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I hope one of our regular contributors to this thread takes the time to thank Rugd1022 for his contribution above. It contains a voluminous amount of information, fitted into one post, and must have taken ages to put together. Very impressive indeed. John S

Yes, I noticed that too. Here’s hoping! John S

Isn’t the newsletter due today - I’ve a recollection the 22nd was mentioned earlier by Rapido. Or was it 24th? John S

…. nor hassling us here on RMweb about it either! Grown men can wait! John S

Thank you very much indeed, Ben ‘Captain_Mumbles’, for your reply on Saturday above, in response to me. That is most helpful and informative. The wood grain/teak effect in your last photo above is wonderful. Inspired by your description of how you did it, together with your photos, I hope we readers and modellers can achieve it too! With many thanks, John S

We men! When Hornby brought out their corridor Gresley coaches in the 2000s, followed before the end of the decade by their non-corridor Gresley and then, to my astonishment, Thompson non-corridor coaches, I thought that was the end of the old style Gresley coaches. Recently I came across, however, ‘Bridsea’ by Tom Kirtley in the September 2014 issue of Railway Modeller. He had added “a three-coach set of Hornby old-style Gresley coaches, repainted to look like a well-used and dog-eared cross-country set.” Unfortunately there was no side view of these coaches, but I was intrigued. I came across a set of 3 on eBay for under £20, where the attraction for me was that there were two brake-ends; they had Gresley bogies, all with metal wheels; and they were LNER brown (largely unpainted plastic). I’m pondering whether to give them a number of coats of seraphim sepia wash, which may be what West_riding in the first post above has done; or to repaint them in LNER brown. I’m more inclined to the second option, hoping to thin the paint significantly over Hornby’s 1st and 3rd markings and the coach number, so I don’t need LNER transfers. Should that be feasible? John S

Oh dear - spellchecker at it again! Roco, as in the Austrian maker of model railway equipment. Here is a link to their S. 160, brought to the market in 2017. http://www.british-ho.com/showcase/traction-steam/roco_usatc_s160_1.htm John S

Rocco do, or did not long ago, an HO 1:87 scale S160. John S

Possibly a bit niche ……? John S

I recall much excitement about model buses when EFE came on the scene, I think in 1979. Before then, it was impossible to source accurate models of British buses (and lorries) complete with glazing. EFE and Frank Joyce transformed the situation - they brought out a huge range of buses and lorries covering the years. But you only need a couple of buses on a layout: more than that, and it is overcrowded. Subsequently Corgi came on the market with Original Omnibus Company (OOC), as did Britbus with some interesting models. EFE, OOC and Britbus were metal bodied. Then Base Toys came along, with plastic bodies, and they produced a superb selection of buses and lorries. Unfortunately they disappeared during one of the finance crashes. I suspect the market has simply become saturated. There are still plenty of models available from all these companies - the other week I happened upon eBay listings of 1/76 scale buses and lorries, and I was surprised by the low pricing: £8-10 seems pretty normal. So another Leyland National, even a superb model better than EFE’s model from the past? As Rapido Andy suggests above, probably only for a limited number of us. I should add this note is about 1/76 scale buses, and (a little) lorries. Classix produced some wonderful cars and small vans, and are now owned by Bachmann, who haven’t reintroduced any yet. And Oxford Diecast are today’s big player in model vehicles, but it is interesting that they have been pretty circumspect about model buses and coaches. John S

Lyndon Davies (Taff) joined Hornby as Chief Executive, and Hornby then had opportunity to buy Oxford Diecast and Oxford Rail, which they subsequently did. The update from Hornby quoted in the first post of this thread is very odd. It sounds as if Hornby is disowning Oxford Diecast and Oxford Rail: the statement simply doesn’t acknowledge Oxford Rail at all. Very strange, if you still own Oxford Rail. If they still own it, it suggests they are discontinuing Oxford Rail - indeed, have discontinued it already. If this is Hornby’s inclination, hopefully Oxford Rail has been sold, or is being sold, to someone who can continue the business. We need Oxford Rail. John S

Re jools1959 comment of a few hours ago, I think Hornby have the Black 5 covered with their forthcoming model. The first photos appeared in Engine Shed a couple of days ago https://uk.Hornby.com/community/blog-and-news/engine-shed/view-p2 John S

Ah modelldoc - many thanks! And here are their 1/76 scale models: https://www.tiny.com.hk/locale/en-US/category/176 John S

I was wondering if this catalogue is available on line? But from a quick search of the internet, it looks as if it is an encyclopaedia type publication, which is only available by purchasing hard copy. Is that correct? John S

A Caterpillar Traxcavator Cat 977 bulldozer was made in 1:50 scale, and it looks superb - see link below. I think it was made by Norscot (of the U.S.A.?). https://www.bestmancave.com.au/1-50-cat-977-traxcavator One of these in 1/76 scale would be really useful! John

It is a Corgi Trackside Ruston Bucyrus face shovel: they can still be found online. It isn’t that long ago since they came out in the Corgi Trackside range, but the most recent one seems to have been in British Army WWII guise, with camouflage paintwork, which won’t suit everyone! John

Yes, Phil, in response to your note above. That’s curious - if you open the link in Phil Bullock’s note of 10 May above, the price appears as £62.22 but on the link from your note as £54.05. I have no idea why! I agree your comment about making the masters, and low sales volume. I was delighted to see your photograph on Monday 3 July above of the “something I made for Hornby Magazine”. I may well still have the Hornby Magazine concerned: I liked your use of the Cambrian GWR Loriot wagon and the Corgi excavator. John

Those Drott excavators bring back memories from the days before JCB captured the market! I’d love to see the Drott excavator become available rtr, because, with all due apologies to Langley, £62 seems an awful lot for a relatively small model. They make great loads on an appropriate wagon. John

Rapido’s GWR models have the ‘When possible this vehicle must be marshalled in the rear of the train & GREAT CARE TAKEN IN SHUNTING.’ wording on the inner ends of the end sections; and on all versions the tie down points are separately fitted parts. Comparing Hornby’s and Rapido’s versions, Rapido - to my mind at least - do seem to have a finesse that lift them over Hornby’s model. John

This thread has gone curiously quiet - no subject matter for three months now! I am delighted with my LNER 6 wheel full brakes: they are stunningly good, both in the way they have been designed and made, and in the livery finish. Has anyone been adapting their coaches, by adding a clerestory, for example, or by converting them to push pull working as in howardb’s post of 18 March above? Photographs or description would be welcome. John

I was intrigued that when Ellis Clark announced their Quad Art coaches in April, it was Great Northern Quad Arts they announced. It suggests to me they are aware someone else is working on Great Eastern Quad Art coaches - and who better than Accurascale, who have already announced their forthcoming GER/LNER J67/69? We know Accurascale are working on 7 steam locomotives, of which we know only the first two - GWR Manor and LNER J67/69. I’d be delighted if Accurascale announce a GNR K2 sometime, especially if it is at a price point around £160. K2s appeared in various parts of the LNER system - East Anglia, West Highland line, other parts of Scotland - and they are an attractive model in their own right. John

Ok folks - we’ve had a good session on the colour of the NER versions of the G5! I’d really like to see some photographs on your model railways, and some comment on how many coaches your G5 models can pull, please. I know my two black versions have been delivered - one LNER and one early BR - but I am volunteering in the Middle East for an extended period, and I want to see what these look like, and what they can do! Looking forward with anticipation, John

In the Hornby Magazine/Accurascale YouTube video (discussion Mike Wild and Paul Isles) about the new mk 1 suburban coaches, there are two circuits with Accurascale products on them. The suburban coaches are circulating on the outer circuit, hauled by an early version of Accurascale's class 31, while the inner circuit has a rake of HUO hopper wagons. Did no one else notice that this rake has LMS 2-8-0 48045 with Fowler tender hauling it? I think Accurascale have already teased us about this, from Model Rail Scotland in February. And surely this is another pointer to their intentions .....! John Storey

Many thanks for the responses to my note of 2 June as to whether NER class O/LNER G5s pulled 6 wheel coaches. These rather confirm what I suspected, which is that G5s generally ran with clerestory, other NER bogied coaches, and Gresley stock. Thank you, thetalkinlens for your photograph above from the very early 1900s: very interesting, and what a superb finish on the locomotive! But it confirms my suspicion that you have to go back a very long way to find an NER class O (and no G5 so far!) pulling 6 wheel coaches. The latest photograph I could find of NER 6 wheel coaches was taken around 1907 up Weardale - I think it was at Stanhope or Wolsingham. Compound2632 - on your note of 2 June, no, you need several of TMC/Bachmann's G5 at least! John Storey

Many thanks, Andy, for the photo of the underside of the Loriot Y, in response to my request. You have lovely detail in there, and it is great you are making the frame sections in metal to add weight. It is a shame they won't be visible in normal - or even abnormal - use! I've had a look under my Cambrian Loriot W, and there really isn't much under there - I guess the low profile of these vehicles means there isn't room to put anything much 'below deck'! John Storey