Andy Hayter

It's been a while since we had anything pre-grouping. Just saying.

I agree this time John. I think many are in for a shock should the worst happen. I disagreed when you expressed surprise at the cost of refurbishing a trashed layout. I now agree because I think many thought as you do. It's only a layout a hundred notes for wood, £2-300 for track a bit for scenic and forgetting the 1000s of man hours which is the fun - unless you have to do it all over again. So if you tell the insurance company your layout is worth £1000 (or include it in items under a set value), that is the maximum you are likely to get back. Perhaps that is a benefit of using specialist insurance who might understand the true costs of refurbishment - although I have no personal experience. As to the point of thieves targeting model shops - yes thieves on the look out for model railway equipment will target shops. However the thief breaking into your garage is more likely to be looking for anything that they think they can make money on, and if it's not power tools, a ride on mower, a motor bike etc then some new looking boxes of Hornby will do as second best.

fascinating - if only in the fact that I had never considered Somerset and Dorset as shire counties,

Evil, pure evil Skinnylinny. My new year's resolution this year (and last) was to reduce my collection of unbuilt kits. You have already led me astray with the LBSCR coaches and now it seems I am going to be tempted again (and I will inevitably have to give in - resistance is indeed futile).

20 - 40k expensive? Try getting a professional to replace a garage sized fully scenic-ed layout. The man hours involved makes the cost high even if the intrinsic value of individual items might be low. And in the event of major destruction, I don't see it unwarranted to get a professional in to repair/replace what may be a lifetime's worth of your own work.

Didn't work for me - thank goodness. Moved country twice and I have not shed an empty box/Xerox of a magazine article. Now working through all those kits bought years ago for what today are pence compared with their ebay asking prices and have a wealth of books, photographs and magazine to help back up the builds.

Ks (Keyser) produced the Milestone series, but from memory there was nothing to fit the GN/GE joint area. The nearest was probably a LT&S tank. Although long out of production, they do sometimes turn up on a well known auction site.

And they honour the guarantees. I had an electric chain saw where the on/off switch stopped working as it should. Contacted them and explained that after 2.5 years the till receipt had faded to read nothing at all - along with several others in that year's pile. They sent a postal slip. I returned the body and it came back fully functional within 10 days of me sending it off.

I am fairly certain that the LNWR did have running rights as far as York. My first ever layout attempt was to have been a version of York Queen Street. I don't have the reference to hand but a look at the rail map shows the LNWR running into its central terminus in Leeds but with a diversion line from west of Holbeck onto the NER line running to South Milford and Church Fenton.

That's a business model I am familiar with and one open to smoke and mirrors manipulation. My first point would be however, so much for full support for our trade network. We've got plenty but no more for you Mr trade support.. As for manipulation (and I have no evidence that H have done this, just that it is possible to do and has been done by some companies in the past): You have a production run that does not sell as expected. You offer the surplus to yourself via your on-line web shop. You announce the item as sold out/out of stock. You create a market where there was not one before.

If you go to the Hornby website you can still pre-order a number of the 29 items announced. The number you can still pre-order is 29. Sorry Phil but it looks as if you have been sold a pup. Yes Hornby may be increasing production of these items and that is why they are still available for pre-order - although excuse me for being sceptical. If it ere so simple why did they not increase production on other recently completely sold out items? First run of Pecketts, Wainwright SECR H Class et al. Has increasing production levels suddenly become so much easier than it was just a few months ago?

I have alerted my mates in CRO and UWFRA.

And likewise I have known people that will only fill up with xxx (chose brand as required) because it is better than the rest. Whereas in most cases the fuel delivered comes from the same refinery and tank as the station down the road but carrying another badge. They clearly believe that Texaco send petrol from Milford Haven to Falkirk, while BP are sending petrol from Grangemouth to Swansea.

Of course if you want a locomotive designed for timber and freight movements over steep grades and tight curves then a Mallet design 0-6-6-0 articulated would be a good way to go The two currently in service on the Vivarais are sharing a joint 200th year birthday this year. And here is one I prepared (for the OH and her layout) earlier

Blame president Chump. Putting sanctions back on Iran means one of the worlds largest producers of crude (maybe even the largest) will not be selling anything like the quantities it has been. If the rest of OPEC stay with their agreed quotas, there will be something of a shortage coming - and most oil is bought in advance, even if a price hike today means more expensive petrol tomorrow.

Not to mention a severely reduced working week - 48hours being the norm. Many working on 6 days of the week.

The Huet designed streamlining on the 231 H 1* of the PLM looks a bit odd from the front but from the side it looks like a wreck in a scrap yard. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/peclegg/sncf/articles/article_2003_10.html note they did not build a 231 H 2 which says something for the design.

Polythene?? For use in kits?? I think not. For one there is practically no glue to fix polythene parts together. I think you may have meant polystyrene. Airfix figure sets however may well be made from polythene given how difficult it can be to get paint to adhere and then withstand handling.

Well as the French would say more politely, they are bien enrobée - which translates as well covered - which of course they are not - if you get my drift.

I fully accept the comments about my post that Twitter, Facebook et al. are not real a solution to Hornby's communication issues. There is a wealth of other organisations using such systems and they may be able to show positive benefit. However I would remind posters here that RMWeb represents perhaps 10% at best of the model railway fraternity if the numbers are to be believed. Certainly part of the other 90% will be getting their info direct from Hornby.com, twitter and facebook. We often see however posts when polls come up that criticises the accuracy with comments like our club has x members and only y bother with the internet (x is always a very small percentage of y - perhaps representing our 10% presence). I think there is a real black-hole of modellers not being reached by such tactics. This is why I am sceptical as to how much it is delivering - which is not the same as saying it is a waste of time and Hornby should stop - far from it. I say this as one who relies - indeed has to rely - on the internet for just about everything concerning railway modelling. My nearest model railway shop is a mere 300km round trip. My nearest stockist of UK model railways would be more like 1600km round trip with a return ferry crossing. Despite that I question whether a focus of the most modern forms of social media will achieve results against the current market composed of the relatively wealthily retired as a significant portion of the market. Just because other firms in other or similar market segments use it does not mean it is a real success. I do however take most seriously Widnes Model Centre's comments that it works for them, so what I am most certainly not saying is that Hornby should stop. Twitter, Facebook et al. only become a problem when firms dismiss other forms of communication in favour of these social media means. We could perhaps see these being used by Hornby in favour of the Engine Shed and quite possibly in favour of paper advertisements as well. There is I believe a real danger of jumping 100% on the new technology and leaving a substantial portion of the market behind.

I understand the point, but how many of their current customer base are deeply embedded in this technology? And before someone else says that it is to attract a new generation, how many 20 somethings are going to see a twitter feed and suddenly be turned on to model railways? I think it is good that H have these things but I do not believe the world will turn around because of it.

So it seems it is something very wooden covered in gloss. Looks like Paul may have used the right word after all.

Third track from the left the wagon going off screen has marking starting M (MR). Second track from the left GE open the other side of the first van and the furthest open wagon has a two letter designation (not NE or SR but I cannot make it out) The GW wagons could (stress could) be pre-grouping markings. However I do agree with the sentiment that there are a lot of NE, and LMS branded wagons for such an early (supposed) date.

He does have 100% feedback so I would think he is a reputable buyer (in the eyes of sellers at least).

Probably a lot bigger than many of us think - and to be frank I probably fall into the group. Despite promising myself that I am going to reduce the number of unbuilt kits, I seem to have accumulated more kits this year than I am going to be able to complete. As to when they become collectable; well I think that is probably 24hours after they are no longer available from the manufacturer and his sales outlets.