Ian Hargrave

Ah,so that’s where and how Hornby sourced the “finish”. Basically a cosmetic photo shoot ex-works. Pretty I’m sure but in terms of subsequent authenticity of an in traffic loco a bit like glamour on the red carpet for an Oscar. So then,would anyone be tempted to weather this ? It would seem a bit of a shame really.The paint job & lining seem rather well done. Some nice images and I much appreciate that.

Indeed it does.But it needs bigger stuff than this…..

Thank you for highlighting that. The front end is the area that indeed is in need of improvement. I shall now know what to look for.

Thanks for the above positive comments.My first observation….and this admittedly from online images…..is that apart from the white paint ( Why ? ) on the smokebox hinges and those much debated lamps,I cannot observe much difference. This having removed from its box one of the later release originals R3453 BR l/c 45274, lightly weathered. This being a model of the loco wrecked in the Sutton Coldfield disaster & subsequently rebuilt at Crewe and returned to traffic….something that Hornby seemed blissfully unaware of when they released it. It’s a nice model which performs sweetly. For now,apart from a pre ordered Caprotti,I’ll keep my powder dry and wait until I can get up close & personal for any stimulus to reach for the plastic to consider the new release

As a sickly child recovering from one of the many infections I seemed to suffer,I remember being given one of the then scarce bananas….my first… as a special treat. I promptly rejected it as inedible. If there are any Giles cartoon fans on the forum,there was one featuring the redoubtable Grandma celebrating the return of the banana.

Wartime bananas. Were there any ? I know it’s a long while back but given the “difficulty “ of crossing the North Atlantic at this time,I seem to recall that bananas,a luxury in those times of rationing and shortages of foodstuffs didn’t reappear in the shops until the mid to late 1940’s. We needed Sherman Tanks& GI’s more than we needed bananas I believe. Yours etc. born 1942.and we billeted two of those GI’s prior to D-Day whose generosity with foodstuffs helped sustain a flagging dietary national economy. Wonder what became of them …

Yes,agreed. But the question still remains…..how to find a way out of this impasse in that feathers and egos are unruffled ,the legal requirements are fulfilled and the Black 5’s are on their way to Mallaig. Bon voyage with that one.

And WCRC have returned The Jacobite Mk 1 stock to FW ,still without CDL,to FW. Seen on Leslie Gilpin’s YouTube channel northbound at Carlisle yesterday.Is this some kind of Highland standoff,reminiscent of 1745….or what ?

No but I’m getting there. Enjoy 😊

Which is dependent on availability of such stock and platform length.

I have done the return trip from FW to Mallaig twice. Once on the Jacobite and latterly by Scotrail 2 X 156 .And for the scenic effect of the line which is really why we do the trip,the diesel unit scores over WCRC Mk 1’s. On the day I last did the trip,it was a return from Rannoch Station which added extra outstanding landscape and gorge delights with panoramic views of the Nevis range from every perspective. The service was well patronised and it seemed that on arrival in Mallaig most passengers headed straight for the many eating places and pubs in the town. In contrast on that day…early September 2021….The Jacobite appeared to be comparatively under patronised. Just a snap experience I know but at the time I felt it was revealing. The return Glasgow Scotrail service was similarly well occupied and on a sunny early evening more delights unfolded. I think the local economy is resilient enough to absorb this setback.

Indeed…..and yet LNWR operate 2x350 units on the WCML stopping at stations with facilities for coping with the front four set only….e.g. Atherstone,RugeleyTV,Hartford,Winsford,Acton Bridge & Liverpool Parkway .Yes,there are walk through connections and the train manager always announces it…..but it’s hardly the stuff of a 21stC mainline.

But,allowing for the frustration and delay,at least in my case,no money has been paid out. I’m very much happy to wait for what will be an exceptional model.

A very interesting series of posts with,it has to be said,some conflicting results.So thanks for that and Andy’s video in particular. ATM,I’m without a Large Prairie and await Dapol’s hopefully improved version.Reluctantly I conclude that for me only the full set of six makes sense.Thus a hefty capital outlay then. However,on the haulage front,not all is lost until their appearance.As I’ve posted earlier,bringing my Heljan Met. electric out of storage would be a suitable alternative. Now that will pull the skins off a whole batch of rice puddings.

Would one needed to acquire a full set of six to make prototypical sense ?

Which,in searching for something I didn’t find,I found. Heljan 9001 Met./BoBo 9 John Milton. A whim purchase at Warley years ago when they were released and never used because I didn’t have suitable stock. It is a beautiful little thing .So then just maybe an excuse for some City Toplights. Just a thought ?

Easy to relate your own experience isn’t it ? I am well aware of their status. But it doesn’t excuse what in my personal concern isn’t a satisfactory state of affairs that could and should have been sorted weeks ago.

This is in fact the second demand for the balance that I have received. I responded to the fist immediately but received no response in return. That was over a month ago. What does irritate is that I..as purchaser am expected to,provide the vendor with details of my purchase. Don’t they keep records ?

So then…do you have any online indication of your original order …i.e. …was it sound/analogue or any documentary evidence other than a couple of emails asking for the balance with the onus upon you as purchaser to provide the vendor with the original order number or …I quote….”in the last resort”….your name ? This is not best practice and is tbh insecure and inexcusable . I simply have no documentation either online or on paper of my order..and now I’m asked to provide such. I paid a deposit and frankly I’d rather let it go to the wind rather than involve myself in what appears to be a haphazard method of conducting a purchase.My name is not a last resort.

From my own personal observation,Idid see one work into Crewe in June 1965 and that on an out & home working.Canton D1500’s ( aka Class 47 ) had by that date also taken regular turns to Crewe on N&W trains.

Drove to the Rails Weekend Event today to look at a Dapol Mogul which was duly purchased. And then….in a small display cabinet cunningly situated on the counter were these……..I honestly wasn’t going to but I did.The beast in its original form seen by me as a state of the art exhibit at the railways part of The Festival Of Britain ,Waterloo East,August 1951. I’m now fully into my dotage… Whatever the motive,it is a cracking model.

Picked up one of the new release Moguls at Rails today ( along with a couple of useful £10 vouchers ) . Have to say I’m immensely impressed by the improvement in performance and yes with the overall finsh ,despite qualms about the livery application. For me a lesson in seeing what you’re buying in a display cabinet rather than the usual virtual experience online. Worth the drive,the ghastly weather and 3 way traffic lights at the road junction outside the rebuilding works at Totley station. And then over Baslow Edge with glorious views to indulge myself at the Chatsworth Farm Shop. Haven’t done that for years. Still have that £10 voucher which is redeemable with online purchases.

Some of you may have heard of OO Works.They don’t “do” DCC. They supply high quality hand built models in all metal construction. You want DCC ? Then you do your own conversion which will negate the warranty. Highly conventional I know and off putting to digital specialists,some of whom have given their thumbs down to them on this forum. Well then,fine….their choice of course. The models are simply superb in terms of both finish and performance. One of them ,an SR liveried Adams Jubilee 0-4-2 ( and please note the wheel arrangement in terms of haulage capacity….it’s 4 coupled kiss of death ) has been hauling my rake of Accurascale Banana vans since they arrived yesterday very sweetly indeed. So then ….finally…….we come to the motor used by OO Works. It’s a “ high quality coreless motor “ gents. And I have no complaints as a non DCC user.

Just a thought. A general election looms later this year and the Scottish vote is likely to be crucial to the result. I just wonder whether or not this might influence events and maybe bring it to a successful ( ? ) conclusion. Time will tell…..

TBH,I think it’s meant only for use in the box initially in transit. As you say,the box does the business in any case.The problem with the film is that it’s adhesive and that can have unforeseen and undesirable consequences .