Ian Hargrave

Arrived an hour ago...delivered by same lady...in the middle of said pruning exercise. Said she wes glad she didn't have to go all the way up to the front door.....poor thing....she must be quite an age....30 at least. E mail from Hattons earlier...the other brake expected Tues 29th.This completes my order. Must get them to use Royal Mail this time...I use a Mail Collect service...more convenient.

Haway the lads.....bonny lad,dursn't thee appreciate the wilds of County Durham? Best hostelry up North...and close...The Rose&Crown at Romaldkirk. Me....I'm actually coming South,past The Angel & a short distance down the A1 .Our son & family live in Low Fell & we're spending a couple of nights there.God's own country....A1 excepted. On good authority ( mine) the sun does actually shine there.....might actually get up the coast towards Alnmouth & Dunstanburgh...magically unspoiled.

The only downside of it...as I've just learned...is it's Yodel again.....ah well,at that price,mustn't grumble.Good thing I'm planning a pruning assault on the front terraces.As they say...blink and you miss them.Their idea of finding out if anyone's in is tap and run....The main consignment of portholes arrived thus a week or so back & had to be re delivered despite the fact that we were in and the porch door was open.The lady delivering it moaned about having to climb the steps and questioned how we managed to live here.....such is the human condition,I suppose. Now we have to repeat the process ....and again shortly when the other brake end eventually appears.

A good tree surgeon is a crock of gold.There are far too many guys in trucks with mobile numbers on their sides preying on the gullible.

And after the turbulent storms of yesterday ( no,not the weather ) a ray of sunshine from Merseyside.My porthole break (pre ordered) is winging its way to me at the guaranteed £24....yee hah!

And in the end,it will all be a matter of subjective judgement.....what you think might be,as you call it,a pup,others will be well pleased with.I think they will make a decent job..but nothing in life is ever perfect,is it?

Mike....the 18.4 and the Rheingold ?

I had several incursions....if that's the correct word...into that thread yesterday and got stung for my efforts to inject some reason into the maelstrom of bile and lack of intelligence. I am reminded of the opening of "A Tale of Two Cities". "It was the best of times,it was the worst of times"

Agreee....that said,though,Hattons do offer an online chat option. Haven't actually used it myself,I hasten to add.I think you mentioned going to Liverpool to collect yours,didn't you.A wise decision,I think,given possible gremlins with the actual model plus the fact that they use Yodel.

Fair enough.....in any case,after reading this thread,I am sure the Bachmann team will be "on message" . Seeing red after a fit of the blues?

Sorry,at this stage ,a rush to judgement is unhelpful and I cannot agree with your present stance.All I can tell you is to repeat what I have already posted.I have had contact with such samples and have been impressed....but they are what they are...samples and just that...one step along the road to eventual production. By implication,you expect a product which is to a subscription standard rather than something marketed within budget limitations.If that is what you expect,then you must find another route to your goal. If you have invested your own capital into the development of a model,then you have every right to question its progress on the basis of mutual trust..otherwise you,like the rest of us,can only make our ultimate judgement in a purchase....or not. For myself, it's a must...a pannier and auto train my route to school and a way down the valley to Abercynon and the heady delights of Cardiff. I am going to enjoy this one.

Gents,please,these are just pre production painted samples...that...and only that. Please don't rush to judgement.A great deal of hard work and skill has gone into its development. Please bear with it....it WILL be right..but right now,scathing comment helps no one...OK ?

By doing so ,you are giving ,I think.people an impression that there's a problem.Pity the poor guy commissioned to paint the pre production sample..Remember,this is just a step on the road..

I take your word for it that it's 'hand finished'.To me it looks like a sample seen in a catalogue as an 'artist's impression' of a model soon to be 'in production'. I really don't think that there is a need to rush to judgement at this stage.If we are to judge,please wait until this model reaches the market,hopefully sometime later this year....and yes,I have seen and handled both painted and unpainted pre production samples of this very fine model.Rest assured,you are in for a treat.

This is a model in development.Why on earth take this as what eventually you will get out of the box...?

Sounds like a common Hornby problem with the gear tower. Advice...see if Peters Spares has the part.

Mystery solved.....my son,ringing from his office ! Spare my blushes...

Just tuned in to this.Interesting......I have used the system twice in the last six months and it has worked....but....on the first occasion I saw a neurosurgeon at a private clinic in Nottingham which did contracted out work for the NHS....very quickly indeed.....then received a mail shot for a Stannah stairlift in short order.I maintain a large garden and the house is accessed by a flight of steps ! Recent issue. Phone rang 30 minutes ago....showing 003165 on the display....no one seemingly on the other end..For the next ten minutes both phones were paralysed & I couldn't do anything with either 1471 or 1571.When finally I managed to clear it 1471 blurts 'please hang up ' after bleating the above number. Curious and annoying.....any thoughts ?

Point made....but tin hats on for 'incoming'....

I am relieved to hear it...thanks for that

Regrettably,it seems always to be the case when coupling Hornby and Bachmann coaches together, Why can't we have an agreed standard coupling /buffer height ? Shock,horror no.....do I hear? Nearly always renders Kadees ineffective,which is a shame. Hate those tension locks...

Agreed....but it is a big issue on this forum,as you are no doubt aware

Agent Ulysses S.Mole ,C.I.A.Langley,Virginia warns of consequences of extreme rendition to County Durham.

I am sorry....what a distasteful way to conduct your business.Hattons are apparently,honouring my order.

Oh dear....suitable for my eight year old grandson but even he has better taste than that,I think,as he sometimes operates grandpa's layout with cool judgement.That set is a car crash of major proportions....an abomination,in truth...So sorry.NOT big boys toys !