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Are there any major events on the full size railway on 8 May, that Hornby's announcement might be linked to? Anything to do with, e.g., Crossrail? Or on a preserved railway? John Storey

Wow, Sarah, at post 7 above - just the sort of information I was hoping for! Yes, I'm planning to use the Ratio parts I have for detailing. Many thanks indeed for the information you've provided here, John S

"Railway of the Month: Wenfleet. Pre-war LNER OO Gauge. (Good to see the use of some Hornby Dublo Semaphore Signals....)" I saw the article on Wenfleet, but only noted the Hornby Dublo Semaphore Signals after a friend pointed them out. They are not mentioned in the article at all, and indeed they are positioned at a distance in all the photos. But they have been modified or titivated, to give them a bit more detail. I spent a recent snowy day putting together a Ratio LNER semaphore signal kit, but came to the conclusion that they are so fragile that it won't be long before bits fall off. At the same time I realised the old Hornby Dublo signals are quite a good match for NER signals, and I've now managed to obtain a number, from a local antique dealer and on eBay. I'd be intrigued to know what can readily be done to give them a bit more detail. Unfortunately the Wenfleet article doesn't help there. but if someone can point me towards another thread on RMweb about improving or detailing Hornby Dublo signals, I'd be grateful. John Storey

Second photo of Boston Frodsham at post 65 above - is the water in the foreground as modelled, or is it "with a bit of improvement from Photoshop"? If it's the former, it is terrifically well modelled. John Storey

The thread for the L&Y 2-4-2T has sunk down to page 10 of the Bachmann pages on here! I'm pretty sure it was covered in there - here's the link http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53404-Bachmann-announce-ly-2-4-2t/ John Storey

Rapido seems to have gone uncharacteristiacally quiet! I know the Stirling Single and the LNER dynamometer car are due shortly/soon. But it is ages since their last UK newsletter, or any information about development of, for example, their Birmingham bus or the gunpowder van. And they have indicated they will announce further new items in 2018 - I can't remember how many they suggested, but one is to be a bus. I don't know if this is just me?! John Storey

Utterly agree! I am intrigued by your hull form of the Aberdeen registered fishing vessel A214 Craigievar Castle. What is it's origin, please? John Storey

Love all the photos that are appearing on here! Clearly this model has struck a chord, rather more than with other new locos (sometimes hardly any photos appear). Can someone put up a close up photo or two of the detailing pack, please? I'm particularly interested in the oil cans - they seem a brilliant idea, and can't help wondering if Hattons might make them available separately as a pack of, say, 12. I meant to mention this to Hattons at Model Rail Scotland, but of course the thought completely missed me on the day! John Storey

North Eastern Railway (NER) Class H2 and LNER J79, I presume. I am delighted to see this, as it had struck me it wouldn't be difficult to convert the P class to a J79. John Storey

On adb's comment at post 131 above, I wouldn't be surprised if there's more to come on the Rails/Rapido front. No idea what, and no inside information, but wait and see ...... John Storey

I have just stumbled in this thread by chance. Goodness, what a fascinating source of information! And what wonderful models, Mike and Yardman - amazing. You have much more patience than I for signal making! And wonderful photographs too! What more could one ask, other than to hope this thread continues to be added to! John Storey

I missed the third, and I gather final, instalment on Channel 5 Select, on freeview 54, I think on Sunday evening. But I think you can also Google it, and see it on your iPad or whatever. Cheers! I found the third instalment rather fun. It certainly said a lot about the vicissitudes of running a heritage railway - it isn't an easy task, at whatever time of the year. I wish the NYMR all the best, John Storey

I don't know if this is news, but Bachmann is showing the DBSO Driving Brake Second Open in BR blue and grey on the news bit of their website (it's actually an item on their attending the London Festival of Railway Modelling this coming weekend) - http://news.Bachmann.co.uk/2018/03/Bachmann-on-the-road-alexandra-palace/ John Storey

I have just discovered - a month late! - that Model Collector magazine has put a large number of photos of Oxford Diecast's models displayed at the recent London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs on their Facebook page. There are 39 photos altogether, and they include the first photos of a decorated sample of the Ford WOT1 Crash Tender. The link to the photos is here - with many thanks to Diecast Collector for sharing them. https://www.facebook.com/modelcollector/photos/ms.c.eJxlkjsSxDAMQm~_U0ccI~_f4XS7HFTqB9IwFGzkgAmeCcqUU9~_SeAkaGQSSO6taeoZI2Eeh33soRzdYaah3k1T1nCOpqnLXO3EdsCVdnauFdfSnc~;aR3S3mUdUpUXYVul7rGeR3umtsHQVpl6r4XqLPCd2eguIeM~;AXrln~;ILp26NIg~-~-.bps.a.10155511576447852.1073741875.91973292851/10155511578702852/?type=3&theater John Storey

I'm sure you will also have seen that TMC with Bachmann are to produce the NER G5 0-4-4T. G5s ran Berwick to Duns via Reston services up till 1951 - just slightly south of where you are, but ......! 'Border Country Branch Line Album' by Neil Caplin has photos of G5s 67248 and 67303 on this service. John Storey

If you want to be Reithian, you'd better be true to your mojo and watch BBC! This is Channel 5 after all! John Storey

Does anyone know if RM's railway of the month, Langdon Beck, appears anywhere on RMweb, please? John Storey

Actually, they have pretty full information about the April 2018 edition, here on their Railway Modeller Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RailwayModeller/posts/1650952871606393 I hope this link works ok - I'm not always sure with Facebook. John Storey

I see Channel 5 has a programme starting this Friday 2 March 2018 at 8pm on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). It is titled "The Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard" and Saturday's paper says "As amiable as its title suggests, this new documentary series follows the lives of those who work on the NYMR, one of the country's most popular steam railways. In this series' opener, the new season begins with the arrival of star engine Royal Scot, on loan from London." It sounds very interesting (though an LMS engine in The North York Moors!!) with no doubt superb footage. I can feel the urge to move to near Pickering, though I'm sure my wife wouldn't agree .......! John Storey

Oh goodness - the cognoscenti speak - and what a lot of Grumpy Old Men were are! I watched the programme, and at first I wondered if it was a repeat, but after a few minutes it was clear it is entirely (or largely) new. I thought there was a lot of good footage and comment. I loved the bit where Peter Vine of gauge 1 (or bigger?) B1 Bongo ran it round his land - what a 'model railway'!! https://petersrailway.com/our-story/ So I suggest folk don't take the above comments as the only take on this programme! I'll be happy to watch the second instalment. John Storey

Oh, Hornby Magazine, Rialway Modeller and Rail Express were all there. The first 2 had substantial stands (RM as part of a wider Peco stand). I thought Model Rail was going to be there (they have been for a number of years) but I realised after I left that I hadn't seen them, and they aren't listed in the show programme. John Storey

Os there any chance an Adams Radial chassis (Hornby and Oxford Rail) might be useful here? I know the driving wheels are about a foot short, but ..... just a thought. John Storey

Thoroughly enjoyable day yesterday. It was great to see both Hattons and Rails coming to the show for the first time. Announcements on the Bachmann stand at 10.30am of what turned out to be 2 major new steam age locos - Rail's Caledonian/LMS/BR class 812 0-6-0 and TMC's NER/LNER/BR G5 0-4-4T - made Model Rail Scotland 2018 rather special. There was a very good trade presence - I spent more than I had expected - and, as noted above, there were lovely layouts. I was delighted to see Canada Street in the flesh, having drooled over the fabulous old brick canal-side warehouses on the pages of Model Railway Journal. I enjoyed Campo de Leste from the Alentejo region of Portugal - having been there, I never expected to see a model railway from there .... by British modellers! Dalby Wood has a superb selection of trains from the GWR, LMS and LNER regions. But it is a bit unfair to single out a few, when there were so many excellent layouts. Well done to the AMRSS and everyone involved. John Storey

At Model Rail Scotland yesterday I got a copy of "Cumbria's Lost Railways" (for all of £1!) from one of the society stands. Its front cover has a superb shot of G5 67314 leaving Garsdale with the 12.55 service to Northallerton on 27 March 1954, hauling Gresley non-corridor stock. So your S &C interest and the G5 - no problem! John Storey

I was at the launch today, and was astonished and delighted that the G5 has been announced as an rtr model - I've been hoping for a G5 for a long time. Many thanks to TMC for the award - I was quite taken aback when I got your note, as I've never won anything before! I hope the G5 is a great success for you, and build on your excellent Mk 1 Horse van and (soon coming) plate wagon models. John Storey