45059

George Thorogood and the Destroyers- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.

The debate over which model is best has been argued before, and doubtless will continue until another new model appears. I think it may well be a case of 'horses for courses'. For me, although it may not to some be strictly accurate, the Hornby 31 captures the look of the loco well enough for me. It does have its vices- not least the tendency for some to have their chassis fall to bits! (31110, 31270 plus one of the green ones, either 5511 or 5512 I can't remember which.) But it is a smooth runner, is DCC ready, has working lights and is already 'super' detailed. I now have 20 of them. I must of had what appears now to me to be a rare form of clairvoyance, in so much as I snapped many of these up when they were going cheep, for @ the £50 mark, where as they seem to fetch more now second hand. To buy one new now you may have to mortgage the cat, and as for Hornby supply problems, well these have been equally well documented. The additional bonus of the Hornby model is that the grills and fan shrouds are removable and interchangeable. This allowed me to add numerous machines to my fleet that I felt either Hornby wouldn't produce, or would take an age to do so. They scrub up quite well. Here is the latest addition as an example.

PaternosterRow I consider your images to be tantamount to pornography, and are just showing off- can we have some more? Please?!!

Thanks, I'll try that in future. When I checked the e-mail again this morning I noticed that it also had a tracking number, so there was no point speaking to Hattons as the parcel was already en-route. Fortunately there was someone here to receive it today.

I placed an order with Hattons over the weekend and received a notification e-mail from them yesterday evening to tell me that my order had been packed. So far so good. However, despite choosing Royal Mail as my preferred courier, the e-mail informs me that the parcel is being sent with Yodel. This is the third time out of four that this has happened this year. I choose Royal Mail for a reason- I am a shift worker, and if I and my wife miss a parcel it is as easy as popping to the post office to collect it. And secondly I've never been particularly impressed with Yodels service or couriers. I shall give Hattons a ring before I go to bed to see if I can have the courier changed (this has worked in the past if you can speak to them before the parcel is posted), but I am getting frustrated and mildly annoyed that this keeps happening. What is the point of giving the customer a choice of courier if the option selected is simply ignored?

There's also a couple of obligatory 'Tinas in there that you missed. I know that that this wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but it's the 80s as I remember them- and these cars were banger fodder. I also like classic cars, (I bought a Rover SD1 after leaving the forces when I felt I needed a V8 in my life.) I take little pleasure in seeing classics today 'wasted' in a banger race, but a far sorrier sight IMHO is to see one rotting for time immemorial in a yard or field then only to be scrapped anyway because no one wanted to save it before it became too far gone.

I think for this post we my need a 'tut tut tut' button for those who like their classic cars, but here goes.. As someone who models the 1980s to mid 90s I feel frustrated at the last of relevant vehicles for my era. I do, however also like older cars, so came up with a solution- I went 'banger racing!' These are only interim pictures, as they're not finished yet. Glass was removed and interiors stripped, less the drivers seat. Most are Oxford diecast. When finished they will live on a scenic break that I have as part of a pit scene diorama. All hand painted (as it's hard to mess up a 1980s banger paint job!) Numbers are Letraset dry rub type. Now when are they going to bring out a Rover P5B (my all time favourite car) and a Austin Westie?!

..They were listed in numerical order, so that's 059 without the headlight- only the 45/1s received the headlights. And if you don't like headlights, you'll hate this!!! Tinsley tart anyone?

I used a modified 035 chassis as well- also not forgetting to rectify the wobbles/leaning to one side. I only used plasticard on one end, but seemed to stiffen things up enough.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/cfas/discuss/72157625726740402/

My 40141 is now in the 'workshop for an overhaul' now that I've made my mind up on it's new identity. I'll keep you guessing, but I'll post a picture when it's done.

Sorry, I was meant to be going upstairs to play trains do some modelling when I saw Sean's post, so the list got put up in a bit of a hurry. Now edited!

It looks very nice, although I thought the asking price on that auction site was a bit cheeky though...

OK Sean, this is not by any means an exhaustive list, but having just had a look at my 'standard' Bachmann 47 fleet hopefully this will start the ball rolling. Spanner boiler, which is the round type. Clayton or Stones boiler, which to keep things simple are the square (or rectangular) ones. Spanner type fitted to: D1500 Two tone green, not plated over. 145 non standard (Tinsley) blue. 406 Old I/C 461 Old I/C 474 Parcels red/grey 475 Transpennine. 560 Blue, not plated over. 572 Large logo 573 Original Network Southeast. 975 Dutch. Clayton/Stones: 079 GWR green. 190 Railfreight triple grey, petroleum sector. 301 Railfreight grey large logo. 522 LNER green 535 Large logo 612 Old I/C 710 Scot rail. 715 Revised Network Southeast. 745 RES 834 I/C swallow 835 I/C swallow 972 Technical services. Hope these help, Murray.

My wife bought me 45059 (weathered) a year or two back. Needed all the 'weathering' stripping off and starting again! (Which turned out to be something of a blessing, as it now has a flush nose.) I've also seen too many errors. Locos with incorrect body types (37073 with a refurbished body from a 37/4- still with the ETH on the nose! as well as some livery mistakes on other locos) for the money that the ask. They are an interesting business filling something of a niche for many, and good luck to them. But not for me I'm afraid.

I wonder if the Olivia's 40145 in large logo will come with a headlight? I bet not... Still, being a Bachmann factory limited edition at least it should be more correct than some of Olivia's efforts.

I'm an Essex lad, (with Lancashire routes) and I tend to agree.

Slightly off topic, but I also like this. Not your average Granada, but an M&S Granada.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Granada-Mk2-Bulletproof-/111266629801?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19e80208a9 One can only imagine, but if this car is bulletproof- what the heck caused the 'small dent' in the roof? (optional extras include leather seats and sawn-off in spare wheel well perhaps??) Edit for typo.

As sold by one Mr D. Turpin http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251436669890?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 How much? For a straight re-number and 5 minute weathering job??

You may also want to move the lamp irons on 126 to the lower position half way down the doors. Here's how it should look. http://www.railphotoarchive.org/rpc_zoom.php?img=0720020926000 Edited for change of picture.

I too would say that me first port of call would be the WNXX site, but for those who like their information in physical paper form I would point you in the direction of Colin J Marsden's The complete UK Modern Traction Locomotive Directory (no association etc.) ISBN978-0-9557887-8-9 which although first published in 2011 does exactly what it says on the cover, listing every diesel and electric loco and their fates. In many ways similar to Rodger Harris' previous volumes covering UK traction, but without the allocations.

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the new Hornby B1 thread(!) We seem to have strayed somewhat not only from Bachmann to Hornby, but also from diesel to steam!!

Maybe it's like in the book/film Christine and all it needs is to be pushed backwards and it'll re-build itself!! But seriously, and with rose-tinted glasses taken off, had this machine been scrapped @1990 like the others then no one would miss it. But for those of us who love peaks, and will realistically never have the chance to own or part own one, seeing this loco after more than 25 years after being withdrawn finally being scrapped makes me very sad (if not a little angry). I wonder how many more diesels that have been 'preserved' with the best of intensions will end up sharing a similar, if less protracted fate? It reminds me of XN728, better known as 'that fighter jet that you could see from the A1' which was a rare English Electric Lightning F2A. Even I conceded at the end much as it pains me to say, that the kindest thing to do was to break it up. RIP in advance 45015. Ps. I have plenty of room in my garden for a cab or two!

I can say that my model- which has since become 37116 works just fine, so if you like it get one! I was beginning to think after my experiences, that other than the stated issues acknowledged by Bachmann that the remaining problems were largely resolved by the removal of the chip. But reading other people's experiences, such as those documented by Martin_R I wonder if mine will fail in the future, or if I was lucky and received a 'good one' as mine has since worked fine- earning its keep on DC. This has been most unlike the Bachmann locos that I own, which is why my entire 37 and 47 fleets are Bachmann. This loco looks the part and a lot of people have been waiting a long time for it, so I wish them well in the (hopefully speedy) resolution of the problems with the 40. Although this has been a worrying development I hope that this is not the start of a trend of a decline in manufacturing standards or cost cutting as this will damage not only sales, but ultimately the hobby in 00.