NXEA!

I’m sure it’s been mentioned that the BR version is being delivered last - now I’ve said that it’ll be the next variant to turn up...

Placed an order and the address given on the emailed receipt is Knapp Park Road Paignton

Which by the looks of it from Google Maps, is a residential street. That doesn't explain why a shop purporting to be in Swindon is registered in Paignton, though. Some very keen prices as has been said, the B12 is tempting. 

Roughly when was it that the N7s began being displaced from the suburban services, dispersed to other sheds and used more on branch lines?

http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=class&id=601407&type=S&page=alloc 

This should help. If the link above is anything to go by, almost all of them ended their days at Stratford. Ignoring ones allocated off the GE at outposts such as Colwick, Annesley, Hatfield etc, a few seem to have been sent to the countryside around 1957, and ended up at Cambridge, Lowestoft and Harwich Parkeston Quay from this period onwards. I would hazard a guess that they were displaced by brand new BTH Type 1/Class 15's which entered traffic in 1957, and the N7's would've then displaced the last F5's and F6's, and maybe some of the remaining E4's. Some non-London depots always had a small allocation of N7's throughout the BR period - Colchester for the Walton branch, and Kings Lynn for the South Lynn shuttle for example. 

Some good suggestions there from GC4946 and The Stationmaster. A Taff Vale O1, O2, or MSWJR 2-4-0 would sell very well I would’ve thought. Wrong region for me, but I would buy one of the latter.

I do feel that there must be a strategy for Oxford Rail, and I have a feeling that strategy is churning out models of pre-grouping prototypes which had fairly limited geographic spread. I'd suggest that if we see a locomotive next week it will originate from either Crewe, Darlington, Horwich, Stratford or St. Rollox.

Another Stratford machine please! 

And another review here: 

It looks superb, and might be Oxford's benchmark going forward. I can't wait to get my hands on mine! 

It could be an LMS loco. Their first locomotive releases have been GWR Dean Goods, SR Radial, LNER N7, so something from the LMS is only fair I'd say. Maybe a new 2P? 

Any minor errors aside, it looks like an N7 to me, and personally that's good enough for me. I just hope that it is a good runner, and as someone who has ordered a sound one, I hope the sound file is of good quality and authentic.  

When the first people get their hands on the GER version, please post photos and videos! I have a BR one on order which is the last version due to arrive and I'm itching to get my hands on it. 

When I said there was nothing for me, I lied. Didn’t realise until I looked later that Hornby are doing a TTS chip for the B12. Not sure of the quality of TTS chips as I’ve never bought one before but as it’s £40 vs £100+ from a third party supplier, it’s definitely worth trying out.

Nothing in the range for me (although I may get one of the open-cab Peckett W4's), however I'm ok with that as I have two J70's and an N7 to pay for imminently! This looks like a very ambitious and exciting programme covering practically every interest, with big pacifics, middle range tanks, industrial locos, and lots of lovely coaches and wagons and lots for the modern image modeller too - the Romanian 92 is particularly interesting! I really hope they pull it off and that they make a bucket of money off of these, they deserve it for being so ambitious and we all want a healthy Hornby. Lots are due in the next few months too which makes it more exciting.  

They have played their hand well as the items that are going head to head with others such as the Terrier and Prairies are due before their competitors, so it should get some much needed cashflow through the door quickly and providing the results are up to their usual level, should be the option of choice for most modellers, and at a lower price to boot. The Mark 2f's are a surprise, although if they stick to liveries that are not being produced by Bachmann they should be ok - some Anglian and Virgin ones would sell well I would've thought - they could even churn out some Virgin, ONE, and FL/EWS 90's to complement them. The one potential misstep I can see are the 66's, I think that is a strange move and in doing 9(?) different liveries, unless they are in limited quantities, will take up valuable production space for other models.  

Top marks from me overall!

I agree with that adage, I have more J15's than I really need. Lovely effort, how did you fashion the sheet rail if you don't mind me asking? 

I'm also desperate for an E4, would definitely have a couple of those if one was made! 

I would still expect one in the next batch.

 

Possibly a British Railways one as well, maybe even the BR green one.

 

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/LNER-Scotland/Holmes-Locomotives/Holmes-Tender-Engines/Holme-J36/Holmes-J36-/i-rtGW2Tv

 

 

 

Jason

Didn't know one was painted green! That would be a strong seller, surely. 

I say it every time a manufacturer has an announcement coming up, but I'm hoping for the LNER E4. They've got the tender for it, and there's a potential joint commission with the NRM for 62785. Also the last 2-4-0 in traffic with BR. 

Dont forget theres a replica J70 being built, i saw it at the Nene Valley about 10 years ago.

 

http://nene-valley.blogspot.com/2010/06/y6-tram-engine-replica.html

 

Theres not been much news on this project for a while, maybe the model will reignite interest in the replica ?

Had no idea this project existed - shame it's in limbo. From the link, it doesn't sound like it'll even require that much money to run! 

Skipper!

No mention of East Anglia in RCTS 'Greenie' Part 10B, but a very complete description of the NE routes worked by the pair.

 

Edit: also states that one was scrapped in May 1930 and the other in April 1931, after being out of service for several years, so some 17 years before nationalisation.

Wow! This is extremely tempting, and good on Rails for doing something very left-field. Rule #1 applies I think. I think Rails are wrong with their profile of the fleet, I’d read somewhere that they had been cascaded to work branch lines in East Anglia and had lasted until very early nationalisation...

 

 

Hi, the leds are in strips courtesy of Herr LIDL. The front of the layout is lit by two strips of LED which are 'warm white'. These are about four inches ahead of the front edge of the baseboard to prevent the front of the layout being in shadow. Another row of LEDs sit roughly in the middle. These are 'cool white'.

 

I think this, combined with the fact that the backscene is plain lilac coloured card, produces the lighting effect..

 

 

 

 

 

Hi CK.

 

Modelling has been  confined to Mutton ahead of the Cardiff show at the end of last month. Since then, work has taken over with six day weeks for five out of the next six weeks......

 

I am therefore not confident about Bleat being ready for the small Cardiff show in January. I shall of course have a go but time is not on my side. If I am to show Bleat then I have to be happy with it.

 

 

 

 

Not seen Jonners but no doubt looking good.

 

 

 

Rob.

Thanks Rob - I think I need to look at bringing the fascia forward to eliminate the shadow at the front. Much appreciated. 

I already have Dodo and the blue PLA one on-order, but 560 looks delicious. Very tempting... 

Rob,

Late to the party, but good to see you back and enjoying your modelling. Always a treat to tune in now and again and see how your various projects are coming along.

What have you used for your lighting if you don’t mind me asking? Your layouts seem to be well lit. I’ve had mixed results with LED strips, although I wonder if it’s down to placement rather than the lighting itself!

Apologies for not replying to you all, I didn’t think it’d generate such a discussion. A comparison photo between different shades and a photo of the can is on Metr0Land’s thread. I compared my efforts to the post-war teaks I have from the R2981 Olympic set - certainly a lot lighter, but still a fair representation for what I’m after. FWIW the Matt Black is pretty decent too.

I’m glad someone else got some good use out of it and not just me! My results are similar to yours, certainly lighter but a fair representation all the same. It’ll certainly make a good starting point for covering in soot and crud, as I intend to do eventually.

I’m not sure if it’s a permanent staple of their range, but my local Poundland in Norwich Riverside has car primer aerosols in stock, which I’d not seen before. They have black in both matte and satin, and I tried out their matte grey. Their grey is a good match for roof grey to my eye - I used it to spray the roofs of my Gresley Teaks to represent post-war condition. Can’t go wrong for £1, and it’s almost £6 cheaper per can than the Halfords equivalents!

They must be close now! How close, if you don’t mind me asking, Chris?

That BR one looks super. Are these the same pre-production samples that were doing the rounds previously? The smoke box numbers are still printed on rather than on a plate, and the cab side numbers look quite dark. Won’t stop me from buying one however!