Ian Hargrave

As I have already posted elsewhwere,it's not the moulded handrails that jar so much as the awful name/numberplates which are going to need instant replacement on delivery. Yes,I did see the samples at Barrow Hill.

Ah........,yes.......beyond the reach of my failing faculties at the time....thank you. Brain unused to winging it,you see.

Handrails are one thing.....name and number plates are quite another. I'll live with the handrails....but NOT with what should be the crowning glory of any G.W. loco.The Hornby offering on the Star is simply awful......etched plates aren't an option , they are essential before it runs on a layout..now THAT is spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar.

.......er...of what ? Revenge of the B1's perhaps ? I fully admit Edward T..cannot be held responsible for the loss of the colonies but as for the rest.........

We're any two of them alike in their original condition,I wonder ? You,of course have the added incentive of being an Aberdonian. I can remember seeing the P2's as emasculated by Thompson in their early B.R. Days.If I remember correctly,they were then New Enlgland ( 35A ) locos....no longer 'Cock O'The North'.....more your duck of the south.... From an 'Aberdarian' ( South Wales ) to an Aberdonian ( Granite City ).......best regards,Ian.

Point 3....totally agree. I've seen it.......I've drooled over it......I'll buy it. By coincidence,today being a new month,just turned the page of my Bachmann calendar. For October,a print of P2 'Earl Marischal' at Montrose,heading an Aberdeen to Edinburgh express.. Looks wonderful. Celebrate that we're getting the opportunity of a P2 model.....and one this good. My Gresley 'teaks' are becoming restless......be still,my bogies !!

Typical Burton Mail.....famous for such riveting,sensational headlines as....'Horse - Horror !' ( local pony gives little girl playful nip with his teeth ) and 'Swan Attack' ( someone gets too close to mother and brood on banks of the Trent) We used to have it delivered daily (incredibly for a provincial newspaper,it's still a regular Monday to Saturday newspaper ) before we retired.Reason being that my wife worked in local government and needed to know,for professional reasons, who featured in the daily obituary column........strange but true! Gresley is a name that features in two South Derbys.villages....Castle Gresley and Church Gresley. Good to know that a famous son is featuring in local news....but why now and why this ? Nothing on 'The Great Gathering'....

.......or even the LNER 'Sandringham'...or,for really mking a statement,B1 'Antelope' in wartime black,'When the boat comes in' would,of course, be an Ivatt C1....in any livery you like... Bachmann 525 A H Peppercorn also 'cuts the mustard'

Thank you for that.....I look forward to making its acquaintance on Saturday. A great day out,methinks,with some of its bigger brothers and sisters,too....

Many thanks!

On a practical note......Etched brass plates set for the forthcoming release,in my view essential.Where to source these,colleagues ? None on Fox website a.t.m. Lady on telephone suggests I ring back later. Your info. on matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,Ian. (Edit).....Sourced on Modelmaster website,just !

What's that song....'When You Wish Upon A Star...' ?

Yet....oddly enough.....Kings were occasional visitors to the North & West.The odd one could be seen at Pontypool Road,though they eluded me. 47XX's were regularly used on Paddington-West Country turns. The Crumlin viaduct was,of course,the great leveller.It was vital to the war effort and was heavily overburdened as a result.

Abercynon-Aberdare auto train, 1953-60 '6437' ( 86J ).....sometimes an alternative way home from school.....Aberdare Low Level ( former TV station ) to Aberaman.....station Beeching axed 1963.....not a long distance but more interesting than an Aberdare UDC bus.

And just to confuse matters further,even into the early 60's,some W.R.locos were still sporting,be it ever so faintly, 'G.W.R.' and crest on their tenders.'Old Soldiers Never Die,They Merely Fade Away'......God's Wonderful Railway.

The Adams Radial was,in fact,produced by OO Works a few years back ( post 59 above ) and is a sweet little thing.Occasionally appears appears on e-bay and will fetch megabucks

Why worry about a 3 pole motor ? Heljan's offerings to date out-perform most r-t-r products.Hornby's recent O1, which is an excellent runner,is also a 3-pole job.The sole quarrel I have with Heljan is the price.....which I will probably end up paying.

Yee-ha ! Wonderful news....as above....now for the Ivatt Atlantic....

In terms of reliability.....I think not.

Regular goods workings ,stopping passenger trains......in fact,if you want to define Flanders & Swann's 'On The Slow Train' then a New Street-Temple Meads 'stopper' is for you.....Bredon, Eckington,Defford ,Wadborough etc. etc...Vintage 4F stuff.....numbingly boring at the time but now remembered with tearful nostalgia.....great view of Bredon Hill,though.Light years away from today's Voyagers and Turbostars...but still within my lifetime.Better to travel hopefully,than to arrive? 'Some were shedded at Bristol'?........shedloads

Transport Models of Preston now have a full selection on e-bay. They have arrived.

A late crest version has just appeared on e-bay. Monk Bar Models,York. Competitive price. Edit.....all 3 versions.....but price has risen by £ 6 in 5 minutes ! Edit.....now price seems to have 'stabilised' for all three at £79.99. A roller-coaster ride ! Bit like the stock market,really.

I have a recorded sighting of D 8407 at Moorgate on 3/9/1959 if that helps.

If they are as good as the last few offerings from Heljan,then this will be a model to cherish.

Agree...now showing as 'arrived'....delivery close,then...unless ( hopefully not ) there's another 'Modified Hall' debacle.