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OHLE stickers were supposed to be at places where the roof was accessible on legacy locomotives. AC Electrics never had stickers when new, as they were purposely designed not to be roof accessible. I think it was privatisation when the placing of stickers became common, presumably the result of a revised risk analysis.

Yes 87002 had a memorable week on front line lowlander Glasgow duty in 2018, I recall 86401 also positioned up / back from Glasgow on the lowlander to do the ecs when the 47 wasnt available. This being during 92’s conversions for mk5’s (a 92 couldnt do mk3 and mk5 interchangably due to power settings so there was a shortage as mk5’s were delayed). 87002 also did the ecs’s from Kings Cross in May 2019, when 4 trains went south as 8 coach rakes (2x mk5, 2x mk3) due to platforming space at kx and Euston being closed…, it even saw 87002 alongside an Azuma, DB 90, FL 90, LNE 91’s and CS92 at the same time, plus LNE HST and a borrowed EMR set. This day was a split between mk3 and mk5’s, though 87002 only ever did mk3’s… quite a morning that was… last time I saw BR Era LHCS going into KX on svce trains, to be relieved by scheduled LE’s to retrieve the stock. 87002 also had a very memorable night out to Didcot and Paddington in 2018, on Mk1’s in Brown/Cream.

A little one, On 37027, should the white stripe go over the bodyside kick plate under the door too ? (flickr/url not mine) I see images on both sides that seem to be a continuous white stripe end to end.

Ive played around with the image, and tbh moving the light down over covering the bracket, or moving the light and bracket down, dont overall compensate the size of the light, and having tried several ways with the doing a headlight light myself (including using Zirconia and my daughters “invisible earrings”), I do get why its a pain. moving on, I cast my eye over the front end and its absolutely 100%, theres nothing else to say, its spot on, I mean its seriously spot on. On the side of Shapfell I noticed the “F” of the Rfd Diamonds is lighter on the light grey, but darker on the dark grey, is this on your list to blend in or maybe put a dark grey “F” before over painting a red one ontop ? Very impressed with the roof latches and rails this detail area seems to be exceptionally well captured.. And also the roof fan grill, which is modelled as above, two piece with the grill slightly raised above its fitting. I cant wait to see roof close ups, but they do look exciting.

Easy tiger, been there tried it at least 3 different ways (using bearing cups and 2mm plastic rod with 0.45mm LEDs (which were too large !).. its really not easy, I went down to 0.32mm (1/3rd of a mm !) and thats on a model where you could remove the nose… working with an object less than 0.5mm, into an object 2mm by 1.5mm isnt the easiest, even tweasers wont help. Indeed spent some time on this, yes doable, but expect a fair bit of attrition in that activity. Even a few pro’s have stepped back from doing that. For that reason I’d prefer it lower, even if its bigger, (size wont matter when its on) but fixing the position is just one vowel different to the word bigger.. i’m not going to labour the point, if it is what it is, but it will be the first time ive dinged an accurascale product on a detail point.

Hi Fran Do you have any pictures we can see to support that ? 37026/7/43 specifically ? The images I see are all with the spot slightly lower than the dominos ? @aeroplane’s image of 043 certainly to me looks 1/3rd lower than the domino, I havent found any where the spot seems to be above the dominos ? maybe you can give us a full frontal of one of the 37’s in question incase its the angle we are missing ? Also it might be me, but the look to be pointing upwards, like searchlights to the sky ? Rather than slightly downwards to a point at an angle a distance up the track. (theres a video somewhere on youtube showing these lights impact from the cab seat, on the far north, and you see when they are turned off the difference in vision ahead on the track is stark, but i’m not sure what difference it made when it was moving at speed, beyond reassurance as it didnt seem that far ahead to react).

Dont panic.. A lot of retailers stopped taking pre-orders for Hornby as they didnt seem to know what will actually arrive. Hornbys website is a good judge, they are still in stock there.. if they sell out, then let the panic set in, but so far this year, most stuff has not. my guess is though the caledonian sleepers in the final “stag” livery will sell out, as everyone buys multiples, but the RLOs and BSOs will stick as most people only need 1 of each (i’m assuming they produce at equal quantities)… but with Accurascales 92, and 86401 from Heljan, and 87002 from Hornby youve a full suite of AC locos now to pull them, plus you can run them with Freightliner class 90’s (powerhaul and original), and they ran both ECML and WCML in this livery, so next to an 800 and a 390 works, LM 350, as does TPE mk5’s and a 68…, of course the new Sleeper mk5’s ran paralell for a while. As for blue/grey and intercity, unusure, both are repeats.

I think the smoke, sound and X04 motor might be worth more as parts than the model as a whole.

No one has either in their hands yet, both are EPs. The closest comparison is Hattons. https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/compareversions?id=1003190&scale=1000588&utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mar-0595-mar-0799-dapolaccurascalemanortoolingsupdate&_kx=n6KRjKdN8-kaH9fAATBsmWWuQHf8DMNBa06CkF87pDY%3D.JGQeXh Despite 18 out of 30 being announced, only 2 hits have scored with me.. 7802 and 7812… (my lottery skills are much the same), my preference is for 7822/28 in BR Green and 7819 in lined black, so for now i’ll wait… I don't know enough of the individual class member’s nuances (or availability of spare bits to attempt it), by all accounts its more than just changing name/numberplates, to make an accurate renumber so i’ll stick with my older inaccurate ones for those numbers, but 7802/7812 are in the bag.

Imo Thats precisely what keeps biting Hornby… odd balls first, save the best for later.. translates to maximising revenue from the tooling… but..in a modellers mindset.. buying cheap models to repaint, means modellers are less interested in the better liveries as the price difference becomes exponential, and justifies buying the cheap ones even further… of course then along comes a competitor, and eats your market starting with those desirable liveries from the outset… 31, 56, 142, 156. I’d imagine a 50 and a 60 might be in someone elses focus too. I don't get how Hornby's avoided doing most 21st century working preserved Black5’s, like 44806, 44871,45025, 45110, 45212, 45231, 45305, 45337, 45407… only 44932 (1989 and 2011) , 45025 (Railroad 2018), 45379 (2016) (plus 44871 in 1968 condition)… theyve always been like that.

The LMS Built Liverpool,EMU hasn’t done well under NRM custodianship, so I doubt a class 507/8 would fare better. Its nice if a 313 is saved, but remember the NRM is a conservator, not an operator of stock.

Precisely why Ive never done it, Ive thought about it several times, but as an IT man rather than a railwayman, theres not much I could do except look at it and write cheques. Then reading the comments you see online of those who have done it, makes It easier to justify to buy the guff instead…. 455831/2 builders plates, sitting on a 317 AWS horn (i dismantled it to rewire it up off a 9v battery and it works)… i’m going to wire it to my doorbell, and put it on the layout. (Ive got the same plates from a class 142, and a Bury class 504) and the blind out of the first 455 trailer, 77579, (455801) which ended its days a few weeks ago in set 455825 on a Crystal Palace service… ive reset it somewhere far more appropriate. And it now shares space with a blind from 142095.. (identical dimensions, just different handles (and blinds obviously), plus the 455 mounting has wings). the Metro Maruder lived upto its name, when it came to collectors guff, they raised over £6k for “Mind” mental health charity in Croydon, selling 455 railwayana items, through direct sale, auction and raffle… easily over 100 items on board in the two centre driving cabs, turned pop-up shop… Over 50 class 455 builders plates alone (all donated by Eversholt and removed by Southern), both deserve a big thanks for allowing removal and Southern for removing them.

Like noticing the roof doesnt match either of the two differing mis-matches bodysides ? i really hope theyve caught this.

It certainly damages credibility…. this one is looking like its coming back to haunt the customer, at least those purchasing prior to that have some recourse if unhappy. regarding Fell.. Is this where Generic Fell emerged ? And why is modifying a CAD more expensive, than modifying a tooling, if that tooling hasnt yet started ? Full marks on GT3 and the Consetts, the were a bit vague there too, but they did listen, even if communication was a bit opaque, but Fell for me feels a bridge too far! So personally I’m happy to order via Rails, rather than pay upfront a year plus in advance from now on. The risk tolerance drops with lines like the above, and lack of clarification of what were seeing… when the DD etc lists there i’ll move, unless the Fell turns up accurate and surprises us again too..in that case i’ll truly bet on them for winning a poker face challenge and i’d be lost for words.

At this point i’ll settle for the major errors (like the EPs being seen being a generic Fell, rather than a point in time one), and I could live with the minor ones.

not a mix and match in this picture, two rakes side by side, but i’m pretty sure they did… Knottingley Spring 1992.

New stuff delayed, but a look at their website reveals oodles of old stuff still in stock. Its only unreleased stuff were starved off, and that applies to every company, but theres no shortage of red boxes, general public wont notice.

True, A Heritage railway without volunteers hasnt got a future, dining trains or not… how many of the 200 lines and museums exist solely on a 100% payroll, and make a viable self sustaining profit which goes back into infrastructure and growth ?.. 3,4, 5 perhaps ? Much of this crowd probably dont care about a preserved railway either, so the feeling maybe mutual. They may even grow up to disdain of them and lobby for their closure (Colonial, Racist, Environmental, Elitist, non Humanitarian charities, unsightly, competing sporting interests (cycle tracks etc), commuter rail, theres more than a few seedlings of arguments against them, and they rely on local authorities to exist, the very same authorities which are changing their ruling demographics from the retired white male image of the past… not everyone is fan.. https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9165171.sutton-taxpayers-own-a-steam-locomotive-that-few-have-ever-seen/ To me thats a weakness / threat that preserved lines need to navigate if they want to survive, to become a non-charity business, or as a charity they need to remain relevent to its volunteers and to its neighbours. Thats a politics debate, that as an ex-volunteer I left long behind too. Instead, I enjoy it whilst ive got it.. photos and videos are all that will exist in the future, unless someone makes a model…. In which case, come find me, as ive spent the last months recording every bit of noise they used to make too. I suspect old EMUs will be appreciated far more in the future, and some regret that so little is saved today will be seen.. after all steam is becoming unaffordable, diesel will be faded out… Brighton Belle may yet replace a steam hauled diner in logistics, affordability and still remain desirable.

Here’s my last night, on my local lines of 455’s…. from 2030 until Midnight, I wandered from Carshalton Beeches to Selhurst, Wandsworth Common, Clapham and Victoria for 0005 and the very last train… 0025 to Norwood Junction Over the last few weeks ive covered more than 15 locations between West Croydon and Epsom Downs, 8 locations between Caterham and Purley, and 10 between East Croydon and Coulsdon Town.. so i’ll probably make a few more yet… I was amazed at the crowds out yesterday, viewing from the Railtour, we passed people at every station on the tour, and the send off for the ecs at Victoria was as big as the HST send off at Kings Cross in 2019. i’d say 50% of the crowd at Victoria were younger than 30, indeed a good proportion were under 20, and included a good number of Asian and females enthusiasts too (my own daughter included had a fantastic time on the tour, and spent much of today discussing with her class mates today various parts of the day out), the hobby has gone a very long way from the raincoat sterotypes of the 1980’s. All the Metro services had people out watching right into the late evening, and even the 0025 had a good 50 or so enthusiasts on board (though many jumped at Battersea Park and Clapham), a noble 20-30 or so made it to Norwood Junction at 0102, several of whom had booked hotels at East Croydon (there was no way back at that time)… so much for no fans of EMUs…

All these cuts are aimed at off peak demand bringing empty trains. Lets how how tomorrows services pan out, with short trains in peak hour. Pre-Covid, 12 coach metros from Sutton would be rammed to the point of being unable to board between 0700-0830… people up stream from Wallington or Hackbridge would often reverse commute upto Sutton earlier, to ensure they could get on the train they wanted. The result was stopping the non- stops at Carshalton, and of course Epsom-London Bridge via Beeches and Wallington. Post Covid, these services are now full to standing, with patchy groups of seats. So tomorrow, if these are 4 coaches less, to divvy up the fleet across Caterham and Epsom Downs services, does that mean: 1, filling up to the brim once more ? 2, proving the only way to make Metro pay is to fill it to the limits of safety once more ? I am interested to know how much savings it brings scrapping a fleet of low cost, low maintenance, toilet free, electronics free, fully amortised, very reliable trains actually saves.

The ones exported though still have all the embellishments… polo’s , double arrows and Railfreight depot plaques…

Could also be translated as.. Over the wifes head railway, depending which room she is in…

Unfortunately its a sign that preservation as we know it has passed its zenith and now failing. No one in the 1960’s had a clue to how maintain a loco, no idea where it was going to go or any idea about what to do to raise cash after they had bought it. In the 1990’s, living standards raised to the point that an average joe (s) could self fund buying a loco, and dozens of lines can provide a home, but the on going cash continues to be an issue. It was commented yesterday if each passenger on the Metro Maurader put in £40, they could probably buy the unit (£5k a coach suggested) , cash is not that short, £25k was raised on the railtour yesterday for Mind, in Croydon.. through sales of Worksplates, Destination blinds, Cab side numbers and other cut parts recovered from Sims last week… (Eversholt donated a huge amount of stuff for this charity trip), nearly everyone left that train with a 455 part, right down to blind box covers, and wooden isolator paddles. (Ive got worksplates off 455838/455839 and the blind off 455801). So by the time we reach electrics, the message is give up, dont bother… If a relatively cheap to run, low electronic 455 cannot be saved, then a 195, 220, 377, 390 have no chance in the future. Weve gone full circle and back to the 1920-50’s where by theres a farewell run before the scrapyard. That suggests the risk to many unrestored diesels, and due to age attrition, many steam locos once restored in the 1970’s-90’s potentially face the same fate, and collecting railwayana off ex-preserved locos before scrapping is a future way of raising funds. Ive spent much of the last two decades chasing mainline steam, and noticed the peak start to fall after 2008-11, and preserved railway steam started to decline from 2016, and I doubt “eco” coal will help in any way… not many steam galas field a towards a dozen locos any more, days like NYMR putting out 3 A4’s, the MHR emptying Southall for the weekend, and Llangollens SSS galas.. I suspect those days are gone. Ive practiced the mantra of enjoy it whilst you can, and since 2018 I applied that to the carnage of remaining BR era units on the mainline too…., finishing at 0120am this morning at Norwood Junction with SNs last 455843 which I noticed entered Selhurst, also without its destination blinds.. it didnt go alone, at least 50 enthusiasts were on board at 0025, around 20 at Norwood jn at 0102 and a hardy half dozen saw it off to the depot at 0119… days like 50455 on its last trip to York, or 62822 to Doncaster comes to mind.

Your keeping some under the floor boards ? Hmm now thats one area of the house Ive not yet used…

Block chain and crypto currency are not the same thing. Its like comparing a passenger train to the track, one rides on the other to make a product… of course not all trains are passenger trains, and not all applications of Blockchain are crypto currency. One could argue blockchain is the IT application of rolling stock diagrams, to its stock, the stocks revenue on that train, between the two points, all maintained in a series of registers… : the combination of 455843 : 2U76 0025 Vic - Nwd jn 0102 on 15/05/2022 with 30 odd like mind enthusiast such as myself last night is a unique and unreplicable event… which could be encoded simply as a chain.. 4558432U760025VICNWD01021505202230 which can be authenticated off its previous.. 4558432K732321WCYVIC00051405202230 That represents the last Southern 455 in passenger service, and contains elements that can be verified by its previous service (to Victoria ) and identifies its next source (Norwood jn).., and of course any errors in that could be weeded out by other registers (forum members) who would have no issue weeding out a fake to that combination, such as my proposed next.. 4558435Z000900NWDNRM09021505202200 The constant here is the “Currency”.. 455843, who’s value is arguably about to depreciate considerably next week, 39 years after being “mined” in York. now thats definitely off topic.