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Mike Ah! Where was the fuel tank on the real CMP? That us what I wondered too on examining OD's CMP model, as it does not have an obvious fuel tank. From the pictures wamwig has posted, and others, the fuel tank is below and behind the cab (I don't know if there is one tank, or two, one on each side). On some CMP varieties, the tank is obvious; on other versions - as modelled by OD - it is much less obvious. Oxford Diecast seem to have modelled part of the tank. I gather the fuel capacity was 24 gallons, which at 7 mpg does not make a long range! John

I generally like Oxford Diecast's castings at 1/76, but some stick out as truly exceptional. They have just released the CMP truck, and I got mine the other day at Harburn Hobbies. What an exceptional model it is. The casting is very fine and sharp, front mudguards separate from the footstep just behind. Even the rivets on the windsreen and side cab window surrounds are there. The rope ties tying the canvas top to the lower body look as if they have been made of very fine line - in fact they are part of the moulding, but give the appearance of being separate - they are a master piece. In short, the level and accuracy of detail on such a small model is fantastic - and that is without mentioning the paintwork and camouflage, which again is astonishingly good. I am not into military vehicles (I hope OD release several versions as used for contracting and forestry after the war), but the CMP is an exceptional "must purchase" model. I have no connection with OD other than as a customer simply astonished at the excellence of this model. John Storey

James at 82 "And what's the difference between Facebook and here? Both are social media essentially! ". Yes, but there was recent comment that around 80% of all communication now takes place on Faceebook or Twitter. As a great believer in e mail, I was astonished at this figure, but it is an indication of how things change so quickly. So Hornby are in tune with today's vibes, and keeping up. John

Tony Great thread, and I love your recent photos and comment - a superb source of information. Like micklner above, I would love to see something on the O1 and L1, Also, please, may we see some photos of your O2 (or O2s), to whet our appetite for Heljan's forthcoming O2. If you are able to cover coaches in due course, something in similar manner on kit built and Honby's Gresley and Thompson non-corridor coaches would be very welcome. John

Delighted to amuse coachman the other day with the " crack of the year", but that wasn't what I intended! All I had in mind with my question about the ease or otherwise of removing Bachmann domes at post 127 is that to get an accurate LNER F8 the L and Y dome needs to be shortened, while the F5 dome is 'thinner' and needs to be moved forwards towards the chimney. As Nile says above, the dome looks as if it is a separate part. Making the necessary changes to the L and Y model will be easier if Bachmann's dome separates from the body with a bit of solvent, and even easier if there is pristine round boiler beneath the dome. The task will not be so simple if the dome has to be hacked and filed off, and if there is a gaping hole underneath. I'm not in the habit of taking domes off Bachmann's boilers, but I am sure someone on here has. So my question is how simple is that task - just some solvent? or is it a hacking, filing and filling job? John

Yes, I am glad someone else has noticed the similarity between the L and Y 2-4-2T and the LNER ex NER F8. The L and Y boiler dome is too tall for the F8, the smoke box front and the safety valve arrangement are different, and a Westinghouse pump would need to be added in front of the left hand tank. Alan Gibson provides the necessary parts. I will be interested to see an article here from someone who does the conversion. I suspect similar work will also produce the LNER ex GER F5, which lasted to the 1950s (the last F8 went in the 1930s). It looks as if relatively simple work will give us additional classes of LNER locomotives. Does anyone know whether the domes on Bachmann's locos can be removed fairly readily, or is that a difficult task? John

The Model Collectors Club have a series of 3 presentations by Lyndon Davies of Oxford Diecast, showing forthcoming models in 1/43, 1/76 and N gauge. They are news items dated 25, 26 and 27 June at the link below. There is a fourth item on 28 June where the camera pans over a number of these new models in close up. I think these are the videos dinkyme refers to at post 172. There are an astonishing number of new items on the way from Oxford Diecast, and the videos are well worth seeing. http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Diecast-Collecting/News/_ch26 John

The current issue 223 of Model Railway Journal has an article by Tom Mallard about building the LNER O2 in model form, together with a superb cover photograph. It is a magnificent model, but the article is not about the locomotives as a class, but about the intricacies of the valve gear and Ultrascale wheels. One point that interests me is the amount of space under the front of the boiler in the photograph, which seems to be more than photographs of the real thing show. These generally are three quarter front views, and in these you do not see through to whatever is behind the loco. I hasten to say that I am not for one moment suggesting the model is not right - presumably it is all to be do with camera angles. But it will be an issue for Heljan to consider, so they get the balance right with their model. John

Oxford Diecast June to September 2013 releases Pictures of these releases on the Time Tunnel Models web-site are at http://www.goldstarstockists.net/live/catalog/model-store-diecast-models-oxford-diecast-late-2013-pre-orders-c-128_181_184_570.html That is the first page, and you can forward to the folowing pages (7 altogether): note the different scales. John

Thanks to Boscarne at 153 above for the photos of Bachmann's forthcoming Class 101. I think these are the first photos of it to appear anywhere. I think this means that the SR Utility vans PLV/PMV/CCT are the only items from Bachmann's 2012-13 programme that have not yet seen the light of day. They weren't by any chance on display too? If they were, again a photo or photos would be much appreciated. By the by, what was the Swanage event that Bachmann had a stand at yesterday? I don't see any reference to anything in the exhibitions thread. John

Dave These photographs are astonishingly life like. As one who lives in Edinburgh, I thought you had been down at Waverley and Princes' Street Gardens, snapping away. I was persuaded they were of your layout when I saw the Deltic (last photo at post 827) apparently departing smoke/cloud free! Excellent! John

10800 What a superb photo you have just put on here - wonderful coaches, but the layout looks excellent too. I really like the landscaping - that field with the hedge running through it, the trees, and the distant bridge with the signals directly in front of it. Altogether it is rather wonderful. John

Several more unannounced models in 1/76 are coming from Oxford Diecast. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair the models Oxford Diecast displayed are in the link at post 127 above - photographs taken by Georg Hamel of Auto-und-Modell. The first 2 rows of photos are 1/43 scale, and the first of the third row - the rest are 1/76. The Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster 4 door saloon in the third row of photos is not yet in OD's catalogue (not even its February to June 2013 listings), nor is the plain Austin J van in the third row from the foot. Apparently some one brought these to Nuremberg direct from Oxford Diecast's factory in China, which explains why these (and the Bedford OW and OX) models were at Nuremberg but not at the London Toy Fair a few days earlier. John John