The Pilotman

I haven't seen this livery variation on the thread yet. I don't know the number or working but the train is on the down main at Lower Basildon (Between Pangbourne and Goring & Streatley) and the date is July 31st 1988. Coming the other way is the 1000 Swansea to Paddington

CR Signals do colour light signals in N, both working and dummy versions. www.crsignals.com

It may have been mentioned before, but I always like the effect you get at Paddington where the curved platform ends give that staggered positioning of the HST cabs as shown in Nidge's shot in post #26.

Lovely shots today, David, with the added human interest of the lineside resident fixing his car. I don’t know how many (if any) days you have missed since starting your photographic walk down memory lane but I for one would not want you to risk further health issues for the sake of continuity. Please take a break if your posts on here are causing you problems, and I hope you are back to full strength soon.

To be fair to Dapol, on their Digest page they do say that there are some minor tweaks required on each, and a number of errors on the refurbished EP model, but do not list them all. May I heartily recommend to anyone who thinks their input/comments will result in a better finished product to put those comments on Dapol Digest rather than just on here. If you aren’t registered, it is a simple process (I know because I did it yesterday).

I have asked on the Dapol Digest if they could post a head-on view of the front. I think it will be easier to judge the window issue that way.

That thought occurred to me too, but I’m really not sure. If they are too big, then it’s not by very much at all. Seeing a head on view of the front would help. In any case, nothing there to stop me cancelling any of my pre-orders; they look very impressive.

Not listed in the first batch. As there were only 6 refurbished in this condition (1,6,13,17,19 and 47) and for a relatively short period, I doubt you'll see one done.

That would be helpful, thanks. I have just registered for Dapol Digest but am awaiting approval before I can post anything. It’s not a big issue, clearly, and whilst they are not going to pick a different number at this late stage, at least if they leave the NSE flash off the final model, it will be accurate for most of the time that the loco ran in this livery with Leviathan nameplates.

I’ve seen this and other similar pictures where the caption says “Leviathan” but where the nameplate is definitely “Centurion” and also with the latter name there is a crest above the nameplate which “Leviathan” didn’t have. It seems a strange choice by Dapol to pick the only 50 to carry two different names with the same colour scheme as that immediately restricts the timescale available. As I said, I doesn’t bother me at all as none of the ones I’ve ordered will stay as 50040 but I will mention it to Dapol.

Nice pictures. Hopefully the EP will make an appearance soon. I’ve just realised that the large logo model has an NSE flash between the marker lights on one end. As it will also carry the original Leviathan nameplates rather than the later Centurion nameplates, I wonder if the loco ever ran like that in reality. In all the pictures I’ve seen, by the time the NSE flashes were added, 40 was already renamed Centurion. In its later years as Leviathan, it ran with the numbers “50040” between the marker lights. Not an issue for me as I'll be renumbering all of mine but it’s a bit odd.

I’ve just added another two to the pair I’ve already pre-ordered (so I'll have all the Dutch variants). I really want to see these become reality and this wagon is the sort of thing you can realistically have parked at the end of a siding.

See post #19

Thanks for explaining that, Ben. It just goes to show how little any of us really know about what's going on behind the scenes. As this project seemed to reach viability very quickly, and then a number of retailers appeared to be on board too, I put two and two together and clearly came up with five. It is very cheering to know that the project got to the viability stage by crowdfunding alone.

Thanks chaps; some interesting points. I wasn’t aware of the extended stops at Bristol where people could get off and buy things, nor was I aware of the trolley service. Rivercider's first picture is interesting as not only is the first coach a catering vehicle, but (by the look of it) a restaurant car. I am aware that some Mk2s acquired micro-buffets in place of a seating bay at the end of a coach. What did surprise me was the disparity between first and second class seating provision. I found many pictures of trains with well over six hundred second class seats but only twenty four first.

I've been looking online for some typical formations of loco-hauled passenger trains that ran to the West Country in the mid-1980s. One thing that I have noticed is that trains formed completely or mainly of Mk1 stock had very little in the way of first class accommodation and rarely any catering vehicles at all. There are many examples of eleven and twelve coach trains with only one CK providing first class seats and no buffet car, even on such long distance runs as the daytime Newquay to Newcastle. Was it really the case that people would make such a long journey having to be self-sufficient? Trains formed of Mk2 coaches appear to have had a much higher proportion of first class accommodation and were much more likely to have a buffet coach. Does anyone know why that might have been the case?

Maybe not a “normal” service? A weekend-only working, an engineer's blockade west of Taunton or perhaps the Exe had flooded?

Large logo 37s are quite hard to get hold of individually so I would not be surprised if a few people buy the Highlander set to keep the loco and sell off the coaches. Some retailers do this but it's also worth watching your friendly, local eBay.

That last shot looks like it could have been taken somewhere in the Caribbean!

I won’t be running mine tender first so no coupling is fine by me.

I’ve only just come across this thread and very much enjoyed yesterday’s film. It took me back to childhood holidays in Scotland and I have stood watching trains go by at many of the locations you visited. Many thanks for sharing these!

Andy, I also found the posts useful in terms of budgeting as they had more “concrete” timing information than the Bachmann website. I can appreciate how busy you are but would you be prepared to reconsider your decision and post the information again please? Perhaps it could be a locked topic or you could add a statement (in large bold letters, perhaps) along the lines of, “Provided for information purposes only. Do not use this topic to complain about anything!”

Could this be the only occasion that two GW150 47s worked a train together? http://www.hondawanderer.com/47500_47628_Crofton_1986.htm

Stick “Class 50 4TC” into Flickr and that'll bring up a few pictures including one at Exeter St. David’s.

Almost. 47079, 47500 and 47628 all received other liveries in later years, but 47484 was withdrawn still in the GW150 green. Have a look at www.class47.co.uk or Flickr