Coppercap

Rich, 1. Yes, it's DCC ready - no decoder fitted (please read the leaflet inside!), so will run on DC no problem. 2. Not sure, without it possibly leaving a 'shadow' of the GWR. 3. Certainly the top feed and associated pipework, bunker steps and associated handrails, which really makes it unsuitable for having 'Great Western' on the tank sides, but that's what I and probably several others will be doing. It would be a difficult job trying to remove them without leaving evidence, and then a repaint would be required to cover up the removed details...in which case 2 above won't be a problem! Now, if you choose to have a GWR roundel, you could have the cab steps, and possibly even the top feed. But you'd need to check out photos of specific locos though, as usual.

For me, another pointless thing they supply - only any use if the loco is being statically displayed or, in the case of this loco, if it's always being run attached to an autocoach (which mine almost certainly will). Then you can take the tension lock coupling off one end of the loco and put the coupling hook in (which needs doing anyway, even without the attached coupling links). Even then, the loco end without the tension lock fitted isn't really going to be needing those sprung buffers Bachmann haven't fitted. GWR locos always had their couplings hooked up when not in use too, and these couplings haven't the flexibility to do that.

But really, unless you use are going to use three-link couplings, are they needed? With tension-locks, the buffers never meet... For me, sprung buffers, are just a bit "Ooh look, sprung buffers, nice." Maybe Bachmann now realise this.

Dunno if I was fortunate in going into MRD today, but as I type this, they show only 1 GWR and 6 BR black in stock (BR green not yet in). I think their website updates numbers even if something is bought online, and even out of hours. I guess that most of the stock must have been for pre-orders.

I hadn't pre-ordered one, but this afternoon I walked into MRD* to see what was new on the shelves, and I casually asked what was new in. The pannier was mentioned, among other things, and that they had arrived only yesterday - they were not yet on the shelves and still had to be unpacked . A 6407 (GWR) was brought from out back for me to look at, and was sold to me in less that 30 seconds! I'll have to leave the top feed and bunker steps on, and even though it's incorrect, I'll probably put "Great Western" on the tank sides. *other models shops are available in North Somerset.

Just shows how they let just about anyone into these events these days!

It was announced on Radio Bristol the other day that the mail 'bridge' would be removed over the Christmas period. At last there will once again be an uninterrupted view of the eastern side of the station. Even electric catenary can't be as hideous as that thing was! Good aerial shots, those are.

Out of interest, has anyone actually pre-ordered one yet? That is, not just requested an email when stock is available, but actually given their credit card details as a commitment to buy? I know they won't take payment until they despatch it, but do Hattons give you the option of changing your mind at the last minute, bearing in mind how long it will be until they will be available? (Not that I'd really want to change my mind...). I do so want the 'Southall' 4825. Dad would have 'copped' that so many times (well once, then ignored it), and I hope he lives long enough to see a decent model of it!

That happens to me, even now! Oh look, I've just got one in the eye...

The Hornby pack is a reasonable representation as far as the locomotive is concerned. But, 4050 Princess Alice was completed in June 1914, before the war started, so would have been fully lined with polished brass etc. In the pack she is depicted unlined, safety valve bonnet painted green, and splasher brass beading removed (well, she still has the beading, only it is green). She is unlikely to have been repainted during the war, unless Hornby or anyone else knows different. So for 4050, the livery is, I suspect, incorrect. It was probably correct for older Stars that did have a repaint during the war into unlined green. (No bogie brakes fitted though, which it should have, but we'll let that one go...) The coaches are strictly the wrong colour for the period, for new or newly outshopped coaches. The Great Western was using Chocolate and Cream up to 1908, then all-brown to 1912, then Crimson until 1922. So, at the time of the outbreak of the war, there would undoubtedly have been a curious mixture of all three liveries on the Great Western I expect coaches still in Chocolate and Cream that were due for a repaint would have been looking a bit jaded by then, so if they were made to look a bit scruffy, it would then be reasonably convincing. They wouldn't have used their best coaches for troop train use, surely? Whatever, I'm going to order the Hornby pack, despite it's minor errors, but not the Bachmann pack due to it's total incorrectness.

Bachmann could have used a correct locomotive - the 53xx class. They have the tooling (not as good as the City's though), but the last time it was available it had the not-very-good-running split chassis.

The second may be one of these (or something very similar, if it's not actually a shock absorbing wagon): http://Bachmann.co.uk/image_box.php?image=images1/branchline/37-879.jpg&cat_no=37-879&info=0&width=650&height=414 The Cooper Craft kit has wooden ends, whereas the Bachmann wagon does at least have the corrugated ends.

Well, they are brass etchings, with the splasher and nameplate all in one, but the nameplate's not etched so that the lettering stands proud, like replacement etched nameplates are. I guess if you can't remove them to take off the nameplate section, the only option would be to glue replacement plates over the top of the nameplate part, but then they might appear too thick, and the plates might then stand proud of the spasher.

Update: Replacement arrived on Tuesday, with a full refund of my return postage, thank you Steam Museum. The replacement has none of the above issues. However, the body fixing screw was quite loose this time - and the brass ferrule (is that the term?) even came out from under the smokebox - but at least I can get the body off this one! One of the splasher--nameplate etchings was glued in position leaning well out of vertical - easily remedied. Oh, and while fiddling, the con rod came detached from the back of the crosshead - looks like they might only be a push-fit - easy to fix properly with a touch of glue, so it seems - don't want a Tangmere scenario! She seems to run very smoothly on my rolling road too. Just need to get replacement bogie wheels from Hornby now...

Bought a 'Lode Star' at the Steam museum at the weekend. Have had to send it back for replacement already - cylinder rocking levers loose (would normally be a simple job to fix that...), but I can't take the body off to refix them as the body fixing screw won't come out! The printing on tender's at a slant, and it's still fitted with 12-spoke bogie wheels too. Didn't even try running it - it was straight back in the box to contact the museum on Monday. Hopefully I'll get one in return that's in one piece and finished properly...

Thank you, 'formation' does sound a more suitably British, and 'proper' term!

Surely the GWR never used such an American term as 'consist'? 'Rake' possibly, unless that's just a modelling term.

I'm pretty sure what's left of Hanwell station is grade II listed, and will probably substantially remain, and it would be a greater loss historically than the existing Southall station if it were to go. I wonder how people felt about the original Southall station building being replaced by the current one? (When it was four-tracked?)

Polly, Did you see this page at all?: http://www.crossrail.co.uk/benefits/changing-spaces-building-communities/urban-realm/london-borough-of-ealing Back to the Railmotor, I went down to Cornwall to travel on it when it was working on the Looe branch. While the Brentford branch is not as interesting in operation, and certainly not as scenic or long as the Looe branch, it does have a historical connection for the Railmotor, as they did work on the line when new. I'm going on it to both support the GWS and to travel behind (or is in IN?) steam for the first time in preservation on the Brentford branch. Oh, and to imagine it's my great grandfather driving it! We did travel on the branch well over 30 years ago when the GWR Preservation Group ran a Bubble Car on it (first time for dad then too, as he didn't ever travel on it when it carried passengers), and then another time we had an unofficial cab ride on a waste train with double-headed class 31s. Working on the railway couldn't have been all that hard for some, as my great grandfather had enough energy when at home to father SIXTEEN children! My poor great grandmother, she was pregnant for about 25 years!

Well, I've booked on the 13:00 train on the Saturday, so if anyone else has, please shout. Will take a few photos of the station for old times sake, before it all changes (probably for the better in all reality, and as much as I like what's left of the old station, it looks like it's going to go), then most likely go down to 'Three Bridges' or Glade Lane to see the Railmotor again. While in Southall, among other things, I will also be visiting the cemetery where my great grandfather is buried, and to find his grave (dad thinks he can remember where it is). He was a driver at Southall from 1900 to 1925 when he retired, and I'd like to think he drove the Railmotors at some point. I know he certainly drove Metro tanks in and out of Paddington. Will also take dad (age 89 now) to see "the house where I was born", and it may be his last opportunity. Southall's not what it was (is anywhere?), but just about all the houses where members of the family lived over the years are still there.

Haven't noticed anyone mention it yet, but you'll soon be able to travel on the Brentford branch in style; http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/news/news_special.html

Wow, it's looking simply fantastic now! B) I know it's off topic, but: Chiswick Exchange proper is itself in Barley Mow Passage (down the end of the lane beside the Post Office in Chiswick), and was CHIswick (which became 01-994-XXXX), and pre-dated Wheatstone House. Brentford was served by ISLeworth (01-560-XXXX), at Busch Corner, as was built about the same time as WH. Seems that in the past those who didn't really know any different called any non-mail GPO building a "Telephone Exchange". Even the Ordnance Survey people get it wrong too, often showing small rural exchanges as "pumping stations" (and vice versa!). Maybe there were grand plans for the building that never materialised?

Lovely job so far! Anyway, that's Wheatstone House, redundant and now no longer in use, and sold by BT to developers, so it won't be here for very much longer. Luxury apartments are planned on the site. I'm not aware that it was a Telephone Exchange as such (at least, not an automatic telephone exchange - it may have had some manual boards), and I worked there occasionally in the dismal repeater station (Chiswick B, in the basement during my PO apprenticeship in the late 1970's. Great view of the flyover from the roof! All bar the basement of the building was empty by then, and I never found out what the above ground floors were actually used for. Mum loved the trolleys (lived at Brentford End, on the 657 & 667 routes), and the previous trams made her sick, due to the pitching and swaying. Have to take her to Sandtoft some day...............

You are correct on the name. I was a regular customer there in my teens.

Err, Bailey's Daileys was in Sandy Park Road..................Bristol!