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Are those exhibtion coaches of pre-nationalisation vintage? The corridor connections look like they're Stanier. David

I have always thought that these cabs look like Seddon Atkinson Strato range of trucks, like these; https://www.sotrex.com/seddon-atkinson-strato-420-8-x-4-alloy-body-tipper https://picclick.co.uk/1986-Seddon-Atkinson-301-4x2-tractor-unit-Sleeper-142900333634.html David

The website actually says early August for an announcement. Although I would think that mid-August would give Mike & Ben a bit of time to catch their breath!! David Oops... I had just been reading the Caroline page and I got mixed up!!

Hi Tod, I’ve just been sent a link to your message! Like you, I purchased what I thought would be one souvenir loco while I was working out of Miami. Obviously you can’t have just one loco!! I now have several FEC GP40s and a few UP liveried SD40s that I’ve relettered into the ones that the FEC used in the early 2000s. I’ve also got some CSX and TriRail stock too. Unfortunately I’ve not got anything to run it all on yet though. My stuff is a bit more modern than the FEC E7s though, although I do have a couple! I don’t think that the LifeLike E7s go for a great deal these days, even though they are good runners. I hope you find a home for your E7s! Regards, David

I have just discovered this thread so I'm a bit behind the times, as usual! The layout looks very good though. As I said I'm a little late to the party, and this will be fairly moot by now. After a quick search I discovered people are selling copies of the film Kate Plus 10 on eBay, in clear envelopes on DVD-R discs. However, they mention that it's in public domain, so I did a quick search on YouTube which turned up this: I hope it's of some use, I'll probably watch it later. Regards David

With all these passengers having arrived at the station, does that we’ll have to run more/some passenger trains this weekend?!! Dave

I’d like to see D400 in that condition too, however, the handrails on the very front of the loco would have to be removed. As the first class 50 produced there were a few differences, the lack of front handrails being the most obvious. Regarding fitting sound I’ve just fitted YouChoos’ sound to one of mine. Apart from Dapol fitting a speaker in the factory I can’t see how it could be any easier! Taking the backing off the double sided sticky tape was probably the most time consuming job! David

I have just returned from picking up 50040 and 50037 from my local model shop. I’ve not had a really close look at them but from first impressions I’m really happy with them. They’re excellent, quiet runners too. David

It will be worth a trip down to Eastleigh just to see that!!

I was given a link to your request for TEAs at Stafford. As I’ll be there helping Ian Morgan on Freshwater I’ll be happy to bring some of mine. I have about five Esso tanks and several others in varying liveries. I need to check their couplings and what wheels they have (if any) I also have two Revolution TEAs I could bring along too! See you in a few weeks! David

The class 33/1 had a run out with the four cars for the 4TC, propelling at high speed. This was very successful but I think I will still weight the leading vehicles a bit. One thing it did show up was that the headcode on Crompton only illuminated in one direction and red blinds only........hopefully just a wire off somewhere. Thanks to a house move and all the chaos that brings, I’ve just managed to catch up with your excellent thread from April!! I’m very interested to see how your TC turns out. It’s looking great so far! And those 3D printed EMU fronts and corridor connections will be very useful too. Regarding your Dapol class 33 lights, have you checked that the two switches underneath are both switched to on? When they’re shipped, apparently they’re set with one on and one off. I hope that helps and I’ll look forward to seeing how everything progresses. David

There were, apparently, quite a few! Some had the TOPS number in the “normal” place, under each cab window while others had it behind the cab doors. They also had a TOPS data panel, with a blue background. I believe that 47306 was the last green class 47 to succumb to blue in 1978 or ‘79. David

Thanks Mike, I thought the next payment could be close given how rapid the progress has been with its gestation so far! David

Ben, It's good to know the 92 is coming along well. Although that brings with it a question of payments. For those of us wishing to pay in instalments, when will the next payment become due? And, so I can budget accordingly, how much will it be? Regards, David

I stand corrected, I hadn't heard about the change. However, it's still not as good as when first introduced when the tax exemption was 25 years! Did the 40 year tax exemption come in at the same time as pre 1960 cars became exempt from requiring an MOT test?

Hi Pix, That Pullman is looking great! Is it wrong to like that livery more than the original one?!! Like others, I'm loving your Cavalier Chronicles. But I'm afraid I have some bad new for you. You'll still be paying road tax on the Cavalier in 2020. When it was first introduced it was a rolling 25 years old, but when labour were elected in 1997 they stopped the rolling aspect of it. Consequently, your car is only tax free if it was bulit upto sometime in 1972, which I think is an L suffix registration. David P.S. Did you get my email regarding the CEP shoebeams?

Keith, As Jeremy has said the class 455 shares the same body as the 150 (and 317). The first batch of 455s had front ends as Jeremy is modelling. However the second and third batches had fronts exactly the same as the 150. The only difference between the second and third batches were that the second batch of 455s used the trailer coaches from the 508s that went to Liverpool as 3 car sets. I would think that the easiest conversion to do would be to model the third batch, but I think (contrary to most people) that the first batch look the best! David

I don't think it was due any "a cavalier attitude to H&S" that the 33s weren't fiited with overhead wire warning flashes until fairly late. I expect that they weren't required. Surprisingly, the last locomotives to receive overhead wire warning flashes were, in fact, the overhead electric locomotives themselves! After a quick Google check I've found some pictures from the mid-eighties and even the early nineties of electric locos without overhead wire warning flashes! https://www.flickr.com/photos/66289212@N07/13968008572 https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwbphotos/24587801812/in/photostream/ David

I've only just caught up on this thread, hence the late reply to this post. The book you saw the photo was "BR Blue No1, Southampton and the New Forest" by John Dedman. It was taken on 8th June 1980. There's the four coaches already mentioned of which the day coaches are an FK and a BFK. On the only carflat visible, incidentally fitted with B4 bogies, are a BMW 1602, Vauxhall Viva, Austin Allegro and what appears to be a VW Golf Mk1 partially obscured by a tree. Regards David

They both really nice! Shame I can't get to Tutbury today. I'm intrigued by the couplings between the coaches though. Are they magnetic? Could you write a few words about them? Or have you done that already elsewhere? Regards David

My supply of copper clad sleepers finally arrived. N scale strip and TT single sleepers. The TT ones were a replacement as Marcway Models had no N gauge ones and said the price is likely to double when they do get some! The TT ones will be used in the fiddle yard so no issue regarding there larger size. So finally a bit of track laying might actually take place this month. If you need more copper clad sleepers in the future, may I suggest you join the 2mm Scale Association. They still have a supply of ready cut sleepers, although at the moment only the pre group 9'0" sleepers are in stock. However, in 1/148 scale should scale out at about the 8'6" they should be! And they're a very reasonable £5.00 for 500! I really like what you've done with your road vehicles. I'm hoping Oxford will shrink some of their 70s and 80s 1/76 scale lorries soon! A few shrunken Scania 1 series and DAF 3300s would go down well! But I'd really like to see some Volvo F88s either as kits or ready to plonk! Regards David

Does anyone know how the "expressions of interest" are going for the prototype HST? I asked the same question on the Dapol's facebook page on 19th April and so far I've not had any replies. Thanks, David

Hi Jeremy, I have found the with the Farish Mk1s the ideal couplings within rakes are the Dapol buckeyes that come with their coaches. I use one long and one short coupling on each coach and this gives a very close couple. On the outer coaches of the rake, like you, I use DGs. With the DMUs I have found that two short Dapol couplings work well. Two short Farish couplings are just a fraction too short to work but the Dapol ones couple with almost no gap! Keep up the great work! I look forward to your next instalment! Regards David

I doubt it very much too. I was only half joking, but it's becoming rather annoying how even the put back dates are put back again and again. And that's for just about every model from just about every manufacturer. I realise there's only a finite amount of manufacturing space in China, but it seems that all the manufacturers are rather too optimistic with their announcements and schedules. When was the last time an announced model came out roughly (in the same year at least) when it was meant to?