GordonC

Was the Sealink stock used seasonally? I've seen a photo of them being Class 85 hauled southbound at Carlisle but not sure where to. Similarly I thought the West Highland Green/Cream set spent the winter at Bounds Green and could appear on charters Later in the 1980s there will have been NSE liveried coaches used on charters

I'm surprised too - Maybe the TOPS numbered BR Blue livery is unusually the more popular livery for this class

also loaded with paper rolls from the paper mill at Corpach, sheeted over to protect from the elements

ah right sorry yes, I was thinking it was meant for the contacts to be so the lights worked while the nose was both lifted and lowered. Lamp irons are just above the buffers though .... https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdrew/5514634742/in/photolist-51g5YZ-9piWMm-21swvNu-GyJ7De-pzJP6X-oy4Vvr-ogSQx9-aTCvdH-ocKp8L-7riQMb-fD1cwT-kVoY5f-kHUqX-qXSpMf-8YvRC1-5wY9bH-djzGk5-9r8wTP-kmPpmr-bBAGUi-WYTycE-66QqDT-7SXFsB-4KKtLW-jvRdBw-ow9egv-oeSXbz-ouQ6TW-bvoa9w-or1du-5BUsv9-owkT1B-obNB5t-obMuEQ-7Ty1iG-owA9GP-crXNzY-5D1s4b-hU1s7W-RkQTJb-7BUs6q-egK9kh-7ijAhA-p8LXc-ygSZ5-ow9GpE-ovpypg-7dC7w4-5t3s4Z-5CEZKm interestingly, none here ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/tunnel_one/36087048284/in/photolist-WYTycE-66QqDT-7SXFsB-4KKtLW-jvRdBw-ow9egv-oeSXbz-ouQ6TW-bvoa9w-or1du-5BUsv9-owkT1B-obNB5t-obMuEQ-7Ty1iG-owA9GP-crXNzY-5D1s4b-hU1s7W-RkQTJb-7BUs6q-egK9kh-7ijAhA-p8LXc-ygSZ5-ow9GpE-ovpypg-7dC7w4-5t3s4Z-5CEZKm-odjamj-XNn7sx-5rgkc-Z5cvUi-KoGWGJ-CXj2Vt-agy6Jr-GymM-5mnKtq-9w6o4D-of1GKN-owr9pe-ouvdig-qNSJhW-odbAxC-odq9oK-fpnFdz-7Jjx42-66UJKq-7hUZLw

would the lights ever be 'on' if the nose was lifted? should the red tail have been shown prior to a loco buffering up? I'd perhaps suggest that clips for the nose to plug into to make the lights work might be unnecessary. However, was a normal portable tail lamp ever clipped on with the nose lifted like that? would something like Bachmanns Mk2s where a working small tail lamp could be clipped on be possible instead?

I think what makes a difference here would be the sums of money involved for the APT would be significantly more than the locos that we've seen crowdfunded so far. it would need careful consideration if we're committing 4 figure sums and there's any possibility of it failing

today's olivias offer looks like 25% off type 5s and class 76s EM1s among other coaches. must be one of the cheaper offers on Class 76s I've seen if anyone wants one

There is today, the website must be playing up as there was a notification out on email list of it being Graham Farish N gauge figures http://sawyermodels.co.uk/?product_cat=advent-calendar

think its previous customers must be getting sent it. Not convinced you're missing much - the ones I've looked at taking the 25% off brings the price down to what you find the same item for elsewhere. I'm sure some of those 'before' prices must've been increased!!!

There was a Crewe Works Open Day during the time when it was being repaired so there will probably be lots of photos of it being repaired ... and probably all at the same point in its repair! ...

Once one batch are produced, its one of those things that I'm not sure would ever come around again but it really was such an iconic train of its era so is worth pushing the boat out to get one

no harm in gauging interest I dont see why there's a queue formed specifying the order in which models should be produced. Was the prototype HST not being commissioned with the NRM so it could well be them rather than Rapido that thought it should be postponed. The APT-P sounded like it would be through crowdfunding, which is quite different to a commissioner coming up with a large sum of money upfront.

was Porterbrook 2 liveries or not just alternative sides on the same loco?

... but with the vast majority of trains people will travel on now being multiple units ... and a fair proportion of those being EMUs ... how many of those can be purchased as models? even from any era? DMUs are a bit more available

It probably depends on what you consider as being in good health ... I suspect we might be turning a corner towards choppier waters For OO gauge, a large number of the more popular subjects have already been produced in a variety of liveries to a high standard of model. Of course there are some gaps, but not huge gaping ones to aim at and more niche choices of subjects are left. This has to increase risk for those choosing what to produce next. Rising prices doesn't sit well with stagnating wages, rising cost of living or an abundance of second hand models which have been produced in previous years which can still attract prices higher than they were originally purchased for an aging market - I'm not convinced as many newcomers will be enticed into the hobby in future years. Less interest in spotting or modelling at a younger age to then bring folk back at an older age with more time and money later in life We might never have had it so good at the moment, but I do worry where its heading

Bachmann probably also dont want everything from the 2017/2018 catalogue coming out all at once either too though, customers have to have the free cash to buy after all, so they will intentionally spread some of the releases through the year ... even reliveries

it might be scheduling in a production slot more than anything else

your postage is fine with me, never had any problems with it and waiting a day or two is fine!

I think I stumbled across this when I was taking a body off, the tank moulding popped off fairly easily and the switch assembly just slotted into a space in the tank moulding. you'll probably find there is a little give in the wiring that it could be moved to a different position for an alternative tank moulding The one I was looking at had the later battery box only moulding so no water tanks and no extended range fuel tanks

was the old one not locked because of continual arguments as to whether it was only bargains or discussion too? 'As for scattering information, if you follow this thread you'll know where the related topic has gone. As the poster will hopefully post a link to it.' So are you saying that a link should be posted in here to say a new topic has been created? Is that not a bit contradictory if you're wanting only bargains but also postings of new related topics being started? Cant have it both ways

Is it possibly the case that when a 'celebrity' is produced that if its a personal favourite then there's more motivation to buy that particular one while its available with the likelihood of it being produced again slim. There's perhaps less motivation to buy a run-of-the-mill loco right there and then. I'm probably as guilty as anyone of having a high-ratio of celebrities to normal locos!

.... but is it not perfectly valid to point out a warning where something might seem a bargain but there's a problem with it? If new topics are scattered all over the place folk would never see that information and wrong information can be posted in the BARGAINS one all the time. Its not hard to just keep scrolling if you dont like the post or aren't interested in its contents. I dont buy N gauge .... should there be separate N gauge and OO gauge BARGAIN topics so I only get the relevant ones? No, everythings in the one place and some bargains aren't restricted to a particular scale

I've never seen one. It could be pretty difficult to come up with bearing in mind when they gained the flush front and in some cases lost them again!

The Class 85 releases have never been in the 'bargain bin' in the way that some releases have. What about the batch of life-extended Class 47s - 47365, 47745 and 47834 ... they practically couldn't give them away with prices down to about half full RRP price. Does that make Class 47s bad sellers?

There's an awful lot of 86s that could be produced in a variety of liveries, if they produce a definitive model then it could keep them going in sales for years. Heljans reluctance to build on their good chassis is surprising