Colossus

Just preparing to travel to Ponte from Kellington…all of 6 miles😅. Not made it to Pontefract show since 2018 BC (before Covid).. looking forward to it. All the best to the exhibitors..

Excited - very excited about the announcement of producing pre-TOPS 45s and 46s. The class 44 isn't really on my list but I am certainly supporting this and will order a "951005" ie, no 6, Whernside in green FY. Well done Rapido..roll on the 45s soon after...😛 Richard.

Thanks for that suggestion @cypherman . I’ve actually noticed him (excellent videos) and was considering seeing if he might take it on. That’s a good endorsement for him.

Hi all: I have a friend living in the Scottish Borders who's in his senior years. He has a large OO layout but his pride and joy - a Hornby R066 "Duchess of Sutherland" - which is of sentimental value, is now a non-runner. I've not seen it but assume its just the accumulated grime of forty years meaning it needs a strip down and clean. My friend's in failing health and I know if nothing else, he'd like to see his 6233 run again. I'd like it if I can source someone or somewhere he can send it to for overhaul or repair. Any genuine suggestions very welcome.

I would absolutely love to see some 1st generation DMUs, particularly a class 110 ‘Calder Valley’ unit and a 104. Such a massive part of the northern scene. A ‘Cravens’ 105 would be tremendous too. N gauge I mean.

I’ve managed to find what appears to be another (B&W) pic on Flickr of seemingly the same train. Seems the pic is at Derby and is in 1968- the year after theBass internal railway system closed which tells me the tank will have been loaded onto the rail wagon from a road vehicle and also explains the particular red livery and type style which looked too modern for mid sixties and were of the sort adopted after the ‘Bass Charrington’ merger in 1967. It seems to be pointing south in the pic- is it? Anyone?

A question primarily for Andy at Rapido @rapidoandy ..but also for anyone who can answer this. And I don’t want to hijack the thread and can discuss elsewhere if requested to do so. I refer you all to the fascinating photo of D6 Whernside [ edit! I mean D5 Cross Fell”!].. on the Rapido ‘class 44 page’ on website . I just noticed she’s coupled to a bulk ale tank in Bass Worthington livery. My initial question Andy, do you have details of the date and location of the photo please ? Secondly, does anyone know definitively what working this might be? My specialist subject is Burton beer& brewery railway history (esp Bass Worthington whom Dad worked for). I know these ale tanks were detachable and movable onto road vehicles; and that in the mid-sixties when ale in cask was beginning to move away from rail to road, there remained a regular flow of bulk ale to Belgium where it would have been bottled for sale there. It’s likely this was a beer train or a partial beer train (obviously from or to Burton) and also likely it was export beer via London (perhaps Dock Junc. by St Pancras) or Southampton where bulk ale for the continent had been sent by Bass). There was a SX 0650 Horninglow Sidings (Burton)-Dock Jn (St Pancras) in 1961. But I’m more sketchy on ale trains by the mid/late 60s as Bass prepared to abandon ale by rail in mid 1967. Any answers from anyone would be great.

I have to add my t’u’pp’nyworth. Absolutely delighted about this announcement. My chosen era is 1969-73 and I’d begun to give up on a prospect of an up to date (ie re-tooled) ‘Peak’ to appearing... I personally haven’t been craving a 44 as their more restricted routes are not central to my needs (without the a Rule 1 card being heavily thumbed) but CAD images and the prospect of a really sharp model could change all that. Oh but classic split-box and central split box 45s in pre TOPS blue or later green...bring em on! I’ll have four or five..They have to happen now surely? It would be a cruel world that produced a class 44 then abandoned the project there. Very excited @rapidoandy

Thanks for that Stephen B. Not having experience of having paint mixed to order, are you saying using those codes, I could walk into say, a B&Q or wherever, and have a good approximation of Rail Blue and warning yellow produced? Ie, they are ‘official” accepted codes for those shades or approximate matches? Intriguing if so.

No not yet. I deliberately chose to ask around here as, one can usually count on some additional insight into using paints or alternatives- as evidenced by the reply from @Stephen B above..I got bored with trying to decide the validity of the websites too. Ultimately I’ll try to give Phoenix or Precision a ring before an order.

Quick question as someone may be able to definitely answer. I’m trying to source rattle can versions of both Rail Blue and the early version of warning panel yellow. All my searches for these by Railmatch seem to show the Rail Blue available but only the “post 1985” yellow in aerosol. Anyone know if the early version yellow is available in aerosol? Meanwhile, can anyone tell me if Phoenix make both these colours in aerosol? It’d be great if I can buy both colours from the same source to save a bob or two on postage.

I've just taken delivery of mine (D 248) and what looks just like a decoder to my untrained eye is in a bag, separate to the loco and separate to the accessories. I happily confess I thought that WAS the decoder, but assume that's the blanking plate and the decoder is already in situ. Thanks Steven.

Thanks Woodenhead, good to know.

Can I ask a couple of things re this fantastic looking model? Doesn't the sound version arrive with the decoder already in place- or is it separate for the owner to fit themselves? If running it in on an analogue oval as I would be, can this be done with the decoder already in place or does the running in have to happen with the chip still not fitted? I always thought the latter for all models but having seen the instructions, it seems to suggest with he chip in place, the loco can run on DC without any issue.. Thanks for any advice.

So there it is. I'm going to paint a class 46 blue for my1969-70 period project. I've found colour photo evidence of the following running with D prefix numbers and red paint on the buffer beam: D173,D179, D184, D186, D189, D191. Guys, can you give me any others than had the red embellishment?