County of Yorkshire

One would have thought that the official announcement would have gone into much more specific detail about the particulars for such a premium product, rather that having to rely on Andy to disseminate product spec for them. Why go the trouble of an (admittedly very nice) banner ad on RMweb when the copy is so poor? Is it even stated anywhere when this product is expected to be available? Is it just me or have the comms from Locomotion Models gone right down hill over the last 18 months or so? This is premium product with Poundshop marketing! CoY

It's the same loco: 4707 in G-Crest-W livery, but mine has a manufacturing error; they've clearly used a BR tooled bodyshell but put it into the wrong livery. I seem to recall the same thing happening to a very few Hornby Tintagel Castles when they were released back around 2011 or so. I know some may find it a somewhat trivial error but I am not prepared to attack a model of this price with a rat tailed file. A) because I don't have the skill do that and make it look good and B) even if I did, out of principle why should I have to? Rails have been excellent with me so far and this model is now en route to Sheffield. CoY

Bingo. This is very sloppy QC, and yes, the steam pipe is adrift also. I'm simply not taking a file to a £150+ model to correct such a stupid error, so it's going back to Rails. CoY

There are a few of the BR Chocolate & Cream Livery version knocking about here and there, but not in GWR livery or Carmine and Cream i'm afraid. Although, my local model shop do not sell online and tend to have things in stock long after those elsewhere have sold out - give 53a Models a call. CoY

#X!%$&^ £*@%!! And on THE most expensive single piece of model railway equipment I've ever purchased! CoY

I saw Black Lion at the Hull show last November and was blown away by the quality of the modelling, but also by the sheer array of rolling stock that was, unsurprisingly, almost all scratch built. This was a breath of fresh air at a show where 90% of the stock of all other layouts was RTR or modified RTR, and this was one of the principal reasons why I stopped off as Black Lion to look on for at least 45 minutes in total across the afternoon. Geoff also had a lot of time for my inane questions too (being a relatively young modeler in the grand scheme of things and still trying to develop my knowledge, skills and experience!) and we made nice, idle chit chat about the nature of the UK's building media, how you can pinpoint where you are to within about 20 miles accuracy based on the building materials and architectural mores of a locale, and how Black Lion so effortlessly reflects this as a part of Clwyd and to a lesser extent the hinterland of Cheshire. The scratch built rake of LNER & constituents stock took my eye: As did these forlorn wagons: CoY

Could LCD thus bundle the toolings in China off into Oxford Rail and continue to produce existing Hornby product under the Oxford Banner? I would struggle to believe that the charge over Hornby's IP is inclusive of the model designs (more likely centering on TM's and Brand Copyright) given that the tooling in China sits outside of the charge. Indeed, the Chinese are so dismissive of global IP regs anyway anyone could use the Hornby toolings out there to knock out models with little risk of litigation, so long as they were rebranded. Oxford Rail 'Express' anyone? LCD has built a lifeboat on a ship that has a 50/50 chance of sinking. CoY

Perhaps these may be of use? Cheers, CoY

Good of the driver to bring us some morning delight; thanks Trevor! What's the name of the loco Rob?

Whilst I don't need a B4 and thus won't get one, I must say it looks a very fine model, which surely augurs well for the GWR Large Prairie and Mogul? CoY

The square windowed Thompson stock was the first built but it was quickly realised that this led to a build up of water in the window corners and this subsequently accelerated the prevalence of rot - the design was changed to round cornered windows quite quickly, but I seem to think that no LNER liveried Thompsons ever featured round-cornered windows (i.e they emerged after Nationalisation). All of the preserved corridor Thompsons (bar 2) were built by BR, and thus have round-cornered windows. The only two LNER-built Thompson corridor coaches that survive is the lovely RB 1706 of 1947 at Llangollen and the TTO 13803 of 1946 at Boness. Both have square windows, but neither are modelled (unfortunately) in the new Bachmann range. All that being said, the faux-teak Thompsons are lovely coaches - treat yourself and embrace rule 1! CoY

Sorry, the two pics that I've put up weren't the best (she was difficult to shoot on Sunday for some reason - never quite coming toward me smokebox first!), but she was in lined Brunswick green: CoY

Best of the rest... That's all folks. CoY

Don't forget your Manors CoY

A 'Southern thing'. An 'American thing' A Pannier that never offended CoY

More to the liking of the regulars of this thread; Swindon superpower:

To start, a monarch and a republican, though born over 300 years apart. CoY

Ok then... CoY

Does anybody want to see images of a King, Hall, Manor, 28xx, 64xx Pannier, a Southern thing, a Standard thing and an American thing running along an ex-GWR secondary mainline over the Bank Holiday weekend? CoY

5029 is under overhaul as we speak iirc.

More gibberish regarding the rebrand in the latest Steam Railway mag (I've added bold highlights for emphasis): "When asked why the museum had decided to drop the word 'national' from its logo, NRM Director Julie McNichol told Steam Railway; "We know that there are some visitors who are a little put off by the word 'national', so the re-brand is about broadening our appeal". However, despite the change in the museum's brand identity, the NRM insist it is still called, and will continue to be known as, the National Railway Museum. The NRM spokesman said; "Our name hasn't changed. We are still the National Railway Museum and we will continue to be a national museum. The logo is the logo - it is not our full name. We hope the new visual identity will appeal to a broad audience - including people who haven't been to the museum before. Our national status is important and that won't change - we know how much it means to many people- particularly here in York. That's why it will literally be the name above the door". For those familiar with it, this all seems like a dreadful policy idea from a SPAD* in The Thick of It! CoY *No, not that type of SPAD - Special Political Advisor...

Check out the photo archives on the Swindon Steam Museum website - most of the GWR period Hall images show them in black (albeit in black and white shots, but you can tell the livery from the shade contrast with the black smokebox). This one, for example is in black, whilst you would have to say that this one is in green. CoY

I always come away from a visit to the NYMR with a book or two, as you can choose from: The ersatz WW2 period bookstall on Pickering Platform 2 - all books £1! I picked up 'Branch Lines of Oxfordshire' yesterday for a quid. Pickering Book Shop opposite the station - railway books piled high on a table as soon as you walk in, £3 maximum. Grosmont Book Shop - prices quite competitive but you will pay Amazon/Abebooks prices for the rarer out-of-print tomes. Grosmont Shed Shop - a mixed bag of railway books in boxes at the far end of the shop, and occasional '£5 specials' of books worth having. Models along the NYMR are a bit harder to pick up now, what with the demise of Buffers. Grosmont Shed Shop used a have a great selection at competitive prices (particularly Bachmann) and had stock that had long sold out elsewhere (such as the GWR livery Hornby Hawksworth coaches) but the selection of late has shrunk and the prices are pretty daft; too high for the family day trippers and not competitive enough to meet he box shifters where the more discerning buyer is liable to go. An example? Hornby 42/52xx tanks for £120, when they have long been £80/90 elsewhere... Dave Edge's shop at Grosmont is ok - some good used Hornby Stanier non-corridors for about £25, but the prices for boxed and unboxed older stuff (Airfix/Replica/Mainline/Older Hornby) are a bit on the high side. There is also TMC up the bank at Beckhole but I've personally never got around to going. CoY