RAYTHEROCK

Playing around with my set of 3 6-wheelers - would like to close up the gap between coaches but cannot find anything suitable. They are fitted with Hornby R8219; I looked at Fleischmann 6574 and also the Hornby "Close coupling" that comes with the Gresley suburbans but no good. Anyone any ideas?

Inclined to agree with Gilwell Park that brown would have been more likely than cash-strapped early BR painting three old rattletraps crimson but we live in a land of make believe... I might respray mine eventually, but for the minute am more interesting in closing up the coupling gap and removing the plethora of nosmo king stickers - and playing trains. Have to say I did not realise Hornby had actually brought them in already and nearly got caught out - thanks Bure Valley and Colletts Models. One gets so used to endless announcements with deliveries far in the future or endless postponements .

Share the disappointment of GE fans - why was our one picked to be discontinued? It is a pity one cannot rely on manufacturers' programmes any more.

Can we expect another 3 months' delay on the tarted up BR version? September is nearly gone now...

I've read some of the many pages on this. Can't see it has any real relevance to Railway Modelling. If it makes a positive contribution to the Hornby balance sheet then good, otherwise it has a whiff of those London Olympics rubbish figures about it. How much of Hornby's limited manufacturing capacity is to be taken up with this? Also fully agree with those who commented on the cheapening of the Bassett-Lowke brand. Certainly not for me; cobblers should stick to their last, and cobblers is what this lot is.

I second PaulG's suggestion - could a B2 be produced by combining B17 and B1 components - Hornby? For my money I'd still like a Buckjumper of some sort, as small engines appear to be in fashion.

Rather concerned that Chas Levin reports Oxford Rail have no repair facilities - I don't think Peter's Spares hold any spare parts for them either. Longterm this could lead to problems in keeping locos running. (Hornby spares also seem to be in short supply). Hoping to see my 69612 soon now - meantime has anyone a simple solution to those far too long couplings?

I'd like to remove the APC roundel but what's the best way to do that without spoiling the paint finish? Or maybe paint over it if I can match the colour? Already renamed with plates from Modelmaster to fit in with my imaginary and yet to be built sugar refinery. All track is Peco 100 so flanges are not a mechanical problem, only an aesthetic one!

Wonder if there is any hope to see these in carmine/cream one bay?

Going back towards the original theme I seem to remember H-D advertising an Adams Radial Tank just before they went under?

Norton Wood's suggestion of a J69 or E4 heartily seconded!

Somewhere in the loft I still have a 45rpm record - "N7 on the Jazz" Argo Transacord....

Can any one help with information on the type of wagon used for this traffic back in the 50's? The beet processors used a significant tonnage of limestone inter alia. Did it come in sheeted 16t mineral wagons, hoppers or those rather quaint wagons with sloping roofs?

I know nothing about how it could be done, but instead of producing more B17's could Hornby combine the B1 boiler/footplate with the works of the B17 to produce Thompson's B2 2-cyl variant; Thompson's star seems to be in the ascendant - L1, K1, O1, B12/3....forget the mutilations of Gresley's Pacifics and P2's!

Thank goodness Hattons use 48 hr tracked - given the value of the little blighters! Has anyone else had bad experience with Amazon sendings by Royal Mail? SO far this year 2 Cd's and now a book have just "disappeared". Surely if they go in to Royal Mail they have to come out of the system, and if they are not delivered to me where do they go? Tempting to think half-inched on the way somewhere but not by our village posties.

I thought maybe you had rolled them all out of DAS or something! Raytherock

Mullie - just one question on this superb GE layout - how did you make all those sugar beet please? Hornby has certainly served us swedies well - B17, J15, D16/3, new B12 coming, - 'tannia's, Sandies and Dub-D's were the locos of my first interest in Elsenham 1950-2 - love them all.