Dominion

Agreed on running quality and assembly both being good. I guess they are also trying to clear stock of it before Airborne is released. 

Ok agreed. How about "less strikingly pretty" for a general goods train :-) 

Tatlow also says the GN may have done the same so that would be at least 20 added up.

In the search for the more "ordinary" I also noticed that the North British and the North Eastern downgraded 13 and 6 of these wagons respectively to regular merchandise van use. Twelve of them were still running in 1947. There is a picture in Tatlow LNER volume 3 pg. 99 with small letter LNER livery. 

That's another one I would buy if Rapido added it.

I was considering cancelling 2 of my preorders for the lovely Minks in NB and NE livery as there have been so many great announcements over the last while.

However I found the pictures in Tatlow's LNER wagons that seem to be extremely close matches for what Rapido call "not quite", way closer than many of my other wagons to their real versions. So I have just had to keep the orders intact !

Yes it is the Bachmann chassis. I had modified that already for an A2/3 but hadn’t done much of the “Graeme method” body modifications when Hornby announced their A2/3 so it didn’t get finished.  I think the A2/2 had a different motion bracket face so that’s not quite right. 
The body is riding a little high in the front which I should work on a bit more on some time. The steam ejector pipe angles up incorrectly to which I should also address … later ! 
The loss of the Bachmann A2 body and running plate at the front loses a lot of weight, so the smoke box is loaded with Canadian  1 cent coins which are a perfect fit for the resin casting, so it actually pulls quite well now. 

Dear AMJ, what years are those for ? Sorry if it says, I just can’t see it. Tom

11 hours ago, davidw said:

It would be interesting to see if a 60503/4 were possible. My 60520 - conversion using your parts - stands up very well against 60511, 60516 and 60523. 60516 being a DJH kit and the other two Hornby models. I intend geting at least two further A2/3's and another A2/2

Here is my version of the A2/2 modelled to approximate the original P2 firebox and boiler as shortened by Thompson. This is instead of the A2/3 or Peppercorn boilers that 4 of the A2/2a got later, as modelled by Hornby.

So it would be the same as your 60503/4 question David. I just did mine as 2001 as it carried that number for a while after rebuild. It uses Graeme’s resin parts at the front and the etch for the motion too, following the chassis modification method Graeme developed. The cab and firebox sides and running plate are from a damaged Hornby P2. The boiler and firebox top are from a Hornby A1.

It is far from perfect but it gives me a reasonable representation of an A2/2 as they were during the LNER  period. No painting or lining yet either except some black parts, what you see is from the Hornby donors. 

Excellent. Well done. I vote for more colliery examples. Also need more factor wagons like S&C, Moy, Coote &Warren, etc. when you have time ! Tom

I wonder if the resin meister is planning an A2/1 with one of his own V2 bodies … ? 

I just fitted an ESU Lokpilot 5 micro as it was the only Next18 chip I had to hand. The motor and gear train and this chip seem to suit each other well. It is Running nicely without changing any CVs except momentum. Tom

(I ran in as recommended, for an hour each way, using the factory blanking plate and DC first)

I have had one all apart Graeme but I did not take any photos at the time. The intermediate gears are accessed through a small triangular plate in the side of the main casting. They are independent of the front weight. However my memory agrees with your guess that the weight does hold down the front motor bearing.

I actually found it quite easy to work on and it gave me the feeling it was a well designed chassis. 
I am intrigued to know what you have in mind for it. Tom

I was just experimenting with a pair of the buckeye version.

They were working well between 2 Hornby Gresleys.

Pulling 9 coaches behind with no derailments, (on 34 inch minimum radius and no gradient).

Nice close coupling on the straight.

They also connected up fine to some Hunt coupling I have installed already, provided the Hornby coupling is used with the central pip on the down side.

I don't have the other Hornby kinds yet to know if that is the way up they are designed for. 

I also tried them in the Genesis coaches, and they seem too short for those on 34 inch radius, they don't look right for them anyway.

I have used pva and copydex to glue several of Wayne’s bases to cork.  Using weights on the rails while drying. Both have worked fine. 

If you do find yourself in that predicament I you may be able to shorten the pins on the blades a little. They are longer than required to engage positively in the tie bar. Still concerned it may not be enough to get the blades past the toe end without any flex. 

If you have any slips or crossing don’t glue those down before you have at least put the couple of rail sections in that require the base to be flexed. I think with the new all rail design you may get way with gluing the base first as you have. However I always assemble them first as Wayne suggests so I can solder in the electrical contacts I want from the underside and then glue the assembly down afterwards. 
 

Your picture looks like it may be the earlier design one with the cast frog. If so they came with pins for the tie bar already soldered to the point blades. The assembly sequence was designed for the base to flex down a little to allow the blades and pins to get in position before the stock rails held the tie bar down. If yours has those kind of blades I am not sure how much space you will have to get them in if it it solidly glued down already. 

Of the 2022 and 2023 Hornby items I was interested in Hattons only has a small portion available to preorder. (That is for someone interested in the LNER and Eastern region steam. I don’t know what it is like for other regions and eras.)

However my guess is this is just Hornby estimating that those items will not end up needing any allocation and letting Hattons put their “stock order” in early. 
I really wish it indicated a thawing in relations or a change in the tier system but I would hope to see more items for that situation. 
Better than nothing though, I have had excellent service from Hattons to Canada and wish I could get more Hornby and Bachmann from them.

Tom

Would love  the white with red lettering livery if any possible justification for it :-) though I know little once off the LNER

Graham, I just sent you time sensitive email ...

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

As it's "liftable", blag an invitation to Mr Dominions layout, take a carrier bag, distract him with some gumph about a loco on the other side of the layout, and voila, you have a turntable!

 

Mike.

Invitation extended. I am in Toronto though so other means may be more cost effective … 

Graham, my Heljan turntable is currently “liftable” so if you want photos or dimensions of detail of the underside to cut your 1 inch slab let me know. I also still have the original paper template that I could scan and send to you if helpful.  Tom

Oops, sorry missed that. Exactly what I needed ! 

Would love to try the chain version of these and to see the length but I am in Canada so postage a bit high just to try. Would someone perhaps be able to tell me the distance from the inside or outside of the Nem pocket front plate on the coupling and the magnetic face ? Many thanks.

Thanks Stephen. There were 3 Other Budd cars between the one with the blinds down at the front and the manor at the back on his train. The whole lot including it’s loco was coupled to the back of the Montreal section with no Budd cars and they were due to split further East. 

I was also surprised to see a Manor car on the end. (Toronto to Ottawa, boarded in Belleville)

Dropped my son off for the Ottawa train last weekend and found he was in one of the Budd cars.