andyman7

They are much better these days but early on, Bachmann were pretty hopeless at matching the tools they had to the examples they chose to number. We've conversed before about their almost total inability to pick the right locos for their Class 42 Warship tools. I'm invariably short of plated over boiler grilles and have plenty of unplated grilles I don't need!

Yes, but in a perfect retailer's world they would be steadily selling the stock and successfully restocking with new supplies. What instead happens is they have shelves of (say) 1st class or Brake end coaches they can't sell, but can't order any more of the 2nd class ones that are needed to shift the others as they sold out straight away.

Some really interesting analysis here, especially by @Gallows-Bait. I've always been wary of using personal preference as any kind of objective yardstick about what would sell but even a broad outlook at the general output across Hornby's brands suggests a mismatch between the market and their stock. On the railways side, blue period BR is a strong market now (it's where the BR era steam period was 20 years ago during the last 'golden period') yet as has been noted, there is a complete lack of coaches available even though Hornby have Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 tooling. There is still a woeful inability to have all the components of a typical train on sale at the same time, and that is a big reason why dealers don't order - they're left with power cars but no coaches or brake ends but nothing else. Even the DRS Mk2s - initially released as two brake ends and single SO that sold out straight away; followed by 4 different SOs bit no Brake Ends as the remainder from the first batch had been flogged off at a discount, so that what should be a really good 'small train' opportunity becomes an ebay hunt at premium prices that accrue neither to dealers nor Hornby. This is the irony of the unsold stock is that there are a fair few items for which there is pent up demand, but no product with which to meet it. I think that the Railroad range can potentially be a real winner for them because they can use that distribution muscle, brand recognition and serve a market/price point that the competition is not placed to serve - but if you wanted to create a working setup it's really quite difficult to assemble something coherent from available stock. However the stock backlog is disposed of, Hornby really needs to overcome making so many mis-steps with regards to future production range and quantities.

Production for commercial gain is what the owners of trademarks are worried about. There's no automatic right for anyone to use trademarked material but if I paint Thomas in Virgin livery for my grandaughter for purely private use I am unlikely to be pursued as there is neither 'loss' to the trademark owner or material 'gain' for me or my family

There was a period from about 1978 to 1990 when the Roy Cross artwork wasn't used or was in some cases amended but Cross's artwork has featured on the classic kits now in original form for around 30 years (obviously there are many kits issued since which have never had a Cross painting to use). What was also happened in some cases was to overpaint the original artwork to reflect changes to the kit markings - this was quite usual with the airliners

The Driving Trailer does not use either X9636M or X9637M. Hornby have never retooled the trailer car bogie design.

The Airfix tools would have been machined for producing a hundred thousand or more models - standard production numbers then. For most of their life they will have been worked at a fraction of the capacity they were designed for. Modern tools are used across much smaller production runs.

In virtually every case it is certain liveries that don't sell out rather than the models as a whole. In the case of AC electrics, TOPS and later era models don't generally end up in the bargain bins, it's the late 60s and steam crossover variants that stick a bit. the CEPS/BEPS were stock disposals by Bachmann. In Hattons style TMC took them on at what was no doubt an advantageous price.

The silver is not meant to cover the whole frame. On the original there is a raised bead around the window; to the inside of this is a polished/bare metal frame in which the window sits. By any measure, at less than £20 each these coaches are a bargain

I've rather gone the other way, with a very strong bias to Bachmann in the past few years as they have covered a lot of D&E models in liveries I like (as opposed to kettles...). Even where they go head to head I like their offerings and their shade of BR Blue really works for me

I don't think that's necessarily true but the focus on the researched project inevitably moves forward in time. I (and a whole cohort of fellow enthusiasts) am fascinated by the 70s railway and spend a lot of time researching the locos and stock of this period. Hornby, though, caters quite significantly for 'trophy' models - A4s, Coronation, LMS Black 5 in blinged-up colours - these have a market that sits alongside the researched hobby. There will be a core in a generations time who look to model with accuracy but I suspect that what will be niche will be modelling the 50s and 60s

The Eastbourne Models and Collector's Centre applied very distinctive white labels to their stock, and these still turn up in seemingly enormous numbers - a lot of stuff must have gone through there! I did visit a couple of times in the 80s, an Aladdin's Cave indeed

They sold through the entire first batch and the second batch have now passed the period where discounting is limited so a few places have them at around 25% off - hardly a fire sale. Looks-wise the Heljan 25 is great - a convincing leap ahead of anything previous, and it made it to market years ahead of revised Bachmann and SLW. So as far as I can see it's been well worth doing, and at £150 it's going to remain a contender. I'm certainly planning to keep the Heljan ones alongside my awaited SLW and Bachmann purchases. As far as the original Bachmann version goes, I did obtain this 25/0 that had been made out of the first release Bachmann 24, and refinished it in BR Blue as one of the few to gain the livery whilst retaining full skirts and original exhaust - the beauty of this being that the skirt hides that hideous false underframe

I think 3D prints might be the way to go as there still seems to be a complete absence of a range of UK streetlamps, the Bachmann Scenecraft ones being the only ones I know of that look British rather than international. There were a number of distinctive designs, especially the CU or Stanton concrete posts which were everywhere at some time but have almost completely disappeared in the last 20 years.

Just like 47s back in the day. We'll miss 'em when they're gone....

When setting a back to back for Triang wheels if refitting them to the axles I always aim for 14.1-14.2 mm for running on modern Code 100 set track

Time to add all the other fittings back - I'm missing one windscreen wiper which the donor model had lost, so I'll have to tackle that at some point. I will add a little light weathering to the roof and exhaust port but I'm really pleased to have a model of this variant.

Although I have a large boxfile of decals acquired over the years I didn't have any Rail Alphabet 'D's so took the opportunity to order a complete set of loco decals for D5165 from Railtec. The only shortcoming on the sheet was that it included 7 electrification flashes but D5165 needs eight as it had three on each end, so I had to borrow an additional one from another sheet. Then the process of adding in other details including the 'translucent' section of roof

The boiler grille needs plating over to reflect D5165 which is the chosen subject; Railmatch Rail Blue and Yellow were the colours used. Nite the way that the yellow extends down the edges of the skirts on this body variant

Here's the model as acquired and after stripping:

I have a 'thing' for Class 25s as I remember them well from the London end of the WCML in the 70s and 80s. These days we are well served with RTR models but the sheer variety of body styles, modifications and variations mean that there are all sorts of opportunities for modelling. One variant not yet modelled at all by anyone in RTR is the Class 25/0 - essentially a Class 24/1 body style with only one underbelly tank and (in real life) with the uprated Sulzer engine. This body style included a 'skirt' as built; Bachmann reflect this on their early Green livery Class 24s and omit them from the blue ones. The biggest weakness of the original Bachmann Class 24 and Class 25 models in my eyes is the 'false' underframe under the body that is absent from the real locomotive (the newer ones correct this error). I like modifying models but am a bit of a tightwad when it comes to carving up £150 superdetail models so when I acquired a neatly done Class 25/0 conversion from one of the earlier Bachmann 24s (with correct style headcode boxes having been very neatly added) I was eager to add it to my projects pile. However, early non-yellow end green is far too early for my memories or modelling period. However, the wonderful DerbySulzers website not only had some decent images of 25/0s in blue but revealed that at least 3 of the class had received full rail blue whilst retaining their full skirts and the original exhaust ports for a short period. https://www.derbysulzers.com/25015.html

The Airfix moulds have been to various places, for many years after Haldane Place closed the kits were made by Heller in France. Nowadays most Airfix kits are made in India but there are other locations that get used (occasionally UK as well). Making plastic kit is vey different to making an RTR loco, the process consists of moulding, breaking down the sprues to 'box' size (newer moulds generally have the frames set to the box size to aid this) and boxing with instructions and transfers. There isn't the skilled assembly and soldering requirement so kit making is still pretty well dispersed across the globe. Frankly if you need some screws and they're 99p shipped 'shopping around' is likely more effort than its worth

The Triang ones would have been test shots but shouldn't have left the factory. I remember a factory visit to the Margate plant in 1984 where in one corner they were grinding up unused Scalextric bodyshells to stop them 'leaking' out of the factory. There are tales of the 'back door' trade in Meccano and Dinky Toys out of the Binns Road factory in Liverpool when industrial relations were poor and times were hard

No, the mainline brushes were simple cylinders and didn't have the taper like Hornby/Lima. The springs tend to end up quite compressed in a Mainline motor but are quite long before fitting. I've still got a original replacement brush and spring set sent to me by Palitoy in 1982...

47901 is a perfect candidate for some actual modelling, whether your start point is a £35 Lima model or a £200 Bachmann one