of your rotary tool and part off the excess plastic with the point of a craft knife used as a parting tool.