LU_fan

Might be fun, but I was thinking along the same lines as Zomboid and going for the proper 90's feel.

57306 and 57603 top and tailing the Night Riviera at Paddington, October 25th 2018.

90041 at Euston with the northbound Caledonian Sleeper, October 31st 2018. 91128 and 91129 at King's Cross, November 1st 2018.

68013 and 68014 at Marylebone, October 31st 2018.

That is awesome, but wouldn't King's Cross be a better option than Paddington? I mean, seeing as how the 91's were ordered specifically for the ECML, and have worked side by side with 43's all along.

Makes me want to go back to London again, just to catch this. When exactly will they start phasing them out? And, as a side question, is there any way for railfans to know which loco is on which train...? When I went to Hungary last time I actually downloaded an app where you can search for a specific locomotive and see, in real time, where it is. It would help a lot in catching a specific train.

Managed to catch a few on my last visit to London:

Actually, that was another thing that took me by surprise, that there was still so much left from the NSE days. Same thing happened at Victoria, noticed quite a few NSE clocks and logos. I knew the Northern City Line was basically like a time capsule, but the amount of stuff I found elsewhere was a bit unexpected.

Don't know if this is the correct section, but I think it is. When visiting Marylebone last week, I noticed that at least two signs in the corridor from the Bakerloo line to Marylebone station said "British Rail" instead of "National Rail." Is there any particular reason for this?

And here I was thinking that they represented two different eras. But, ok, so the hook is just there to make removal easier? Alright, well, as my coaches are non-DCC and I wasn't actually planning on using any tail lamps at all, I might just go ahead and use the non-hooked version on both ends.

Forgot that was actually possible. Thanks for the tip!

As I tried to explain in the description, I thought I would make do with just one thread for my various questions and such that might not warrant their own threads. Questions which might just need a single reply to solve. I hope that's alright with the admins? Anyway... My first question is one I've asked before in two places without any real response. The new Bachmann Mk2F coaches come with two types of blanking plates for when you're not using the tail lamp, one with a hook and one without. Does it matter which one you use? Like, is one better suited to a specific era than the other? I'm not talking about the tail lamps themselves, keep that in mind. I'm wondering about the blanking plates only.

Don't know if this belongs here but as someone who doesn't use the supplied couplers, instead preferring the Fleischmann Profi couplers, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the NEM pockets on these coaches are at the correct height. Still just a little bit too far in, but using the adjustable couplers works just fine.

Landed back home a few hours ago, and I would just like to thank everyone for their help. I managed to check out Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo, Marylebone, and King's Cross for a couple hours each. Travelled around all over the Oyster map with no real plan, all the way out to zones 8 and 9. Gotta admit that the Oyster travelcards are much more inclusive than I previously thought. Spent some time at Alexandra Palace, where I managed to catch a 717 on what I assume was a test run. No destination, all the lights turned off, wasn't scheduled to stop. Filmed and rode the 313's on the NCL for the first and, most likely, last time. Caught both the Night Riviera and the 23:50 Caledonian Sleeper, one time each. Saw and filmed quite a few diesels, including a few unexpected 66's, though mostly HST's and Chiltern DMU's. Honestly, not disappointed. I did go to the Isle of Wight, though only for a few hours before darkness fell. But it was worth it. All in all a pretty good trip, even though I did get soaked from head to toe while at King's Cross earlier today. But I've only got myself to blame. I just had to catch that one Virgin branded 43 departing.

I've gone and done a bad. Purchased three of these a few days ago, including the blue/grey RFB. Didn't remember until the day after that it was the wrong era for what I was planning. Though that could be the start of a charter train. Anyway, the coaches do look very good. There are however a few things I'm wondering. •The interior. I know the seats are the wrong way around in the FO and I'm planning on turning them when I get home. But, would that mean haivng to turn the whole interior, or is the seating area a separate part from the rest? •The blanking plates. I'm not planning on using the tail lamps, but I'm not sure which blanking plates to use. Don't known if it makes any difference either. My coaches should represent the late 1980's, so which fits best, the ones with hook or without? •Seeing as I use Fleischmann Profi couplers on my trains, I'm guessing I would have to swap the NEM pockets on these coaches too. But do these use the same installation as their older Mk2 models?

Well, that answers that. Don't know where it came from as it wasn't first hand information.

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but this past Friday I was told that at least some of the 50's were rebuilt so they could actually operate a push-pull service with the 4-TC sets. Would anyone happen to have any more information about that? First of all, could anyone confirm if that really did happen? And if so, which locomotives were rebuilt?

Went out to Paddington last night to film the Night Riviera departing, and that was a little interesting. The only information desks I could find were GWR, which were closed btw, as were the only members of staff I could see. So I spoke to one of their staff, stated my intentions to photograph the trains. He pointed me towards a group of Network Rail employees I hadn't seen. Went and spoke to one of them, and he pointed me back towards the GWR staff. None of them really seemed to know what to do. But they let me in, and I managed to catch an HST and a Class 800 as well, so all in all, I'd say it was a success.

I managed to find another site which offers through tickets*, but I haven't booked any yet. Mainly because I'm not really sure how these tickets work. It's funny, though. That site does sell combined tickets, but under their customer service tab they advice people to contact another retailer about them. I'm starting to wonder if it might be easier to buy each ticket separately. * https://www.directferries.co.uk/train_and_ferry_to_isle_of_wight.htm

Don't know for sure, but I read something about that being done for the VSOE.

Not a picture, but found a YouTube video:

Thanks to the magic of Train Simulator, this is what it might have looked like. I know the locomotive is wearing a mix of Exec and Swallow, but it's the best version I've found.

Really? Huh. I must admit, that came as a surprise.

Huh. 50's and Mk.IV? Now that... That I'd like to see. Luckily I have Train Sim to help.