Graham it's all very well scrapping R1 but there are a lot of modellers who would give up including dare I say it - those terrorised into minimum space constraints by the house gremlin - who simply have minimum space and Hornby Railroad models will make the R1 even if they never use this on the Hornby TV programme. R2 is the standard for settrack points
Now just think all those people buying this R1/R2 railway are in fact keeping the larger product we buy alive because it is all turnover of funds with a well worked out product, bit silly looking at a P2 tackling R1 but hey if that's all you can do I'll take it well in fact in OO9.
So good luck to them and consider how fortunate we really are.
Kris, this is what 'Railroad' is for. If people want to use R1 and R2, that's fine, they just need to accept that if they make that choice, then it comes with all the compromises inherent in a Railroad models designed to accomodate such curves.
I think the problem we have is that manufacturers are trying to make 'one size fits all' models which appeal to 'serious modellers' while at the same time, can be used on R1 and R2 by 'trainset players'. The problem with that approach is that models end up with eye-sore compromises (eg Hornby fixed pony trucks on 4-6-2 locos) which serious modellers object to. Likewise Deltic wheels sizes mentioned by 34C above.
The reality is one of commercial dynamics. Serious modellers are less than 10% of the overall market from what I have been told by a number of industry sources. Some even thought it was less than that. Be that as it may, the 90%+ 'non serious' modellers are the ones keeping the hobby financially afloat.
Regards the L&B locos not being suitable for R1, that doesn't surprise me at all. Right back to the early 70's when people modelled these locos in 009, they were normally modelled incorrectly with inside frames for exactly this reason. Personally, I'm of the view that if you want the model to be correct and the result is that it won't handle R1, then so be it. Time people need to realise that their demands on basic physics have reached their limits!
As for P2's on R1 and R2, I personally don't have any expectations of it negotiating such radii as it would look rediculous. Exhibition 'walkaway material' for me.
My thinking is that there must be a better way forward. Taking Hornby's fixed pony trucks as an example, why can they not be made as separate parts which can be locked into position with a flangeless wheel as now ? That same part should be able to be unlocked (maybe a screw) such that it can move prototypically while having a proper flanged wheel fitted.
