BMacdermott

Hello Iain Superb work! For me - as someone who knew the place in the late 50s/early 60s - it really works! A milestone reached. Brian

Hello Mike Another way to approach the subject is to fix your eye on a fixed point on the layout - a signal post for example - then run the train past. Ask yourself, does that passing speed 'look right' for the type of train? Yet another way is to listen to the how fast the vehicle axles cross any track gaps and compare that to real railway sounds. In my experience, modellers run trains far faster than 'real' ones. If you play such as a Peter Handford recording while observing as above, you will soon 'get the feel' for what is right for your trains. Brian

Hello Captain I have some All Components handheld controllers (which used to be made by Kent Panel Controls). I had one repaired, and one of my normally good locos was 'jumping like a kangaroo'. The company somehow 'took off' (or vastly reduced) the feedback for me and the problem was solved. Brian

Hello Denbridge Apologies...I missed the Saint! It was in The Top 50. (And it does depend on a definition of 'big locos' so there are bound to be some anomalies here and there as Tony and I have mentioned.) Brian

Hello Bill We alluded to that point in The Guide (as below). It would have been impossible for us to list every 'quirk' of every class. Hope that explains matters. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team) LSWR H15 Rebuilt Drummond 4-6-0 (30330-30335) Nos.30330 to 30334 of the London & South Western Railway were 1924 Maunsell rebuilds with two outside cylinders of the Drummond 4-cylinder F13 class, whilst No.30335 was a 1914 Urie rebuild of the Drummond E14 class. Mixed traffic engines, they worked a variety of duties on the South Western Section, including main line freights and semi-fast passenger duties as well as holiday extras on summer Saturdays etc. Nos.30330-30335 had a long association with Salisbury shed. They were withdrawn between 1956 and 1961.

Hello Bill Below is how we listed the H15s in The Poll (with appropriate notes in the accompanying Guide): 4-6-0 LSWR H15 Rebuilt Drummond (30330-30335) 4-6-0 SR H15 Maunsell (30473-30478, 30521-30524) 4-6-0 LSWR H15 Urie (30482-30491) The LSWR D15 was consistently around the middle point of the Low Polling segment. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Hello Tony and Clive I was referring to just some of the 'bigger' locos that have polled well, alluding to Tony's earlier comment (viz): "The point I was trying to make was that, with regard to 'big steam stuff', just about every type is now available RTR in OO. And, big engines have always been the most popular, particularly for the likes of my trainspotting generation". So, not all locos are listed...you'll have to refer to the published results over the years to get a full picture. The J6 has always hovered around the higher echelons of the Middle Polling segment. The Hush Hush has always been High Polling, and was the most-wanted LNER loco in 2018 and 2019, being in The Top 50 by then The A2/3 was always slightly higher than the A2/2 and the A1/1 has always been very low. Perhaps 'some context' might not go amiss here... We listed about 800 items (including rolling stock). We calculated that we could have listed around 30,000 items and that wouldn't have included 'pioneering era' items such as Rocket etc. So, even if an item is Low in the Poll, it is still way up high in most pecking orders. Dennis Lovett (he of Bachmann fame) kept a list of all kits ever made. It was, I gather, going to be made available on what became 'the new MREmag' (online magazine) but that seems to be on hold at the moment. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Hello Tony and everyone Here are some 'yet-to-be done' locos which have been high in The 00 Wishlist Poll over the years... GWR: County (current model very long in the tooth) Great Bear LMS Turbomotive (which you mentioned) Big Bertha Caprotti Black 5 SR The SR doesn't have a vast range of 'big locos' yet-to-be-done, but the following have been popular... U and U1 2-6-0 Q 0-6-0 Z 0-8-0T K 2-6-0 H15 4-6-0 W 2-6-4T D1, E1 and L1 4-4-0 C2X 0-6-0 LNER U1 Beyer-Garratt B16/1, B16/2 and B16/3 B2 (although this one is always in the Low Polling segment!) BR WD 2-10-0 Standard Class 5 Caprotti Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Hello Edwardian The 517 has gradually - and consistently - moved upwards in The 00 Wishlist Poll (bearing in mind, though, that a number of the top-wanted GWR items have come to market, leaving 'spare space'' for it to move into). In 2019 - the final Poll - it was the 9th most-wanted GWR loco. It was High Polling as well as being towards the upper echelons of that segment. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Many thanks Roy - appreciated. I think I will have to make do with either a Light Engine going to Works or - if I get a breakdown crane one day - I'll 'stretch reality' and use it on that. Did you happen to know a chap named Vic Henson? He was the husband of a friend of my mum; I think he was on the admin side. Brian

Hello PupCam I'm sorry to disappoint, but the answer is 'no'. The background to my enquiry was partly that I train-spotted at Potters Bar in the late 50s/early 60s but don't have any recollection of seeing a J50 go through. My note books were all thrown out, so I have no reference point and I don't recall seeing any photos either. The other part to my enquiry was that I am fortunate to have two layouts - one at 'normal' waist level, with the other above at my eye level. This is 25ft x 10ft in the form of a folded dog-bone and permits just over 20 trains ranging from 10-coach expresses to humble pick-up freights. One side of the room is 'scenic' double-track with a small station and goods yard - akin to Welwyn North. The station can purport to be 'somewhere on the S&D', or 'somewhere on the Liverpool Street-Cambridge main line' or 'somewhere like Welwyn North' dependent on what stock I run. Being a fan of the J50, I wondered if anyone could offer proof of any passing through so that I can 'justify' running my models. But I can always apply Rule 1 and run what I want anyway! Before signing off, I don't read of many people having 'eye level layouts' although they seem more common in the USA. There were many reasons for me going eye level, one of the principal ones being that - as the fascia is slightly undulating and lined with 'bushes' (lichen) - I can't actually see the track. This meant that I didn't have to ballast it! Back in the 1970s, I was a sales rep travelling around the Welwyn area. When time permitted, I would have my 'flask and sandwiches' parked up at Welwyn North just off the viaduct so as to see the 1300 from King's Cross hurtle through. Brian

Hello Tony and everyone I wonder if anyone can help with a query about J50 workings through Welwyn North in 1959/60. Firstly...were there any rostered? If not, could they be seen working such as local parcels trains, PW or breakdown trains, etc - or perhaps working to Works? Many thanks Brian

Hello everyone Many congratulations to Rapido on this exciting venture! We wish them every success. The Titfield Thunderbolt was the top-voted item in The Quirky Poll 2020. (Bellerophon was second, and that was announced by KR models late last year.) In The 00 Wishlist Poll 2019 (the last Poll to run), we listed the GWR Brake Van AA21 whereas Rapido has gone for the AA20. We also listed the Loriot, albeit under the combined heading of LMS/LNER/GWR/BR Loriot - that was less than a handful of votes outside the High Polling segment. All the best to all. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Wishlist Poll Team)

Many thanks to Andy, Phil and everyone who made this show so good. It was enlightening to see the overall, massive footprint of Graham Nicholas' work-in-progess layout and I was delighted to see Bournemouth West take a top prize! Brian

Hello adb968008 (and everyone) This makes a very refreshing change...it used to be The 00 Wishlist Poll Team that got blamed for every duplication! Brian (on behalf of The 00 Wishlist Poll Team)

Hello Chris (CJL) Just to let you know that I am very pleased with my 16xx and it runs superbly well. All the best. Brian

Hello everyone Hornby has just announced Lion. We're not sure if we can 'claim a hit' with this one, but The Quirky Poll Team had the loco listed under the heading of Titfield Thunderbolt in the 2020 Quirky Poll...and that came chuffing in as the Top Polling item. Lion (per se) was suggested by a voter, but we wrapped it into The Titfield Thunderbolt heading to be 'quirky'. We will wait to see if Thunderbolt comes along in the future. Brian (on behalf of The Quirky Poll Team) PS: The second highest-polling item in 2020 was Bellerophon and that has recently been announced by KR Models. The Top Polling item in 2019 was Rocket and that was announced by Hornby.

Hello everyone We're not sure if we can 'claim a hit' with this one, but The Quirky Poll Team had Lion listed under the heading of Titfield Thunderbolt in the 2020 Quirky Poll...and that came chuffing in as the Top Polling item. Lion (per se) was suggested by a voter, but we wrapped it into The Titfield Thunderbolt heading to be 'quirky'. We will wait to see if Thunderbolt comes along in the future. Brian (on behalf of The Quirky Poll Team) PS: The second highest-polling item in 2020 was Bellerophon and that has recently been announced by KR Models. The Top Polling item in 2019 was Rocket and that was announced by Hornby.

Hello Mark I just had to make a query on my order with them and I'm told they will be in the shop on Monday. (Hornby that is.) Brian

Hello Phil Thanks for this. I have literally just this minute finished a phone call with Peter Smith. He joined the railway there in 1953 and 'gravity moves' had long-since been curtailed on safety grounds. We think - as I surmised - that this incident was the one of 17 August 1956. Some stock up in the sidings had been receiving fitters' attention. When the rostered propelling loco buffered up, it nudged the coaches into movement - and away it went. Apologies to Ray Von for going slightly off topic here. Brian

Hello Phil Not sure about that... I have emailed S&D man Peter Smith (one-time of Branksome Depot) to see if he has heard that. I have a feeling that the story has been 'conflated' with a similar event. This is (technically) off topic for this thread, but thought it ought to be looked into. Brian

Hello Gilbert Z 0-8-0T for me, please. Thanks. Brian

Hello everyone United 328 had an engine problem. Brian

Thanks for letting us know. I only met Geoff a few times. He was certainly dedicated to running a good show. Brian

Hello Gilbert & Tony Difficult to tell but isn't the one over the left buffer a 'tail lamp'? Brian