Ian Hargrave

Well,I suppose there's a first time for everything or maybe I've been just plain lucky to date,but I have not had any kind of proiblem with ANY manufacturers packaging. I thought Vitrains boxes to be particularly good ,Heljan and Dapol superb and nowt wrong with the other two players. Maybe you've got a ham-fisted postie?

It comes without yellow 'apron',whch means pre-mid 1962-i.e.maroon mark ones.

The older Bachmann Mark 1,s certainly do not offer suitable close coupling,unless you mean the semi-permanent pipe-coupling,which, only if you want to keep a rake together, is ok but if you wish ,as most of us do,to change it from time is a pain. I use Kadees no.20. OK but not marvellous. They plug in. The best way I have seen is to replace the tension lock at one end only and replace with a shorter shank version (available accessory) and thus equip each of the rake on an every other basis. Roco 'kurzkupplung' will not work (I've tried) and ,similarly,neither do Fleischmann Profis.The profis however do an excellent job with Bachmann dmu. Are newer versions of the Mark one any different ? I don't know but I doubt it.

OOOOPS_____SORRY!

Latest Kernow newsletter says they are expected shortly. Advanced orders for all four versions at £89.99

Sunday 28th January 1962. A Paddington--Bristol---Plymouth express emerges out of the darkness at Temple Meads at around 6:30 pm. There is something breathtakingly strange and exciting about this one.An unfamiliar ultra modern shape ,lights aglow,is coupled ahead of the usual Warship. It thrums majestically to a halt in front of me. What's this ? It's not green----it's beige (sorry--'Desert Sand') ! The lion & wheel and number--D 1000 are cast metal--wow! The cab is crowded with B.R. V.I.P's. The legend is abroad. 'Western Enterprise' on its way from Swindon on test. Thanks,Dave-----50 years later.

Hereford Model Centre have D6320 & D6313 in stock at £99.95. Look on the website or ring. Service is first class.

Put your fears behind you. Appearances can deceive--and,in this case,do. Their service is competitive---Dapol 22's at £99.95 plus £3:00 p&p----secure and fast. Ordered !8:30, 17th 01/2012, delivered a.m. 19/01/2012 tested before posting ,working a treat on layout. Every order this year exactly the same--be it new Horby B1's ,Heljan Baby Deltics,Lion. You are missing out if you don't give them a try. Me--I'm just a happy customer !!

All were delivered in B.R. green.I believe the last examples were put in service in late 1962-at least I have a record of D 6355 (82A) at Bath Road in Oct. 1962,by which time the small yellow apron was being applied to all and sundry.

But the blue-liveried Westerns worked with Mark 2's regularly in the sixties & early seventies Best left to Dave & his team,I think.I'm sure we'll all be pleased with the finished product. If experience with the Class 22 is any thing to go by----get your pre-order in p.d.q.

Your most appropriate observation is'model railway mags'. Their silence on the issue is deafening. Any one care to start a list headed REASONS WHY ??

Thanks for that--accounts for it being a Hull loco, then.I still wonder exactly how it worked its way into a Peak 17A turn. Obviously a failure----but where & when ? Probably the previous day & it spent the night at Saltley. That particular turn once famously produced an A1 in New Street. Saltley turntable was too short to accomodate it ,so it was turned on the Camp Hill triangle.

Indeed they were--at the opposite end of the U.K.,they appeared as far south-west as Bristol,deputising for failed 'Peak' diesel. In Sept.1961,I had a spin on the Birmingham-Newcastle between New Street and Sheffield behind Hull 's(50B) 61215 'William Henton Carver'. It kept time---but it was a steam schedule in any case,the Peaks having only just started working btween Bristol and York. The B1's had peculiar names--any one know who WHC was?

Agreed with all of the above postings. However,please do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Despite the 4-VEP debacle--and others--they are more than capable of producing excellence still. Their new B1,I believe,proves the point. One turkey doesn't ruin Christmas.

Now in stock-as of midday today. I've also put in an order as a result of an exchange of e-mails.earlier today.

1000a is now in stock at Hattons--at £125. Nowhere else showing as yet. Signal Box and Model Railways Direct are advertising same at £22/23 less. Curious.

7013--if this helps--some detective work for you. According to my Locospotters Log Book,on 19/4/1959--a Sunday,I'copped' 61008 at Swindon station at the head of what I think was a train bound for York (possibly originating from Swansea) via ex-G.C. metals--i.e. Oxford-Banbury-Leicester etc. It was,I think, a regular weekend working at the time. So--take it from there. Good luck--Ian.

Late replacement loco for failed K3 on Grimsby fish turn. Commandeered while running-in from Doncaster works.

Do you use them in multiple? (At the front of the train,I mean ?)

Another b------ senior moment!!!.OOOOOPS. What with that & giving Xmas cards I haven't signed--time for the funny farm.

Definitely---from a point of local historical significance alone. 17A based in late 50's,early 60's.The second main line diesels to work the Midland main line--regularly on St. Pancras--Manchester trains via the now disappeared Peak line--the first being 10000 & 10001.They worked in pairs,using ,as I recall, the interconnecting doors. There was some alteration to the cab windows after that---& the Hattons model is post whenever that was. A pair would look great behind a rake of maroon Mark 1's--no yellow apron ,though. A case made for temptation ?

Doesn't it just!

LNER & BR E/C both now showing as in stock at Hattons

New Hornby B1 arriving today---see Modelfair website now

Wy not one or two of each?