Ian Hargrave

Ian....Gaugemaster have R 3162A&B on at £89.99 ATM. They ship .

Merl retired last Christmas.....a nation stands acquitted.Had my hands on a sample last month.Delicious .Were any of this trio either Abercynon or 86J up to 1958 ,I wonder? I would love to recreate the Aberdare-Abercynon auto train of my schooldays.

I can appreciate that sentiment...to order or not...and then perhaps run the risk of them selling out before you've made your mind up.On the other hand,if they make a pig's ear of the weathering.......A case of damned if you do & damned if you don't..hope not. I confess,I haven't yet placed an order.Anyway,good luck with it,whatever your decision is.

So often,a factory weathering job is less than special.If Heljan get this one right,it will fly off the shelves.We can only wait and see.

Curiously enough,both models....the Lizzie and the King could do with a considerable revamp from Hornby.

I think you will find that Hattons images are "what you see is what you get"......i.e what is in the box.Latest Heljan releases now come with much more detail already in place.Look at post 485....October 2011 for confirmation,

If you look on their website,you will see clearly that they DO come with headcodes in place...which saves you a lot of bother,does it not ?

It is heartening to hear positive opinions being expressed about this model.A deal of criticism has been forthcoming about its shortcomings,some of it justified,it has to be said.It is,essentially,a damned good loco,which performs well.You can make it even better with a set of etched plates from Modelmaster....discount this weekend ...see post 1456 above. I am also heartened by another GW.arrival...Grange 6803 ,concessions,"Bucklebury Grange",which to my judgement,is well up to the standard set a decade ago by its predecessors ( Sorry if this is off topic).The attraction of this one is its tender pairing...a bit different from the new "Paviland Grange".Still available from Locomotion Models Shildon. Etched plates for this one too!

You mean something like a Faulhaber ? I don't believe any mainstream r-t-r model for the UK market uses a coreless motor ....at least not to my knowledge.I think Golden Age use something like it in their models but that is a specialist field.

And would it be asking too much of the loftier management tier of this company for a positive input in this direction...."pour encourager les autres ", as it were,or is this perhaps not cost effective ?

And there speaks the doyen of Bulleid afficionados....."Nobody Does It Better.......etc,etc "

A great r-t-r model but like some of the early batches,prone to split gear tower and 3-legged dog running.Easily rectified quickly and cheaply.

Or a long siding......For this,£199 is superb value.

Yes...I'm waiting for the later BR weathered versions,too.As I posted a couple of weeks ago the thing that bothers me about investing in one is the tricky business of railing and re railing this lengthy beast.A solution IS available from DC Kits & Hattons but that adds considerably to the cost.Looks to be one of those "essential accessories".....similar to buying a new car.Admittedly,in these times,the Garratt is outstanding value for money.

One of those allocated to Holbeck (55A) in 1959 to work between Leeds and Carlise over the Settle & Carlisle.

Hasland or Toton,Rob ?

My grandson is named Dylan....indirectly after the poet because it was a connection with Bob Dylan....who,of course,changed his name in admiration of Dylan Thomas.It is many years since I have been to Thomas's "Lovely Ugly Town"....Swansea.Remembering trips to Langland Bay from Aberdare by the Vale of Neath line and the long gone and magnificent Mumbles Railway and the trainspotting opportunities at High Street station.......Castles with red-backed nameplates and the carriage headboards "Paddington,Newport,Cardiff and Swansea"....the excitement as our homeward bound "stopper" passed Landore shed (87E) The Birmingham Rep.has a touring production of "Under Milk Wood" on at the beginning of June.Tried to book yesterday but their website was down.System paralysed.Couldn't even make a telephone booking.Try again tomorrow. Still haven't come back to earth after our Handel Samson last night .I am sung out .Lovely orchestra...four magnificent young soloists.The glorious ending with " Let The Bright Seraphim " ( Remember Kiri te Kanawa singing that in Westminster Abbey at Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981 ?) and then....." Let Their Celestial Concerts All Unite" the finale with us,soloists and orchestra at full throttle. An experience to savour and treasure. Sadly we had a pitifully small audience....Eurovision Song on tv,poor weather and being realistic,a lack of interest. Came home and raised a glass....or two....to George Frederick.

"Let Their Celestial Concerts All Unite". Handel's "Samson" in one hour from now.

This morning...a pair of goldfinch in the garden....first time for many years.Much more bird life this year,i think.

Well in keeping with steam railway tradition.....eyefuls of smut!

FOUR ,Rob ? You moving house,then? Impressive!

Next time you walk into John Lewis.....feel the ghosts that clank and rumble under your feet......

Oh,lucky you!

Sure it's not a fox? Would be nice to believe it's a Spitfire of the skies,though.To watch it make a kill on your lawn is awesome...and quick!

Story goes that when Mr.Bulleid showed his new Austerity 0-6-0 to C.M.E.colleagues,one of them waggishly asked.."Where do you put the key,Oliver?"