ThaneofFife

someone tried to get all flirtatious with a paintbrush on the headcode surround? well the big day is getting close now then.........

Vintage stuff. Nice find Michael.

I stumbled across this photo on the web with a BR TOPS Class 85 wearing its BR arrows at the cab end rather than in the centre of the bodysides. I dont know if this was a blip or if a number of these locos were shopped out like this..... http://www.martinbray-ukloco.com/images/class85/85032-stonebridgep-090987.jpg

that a very thorough bit of info from Bachmann so the roarers are on the way........good stuff although a May release now seems less likely and the June date would seem to be the month we actually lay our hands on them. delamars photographs of these 85s just get better. is that a Gresley coach behind the loco on 1T61? pleasing also to hear that there are no bogie issues to delay them afterall the original release date was March - where on earth does a rumour like that originate from when they are already in the middle of the ocean??? i am looking forward to reading up on the models in the modelling press next month. go back a few pages regarding the 85 at Preston hauling a few milk wagons re; Swindon - Carlisle comment.

Granted it will certainly have an impact on the ease of sales for hand me down models where confusion may arise over what model you have or if they are dealing with a seller who doesnt know what they have.

you ought to hook up with the chap modelling Glasgow QS with a long stretch in the middle ! i like the idea of an extension particularly one based on Oban. look forward to more updates.

We cant always have things in quite the way we want them and I think with ebay its all about a bit of give and take. Why bother blowing a gasket if somebody sells an item for more than we would have been willing to pay? Another model will be just around the corner perhaps for a 5th of the price....... So what if some of the sellers regularly seem to take the Michael? A few "Delboys" are not going to rock the used model railway boat. You begin to see trends on some items if you are an avid buyer/watcher and the prices being fetched can fluctuate wildly from one end of the year to the other and like most trends they come and go. Ive seen some coaches fetch £15-20 then 6 months later you see a flurry of them fetching crazy prices of £60, 70. Weve all seen the fag packet Mk3 buffets selling for over £150 but blink and the next one might be back down to £20. Some of the "Rodneys" with similar items in theor possession probably home in and put up high BIN or starting prices. I couldnt care less what they want to sell them for - its their models to sell and if everyone had the same view that the prices were unreasonable they wouldnt keep selling them like they are now. I think its less the "aforementioned "Dels and Rodneys" who have a problem and would suggest its more the envy of those that dont own the very models that are fetching the high prices. Sometimes I sell an item and lose a considerable sum (I dont bother setting reserves to save me in fees and that encourages bidding) and sure it can be disheartening but then on a good day you might auction off something pretty rare and get really strong money for it.

I was clutching at straws thinking it might be a working that usually took the S&C and this AL5 trip was a rare diversion ??? Doesnt explain its origin though or destination. I cant find anything else on this at the mo, only Milk workings in Devon & Cornwall and out of South Wales into the smoke...... Will keep digging away to see if I can find any answers.....

I dont even think one has to mention any names to know who the trouble makers are.

I know there were some sidings and postal bays (was there also a goods depot in that vicinity in 1979?) on the west side of the station at the southern end so maybe they emanated from here?

Pfff....never heard of that before andi. i can see your point makes some sense in theory but in practice not so sure as juggling aircon stock around to ensure it avoids neutral sections ie; avoiding electric locos, sounds a right faff.

Bad business at that, on the evidence presented here. As for Dapol availability - Orders by Phone/Post/Online anyone?

I model for myself and care not a jot in whether my results promote me to the ranks of the so called "made it" brigade. Having unsolicited praise heaped upon you for your efforts is one thing. Spending time wondering about whether you see yourself as reaching some higher place in the modelling world is quite another. Enjoying what you do is the main thing.

No need, there are a few examples shown in Modern Locomotives Illustrated for the Class 80 to Class 85 for anybody that has it. One of the 85s even hauling a Glasgow to Euston pictured at Crewe with Mk1 Mk2 and Mk3 stock in tow. They hauled Mk3s alright that much weve established. I wish I could go along with the suggestion made about the Liver/Manchester "splitters" via Preston as these were rarely if ever made up of Mk3 stock having travelled many a time on these trains north and southbound in the late 70s to mid- 80s. They were largely a mix of the early Mk2 and then later Mk2e/f plus your BG or what have you Mk1. Ive certainly never seen or heard of any Mk3 rakes getting joined or split either at Preston during the period mentioned. Mk3s may well have been split at Carstairs but not on services to Liver/Man. The 85 does stand a good chance of having just brought the stock in from Edge Hill CS as empties but that alone doesnt explain the conundrum that is, why is 1st is at the Liverpool Lime Street end.........the mystery rattles on and so do the speculations!

well i can see having the different frame (for those locos that received the new glass) might be important to some modellers but i doubt anyone would feel robbed if the thickness of the drivers pane wasnt shall we say........ "to scale". I'm all for detail but this wouldnt lose me any sleep.

Although I cant tell looking at the windows it is possible that vehicle was declassified to 2nd class, maybe on a weekend. A common practice during this period circa 1982. Also its not beyond the realms of possibility that the stock had to be reversed at Birmingham New Street or on the Soho circle if there was a blockage on. Failing that it does seem uncommon to not have 1st at the Euston end and barriered with a BG. We're getting some great photos of roarers just lately and this one at Lime Street is a really good B&W one.

Re; Sheds Check with your insurance company that any locks used on sheds meet with their requirements. For a valuable collection they would probably also want to know about its construction including the type of windows fitted. Tagged micro dots can also be brushed onto your models.

The 85 in BR TOPS days could quite often be seen hauling many a train with Mk3s, sometimes full rakes as stand in for a 86 or 87.

well thanks for those photos Derek as they really are an eye opener. I see what Andi was talking about now with the reinforced frame. At least the centre window on the model is bang on then as it clearly should be taller than those either side - I previous thought they were all level. I never noticed before on the real things-photos like this really do help to avoid the blurring that your memory suffers from since the 1990s.

I can just about make out a smidgen of a difference in height but I am struggling to convince myself its there at all. Its like when my GP told me last week that I had a hernia "it was so small as to be insignificant". I reckon its the camera possibly causing a trick on us as the cab front is mildly curved (side to side) and from certain angles it can appear that the drivers window has a touch more frame at the bottom. Its the same on the other side but less obvious as its a slightly different angle of shot. However who thinks the centre window looks a touch higher than the ones on either side? Its probably less obvious on BR blue versions but on this electric blue version with the white paint it does seem to go higher up. see pics 1,3 and 4. ....and finally in the last pic. is that insulator next to the pantograph nearest the camera supposed to be that large?

with my eyesight they all look exactly the same. which pic shows it up best then? i am still trying to figure out how Bachmann came to the decision to fit a 00 gauge figure of TellyTubby "Po" in the drivers seat.

Clearly this has been in the planning stages for sometime then given the close timing of the retailers annoucements for special editions. Long overdue. Good to hear modellers wont be waiting for 2.5 years.

This was a detail picked up on almost a year ago. An etch may be made available unless Bachmann add 4 cowls into the detailing pack for retro fitting because of course from new youll know they didnt have them

Great photos of all 3 releases. If these dont spark a whole range of brand new electric locos then nothing will whether its from Bachmann or anybody else. The AL1 is probably just around the corner.