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The only thing I didnt like about 59’s is it spelled the end for Westbury depot. I used to love bunking that shed, it was a ghost town at weekends, with at least 12-20 locos on it.

Upside is they dont have to move those 60’s from Toton.

Whilst it’ll never work again, perhaps model railway technology could come to its rescue… maybe fit a DCC chip and a very loud speaker to the real thing.. set it up as a DVT and push it using something quiet like an MLV so it blends in the train, despite being pushed by a “coach”. its far fetched I know, but a museum in Japan did fit an electric heating element to a large tender engine thus replacing the need for a fire, admittedly it only travels “model railway distances” at its home.

Ive used Car Wheel balance weights (10g and 5g) from ebay, are self adhesive too, you can fit as much as you like in a Lima model. Something like this… https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234111885249?hash=item368227dfc1:g:daAAAOSwd0VhBFFm loads of variations on qty, price, colour on ebay, mostly strips of 60g, you can cut the adhesive with scissors, stick them in the chassis and build blocks of weights by sticking them to each other. 5g is small enough to fit some steam loco boilers, or under coach bogies to give extra weight etc.

Kings Cross might become more frequent with HS2 construction.

If it gets wedged in the Channel, then that would be an achievement… if they did, leave it there, build an A-Road to each side and build a road on top of it

I did notice one of your coaches is destination London Euston, does this mean there is a southbound set being added to the list ?

Is it worth pointing out the coach numbers are black and white.. the EP image shows black and grey. Also not sure how far you are going regarding the black window surrounds, but the stag antler replaces/overlays the black lining of the inner glass. The black inner lining is prominent in other windows. Below body, the dampers on the bogie / body frame fitting are grey, not blue… as are the wheels and axle stubs… Theres also a white “x” on the body, not marking a spot for the box on the underframe. Also, maybe one for later, but the 92 and the mk5’s appear to be different interpretations of midnight teal…the mk5’s being lighter.

Used to be World Heritage that place.

Only 30 chances left to make up minds on the pink one. 66746 only has 2 left. G&W 66 seems like its going to be a very long time yet

Thats the least if their problems, nationwide the collection of bridges isnt getting any younger, I see many where rust is taking hold, bird guano is very corrosive to, and whilst not serious now, there will be a point where a large quantity expire at a similar age. I reported a bridge to NR just before covid, where the platform has been extended over the parapet, and wooden fencing was added to protect passengers, probably back in the 90’s… the posts are totally rotten and you can move the whole panelling back/for at least 12 inches each way, with 1 hand. Someone someday will lean on it and find themselves 40’ lower on the main road below… its apparently “on their list of works”, so not serious enough yet.

I think 83008 was knackered and never ran again. I recall something about 83008 and Longsight, and I know I saw it at LO several times as a “non running resident” used for some internal purpose, electrification train pantograph testing comes to mind but I don't remember. tbh I cannot fully recall, however it wasn't withdrawn until 1983, was scrapped with blinds, not converted. I cannot find any pictures of it running post 1981, only images taken at various sidings around LO, which is inline with my recollections. I seem to think 83009 was the same at LO for a while used around the depot for non service purposes too

Rainstrip is definitely not right, that cab corner roof moulding looks a bit rough too. Lower down at the cab front is a cover (is that for sand ?) anyway is it latched / hinged the wrong way around for the RES sample shown ? Looking at various pictures I don't find a common standard, and and some 86/6s have a totally different cover. One to watch carefully is the Door kick plate on some its the same number of ribs as the footstep kick plate, on others, a second door handle was added at floor grab height reducing those ribs on the door plate. Really hope the cables arent printed on.. thats back to Hornby of the 1990’s.. and lets face it the Hornby model wasnt that bad, it just needs a few tweaks, if you have to re-make those tweaks are you doing it on a £50 s/h one, or a £160+ new one ? if these areas can be tightened up it’ll be a good un.

Its the new mould. The new mould erroneously has both rivets and latches on the roof panels, but its shape is overall better, and the bufferbeam detailing (including step) is much better.

Actually Bachmann are preventing sky high prices doing this. By having the sound version on the shelf, no one is going to pay more for the non-sound version…, whilst the sound version is still around.