Godfrey Glyn

A few Southern Pride Kits:-

Good Morning SWAGers, Just few additions to the Great SWAG B&B sale on Sunday more to come all the best Godfrey

Great news - lots of forms for the Great SWAG Bring and Buy have been downloaded. You all now have a clear weekend ahead to sort through all those bits and pieces, books and models that you want to pass on to a fellow modeller who will cherish them and put them to good use. You know it makes sense! Just a few taster items will be appearing over the next week and for starters we have four high quality books that will be displayed at Taunton Happy sorting! all the very best Godfrey

Spring is almost here and that can only mean one thing – the SWAG Day at Taunton is about to take place. We all know what a very special, nay unique, model railway event this is. Some come because of the chance to meet RMWeb friends and enjoy face to face conversations and banter, some for the high-quality models, layouts and displays, some for the demonstrations and brilliant inspirational ideas and some for the specialist retailers. Many come for the Pasties and Cake but let’s be honest, most come for the amazing Bring and Buy sale. It’s a wonderful opportunity to shift some of those items that have been in your ‘To do’ drawers for too long but could very well be just the thing another enthusiast would give their right arm to take home – well maybe not their right arm but you know what I mean! The sales will also help a good cause and 10% will go to the charity that is chosen each year. So please have a good look through your modelling stores and bookshelves and look out those items (no tat please) that you would like to contribute to this worthwhile upcycling event. Attached is a form that we hope covers all the necessary details that you can download and print off and bring with your items for sale on the 23rd. Please do make use of this thread to advertise any special items you would like to promote and that will be available for purchase at SWAG this year. We will be able to accept card payments on the day, but cash is always welcome, gold bars even more so! Happy sorting and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to PM me. All the best Godfrey SWAG2023Form-Final.docx

My small order of two Spartans and a Haaglunds BV206 arrived yesterday, beautifully packed. I am really impressed and will certainly be getting some more. I do hope that this development is a success for Trains4U and that it leads to more suitable subjects for the Warflats! Many thanks. all the best Godfrey

I am a regular day visitor to the Great Dorset Stream Fair, a fascinating event on a whole range of levels. It's always interesting to see the the huge range of steam driven machines working, and the people who spend hours on bringing them back to working condition. The range of stalls on the site is huge, as is the site itself and just watching the people there is a topic all on its own! I have only ever visited early on day one and usually head off home around mid afternoon so I have never experienced the music performances in the evening but many people go for the whole event and camp on site. Both Hornby and Oxford have supported the event for many years, when Taffy was just Oxford he could usually be found in the small tent alongside the main route through the event. Hornby have always been near to the western side of the site and Simon has usually been there to sell and talk to punters. Getting there early on day one provides the opportunity have a long talk with Simon and very occasionally to get a bargain of something, ( assuming of course its something you have haven't already bought for a lot more!) I happily admit to having enjoyed this second series, its just television light entertainment, not Panorama and whilst much of the terminology in the voice over is often irritating it works well as a programme for the general public and will have done Hornby no harm. all the best Godfrey

Picked up mine from Paul at Alton yesterday, I think it's a wonderful model. He has a GWR liveried example in stock which looks equally beautiful. Well done Dapol!

Hi Rob, Without giving too much away, can you tell us in which direction from Taunton the 20 minute drive lies. I would be coming from Seaton so anywhere north of Taunton would create a long trip, much as I would like to attend. many thanks Godfrey

Picked up my three from Paul at Alton on Saturday. they are BEAUTIFUL! Must be in the running for the best OO RTR wagon ever produced. Thank you Rapido! all the best Godfrey

Looking forward to visiting my old work place and spending time at what is, on past evidence, an outstanding exhibition. Some particularly excellent layouts booked for this year. all the best Godfrey

I actually think it is rather important to all of us who buy Accurascale's products that they make a profit. I seem to remember that back in 1959 BL produced a very interesting product, the Mini. Front wheel drive and lots of other features that were ahead of the times. It was very reasonably priced. In fact of course, the accountants did not realise at the time it was such a bargain because they were losing money on each Mini they sold. We all know what happened as a result. So I hope and trust that Accurascale are as good at managing their finances as they obviously are at designing and commissioning their models. They are needless to say extracting quite a bit out of my bank account and long may they continue! all the best Godfrey

Sorry can’t help with the Southern Railway version. I collected the BR(S) version from Paul this morning which has Composite S5043 in the set. It matches the photo in Weddell on page 34 of S 5048 which shows that the first class compartments are identified with a 1, but the third class ones do not have any marking on their doors. best wishes Godfrey

These are now out. Picked up my first set from Paul at Alton Model Centre this morning First impressions good, carriages very nicely presented in a stout well padded box with a magnetic catch for the lid. Seem to measure up well with the drawing in Weddell’s LSWR Carriages in the 20th Century. Very pleased with these additions. Thank you Kernow! all the best Godfrey

Very many thanks to you Brian, his team and also Andy for all the work has gone into this poll and producing the results so quickly. Some fascinating outcomes and I am personally pleased that quite a few others would also buy some of the items on my list! I always live in hope, given the days we live in, its the only way! I shall start to save for the Hornbys and Diag. 2406s!! all the very best Godfrey

McC, my experience of working with Chinese people is that they are no different to other nationalities in that they appreciate genuine thanks expressed for good service, in addition to a healthy pay packet. Godfrey

Fran, many thanks for the photographs. The Siphons look fantastic and all credit to the young Chinese who are making them and doing the fiddly jobs that will make this an outstanding model. I am so pleased to see that they are working in a well lit and heated environment, a few years ago I saw some photos taken of a model railway production line in China where all the workers were wearing overcoats and the lighting was appalling. Good to see things are improving or you have carefully chosen your manufacturer. Really looking forward to these. all the best Godfrey

A small item to go with the chaldrons? It must be Locomotion. I can’t think of any other model railway company who would be brave enough to produce one, and indeed any more qualified to actually deliver one! What ever it is I am looking forward to seeing the announcement. all the best Godfrey

An O2 and M7 in O gauge would be wonderful for those of us who like the idea of building a layout of somewhere where the two regions meet. all the best Godfrey

Re price increases, there was a mention in a report on the BBC News whilst interviewing a manufacturer who said that even before last week's Trussian induced currency fall the pound had dropped by 15% against the dollar this year. I do feel some sympathy for our model railway firms trying to cope with this degree of exchange rate volatility. The 73 looks fantastic but sadly, I suspect like a lot of us, I will be unable to justify the outlay. all the best in difficult times Godfrey

For me its a great shame that Dapol cannot get their act together regarding marketing their upcoming products to us the customers and, from what I have heard, to retailers. I have in the past collected Dapol leaflets from their stand at exhibitions and passed them on to my local model shop who, otherwise, would not have learnt about the firm's developments for several weeks. These days it should be simple. I for one am really excited by what is coming in O, I just now need to start putting the pounds away for the day that they arrive. all the best Godfrey

From the photographs we have seen so far these look to be superb, a mega improvement on the original productions from Bachmann and I am really looking forward to them arriving at my local model shop despite the hurt to my wallet! It does seem silly that they have not done the Diagram 2406 loose brake composites, I do hope they have taken the advice they have been given by Graham and Brian. I also hope that at some point they will do the Tavern Car sets, they weren’t just found on the Southern Region and would make a special addition to the range. all the best Godfrey

A great show with some superb layouts, inspiration in every room - though it always takes me some time to orientate myself to find them all! All in all a great package, easy parking in the field at the end of Silver Street, beautiful location, loads of places to eat and drink as well as at the exhibition itself. All the shopping needs met and lots of familiar faces with whom you can catch up. Very many thanks to the team who organise it, it’s one of those very special events which makes the drive from Alton an easy decision. Many thanks! All the very best Godfrey

Mine arrived safely this morning and was placed in the ‘Post/Papers/Parcels’ box outside the front door, all well within the four hour delivery window. Surprised that he didn’t ring the bell but otherwise all fine. The model is absolutely stunning and all four chains fully attached. A truly great model and hopefully a small contribution to the NRM as well. Many thanks Accurascale, looking forward to the 37, 92, Manor et al!! All the best Godfrey

Fran said - "Current info is that the boat will dock at the weekend, " I hate to be pedantic Fran, especially as I simply love everything you produce (order list available as proof) , but keeping to the accuracy that you are already famous for, I hope they are coming on a SHIP, not a boat!! Its a bit like people calling a locomotive a train!! All the very best and really looking forward to receiving my set of Deltics as and when you and the team get them to me. Godfrey

Re Sales reps - Living in the south I was told by my local model shop that the reps were going but I was up north last week and visited a well stocked and established model shop and was told there that they still had a Hornby rep and he indicated that Hornby would be appointing new ones to cover down south. All the very best Godfrey