Ian Hargrave

Thanks,gents,for that information on Garratt wanderings.Now what we really need are early 50's copies of Trains illustrated's "Motive Power Miscellany"...always a mine of up-to-date information on loco workings.I was under the mistaken impression that Washwood Heath was the limit of their operations.One class of engines I never saw....they became extinct when I was 14 or thereabouts.Derby and the Midland mainline were exotic territory for a Valleys boy.Temple Meads and Shrewsbury were the spotting frontiers.

Did they really? More information,please,including sources..Thanks.

The reason you are viewing unfavourable postings about Hornby is that they have had a sudden and catastrophic fall from grace. For over a decade,from the arrival of the Merchant Navy to the delivery of the O1 and B17,they were at the pinnacle of excellence.On a personal level,I am spoiled for choice and could not express any view of their "best" model.From a boy brought up on the crudities of post war Hornby Dublo,every release until quite recently has been like my first Hornby Christmas in 1950...and my first sighting in Selfridges in Oxford Street in that October....only better.

Indeed,a good point.Why should not ANY model,replacement or otherwise,be inspected before despatch to the customer ? Or is this expecting too much ?

You beat me to it,then,Steve...well done !

Yes,I did and it was woeful! Must get round to re motoring....sometime. You've prompted me into doing something about it now. Could you tell me which Mashima and where you sourced it ? Would be grateful.

The Garrett e - bay vulture seems to have had his wings clipped.."no longer available".Good for Hattons!

To which I will add that Heljan are the consistently best runners taken all-round.

Any bets on how long Hattons allow him to keep the images up on line ?

Not at all. Hattons will no doubt be interested in copyright issues....if nothing else.

One has appeared on e-bay selling for £ 249.

Take it like a man.....plead it's a Hornby R 3191 you sent for "repair" under warranty.If that doesn't work,plead temporary insanity under the strain of her prolonged absence.Make a list of the condemned man's last wishes here........ Posted by a fellow traveller in deviousness.....

Reading all of these posts....aren't we all a crew of naughty little boys caught scrimping apples from the tree.....self the worst of all,I add? I just can't choose which one. Quite fancy the LMS one Rob has chosen but all my coal wagons are BR...so it will probably be a wait until May. Wait a minute....that's my birthday !

Will look just as good hauling 20 ( Bank Holiday Toton-Brent) coal wagons) .Bravo,Rob...this one looks the"business',doesn't it ?

Looking forward to your review and assessment soon....congratulations!

They do look tempting.LMS black has an elegant simplicity,doesn't it ? Unfortunately,I have no wagons suitable for that period,so I'll have to wait until May for the 50's versions. It'll be interesting to gain some knowledge of how they perform on a layout,meanwhile...so.I'll egg you on,Steve.

Bravo...for transparency and decency.But then,that's a normal response from Barwell. It's what is called team work.

Cwm Honda ! A dry day and a chance at long last to cut the winter's jungle from our overwintered lawn.After 4 months hibernation in the garden shed,my trusty mower starts at first pull of the cord and imperiously cuts and rolls effortlessly.Five grass collectors worth of very damp clippings later,I stagger to the tip to add to South Derbys. Green waste.Don't think I have ever cut so much from the lawn at one go.Thank The Lord for Japanese engineering.

It makes life much more interesting for us and does help the NRM financially.I can happily tolerate a little confusion when we can enjoy models as attractive as the Lanky tank and Butler Henderson. I eagerly await their next offering in cooperation with Bachmann.For instance,Barrow Hill had another LNER iconic loco,which is outstationed there by the NRM on display with the 3 A4's on their celebration weekend on the 8th/9th Feb....outside in the rain,rather than in the roundhouse.Now,wouldn't that be something ? A different "ocean" from the A4's,of course.

Wot sun,guv? Grey blanket here.News that son & grandson flu'-bound on Tyneside & visit by grandson to include trip to RSC production of "Peter Pan and Wendy" is up the creek.Heigh ho...his first solo visit to grandma & grandpa too.Disappointing....but g&g will probably revisit childhood on their own & keep our seats at least.Getting a 'phone line through for possible resale is proving to be its usual nightmare and Elizabeth only needs half an excuse for a trip to Stratford,anyway.So....make the best of a bad job.

Just enjoy....Bergen looks to be a lovely town to spend some time.Not been there,but is photogenic. Could always visit Griegs house ?Hope your umbrellas won't see too much action.

Is that the Hurtigruten route ? Nice... the Lofoten Islands are lovely,if bleak.You are doing the trip in part darkness,then. One advantage is that you avoid the midges of an overland journey in midsummer. Give my regards to the Lapps & their reindeer..and to Hammerfest,if the ship calls there.A fabulous coastline,as I recall.

Did you see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Channel4 "Scandimania" programme on Norway on Sunday evening ? It featured Bergen,Hardanger Fjord and the rail journey from Bergen to Oslo.This has been the subject of a so-called "slow TV" documentary In Norway.Hope one of our channels buys it or we can get it on DVD.It quite whet my appetite for paying a return visit to Norway.As students in 1962,we drove all the way up the spine of Norway from south to north.....Oslo,Tromso,Bodo to Hammerfest in a VW camper van....8 of us.From a rail fan point of view,the one memory I have is of camping near the Arctic railway and hearing the sound of a whistle and then seeing an NSB loco,with spark arrester chimney appear at the head of a single coach train. Like a scene from Doctor Zhivago.( which of course had not then been made ) Hope you will make that rail journey....or at least an alternative.The Scandinavian countries are breathtakingly beautiful....and eye wateringly expensive,I'm afraid.We had a few days in Stockholm in August of 2011. Treated ourselves to a meal out in a cellar restaurant in the Gammlastan...the old part of town.It's owned by the committee that awards the Nobel Literature prize. Very nice,great cuisine.....3 courses,pint of beer and bottle of Cote du Rhone ...bill comes to approx £220.Anyway....enjoy Norway .Going soon ?

Wholeheartedly agree...especially considering the premium price paid for it. I had my own Hornby nemesis over this weekend .For that,see the Duke of Gloucester thread. Too much to expect not to be affected in some way by the fallout of c##p from Margate.I should have known better. The only way of dealing with this is to suspend disbelief with a sardonic chuckle.