JonathonAG

Thanks. I don't have a layout thread as such yet, the image is actually taken on my Charlestown Kiln diorama with the kiln removed (the structure was made removable for storage purposes). I found it substitutes in well as a generic section of river shore railway line, similar to other areas on the Fife Coastal route or the Bo'ness branch. All that changes is the backscene, exhaust and sky which are added in photoshop. Cheers! Sadly not in sunlight, but I use anywhere between one and three LED sitelights to stage the photo lighting, depending on what I'm trying to achieve.

Ex NBR C16 No. 67488, shedded at Polmont, runs along the shoreline West of Bo'ness with a late evening summer service to Grangemouth. Model is a modified NuCast kit, upgraded so it can compete with RTR offerings in terms of detailing, sitting on a modified Hornby Adam's chassis with wheels appropriately changed with correct diameters.

Ideas for how Hornby can expand their LNER offerings of the class? The rearmost is as released with no alterations. From then, it's No. 9673 'Maude' with LNER tender lettering, No. 5237 with shortened NE lettering and fitted with NIU tender cab and steps, finishing up with the previously shown No. 5330 in lined apple green with the squared off safety valve mount. No. 9673 and 5330 were full repaints of the LNER RTR release, No. 5237 was a renumber of the BR release with the smokebox numberplate filed off. On all models, vacuum/westinghouse braking equipment was altered to correctly match the prototypes.

All versions came with a snowplough, the tender cab not yet produced by Hornby. Most likely an NIU product.

This thread over at LNER.info is rather handy, towards the bottom lists the classes that at least one member received green post war as part of the effort: https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11872

Yes, the British Railways lettering and ROD versions appear to be falling off the face of the earth... Luckily, if you have the courage, it's not too difficult to convert the BR examples into plain LNER black livery with some cutting off of the smokebox numberplate. So far in my own collection I have Maude as released, and three Fife allocated BR period. For a friend however, I've created the green example as shown but also 'Maude' with full LNER lettering lightly weathered and now also in the process of creating a heavily weathered 'NE' version with tender cab from NIU. It's nice to see that other manufacturers have jumped on and furthering the Scottish interest, will be a pity if Hornby are left behind.

While we wait on the latest two catalogue releases of the J36, I wonder if we might ever see this niche livery covered in RTR form? One of the LNER versions transformed into Apple Green as No. 5330 by myself, a livery only worn by it and No. 5211 but did see both LNER and British Railways insignia while wearing this paint.

Thanks for the very kind remarks!

A Fife East Coast stopper on it's way South behind a B1, with some fish from Crail tagged on to the rear.

I for one am very grateful for the video, it just adds to my excitement for both the Titfield and individual Lion releases. Perhaps it's just me thinking this, but the increase in pre-grouping and earlier designs in 00 gauge is making the modelling scene all the more interesting to me....and that's a comment from somebody with two dioramas based in the 1960s!

Has been written before by myself and others on this thread, The two different shades of blue shown above on No. 828 in model form are representations of two different Caledonian Railway liveries. The darker blue is an earlier livery, whereas the light blue was introduced alongside the 903's by McIntosh. The whole story behind diluting of the blue paint, typically suggested to be by Perth shed to make the paint allocation stretch further, is a myth that has been thoroughly debunked in the book 'Caledonian Railway Liveries'. Indeed, each of the two shades above, are impossible to recreate from the other by purely reducing blue concentration/adding white etc.

Great to see that a small decoder can actually be fit and remain discreet, certainly a handy guide for those who are considering fitting one. I'm awaiting the evidence that a speaker can be fit in the tender! Digitrains appear to do a well produced sound file, but trying to figure out which decoder will fit and how to squeeze in a speaker will be a challenge.

Three cheers for another Scottish pre-grouping model! A lovely choice and happy to see Rapido giving me another reason to open the wallet, certainly the highlight of the MRS related announcements. While I don't have any record to hand of it visiting, the preserved yellow version will add a bit of colour to my late BR scenes at Dunfermline. Just grand.

Low loaders for both Caley Engines.

Should also be noted that the Hornby 2022 announcement video on YouTube has also seen all traces of 'Trains On Film' removed.

From Charlestown to Dunfermline Upper, the contrast between life along the river banks and death on the row of the condemned...

I think people are assuming that a product delivery date automatically mean production and development have been ongoing for a longer duration than a separate project with a later date. For a company like Hornby, it is possible to focus resources onto individual projects to ensure a quicker development and release time compared to small set ups, no doubt at the sacrifice of releases deemed to be of less importance to the heads. As it stands, Rapido have said that their main packs are likely to be available this year. When in comparison to Hornby's* recent difficulty in making a projected release date, I wouldn't bet on which company would be first to market (legal challenges notwithstanding). *The 2019 range announcements of two new liveried J36's are now expected Summer 2023 according to Hornby's own website, a perfect example of a model release being relegated to make way for bigger headline releases.

One could be led to think that Hornby, being the bigger company, expected Rapido to back down and cancel their range upon hearing the 2022 releases and save themselves some perceived loss of money through a split market. With that decision, the rights may have been potentially up for grabs again and Hornby would swoop in to negotiate on the 11th hour of their own releases and carry on as they plan now. Instead, the gamble has backfired and sees Rapido doubling down with support from Studio Canal. So is it a game of bluff? Both sides continuing with their perceived threats until the 11th hour, when either Hornby has to significantly change their offerings to avoid copyright or Studio Canal deems themselves not to have a great defence. If the former, then I feel for those pre-ordering the Hornby products based on current graphics to then find the product different on release. If the latter, then I feel sorry for Rapido being dragged through this mess.

Otherwise, lookout for Bachmann's high end 'Inspired By The Hogwarts Express'. Some level of protection must be available to both Studio Canal and Rapido, but similarly the legal team at Hornby must either be confident in skirting those protections or perhaps were banking on Rapido backing out after the range announcement, leaving Hornby to negotiate a new deal with the film rights holder.

In the movie, the locomotive was named 'Thunderbolt' and this is how it appears to be recreated in Hornby's own product, going by the current images released. Therefore sailing even closer than you've given them credit for.....

Really? Like ndg910, I heard it as a confirmation of the project continuing, and that both Rapido and Studio Canal will be investigating whether Hornby have broken any copyright laws.

Thought I should add this in, apologies if a bit crude as the image was taken on my phone rather than the usual camera. A comparison of the Rails version of preserved 'Oxford Blue' 828 and the makeshift Caledonian Lamps made for the Caley Reunion in 2018, painted from the same paint tins as used on No. 828 (and still used for touch ups today).

I'd imagine that the 439's would be the smartest move forward in terms of Caledonian. The Hornby 'Maude' and Rails 828 show that preserved examples of pre-grouping locomotives do sell rather well, and the 439 class does also allow for various livery options to be sold (419 Light Blue, Dark Blue, 15189 Crimson, 15189 Black and 55189). With the CDC Designs D40 not far from general sale, I think it's only a question of 'When?' before an D34 is tackled. That leaves the Jones Goods and Caley Single as major pre-grouping Scottish examples as an 'if', with the remaining GSWR Tank and NBR Y9 in the same category as scrapped classes to be considered.

So, what can we say.... It is rather lovely, certainly the star of the show and overall a wonderful job by Rails and Bachmann. Instant regrets of not ordering the sound fitted version. While I haven't included a photo for comparison, I have stood the Preserved Blue version alongside the Caledonian Lamps I made for the Caley Reunion in 2018. These were painted using spare 'Oxford Blue' paint from a few tins in Aviemore Shed as used on the real locomotive, and the blue is spot on. The reds could have been with being slightly more vibrant, as such have been oomphed a touch in photoshop, but otherwise the best Caledonian livery representation we've seen in 00 gauge. I'll go over the BR Black version at some point, lined up alongside my kit built 55189.

A few more shots from Dunfermline Upper, albeit it out of time period for the shed rebuild, and Charlestown. A batch of work for a friend, involving Oxford Blue Trout repaints and a Hornby J36 re-painted into plain LNER Black as No. 9673 'Maude'.