97406

That does look quite fetching. I think I like that more than the blue

37350 and a Red Stripe Railfreight split box 37/3 as released from Crewe in the mid-to-late 80s are both ones I’m after. I remember seeing them ex-works at Crewe so an excuse to run them like that.

Isn’t it “vonky”?

It’s a toughened glass windscreen. Quite hideous looking and accurascale are modelling one, albeit 31432 which had headcode boxes. I just had to get one! 😈

Talent! In my day it were Trimphones!

I’ve gone for a couple and fitted sound. I’ll be getting a couple of Bachmann early body ones too, then the SLW ones will trickle in. One cannot have too many Rats (or 40s)!

That’d be a load of Pollocks!

I was meaning more from the livery point of view - I also failed miserably to find any earlier shots as I was after one without the orange cantrail stripe ideally. I’m not too fussed about the roof pods as they can be removed if need be, or added for that matter. I have a set of moulds made from silicone putty from a Hornby example.

For me, this has to be the best look for No 8, though I've already got 3 LL ones on order, so I'll plump for a Laira Blue one when its turn comes. From A Ned's Perspective's Flickr page.

Viz comic does a great line in sending up this sort of tackiness, normally based on the Franklin Mint.

I find I need most of them or the body doesn’t sit quite right, alas!

That's brilliant. I hope it is!

Probably on here!

Sounds like a euphemism! I remember that news report!

I think Guy Fawkes has a certain ring to it and was carried by a Class 47 for a while. Hope it didn’t catch fire! I can’t find any reference to a steam loco with the name, but I think a lot of these historic names, good guys or bad guys help to keep the history of this place in people’s minds. One should never forget history.

That was from when they came clean about it in the May issue. Apparently a rival publication had 31200 in the namings section, so a lot of people were taken in by it! Said rival publication had it denamed the month after.

Happy to oblige….

It is interesting subject matter from a sociological perspective. I think it’s a good exhibit as-is as it shows changing attitudes through time.

You can’t beat a bit of pareidolia

There must have been a boom during and after the pandemic where many (and I) got back into railway modelling after a long hiatus. This meant that a lot of us missed the earlier (and by today’s standards) less than ideal models, the early 40, 25 and 37 versions being case in point. I suspect the returns from recent investments in high quality models from them, Accurascale, etc. have been boosted a lot by there being an influx into the hobby. Whilst some modellers will tail off as life has returned to normal, many, myself included will stick at it with a pipeline of preorders and new models to cherry pick. It’s an addictive hobby. Bachmann’s new models are excellent. There have been a few faults, all electrical which I’ve repaired with a little soldering but otherwise they’ve been good, if a little crudely assembled (ditch the screws, please!), and some of the detail is a bit chunky compared to the likes of Accurascale or SLW, but I have bought, and will keep buying their models and they scrub up exceedingly well. Their spares department is good as well, and crucial for those of us who don’t run things out of the box and infinge any warranty very quickly! 😀

Not all do. Edward Colston for instance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67370120

The April Fool from Rail Enthusiast magazine comes to mind. Names included “Boy George”, “Roland Rat” and “Arthur Scargill”, possibly all ‘earmarked’ for Class 31s. There was a veneer of credibility by the ‘joke’ application of “Railtour Enterprise” nameplates to a 31.

They were very common in that area in the 70s and early 80s. Many of the trains also passed near my house not too far from Skelton Junction, Timperley, the Tunstead to Northwich ICI hoppers being an example which they shared with the 25s. My love of 40s and Rats comes from growing up there. The noise scared the bejesus out of me when I was 4 or 5 standing on Navigation Road station platform with my Mum. The whistle of the 40s seemed the most unlikely noise for a diesel to make at the time!

I’m keeping an eye out for these landing in a couple of months as I think I’ll go for a couple of sound fitted blue early body examples, one to stay as-is and one to be renumbered, probably with the headboard clips and central lamp bracket removed on the former nose end doors. These will go nicely in a fleet that I am building up including Heljan and SLW examples. It’s nice to have a selection of decent 25s to pick from.