Edwardian

In the news: Quote: Shortly after the New Year, we put out a post on our Social Media pages. It was meant to be a bit of fun, but suffice it to say, it got a bit more attention than we expected. As a homage to the absolutely stunning blue livery that the Bluebell Railway has painted on SECR P Class 323 Bluebell, we thought we would have a crack at replicating it onto our upcoming O1, and in keeping with the railway's fleet of flora and fauna-based loco names we would pick an appropriate shrubbery (cue a few moments of Monty Python quotes in the office) to name it. With the various extensions the railway has seen over the years, we are sure the staff are very familiar with brambles. The community reaction to this was unexpected: you absolutely loved it! We mulled it over and had a word with the folks at the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society to ensure we could reproduce their crest on the side of the loco. We are pleased to say they agreed, and we are excited to announce that SECR O1 No.65 Bramble in ‘what if’ Bluebell Railway blue livery is now available to pre-order. All I can really say to that is...

Rapido had kindly already updated us that a nice flush smokebox would be included - I pre-ordered a 373 immediately on learning this - but it's nice to have some interesting insight on the decision. Thanks again Rapido. Oh, and, yes, I've just pre-ordered a Bramble and I'd encourage all those interested in this stunning what-if to do likewise; it's a conditional release, we are told, so only voting with your wallets will count. Celebrate the unlikely!

Yes, I've often thought you might well benefit from it.

Will do EDIT: If they do make production, I'd be up for one for Barnstaple Town

Ah, so the 14XX is now able to be green, black and ... er

Don't buy into the false narrative. There is nothing but love here for Kernow, and a little gentle humour to wile away the passing hour while we wait for this fantastic model. Turn away now if you find mixed metaphors upsetting, but, with apologies to brittle egos, let's not poison the well of goodwill with po-faced pearl clutching. Kernow, very helpfully, mentioned today that they have nearly 3,000 pre-orders. Now by my reckoning they've had less than 12 working days by this point, so they'd have to be sending 250 a day to be anywhere near close to clearing the pre-orders. I don't think anyone here would expect them to manage that or complain that they haven't! Having seen what the small Locomotion team went through shipping out Rapido's Stirling Single, I am entirely in sympathy and suspect Kernow is doing a sterling job behind the scenes. I don't imagine they are helped in these efforts by people taking unnecessary offence on their behalf. It takes all sorts, I suppose. All good things come to those who wait, so in the meantime, I'm content to be lazin' on a sunny afternoon

A replacement 'bus service might be more appropriate!

You need one of these then

Congratualtions! Meanwhile ....

I've said it before, but everything becomes better once you put a "plus" after it!

But everything becomes better if you put a "plus" after it.

Union of Swindony Sociable Republics.

If that's the D1508 LSWR cattle wagon, I have some old STL files of yours.

It's not fair, I hate you! Doesn't quite work, perhaps...

Well, if you're considering updating you profile picture, I'd have to say it's a hard pass from me on this one!

Hmm, mine was a week before, so had the logic offered of processing strictly in payment order held good, I would have heard by now. So, I imagine I'll get the news anytime now. Excitement! It's sure to turn up, and probably sooner than later now. In the meantime I am neither impatient nor concerned, and, not wishing to tempt fate, I think I have the necessary remaining life expectancy to see this model before I am called to my Eternal Rest, so all good. To be fair, so far Kernow has had less than a fortnight (give or take 8 years) to get this to me, and one should embrace the sense of anticipation that no news creates! I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

That is good news and might be one I'd consider(!), given Rails never did a red island Terrier. The exact shade of red must be conjecture, but in this view at least it looks a little darker than some have suggested. It would be good to have a contrast between the IWC's 'metallic crimson' and the darker IWR wine red. We shall have to see. This colourised reconstruction has been put forward as the IWC shade. I prefer this. As ever, however, little if anything is certain!

It seemed tactless to give my views on the Hornby topic, so I didn't. So, if you want these photographs with a candid comparison commentary, go here instead: But since you asked .....! Hornby's Terrier is by no means a bad model. In my view it suffers by comparison with the Rails/Dapol version, but that does not make it a bad model! There's just a better one. In general, like you I think, Hornby's A1X seems to fare better than the A1. I am pretty familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the Rails/Dapol A1 version, having been asked to advise on the project. Some may think that makes me biased, but I have always been frank about where the Hornby model scores and the Dapol one misses, but the Rails/Dapol A1, objectively and demonstrably, is significantly more accurate in a number of areas. I also think it's demonstrably more refined, better detailed with more scale finesse. It's still not perfect, however! That said, both manufacturers' models are, in my experience, good runners, and, cosmetically the Hornby model is by no means a bad model. It's a good model, but Rails insisted on more extensive tooling options, which allowed for a more accurate representation of A1 identities. Hornby's A1 has a number of late condition A1X features because it did not tool for more appropriate A1 features. It's for the customer to decide whether this matters, and it probably won't for most. Hornby scored on price point on first release, so actually the difference between the two versions was sort of fair enough, and it made the Hornby model good value. Now the Hornby models seem much more expensive than they were initially, of course. Thus, with any given A1, e.g. SE&CR 751, it's not that I don't like the Hornby model, it's just that I've had an option that is more accurate. There are many points in relation to the Hornby model, imperfections if you like, that I can overlook. There are a couple that just bug me to the point I can't be happy with the model as a whole. That's a personal and subjective response and doubtless comes from having done so much research. I cannot unknow or unsee certain things! For me the things I just cannot get past are the (preservation era?) late condition wash out plugs and the late condition short rear tool box. They scream WRONG! to me in a way they won't for most folk. Rails/Dapol has fewer imperfections and none I cannot overlook, so... Other views are available!

I don't know what you mean ...!

So, just about the one thing I have failed to find are the tram coach bodies for the Bishop's Lynn Tramway. I had taken a Keil Kraft West Ham tram and used the bottom deck for a short First Class body and the upper for a Second. I then extended a lower deck from their 1920 Birmingham tram for a bogie Third. I was never entirely happy with the Second, which was slab sided., or the extended Third body. Recently I saw some of the West Ham trams offered for very little.... So I thought I might as well just replace the lost bodies, but this time I would use the lower deck for both First and Second (First to have armrests and posher upholstry). Then I saw this kit, and thought I might try that for a slightly longer Third: I found some stupidly inexpensive HO bogies for the slightly longer Third. This will result in a rather short bogie tram coach, shorter than the GER W&U types, but it seemed to suit the WNR, so I will not extend the body this time. Anyway, this is where I've got to so far:

Quite!

I assure you I was being entirely light-hearted! Those pesky coincidences, curse them!

To be fair what the much, and possibly justifiably, maligned Mr Rumsfeld said did actually make sense, even if the way he put it was somewhat sub-optimal! As for me, I'll just make myself comfortable and relax while I wait.

I'm sure that isn't Kernow's customer service principle. You might want to avoid giving the impression that it might be yours! It's up to those who involve themselves in customer facing roles to consider whether engagement with a single mildly sardonic photograph is necessary or productive!

Only you evidently found Australia! 😉