Robin Brasher

It is interesting to see which 'Flying Scotsman' locomotives have sold out, which are still on sale and which ones have not arrived yet. R30209 the Alan Pegler version and R30210 number 103 both in LNER green are still available. The Alan Pegler version is my favourite as that locomotive hauled me from Kings Cross to Keighley in 1969 and I am surprised it did not sell out first.

To run a through service from Swanage to Wareham has involved a lot of hard work over the last 51 years.

Thank you for the summary of model passenger accommodation and I am pleased to see that the uncoupling rail is now available. Unfortunately Hornby is now out of stock of the TT8002 166mm straight rail and the TT 9008 straight platform so perhaps these are the best selling items.

Hattons do examine their second hand models. I traded in some Bachmann Bulleid coaches and described them as boxed and slightly used. One was a bit dusty as it had been in a display case and another had a small white mark on the roof that I did not notice until I packed it. Hattons still paid the price they had agreed and they forwarded a copy of their product description. They mentioned that one coach was dusty and another had a mark on the roof. They said that one had been repainted although it was not. I think they give sellers about half what they sell the models for.

R30112 35026 Lamport & Holt Line is available now. Hornby have said that demand is incredibly high and stock is limited. If demand is incredibly high why is Hornby limiting the numbers to 500 and why are some retailers discounting the models to £288.99 when the recommended retail price is £320.99? I would be interested to read some reviews of this model and to see how it compares with the Wrenn airsmoothed West Country class locomotives.

I thought I saw a 'Flying Scotsman' with rotating driving wheels.

Thank you for the information about British and overseas models and the Black 5. It seems that Hornby are trying to attract the nostalgia market by reproducing Hornby Dublo locomotives in 00 and TT:120 gauges. This gives us the opportunity to compare Hornby Dublo models with the new TT:120 models and 'Silver King' is the first example. I think that the 'Hornby Dublo' model was excellent. It has stood the test of time and it has only recently been surpassed by recent Hornby 00 A4s and the new TT:120 model. I think that the TT:120 model is the first 'Silver King' to be made with a cycling lion totem after the Hornby Dublo model.

I have received my model of 'Flying Scotsman' in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of when it went into service on 28 February 1923. It originally had the number 1472 but it was renumbered 4472 the following year for the British Empire Exhibition.

It is easier to connect to the track than a Gaugemaster controller.

My main interest is 00 although I have also got an N gauge layout and some 0 gauge stock. The 00 gauge and N gauge layouts take a long time to set up so I am building a TT:120 gauge layout that I can take to our model railway club in my car and set it up in a few minutes. At 4' 6" x 3' 3" it is a bit unwieldy but it is light and easy for two people to carry. I have also got a second 4'6" x 2'6" N gauge layout which is easier to set up than the TT:120 layout. I enclose a picture of the layout. It is a loose lay layout but I have made and painted the plywood baseboard and built a platform using Peco platform edging against a cardboard base. I am not sure that a long siding to the engine shed is a good idea as that siding would be more useful storing a set of coaches.

I spent nothing on my Hornby Dublo B3 battery controller in 1955 because my father bought it for a birthday present. It is very well engineered and probably cost the same as my Hornby Dublo 0-6-2T. My view is if it isn't broken don't fix it.

I am pleased to see that some of the locomotives and rolling stock is being delivered. I received my 'Flying Scotsman' care of DPD this afternoon but I have not had a chance to run it yet as my layout is in a local village hall. I am very impressed with the model. Around 1968 I used to look enviously at the Trix 00 gauge 'Flying Scotsman' in the window of Hobbytime of West Wickham but the price was way beyond my income. The Tri-ang Hornby model was cheaper but it did not have the pulling power or the looks of the Trix model and I was not impressed with the Hornby Railways tender driven example or with the Graham Farish N gauge models. I enclose a picture of the three versions and I think that the Hornby TT:120 model is the best model produced to date at a reasonable price. I am looking forward to buying some suitable coaches,

Thank you for the information about 'stay alive'. While I am waiting for my first rolling stock I have found that my TT:120 4' 6" x 3' 3" baseboard just fits into my car although the bottom of the hatchback aperture is less than 3' 3" wide. This is my Universe for Hornby TT:120. I think the Chinese New Year celebrations began in January and will end on Wednesday 15 February so any new models will already be on their way or will be delayed until around 15 March. I am assuming that it takes a month for goods leaving China to arrive for Hornby at Margate.

Thank you for the information about 'stay alive'. While I am waiting for my first rolling stock I have found that my TT:120 4' 6" x 3' 3" baseboard just fits into my car although the bottom of the hatchback aperture is less than 3' 3" wide. This is my Universe for Hornby TT:120. I think the Chinese New Year celebrations began in January and will end on Wednesday 15 February so any new models will already be on their way or will be delayed until around 15 March. I am assuming that it takes a month for goods leaving China to arrive for Hornby at Margate.

I am pleased the signal box is back in stock. The livery of the 08 diesel would be an interesting challenge for Hornby to reproduce in TT:120 scale. I am not sure how many people would buy one as it is unique and restricted to one geographical area but so is the Rocket and the Deltic diesel yet they have sold well. I regard the 08 diesel as much more of a Margate Hornby product than the 'Flying Scotsman' or the terrier tank as the 08 model has been in production since 1956.

I am pleased to show a couple of pictures of my LSWR Jubilee as requested. I often feel worried when I see a note saying 'someone quoted me in a topic' so I was relieved to see it was a request for pictures.

I pressed the 'release date' button and it looks like the Easterner Train set will be the last item to be released in the next three months. It looks like the 'Flying Scotsman' and the A4s together with the Mk1 maroon coaches will appear before the set so perhaps we will see all these within the next three months. This is unless Hornby have put the first item to be released at the back of the list.

Talking about colours, in their advertisements for the Deltic it looks like Hornby is issuing the Hornby Dublo model in the correct red box with white lines for a 2-rail model.

Assuming that Hornby will survive there does not seem to be much joined up thinking on the updated new releases on the class 66 blog. The first releases will be LNER Pacific locomotives in LNER or BR cycling lion livery but there does not seem to be any suitable rolling stock for them. The first items of rolling stock are: Goods wagons Maroon Mk1 coaches BR LMR coaches in maroon or crimson and cream liveries. It was not unknown for BR ER cycling lion Pacific locomotives to haul goods wagons, maroon Mk1 coaches or BR LMR maroon or crimson and cream coaches but crimson and cream Mk 1 coaches seem to be the obvious pairing, The Pullmans with lights would seem to be suitable for all the LNER and BR ER cycling lion Pacific locomotives. It looks like they will now be available later.

I would prefer to have a less detailed model of the 'Rocket' that you can take out of the box without being in danger of damaging it and have couplings that you can couple in less than 15 minutes. Perhaps something between the Tri-ang 'Rocket' and the Hornby version. I took mine to the model railway club and was pleased to see it was still intact when I got back home. It has been in the display case since then. I would also like to be able to buy the 'Rocket' and the coaches separately.

It looks like Hornby have gone to the trouble of putting a Guard's compartment in the Inter City version of the High Speed Train and I think that this train is more suitable for a smaller gauge than 00 due to its size. Turning to Simon Kohler's point about the costs of producing 00 gauge locomotives being the same as TT gauge locomotives I wonder why some of the TT gauge locomotives are cheaper. The 00 gauge City of London costs £241.99 whereas the TT gauge Duchess of Atholl is £145.99 & The 00 gauge Golden Fleece costs £217,99 whereas the TT gauge Silver King is £145.99

The 'Hornby Dublo' Deltic is DCC fitted for use with Hornby's new Zero 1 called HM7000. There is nothing to stop Hornby producing a limited run of DCC ready Deltics next year either in a 'Hornby Dublo' or Hornby box.

I have never regretted paying for a well detailed model whereas I have regretted the short sighted approach of saving money for a less detailed model. One example is the Hornby Tornado in LNER apple green livery where there were two versions in the Railroad range. Tornado visited the Swanage Railway that I am modelling so I bought the cheaper version with simplified lining which looks terrible every time I see it. When I took it to the model railway club someone asked me why I had bought it when I could have bought a fully lined example for a few extra pounds. Now I am stuck with a poorly finished model that I cannot get rid of and would probably have to pay a lot more to buy the upmarket version.

Mine arrived on Friday morning while I was out but I had to walk down to the Royal Mail sorting office in the rain on Saturday because I had a card saying that it was too big for my letterbox. It wasn't too big on the last two years and my letterbox is still the same size.