w124bob

It would seem the the Americans even like their OXO cubes super size! Reporting mark is KEYX

Yes the Liverpool ones are the cheapest at the moment, £109 retail on the Bachmann website, 4 different colours all over £85 at another well known retailer and $129 via Walthers site !

Yes the side rods are almost hypnotic, the green model seems to be still available at a reasonable price. Here is a real one with an interesting addition a one end, a winch.

I'm not trying to take over this thread, just have a thing about scrap gondolas(I'm taking the tablets nurse!). Here is my own 45 tonner, which has appeared before.

RELCO have have several S2/S4 switchers on their fleet, as the livery is all yellow the Bachmann S2/S4 in UP would make an easy staring point http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=RLCX

I have a 45 tonner in green which runs very well on DCC, there is a slight buzz (silent on DC) which is in built to agitate the commutator at very slow revs. The cross ways air tanks unclip to reveal a circular weight which drops out to allow space for 10mm speaker, the decoder is a generic Bachmann one, but very tuneable and the loco will run over #5 dead frog points without problems. 4 cars are about max on level track but I guess that is about prototypical. The 44 tonner is now cheaper by about £20 but I have no knowledge of it's performance. Walthers SW1 might make a good alternative, the current Rock Island red with yellows ends would be my starting point.

How about one of these for you're scrap yard power, ELG Metals Port Vue PA.

Well I couldn't resist, anyone recognise the car with the wheel missing in the second picture.

Thanks for the info regarding NWC301P, I notice that NWC300P also appeared on a white Cortina and that several Sweeney cars had an NHK suffix WC and HK both being Chelmsford codes . I assume that Chelmsford would quite possible be close to Dagenham .

NWC301P as used in series 7 I believe, a 3litre GL, S, or slightly earlier Consul GT would be very high on my "lets spend the pension pot" wish list. Although I would be tempted to go left field and try to pick up a German spec Mk1 or 2 2door saloon, the 2 lt cars are a small V6 based on the Cologne engine . If you were really desperate you could have a 1700 V4, an engine which Ford dropped in the UK with the death of the Corsair(early Transits got it) I think.

I assume the bicycle is used to tow start the Mini !

I like the switcher,nice bit of street running in the first picture and the driver seems to have left his coffee at the bottom of the steps!

Cheers checked my own saved photos from various sources here are some you might find interesting,Pan Am train PL1 East Deerfield This has been on my files for ages and I can't give you any details, I just saved it as it looked an interesting setup Here is a scruffy looking Sullivan stealth gondola Pan Am also serve Albert Bros scrap at Waterbury CT http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?road=ABSX&cid=6 I have never mastered Google Maps screen grabs but did search and find the Albert Bros yard East Aurora st Waterbury looked one long spur crossing over a river and into the yard.

Intermountain are doing another run of their bathtub coal gondola in several liveries including the Sullivan version scroll down http://www.intermountain-railway.com/newshocomingsoon.html this long gondola runs from EAMX401>439. I have one Procor patch out it's a nice model but a bit fragile particularly the up right end grab rails. The coupler boxes are held on with tiny pins which don't hold up to much. Probably ok with a couple of trailing cars, I've not looked at the Athearn version but I really rate the Atlas Coalveyer, it has a real chunkness to it!

I've weathered up several scrap gondolas including a couple of Atlas ex coalveyers in the Sullivan livery, hard to find now but you may be interested to know that Sullivan have a few of the longer coalveyers that Intermountain did (ex Procor), there now plain with just the EAMX reporting mark. Here is the link, scroll down and there is a link to the EAMX page on Railroad archive pics as well http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/84363-bt-metals-freightcar-fleet-and-sullivan-scrap-loads/. All of my Thrall high side gondolas are the Roundhouse kits picked up of Ebay. Also check the Walthers highside gondola, the DJJX is another common one in scrap service . Can't remember now whether it's PanAm/Guilford or Provident and Worcseter that handle the Sullivan traffic but both handle a fair bit of scrap traffic.

I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite out of all those but the Mercedes Benz CE would probably just edge it, there an almost completely different car from the front screen back and expensive to restore except for the oily bits and running gear. I imagine a manual box on an XJ gives the car a very different feel ? From my 70's brochure collection the Jaguar/Daimler ones were the only ones I kept. I still droll over the Double Six VDP in Lavender. A very dodgey memory but I'm sure I've seen reference to a VDP coupe?

Yes a Mk1, it's the door frames which give the ID, Mk2 are thin and chromed, cheers for the info.

Ten minutes digging reveals that 999RBB still exists and was in the possession of E Type UK, it is chassis #57 so a very early car! http://etypeuk.com/articles/10/2013-06-10/1961-series-1-outside-locking-e-type/

Many years ago I took these at a workshop at Hinckley my home town, look closely at this Mk10 it's a convertible!https://www.flickr.com/photos/28630680@N06/5988174581/in/set-72157621820084029 a very early E type, 999RBB I think, wonder if it's still around? https://www.flickr.com/photos/28630680@N06/5988174767/in/album-72157621820084029/ and a race prepped Mk2 with my Cortina lurking in the background which makes it around mid 1980, it replaced a brown Avenger https://www.flickr.com/photos/28630680@N06/5988174265/in/album-72157621820084029/

Couple of pages ago I posted and said there was a compound at the back of Manchester Piccadilly(corner of Faitfield st and Saint Andrews st) with some old classics rotting away, well early this morning on the way into work I noticed the ladies of a certain profession were on holiday so stopped and got 5 photographs. Most of the site on the Fairfield side is behind a hedge and railing so these are about the best anyone is going to get. There are about 8 Jags including 2 XJS, 2 XJ40, an XJ coupe in white and a series 1 saloon in pale blue plus a Silver Spur and a Merc W123 280E. Anyone who can get access to the NR offices across the road at Manchester One would get a birds eye view!

Dutch love their 2CV's as well.

Mostly true about the Chrysler years at MB, however very early C class on L & M plates are worth looking out for and saving. There are issues with late model W124's all the mulit valve petrol engines need head gasket work and the wiring loom was changed to a sort of plastic which turned out be bio degradable! The 5 speed auto boxes(6 pot cars only) are not as robust as the almost bullet proof 4 speeder due the use of electronics, they're not deal breakers just a bit more expensive to fix. A very early ('94 or '95) C250D in good nick is a guaranteed money maker. Here is a link to a dutch Mercedes Benz specialist and the prices are fairly eye watering, in fairness there are fairly hefty taxes even on 2nd hand cars upto 25 years old, this tends to distort all old car values in Holland http://www.klaasdepoel.com/verkoop/w202-c280-elegance-leder-rollo-cruise-airco/#.VRfAlPnF9rscheck the rest of his stock here http://www.klaasdepoel.com/verkoop/#.VRfBtfnF9rs

Just been trawling through various 1-76 scale Moggies and non seem to quite capture the right look, the best is Corgi trackside Moggy van. Incidently for HO the Brekina Moggy is very good, would certainly pass ok as a background vehicle on a OO scene. As would their Rover 3500(P5B) and Mk1 Granada in various versions. Now back to real cars, now late 80's Mercs may not be classics just yet, values of good ones are certainly creeping up. This was taken opposite the station at Limoux in the south of France on the same day as the Amy featured earlier, it's a diesel(wing vents are the give away) and from memory a 250D. Another car very high on my christmas list!

Incidently the DS has tenuous railway connection, just behind the Audi is Dean Hall home of Manchester Model Railway Society . I'll try and get a piccy of the Lancia Fulvia, in the mean time this little gem has also appeared locally. OF indicates it's from Brum originally(pun intended!) despite the scruff look it is a daily driver.

I used to work in the early 80's with a chap who was a train drive at Orpington and secretary of of the Humber Owners club, he had a nice Super Snipe estate among his collection. Years later I met him again after he had moved to Llandudno Junc, he was still into Humbers. Finally here is the DS Now something big and chromey! A '57 Pontiac Chieftian on the Island of Mallorca at the resort of Alcudia.