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Is there a supply of class 90’s to buy ? 90050 is probably the only one that might come on the market and I doubt that will attract any buyers beyond scrappies. 90032 has been “stored” for 16 years this month. LSL were lucky to get 90001/2, but electrically and mechanically aren't they slightly different to the rest ? but I do agree the preserved tag on anything at West Coast, Steam, Diesel or Electric is used liberally... they are all revenue generators of a commercial entity, its just not using public sector money.

Me too please ! ;-)

Just to add.. heres the standard path for 1Z86 in the timetable.. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10596/2020-02-08/detailed you’ll see its clearly marked It has been this way since at least 2010, SO STP path in the timetable... the end destination may change, but as far as Crewe at least.. its the same for each trip... regular as clockwork and activated more often than 35028 is on the VSOE... at least 20 times a year. Its a requirement its out of Euston before the sleeper is in, and as side of I think 3 occasions, its been 86259 steadfastly...(unless 86259 wasnt available and its been cancelled or started rerouted further out). I guess some didnt realise how regular classic 86’s still are as clockwork in London... and as for steam fans, I actually think 86259 has a bit of a cult following amongst them, as whilst the smoky changes week on week at Carnforth.. 86259 guarentees they will be home before 11pm, or at least a chance to jump off at Crewe to catch the last 730pm Pendolino to London. heres the reverse working.. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10598/2020-02-08/detailed if WCRC dont have a tour that week, both the slot and 86259 have been known to be used on that timing for other operators too. heres a rare occasion when 86259 failed, 47760 and 47245 substituted... it was a cold day on the stock without AC provided ETH, train lost nearly an hour in each direction, despite being 95mph capable, they lacked acceleration... week later Network Rail said no 86 no train.. so it was no train. I should add, owner Les Ross is often on board, proudly selling his book, discussing his loco, even on the above trip with the 47’s he was on board apologising for its non-availability. I can see the next run is being loaded for the 29th Feb,... I predict it will be the same timings, same headcode, same loco (86259) and either plat 1 or 16... Also I can see 21st/28th March and its already done Feb 7th.. Thats why i’m surprised WCRC hasnt moved to buy an AC earlier than now, but confidently predict we will see much more from this loco in the future in Euston... and probably Paddington and Kings Cross too. who knows if your lucky you might even get a shot like this.. but i’m hoping 86101 and 87002 return looking like this... who would think in 2020 we would have 5 AC preserved locos on the mainline..., and I dont think were finished yet...

Correct they dont. Network Rail does. thats the point your missing. No 100mph loco from Euston, no railtour from Euston. A Quick look at Railway Touring Company lists 17 tours from Euston.. CME, Blackpool or CCE... ALL of which will depart Euston with 25kv AC or be canceled, unless a very rare exception is agreed. And with HS2 set to dig up Euston, and GC set to add 4 trains a day to Blackpool.. those 100mph paths are looking set to get tighter.. so a 75mph chuff chuff from Euston is going to get rare, as are 95mph slow accelerating diesels... even Voyagers could restricted from Euston soon... Azumas are coming there too. Youve obviously not travelled up to Cumbria from London in a decade.. as this is nothing new... a railtour day out from London to the borders has been 25kv by default for 9 years already.

Its the difference between £60-75k of weekly revenue from London to Cumbria or not at all. CME is a bread and butter service.. 20+ times a year. That its been trusted to 1 loco to make it happen is amazing.. whats more, is for the most part, its reliably done it too. 86259 has probably done more revenue railtours than most of the rest of the fleet (given WCRC has 20+ Diesel locos to share the other work between). The WCML isnt going to get slower / quieter, neither is the GWML and ECML... steam will be pushed further from the capital, so a fast accelerating 100mph electric to cover the gap makes sense, and like London Euston.. be become mandated elsewhere. LSL has already realised this, hence they have bought 4 AC Electrics... 86101/87002/90001/90002. Its just surprised me its taken WCRC soo long to buy an 86 as theyve probably paid handsomely in hire fees for 86259, its done the CME pretty much solo since 2010 at least.

pantomime begins,.. oh no it isnt.. 86259 has single handedly made the Cumbrian Mountain Express viable For several years, as Network rail insist on an AC electric loco on the path from Euston. On the odd occasion hasn't been available odd work arounds were required, including double headed 47’s (which lose considerable time) or cancelations. indeed as an ECS loco 86259 is pretty much useless.. theres no continuous overhead between Wembley and Southall.. so its very limited there, and northbound it comes off at Carnforth, trips back to Lostock Hall for the return CME, meaning the Stock sits in the platform at Carlilse. so back to why they need more than 1... redundancy, reliability, spare parts, availability and that government rules on diesels in the future will apply to all tocs not just the ones you want it to... indeed diesels probably have less of a future in a few decades time on the mainline than steam locos do..... convincing a government minister to make an exception for steam loco will be a lot easier than one for a Deltic for a railtour or a duff for an ecs.. no matter how hard you try ! so buy whilst you can, as since privatisation 25 years ago only 10 AC electric locos have been built.., and between remaining 86/90/91/92 theres less than 100 in the country..and theres no rush to save the 31 class 91’s.

Same logic says WCRC only need 1 steam loco and one diesel too.

Rumour control seems to be suggesting a new livery and new operator for 144’s awaits..., maybe a new holiday destination for Pacer enthusiasts too... New nickname could be Tren de Rebote or Pacer del sol perhaps ?

At what future for 86259 though.. ? I’m surprised its taken WCRC so long to get themselves an AC Electric, when most of their London centric steam actually involves a 3.5hr trip up north. Maybe one or two more if Freightliner finishes with them may make sense too ?

Like which ? Transpenine and 81 went in the Dapol fire, Hornby had a well publicised clear out, and toolings are reportedly bumped or lost in the odd dispute. But in an extinction level, event, toolings might initially “dissapear” but they generally come back... A tooling holds significant value to the posessor, (not implying the owner is the posessor), and those holding them generally are aware of their value being significantly more than scrap, which is why toolings hang around for decades, if not approaching 1/2 centuries in some cases... not too long ago some metal spray masks for some HO Trix UK tooling was on ebay.. and that would be 45+ years since it was last used !

Heres a quick side by side comparison of my class 21 and class 29... lovely models, I now have a duplicate now of D6121 ;-) and my first class 29, am awaiting now the FYE class 29 version to make my collection complete. that nose door is a bit prominent, did 29’s really have that many headlamp brackets ! Differing roof profiles and side grills... an excellant effort by Dapol, all 5 sides of the body shells are different.. from extra grills/rainstripes on the 29’s sides, sealed port on the roof on the 29, but meshed on the 21 not to mention the well documented cab vents and screen wipers. After 45 years..that’s it.. I’ve a full set of Mainline diesels, here on its obscure types (18000/Fell) , sub classes (24/1 ScR, 37/6) and fleet upgrades (59 and 45/1).

Yes and Yes you mean... Because there is insufficient demand for duplicating it, your just tying to avoid admitting it. plenty of manufacturers have waste my resources on something that the other manufacturer can more easily produce as they believe there is sufficient demand.. indeed most of the last 2 years has been manufacturers producing something where a competitor had a product they could produce easier... the list of duplicate toolings is endless. BEP isnt one of them, I suspect its not just down to cost, but return and demand... Ive not idea how Bachmann spent there money on this, but if it wasnt done as cheaply as possible, it could be waste.. the CEP hasnt changed the world, at 3x more the BEP isnt either. I cant ever see myself owning as many BEPs as I do class 37’s. Neither do I see a BEP as a long term strong seller.. its niche and most buyers will only ever buy one...a lot wont be interested in this at all price or prototype irrespective. if it were me the BEP would be a Ratners job, High margin at lowest cost and grab the pot thats there whilst it exists, then dump the rest later and move on. But if Bachmann disappeared tomorrow the tooling wont be vapourised, as long as it exists, then someone else may make a deal and enter the fray making it... I compare Bachmann to Hornby Dublo in this regard... niche, expensive, cult and unique.. but equally changed hands several times over the decades... nothing “dissapeared”... for example I predict its only a matter of time before DJ J94s come back under a new name. Its fallacy to believe if Bachmann dies all is lost... theres way to much value in big chunks of metal sitting in China for that, in a parent company that is doing very well, and previously in the 1980’s sold to 3 different companies in the UK using the same Bachmann toolings... Mainline, Replica and Dapol, before Bachmann emerged. Theres nothing to fret about, BEP, Bachmann or Bulky metal toolings, if you can afford £450 pay it, if you want to wait.. wait, but theres no need to be “scaring” people into paying for it.

It will be around 7/8pm anywhere up to 7 days earlier than this... I only ever saw 5x 4TCs, all of them will have been between Bath and Westbury.. 8010/4/21/31/35. 10 & 14 in NSE.. The only 4TC I saw since 1988 would be the LT set.

Here at Westbury.. 8006 + 33118

Doesnt that tell you something about perceived demand ?

Dirt plays a major factor on Rail light greys applied below window level. The same discussion is often had about Intercity livery. ex-works it will look very light, especially on a sunny day. After a week of rain, wind and snow the dirt layer darkens the grey somewhat. Within a few weeks the dirt is engrained. In the 1990’s even windows were notorious to be “tinted” with engrained dirt that you can barely see through..even after a wash. As it only took about a week for dirt to set in, seeing a truly light grey wasn't that common, even on recently ex-works stock. You would have thought BR would have learned from painting DMUs white in the 1970’s, that dirt is dirty. The last experiment seems to be the “silver” white of Intercity Swallow on locos, the brightness shone through for longer, but dirt gets you in the end. This slide was being eaten, before I scanned it, but the dirt can be seen in perspectives of grey here easy enough on the loco.., the light cluster surrounds having a Swallow “white”, whilst the body sides have the executive light grey, the angled cab misses much of the dirt the body sides pickup.

Many a true word said in jest, no point doing the old ones but.. R3757/8/3905/6/7

Small companies argue they are able to keep costs lower through lower overheads. Thing is anyone with access to a few hundred £, via mortgage, loan or pension can go on Alibaba’s website, find a manufacturer who will do it all, take out a few ads in amagazine and set up a go daddy website and make anything they want. The barriers to entry of the 1980s are gone. The more prices are pushed up, the more attractive it becomes for someone to think “i can do that”. if the economy changes, a few individuals could lose their shirt, but the big boys proclaim they are bleeding could fall too.. We consumers wont end up with nothing.. the toolings exist, the IP has been created the knowledge will be in China.. they will rise up and use it.. that is the Chinese strategy to acquire IP from the west in general... one set of well known tooling is being widely touted for a promoter to take on currently. in other words, Natural Selection & Evolution... old toolings never die, they evolve and return another way.

I dont have the diagrams, but 57601 worked daytime and sleeper services in the mix with 47’s at this time too... first time I saw it, I wondered what it was..

For the tender.. I used a Bachmann buffer on the tender on mine. No one would notice from viewing distance. 36-032 Round head (not 36-035 which is LNER/SR style). To keep appearance I replaced both buffers. Hornby 2800/3800 tender buffers are very nice, but the Bachmann one is probably closer... catalog X6209. All found on ebay.

got to admit seeing that I could be up for doing that one myself. heres another Peckett in SDJR colours.. http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2013/ssg/160313_5_gle

I noticed the tender wheel briefly seize as it went over the crossing. Dont think any sales will be harmed. I would love to be in the meeting room prior to the decision to make that apology video. It would be nice to be confidently believing theres at least one railway enthusiast in their marketing team, even if it was nothing more to set up the videos to play trains.

68680 also carried a version of NER / BR Green in BR days, but lion on wheel logo.

Bachmann has also previously produced 68680 in a version of NER / BR Green , but lion on wheel logo.

Therein is the danger zone the hobby is in. We have 9 prominent suppliers, 6 passive suppliers in RTR OO, each has overheads. They cannot afford 2021 to be quiet. If each supplier makes just 2 new toolings and just 4 liveries, and just 2 new liveries on just 2 existing toolings... that’s 12 new models a year... x 15 that’s 180 new models... or 15 new models a month... Bachmann just announced 25 for the next 3 months.. that’s just models on wheels... and people consider that quiet, Then Hornby, Dapol, Accurascale, Heljan, Hattons... Lima went under for making just 3 a month... and they were under £40. I fear if people can’t afford to buy what they want, with so much coming in, the consumer won’t need to worry about items selling out, Shops have less to worry about, the days of mass discounting are gone, they just need to minimum order items across the spread of suppliers safe in knowledge the warehouse has stock... but Manufacturers accountants will need to Start worrying if they got the volume sums wrong.