John M Upton

As an example, GatEx Class 387's are scheduled to be used on the Coastway West from June, to Southampton and/or Portsmouth from Brighton. There was a route clearance test run a couple of weeks back.

They have changed the plan a little from the original proposals. So the service pattern Monday to Friday should be: 2 trains per hour Brighton/Southampton (both now stopping at Woolston) 1 train per hour Brighton/Portsmouth & Southsea 1 train per hour Brighton/Chichester all stops via Littlehampton 2 Trains per hour Barnham/Bognor 2 Trains per hour Bognor/Victoria via Horsham (attaching/detaching Portsmouth portion at Horsham) Those Portsmouth portions, one becomes several stops Chichester to Portsmouth Harbour, the other is all stops (except Bedhampton) after Chichester to Portsmouth Harbour. The Littlehampton/Victoria via Hove remains unchanged. Sundays also remain unchanged!

Endangered species, the Bognor to Littlehampton shuttle, discontinued in favour of a half hourly Bognor/Barnham only from the June timetable change.

Arty night shot at Gatwick Airport whilst waiting to drive down to Bognor this evening. Thameslink is such a dull operation that an eight car 700 going to Brighton is almost a "interesting" variation. Yawn...

There was that strange thing, particularly in the 1980's was that stamp/coin/banknote collecting was seen as a sure fire way to make money, an investment for the future and there are still a few misguided fools who still think that a stamp collection et al is a golden ticket to fame and fortune.... ...it isn't. Much like all those diecast model buses and Lledo promotional vans of some years ago, pretty much all are them are now virtually worthless. I have my father's sixty year stamp collection to deal with at some point, in reality I will be lucky if I get enough to cover the courier charges to get it to a dealer.

Thanks for the update. I couldn't remember when I placed the order! If the Alexander coach works out well, I may be back for some more all being well.

387's also come in white... Coming soon apparently once Great Northern get the ex Stansted Express 379's. Until then from June the red Gatwick Express ones will be going as far afield as Southampton which ironically loses its direct trains to Gatwick at exactly the same time...

Unfortunately that link is for subscribers only. On the subject of paint, does anyone have a suggestion for UK available rattle can (e.g. Tamiya or Humbrol) that is a decent match for Conrail blue please?

What is the average delivery time like at the moment? I ordered an Alexander T Type on seeing the ad in the most recent NGS journal.

Orange 59102 on 6O68 through Chichester today:

The description (and indeed the photos) is a load of utterly irrelevant waffle, just show the item that is actually for sale for gawds sake.

...plus (among other sins) there never as such a thing as a steam locomotive in Conrail livery!!!

Definitely the exception rather than the rule....

I did the same error of looking at the Dapol Facebook thread on the subject. Good grief, that place really is the wild west of social media!!!!

You used to be able to get some decently priced second hand at the larger shows but in recent years that supply has all but dried up, not helped by the professional scalpers who I have seen leaving shows barely ten or twenty minutes after the doors have opened, carrying bulging bags having hoovered up and probably managed to con a cheeky discount to boot, they are only interested in a quick ebay profit and don't give a hoot about the show at all. I have seen stuff appear on ebay that I have seen earlier in the day at a show I have attended, only with the price doubled or even tripled!!

Trouble is, you try finding a decent second hand stall or shop! Not exactly on every high street anymore.

There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to start.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196329089879

A pair of Class 37's with loco hauled stock made it to Mallaig and back today successfully, Mk III stock and the 37 in that fake Scotrail garb but they got there with no fuss or commotion, that WCRC is how you do it rather than tossing your toys out of the pram because you have been told to behave yourself and follow the rules everyone else has to...

Mainline did a Mk1 RU in green I think. Could it be one of those?

Do we know how long it will be before the N scale insulfrog points are discontinued in favour of these uniform things? I want to stock up on the insulfrog ones before they disappear.

Oh yes, very informative!!! 🙄

Freightliner green machine 59101 just roared through Chichester heading east:

Is it just me or is this "built kit" according to the description title just a box full of someone's left overs swept off the workbench into a box and has very little if any connection to the purported contents https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226069236587

On the subject of the Dance Hall brake van, I still have not managed to get the body off yet. Any ideas anyone? No obvious screws or anything, I presume it is a clip fit to the chassis but trying to lever it off without damage is proving impossible.

Nice work! Should be this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235116894855 which shows the end of it in the distance. Nice photo too... The hunt continues....