Giz Puk

lovely model and in admiration of your modelling skills. I for one can't wait to see further offerings and possibly a layout to go with them? (of note I have just happily forked out £40 for the resin version in stone,but on reflection believe that yours will look superior once appropriate signs added and 'planted' in a goods yard or siding. keep up the excellent work and look forward to more photos in due course. Yours Aye, Giz

Hi Matty, look forward to seeing this project develop over the coming months and would highly recommend taking a look at the 'Little Muddle' thread for inspiration as this shows how a simple track plan can look stunning (Less is more as they say). One point I would consider changing however is the fiddle yard. I would be tempted to go 'Single Leaf' to provide long sidings for displaying/storing rolling stock not in use and this could even be modelled as a locomotive/carriage storage area or alternatively add a station halt or coal yard/goods area to give the branch a sense of purpose and somewhere for trains to go to rather than just disappearing under a bridge or tunnel. At the end of the day though... it's your layout... so develop it how you want and don't be tempted to be driven by what the current 'In thing' is. will you be limiting passenger services to 2 coaches or do you intend to incorporate an early 2 car DMU (as I think one of these weathered and with sound would sound Grand Grommit.) If its Yorkshire I expect there will be coal wagons somewhere.... and sheep!!!! but alas no cider or cows. Yours Aye, Giz

just caught hold of this thread Mike, and congratulations on what looks like another cracking layout to be in the very near future. Glad to see you making good use of the 'Bilgewater Mercury' but couldn't help noticing that your factory complex doesn't have a round chimney so unfortunately can't be a true copy of cellophane (gone but not forgotten.... just like the smell). Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more photos of the build and rolling stock from the 70s with possibly the 09.30 livestock train from Cannington College which I assume will be quickly passed in the opposite direction by the Nuclear flask train at 09.35 bound for Hinkley Point siding. Yours aye, giz

Many thanks Dave for providing answers at post 266 to the questions posed at post 259. My only problem now is having to wait until Jan/Feb to confirm my order (due to prior financial commitments.... builder and roofer take note!!!). I desperately want a 14 car set and I want it now... so much in fact I might scweem and scweem until I make myself sick.... and I can. Seriously though, if it is as good as the APT-E from Rapidoand having confirmed that the price is fixed and will not rise, this will be an opportunity too good to miss. Wishing you all the best with this project and will Most Definitely commit in the New Year (wife already given permission). So come on Guys... and Girls!!!! lets get as many signed up as we can so that 1. we can ensure this happens and on time 2. no losses are incurred due to lack of financial backing. After all Crowd Funding could become the only means of getting those unique/specific items produced..... who's up for a Radstock Sentinel next ??? Yours Aye, Giz.

I have great admiration for those that run detailed stock on detailed layouts to detailed schedules. Sadly I would find this very difficult as there are so many fantastic models provided by a plethora of manufacturers that I can never get enough. Just like Legend at post #23, I'm proud to admit that I enjoy playing trains and having been a GWR officionado since the age of 6 or 7, I now run locomotives and diesels from all regions and era's because I like the model and not because it fits a certain criteria. My only stipulation is that the locomotive and coaches match i.e GWR, LMS, Southern, BR Blue etc although there is always the option to run 'Heritage excursions' for the kids, although most have their own idea as to what consitutes a real train (as per the Little Muddle thread regarding grandchildren). Many scorn at the gimmicky 'Santa train' or 'Thomas collection' from Hornby, but I am seriously considering my own christmas train and have started collecting items as I believe that if it makes people smile and brings new blood into the hobby then it is worth having. Plus I know that my grandson will probably be more enthusiastic at xmas with regard to the colourful Thomas and Friends or Santa Express, than the APT-E, Blue Pullman or Orient Express combined.... and that is what I believe this hobby is all about:- enjoyment. My only/main problem is suffering from OCD and having to have the whole set whether it be bubble gum cards or the latest green GWR HST set. And what makes it worse is that now I've seen the thread for the crowd funded APT-P, I MUST have one of those but can't afford it at present. It's bad enough looking at all the great new releases without more coming along to swallow my pension fund......bah humbug I say. In summary..... run what you want...how you want... as long as it makes you feel good ( even if it is a diesel shunter pulling six coaches at a scale 120 mph) right kids? Yours Aye, giz

First of all many thanks for someone finally having the guts to take the gamble on producing this iconic, if only short lasted, piece of railway history. I only hope that Rapido does not suddenly reveal the crowd funded production of the HST prototype or I will really be in a dilemma. Like many, as a modeller on a limited budget the ability to pay in instalments is a massive bonus since by the time i've saved for many of the items released by major manufacturers they are surprisingly no longer available or the price is constantly increasing beyond my budget. As much as i'd like the 10 or 14 car set, I think these work out at 10' and 14' respectively and so would be feasible as long as its purely a roundy roundy and I don't intend to stop at stations. (time to construct another layout/track purely for HST/APT-E/APT-P... and hopefully the Rapido HST Prototype in due course me thinks). My main reason for not submitting an order at present is due to other potential commitments and the minimal spec details available to date, which I'm sure will be forthcoming in the near future and help secure more bids. To add to some of the comments previously mentioned, I personally would like to see directional and interior lighting as standard, a facility to add DCC sound if required and the price to be kept as low as possible within reason to encourage more take up. (after all once the moulds and production lines etc are in place the cost per unit comes down with numbers produced. Having previously bought both the APT-E and eventually the Bachmann Blue Pullman sets, I must admit that the glossy brochures, added figures and additional 'bumf' such as the fancy packaging are nice to have but not what I personally consider essential. What I do consider essential, is a nice, well detailed and decorated model that runs smoothly for a price we can all afford. After all I intend to run my items,not display them in their pristine packaging or sell them for a profit,on that well known auction site like some entrepeneurs may wish to. So, cutting to the chase, once we can get some information on confirmed specs such as length,lighting,preliminary photos of side-on and head-on configurations (not necessarily of intended model), payments etc I will gladly sign up (hopefully for the 10 or 14), as at the moment I still feel that this is a big commitment for little confirmed facts about the model. So please, can we have more info and hopefully a GUARANTEED final price so that more of us can make that 'leap of faith'and commit to supporting this venture. Once this is done I honestly believe that as per the Rapido APT-E project, peoples commitment will show a dramatic thumbs up and the more of us that commit... the quicker we will get to enjoy playing trains. ( apologies to those of us who still maintain they do not play, but run scheduled timescales or display accurate scale reproductions and may be offended. each to their own). Yours Aye, Giz

Drunken little old fellow dressed all in red just acosted me outside the post office, he'd obviously been upseting the locals as it looked like someone had already punched his donkey and given it a bloody nose. I'll give him HO, HO, HO. Yours Aye, Mr Mag OO.

This railway exhibition violence is even getting mentioned on the wireless. Just heard some youngster chanting.... OO Gary Davis, OO Gary Davis, OO Gary Davis and his Ratio (model kits). Wife says that I definitely need new batteries for my ear trumpet. Yours Aye, Giz

If the Romans had built steam engines..... and then steam locomotives to haul goods trains across the empire...... would all railway lines have been straight?? This pondering is driving me round the bend.( an old joke but still makes me chuckle). Yours Aye, Giz

Was his captor a V.Gurcha...... as pronounced with a Vest Country accent? Yours Aye, Giz

Some Great 'Western' Railway shots there on Engine Wood. Although I do think a few shots of a 'Warship' would be more fitting for the Captain. Yours Aye, Giz

BLASPHEMY, HERETICS!!!!!!!!! Everyone knows that in the beginning of Genesis there was darkness and turmoil (often refered to as the angel 'Peter Gabriel' era, and then follewed light (cue drum roll ) refered to as the 'Phil Collins' era. It was on the 6th day that God created his 'Wonderful Railway' as part of his 'Eden Project' and based it in the shangri la known as 'The West Country' .... the mecca for all bingo loving fans and bedouin tribes of the VW dudes. And as Everyone knows on the 7th day...he played trains. AMEN. Yours Aye, Giz

I think it was Benny Hill or even possibly Kenny Everett, in which case i'm sure it was done 'In the best possible taste'. Comedy was so much simpler in those days of one liners and double entendres. As Frankie Howerd would say 'oh no missus'. Must go now as just thought of 'the Two ronnies sketch... Four Candles or is it Fork Handles' Yours Aye, Giz

Are you SURE you're not really Will Smith as I could swear that this IS 'the wicked WAH WAH West'. whatever you do don't get this little beauty out after dinner on Christmas day as all those brussels could turn the wind into a 'tornado' then you'd have a proper dustbowl. Note: stick a little Mickey Mouse in the cab and you could call it .....'STEAM PUNK WILLIE'. Yours Aye, Giz

Coming home the other night I saw granddad sat outside the pub at closing time crying his eyes out bless him. I said 'Granddad why are you crying..... you've just married that 28 yr old blonde nymphomaniac, with a body to die for and who is probably at home on the bed waiting for you to come home and give her a good seeing to'. And Granddad said..... 'I can't remember where I live'. Yours Aye, Giz