GNR Dave

The cab shape is the biggest visual difference for me. I'm also guessing that as one was built at Doncaster and the other at Brighton, many 'off the shelf items' would be unique to their respective builders.

Damn it ! I assumed the BR version would have the early crest, pushing it beyond my period of interest. Looks like I'll be getting all three then.

Sandra, if you're reading this, be a love and send mine now. Not sure I can wait 'til Christmas, let alone 2015 !

Just a thought, Great Northern atlantics came in two flavours, large and small boilered. If the 3 NRM exclusive models are all the same boiler type, does that mean that Bachmann are free to add the other boiler type to their main range without affecting the exclusivity of the NRMs models ?   

Just brilliant ! Sooooooooooooo happy with this announcement. Ordered a Great Northern and LNER version. Guess this explains the slow progress with Bachmanns Marsh atlantic. I'll still get one of them when they appear, two if they do it in LBSCR livery.

Cheers for the advice, order has been placed.

Really like the E4 LB&SCR and Southern liveries off the website. Definitely going to order one each of those a bit closer to the release date.   

I have 7, all LNER, all Hornby. 2 x silver, 4 x garter blue & 1 x black. I'd like two more, one in LNER apple green and one in post war garter blue without valances.

Come on Hornby, you know it makes sense to complete the livery line-up. 

Sorry if this has been covered previously, but there is a £50 price difference between the Railroad and 'Full Spec' (Not the TTS version) locos. Does anyone actually know what you get for the extra £50. All I can see is full lining and shaded numerals and a hand painted hand rail or two . The buffers still look plastic and the smoke box dart still moulded on. Highlighting the handrail in glittery silver paint just seems to draw attention to its wobbly appearance.

I still believe, as I implied in an earlier post, that the model reviewed in the T.W. video and various magazines, the one on the Hornby roadshow stand at various exhibitions last year, the one on the BRM stand (or was it Model Rail) at Ally Pally earlier this year and the one in Hornbys photos, are all the same model. All had the same faults (bent or missing parts and a gap between smoke box and boiler). Given the time that has lapsed, I think it was a decorated pre production model designed to drum up more interest / orders. I would be a little disappointed if the production models exhibited these imperfections. 

Did anybody see the production example (according to the guy on the stand) on the BRM stand at Ally Pally yesterday. Not sure if it was the Railroad or full spec version. It had full black and white lining (I understood the Railroad version would just have white boiler bands) Unfortunately Hornby were not at the event to confirm one way or the other.(Read into that what you will !) I really hope it was the Railroad version. The light on the stand was not great, and I had my wrong glasses with me (Doh !) but the steam pipe running along the left of the boiler was moulded on, as was the smoke box dart. The handrails seemed to be unconvincing in silver paint, and there was a gap between the smoke box and boiler. This later point may indicate that Hornby intend to do the A4 type smoke box version later as it was obviously an add on part.

 I really hope I'm wrong about the 'short cuts' Hornby seem to have taken, after all it is a RTR P2 and Hornby are to be applauded for tooling up for such a rare locomotive. I have however, cancelled my pre-order and will wait to see what the magazines say in their reviews before deciding whether to get one or not. Hopefully I'm wrong, and the Hornby 'bean counters' have not got to this one.

When I spoke to Simon K at Warley, he said Feb for the railroad version and March for the full spec one. With the announcement of the sound version, does this mean 3 versions of the loco, or is the full spec version only available with the TTS fitted ? Also, I noticed in the 2014 catalogue that the 61ft 6 teaks have been discontinued apart from the sleeper. That'll push the ebay prices up !

This announcement is fantastic news. I would have obviously been far happier with a GNR machine, but as has already been suggested, the Ivatt version may well be on the cards.  

 I remember talking to Bachmann at Ally Pally a few years ago on the subject of an Atlantic, and being told it wouldn't happen because of balance problems. I decided to buy the DJH white metal kit, but my skills in loco building are rubbish, and don't get me started on the beautiful but complicated GNR livery !

 I think it's also good to see the manufacturers offering alternatives to the six driving wheel arrangement in recent years. Maybe my dream of a modern tooling of a Sterling Single may one day become a reality ?