GNR Dave

Nah ! It's a trick of the light.

With the Stirling single, GN atlantic, Hornby's N2 and a J52 all available RTR and Heljan's O2 with GN cab a possible future release, I really hope some Great Northern stock is produced, but it would be a brave move. Bachmann's sumptuous birdcage stock in SECR livery is still readily available even when reduced to £50. Strangely Hornby's generic SECR three plank wagon sold out almost immediately despite it bearing little in common with the prototype. This would seem to indicate price rather than accuracy is the over-riding consideration when we decide on our purchases. I'm guessing a rake of 3 six wheelers would be around the £300 mark if the Dynamometer car is any guide.

I do appreciate that he is new to the business and a one man band and may have inherited the problems of the previous owner. I think a little up front honesty with delivery times and stock levels would help. As it was I didn't know if my items were on their way, awaiting dispatch or more worryingly, lost in the post. My experiences won't put me off buying more stuff from him, but in future I'll wait until I can catch him at a local show. Tolworth Showtrain come on down !

Good job it wasn't 'Tears of a Clown' I might have had to come round there and give you a slap

Funds were taken from the card when the order was placed in April. He said he would send it out 'as soon as he could'

Except that in this case, after placing the order, I phoned him to pay by credit card as instructed to do on his web page, where he assured me that all the items were in stock. It would have also been helpful if it stated on the enclosed invoice / receipt that 2 items were 'to follow'. Until I manage to make contact, I don't know if the items are out of stock or he just forgot to put them in the box.

After 9 weeks waiting for my order, my impression is one of disorganisation. When I finally did manage to contact the owner after many unanswered phone calls and emails, I was kept on the line for nearly a quarter of an hour while he searched through what I can only assume was a large pile (piles) of unsent orders. Two days later, a package arrived. Sadly, of the 5 items I ordered, 2 were not included and two were the wrong items. Since then I have been unable to make contact. I hope he can get on top of this. The core C&L product is a good one and it would be a shame if it were to be lost to the model railway community.

The last photo on post 389 clearly shows faux teak and lining. If the lining was a 'trick of the light' the same 'trick' would also be visible on the door vent edges and raised lip around the top of window and inner window frame, which IMHO it does not appear to be. I find Golden Age lining on all their teak stock a little heavy, but that does not mean it did not appear on the prototype. At normal viewing distances I'm sure the black dots of the printing process will be invisible. The large dark patches refered to in previous posts would seem to be a little heavy on a faux teak finish to my eye and give the carriage a too patchy appearance. I'm still getting one though ! Does anyone know if the wheels would have had the wooden centres on the early version ? I think they are a nice touch on the Bachmann Thompsons.

Must admit that there are a few things with the dynomometer car that I find less than perfect.(Teak finish, lack of lining and the speed wheel printing issue) I think / hope it's just the high magnification of the video clip which would be unkind to the very best model. I'm not tempted to cancel my order, but it's not the 'game-changer' I thought it would be, especially at the price being charged.

Lined for sure

With all the Dapol and Lionheart / ex Lionheart GWR O gauge stock available / imminent, I think it would make sense to up-scale the streamlined railcar to O gauge.

Hattons are now flogging these off for under half price at £89

Well I'll be front and centre with a wad of cash if any form of GNR coaching stock is produced RTR. Just a thought, I think the 6 wheelers were later converted to run in Quad-Art & Quint-Art formations (obviously with revised frames and bogies etc) and in that form survived into BR days. If a degree of flexability could be introduced in the tooling, this would undoubtably extend sales potential.

Doesn't look like a 700 class to me from the sketch in post 37 (No luggage rack behind the seats next to the door, incorrect seat shape and doors not recessed) GNR dave (Thameslink commuter)

The Comp and one of the Brakes are imminent according to an email from Rails.

Couldn't agree more. I ordered a 57xx along with the Autocoach and a B Set. I'll add the small Prairie for the B set when it arrives. Just need to find a small rural Great Western branch line terminus to model. I can see me buying some books at Ally Pally this weekend for inspiration.

Some of the teak liveried carriages are now in stock at Rails

A bridge was demolished last year, but it was one that had no access. The one in the picture is still there. (well it was this morning when my train left Hackbridge !) There is also one further north accessible via a footpath opposite The Goat pub where a footpath runs alongside Mitcham Golf Course. Totally off topic I know, but Hackbridge also had a loco named after it. An E3 IIRC. A goods yard at Carshalton would have been difficalt due to the elevated nature of the station. I believe the station was a later addition to the line due to resistance from local land owners.

The bridge in the background is the one a few hundred yards to the north of Hackbridge station. It was IIRC called New Bridge for decades after it was built (for access to the farmland to the west, cut off by construction of the railway) . If you go onto Google maps satelite view you will see the straight section of track to the north of the bridge. The bridge no longer has vehicular access but is used by dog walkers and for access to the bird sanctuary where the farm used to be. The landscape has changed very little since the pic was taken other than a few houses which would be just out of shot to the right of the photo. GNR Dave (Hackbridge resident)

There is a photo on Ebay showing a B4 with a birdcage 3 set in Southern livery at Hackbridge, an LB&SCR station in Surrey.

£55 is the discounted price. The list price is £65 IIRC. £75 for the malachite versions is probably allowing for further brexit related currency fluctuations and inflation by the time they are expected to be released.

According to the guys at Warley, the olive comps won't be here 'til Jan/Feb 2018. The same source did expect the SECR liveried stock before Christmas though, which I found surprising. Happy if it happens though.

I've been trying to convince myself that £230 is too much to spend on something that will spend most of it's time in a display cabinet, but Andy Ys photos are severely undermining my resolve !

I wonder if Hornby's marketing department / management team consider the 2017 Warley Stand a worthwhile investment. They had a lot of floor space, and hauled a (beautifully restored) tank engine half way across the country, yet from what I saw on the Saturday, the reaction from visitors was fairly unenthusiastic. I remember the dismay expressed on this forum a few years back when Hornby said they would no longer be attending model railway exhibitions. They thankfully reversed that decision, but did they really achieve anything with their participation last weekend ? Just my opinion...

I wouldn't have thought a mere number change to a preserved loco would be enough incentive to join the collectors club. And that's coming from someone who visits The Bluebell 3-4 times a year. A wartime grey SECR livery however would tempt me. Having said that, the cynic in me wonders whether by not producing enough full liveried SECR models to fill demand, doing the preserved loco means those who missed out on the main range model would be left with no choice but to join the club to get their hearts desire.