JelleJan

And here they are in the Colonel Stephens livery: Jelle Jan

On https://colourrail.co.uk/ there is a photograph of engine 78000 with a passenger train on the Mid Wales Line at Newbridge on Wye, 18-07-1959. Jelle Jan

A few shops received them some days ago. Jelle Jan [edit 10-06-2023: pictures reloaded]

I was able to find a Noble Collection Hogwarts Castle / Hall in a Dutch webshop yesterday, it arrived today, so here it is. After measuring the total length and height, I discovered that it's actually quit near 7mm scale, aka 1:43.5, it's even one or two centimeters too long. So it's not in the 1:50 scale mentioned on the box. The gauge of the wheels however is a little to narrow, so one side of the engine easily drops between the rails. The front coupling is very coarse, but that can be modified easily, I think. The wheels are not quartered at all, so the connection rods are in the same position on both sides, so rolling the engine is impossible with its hinged connection rods. With new couplings, blackened tyres and buffers and some weathering the model would be quite nice, I think.

Shouldn't there be a plank on top of the engine? Oh, now I understand, a swedish plank is under the engine.

Yes, I now the Bedford OB bus is 1:50, I checked that by comparing the size of the model with the size of a real one. This lorry is also smaller than 1:43, some say 1:50, others (like Corgi/Vanguards itself) even say 1:64. I haven't been able to check the scale myself.

It's the Thames Trader by Corgi / Vanguards, on eBay many versions are available. This one is Corgi 30201. Click here to go to google images Click here to visit eBay Jelle Jan

There is a photo of the green 03 128 on the internet: https://topticl.zenfolio.com/p240553310/hC1F333D8#hc1f333d8 Jelle Jan

That looks great Alan, now your 3716 only needs a couple of Berry Wiggins tankers, like mine... Jelle Jan

My second link tells it was done by and ancient version of PaintShop Pro, called Tipp-Ex.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davethomas1970/7160423502/ See also: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/8842420001

A few days ago a bunch of iron minks arrived in the Netherlands, I'm very pleased with them. Jelle Jan

That photo features another handrail on the other side of the smoke box, also visible on this photo: https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=38509 Can it still be added to your great model? Kind regards, Jelle Jan

Thanks for the information, Brian, everything clear now. Jelle Jan

I noticed that both Lionheart and Dapol made the wagons without top flap only in a post steam era lettering. However, railway photographs incidently show wagons without top flap between 1960 and 1965. Are these early ones different in details? Otherwise it would be nice to have one or two in my mineral rake... Jelle Jan