Grampus

And another...but coloured in this time!

One from me from the recent diesel gala: Or perhaps a summer Saturday Brighton-Exeter service, back in the day... Happy days - best wishes, Paul

Thanks Rob - And a jolly fine time was had by all!

Superb. What fantastic image quality and definition. Thank you for posting. Paul

'Burma Star' in blue? Oh dear. Another essential Crompton for the stash!

Just a brief note to say that I was thrilled to bits with the arrival of both my recent purchases: sets of ballast hoppers and cement bubbles respectively. I thought both were absolutely fantastic, so I will look forward to the ballast ploughs and the fertilizer wagons in particular. Mind you, I don't claim to be a modeller of the Irish railway scene: I just needed something to run behind my beautiful little Bachmann small GM - honest! It's catching though... and with a swift change of buildings on the new shunting plank, who's to know any different?! Thanks for such lovely models and best of luck with the new items. Best wishes, Paul

Brilliant - thank you. That answers a whole raft of questions about details and colour schemes. Paul

Another satisfied customer here. Spent a very enjoyable couple of hours there this afternoon: a nice range of layouts and plenty of space to move around comfortably, plus some useful trade. As always, thank you one and all - hope you get time to relax later on this evening with a glass of something medicinal... Best wishes, Paul

Thanks Rob. I do - now...a copy en route from the big brown river - due here Friday. Yet another book purchase on the flimsiest of excuses: 'it's essential to the completion of this project....' :-) Or something like that. Not been rumbled yet! Best wishes, P

Afternoon all, For all (any?) Class 50 fans in the Lincoln area, I picked up a copy of Haynes Owner's Workshop Manual on the Class 50 (I think this is a fairly recent publication?) this afternoon from 'The Works' in Pennells' Garden Centre for £6.00 - compared with a cover price of £22.99. If anybody else is interested, there were a fair number of copies when I was in there at about 3.30 pm. Certainly worth the asking price in my view, especially since we only went there in the first place for gardening inspiration!!! Happy hunting, Paul

Paul, Thanks very much. I will have a look - think I have a copy tucked away. Best wishes, Paul

Many thanks. I had looked previously at PB's site. The images on revisiting are useful in that they illustrate the presence of the actuator rods and at least one V hanger and some safety loops (?); there are also some apparent cluttered areas under the middle of the wagon - perhaps where the vac cylinders might be? However, nothing definitive. I will muse on it for a bit - perhaps as a layout wagon a suggestion of brake gear is enough? It would be nice to hope some more might yet appear. Thanks for taking time to help. Best wishes, Paul

Evening all, whilst having a root around in my unfinished projects box earlier today ( - like most of us, quite a large container, unfortunately) I came across my virtually finished Cambrian borail, started many years ago and then stalled at the final hurdle for reasons I cannot now remember. Anyhow, moving on - does anybody know any details of what should be underneath the wagon in terms of brake equipment, please? I am building the kit as an original vacuum-braked example, not one of the later refurbished and air-braked versions. Having just reviewed the original kit instructions, they state that no photos (at the time) had come to light; and that the published drawing gave insufficient detail. I am assuming a couple of fairly substantial vacuum cylinders and some actuator rods; equally you will not be able to see much of it under normal circumstances - however, it would be nice to add some form of representation. Grateful for any information you may have, please. So close to completing a model, it would be nice to break the enduring 'dry spell' and actually finish something - anything - for once! Best wishes, Paul

One of the better Doncaster shows, I feel. I certainly had a good time there yesterday: some fabulous layouts and a good mix of traders, I thought - for me the balance seemed about right this year. I certainly came away with a few useful bits and bobs, just for a change. A few hours' wecome relief from the seemingly never ending wet, wind and cold outside, which is now officially very boring. Thanks to all involved for a fun day. Best wishes, Paul

Gracious - didn't realise that the flat tops survived that long - never did see one. When did they finally disappear? Best wishes, Paul

Gracious me. Whatever I might think about Sprinters, I think your picture of the '150 is probably your most lifelike yet. There is absolutely nothing to suggest, to me at least, that it is a model. Absolutely fantastic - inspirational even. Thank you for showing us. Best wishes, Paul

Great footage. I also liked the DUKWs driving into the water at speed in the opening frames. Looked like fun.

Barry, Ahead of your retirement I would like to offer my thanks for the hours of enjoyment your kits have provided me over many years. I cut my wagon building teeth on your seacow and walrus kits not long after their release; I built several wagons, including a mermaid, over long night shifts in the Falkland islands some years later (- and got them home again safely); and I am looking forward to completing the rake of turbots and a sturgeon currently occupying my sideboard. That they take me an age to finish says more about my kit building than it does about your kits! Thank you again and the very best of luck in whatever comes next. Kind regards, Paul

Evening all. Received my NSE-branded blue and grey version this afternoon, so doing the happy dance now! ( - No pictures, mercifully!) I only rarely wax lyrical, but what a splendid model: the flush glazing is superb, I love the orange curtains and I shall certainly be changing the headcode to (the supplied) '62' once I work up the courage to fiddle about with it, having so far limited myself to a quick inspection of the four vehicles. They are certainly as I remember them.....well - smaller, obviously .....but very definitely a TC, nonetheless. Next task on the list is to deep-mine the magic cupboard to locate a suitably liveried bagpipe to push it around with. Who would have thought, even just a few years ago, that Southern Region modellers would be so well catered for? For me, first the thumpers and now the TC. Well done, Kernow. Take a bow. Happy Modelling, Paul

I shall look forward to that. Had a play with the roof slates this evening: first seven courses in place and all's well. It's actually curiously therapeutic and the visual improvement significant. Barring any operator-induced errors (tired eyes, fat fingers, red wine, etc) I will post an image once application is complete! Just a thought: any scope for some of the smaller Exmouth Junction Concrete Works pre-fabricated buildings? I am thinking of some of the slightly larger structures - yard buildings, small offices, etc, - rather than platelayers' huts, though the tool shed that usually accompanies the standard southern region platelayers' hut would be nice. Best wishes, Paul

Morning all, My - beautifully packaged - parcel of bits arrived this morning safely, with everything in tact. The roofing slates are seriously impressive: they will save a lot of pain with paper and scissors. Fabulous service - thanks very much indeed! Onwards and upwards, Paul

Looking forward to the arrival of the roof tiling strips (ordered this afternoon) and some other bits various for a small project I am fiddling about with. I am also loving the LSWR/SR platform mounted signal box kit: what a fantastic little model... Beautifully thought out and a real pleasure to build. Even the bits I thought might prove tricky have been entirely painless; I just don't build very quickly, though I get there in the end. I have also been amazed at just how sturdy the structure, even in this partially completed state, is. I'm a bit torn now: cream and green (which is what it was purchased to be) or white with black trim and rather dirtier...hmmm..... A real winner: more quirky Southern Region stuff, ,please. Best wishes, Paul

What a great day yesterday. I really enjoyed myself at the show though my heart goes out to all those working, especially those in the marquees. At least I could go for a train ride to get a bit of breeze. Great layouts, a nice mix of trade and an intensive train service to boot. In fact, every time I went to catch a train, the Crompton turned up! As you can imagine from my avatar, that brought a smile from ear to ear ( - and no, I wasn't just looking at the timetable!!!! ) Thanks to all involved in whatever capacity: a really grand day out. Hope today goes as well Best wishes, Paul

LOL - so it is! TVM - Nostalgia ain't what it used to be... :-) However, I required both '642 and '643 for the same reason, so I was close! In any event, still an awesome photograph. Best wishes, P

Dave, What a wonderful picture of 47642 - possibly your best yet? There is absolutely nothing to give it away as a model. It certainly made me smile and brought back a few memories. It was one of the very last 47s I required for sight and, living in the South of England, it evaded me for years, leaving an annoying gap in my 'locoshed'. I only caught up with it in latter years at the Bo'ness and Kinneil after it had retired to preservation and I was working near Aberdeen. Waverley West never fails to impress: more of the same, please. Best wishes, Paul