3rd Rail Exile

Most definitely! I'm sure it will be announced in due course, but it's actually very kind of Accurascale not to announce all the different liveries I want all at once - I couldn't afford it! Patience is a virtue (yes, even in this "I want it now" world we seem to inhabit these days!)

Exactly what I've been using with my rake of six - handles them no problem!

Similar activity in the Camborne area, resulting in a hefty hit to my credit card... Now to patiently await delivery to Didcot...

Is it a Mk1 Suburban CL?

Not personally - it's almost all flexitrack with approx 900 mm minimum radius curves, plus a variety of short and long Streamline turnouts. I wasn't saying I had a problem, but I was envisaging that a sizeable number of people might. I fully agree with your comments regarding the necessity of ensuring that kinematic coupling linkages are rigidly connected, and concur that set track which is too tight for current-spec models to traverse reliably should eventually phased out! But I don't think we're yet at a point where that is feasible...

Something more appropriate and better-looking provided as an option would certainly be great, but providing it as standard would cause problems for those who have tight Setrack (or equivalent) curves (even if hidden in fiddle yards). I've managed to get "one Roco one Hornby" to work well with these on my layout, but can imagine other people having issues. Given that a fair number of these sets might be bought on the basis of "that's a nice, short, pretty train" it's probably still best to cater for the worst case scenario as standard and leave coupling modifications to those with sufficient knowledge and understanding of the potential pitfalls (and/or the time and patience to experiment).

It took me a little while to work that out, until I eventually noticed that the Torquay Manor depicted was in GWR Shirtbutton whereas the Accurascale Torquay Manor (which I have on order - it's making a return trip to Cornwall before arriving in Didcot) is in BR Late Crest. Then I noticed the tyres... A very interesting direct comparison.

Chester...

Also being discussed here... I've also had a similar email as the auto-renewal has just gone through - looks like the same email might be sent to anyone who makes a payment, either new Premium member or renewal...

Which is why their Class 40 EoI announcement is so bizarre... I'm in for a Leader and a 4DD precisely because they are obscure, but I probably would go elsewhere for a Class 40...

Because the picture looks that good with six lattices in it...

That's if you call 12 years "fairly rapidly". I last moved house before photocard licences came in, and won't hit 70 for just over 12 years. Assuming I don't have to send it away for points to be applied, I'm still OK with the paper licence... But at least I have a passport for ID purposes...

Judging by overhearing conversations whilst waiting in the ticket office queue at Didcot Parkway, "these people" still ask for train times at ticket offices. Which, of course, they won't be able to do if all the ticket offices get closed... For whatever personal reasons, there seems to be a surprisingly large number of people who are very unwilling to join the herd-like rush towards compulsory technology, or at the very least will do it to their own level of comfort/security, and at their own pace. And that's in addition to those for whom modern technology poses very genuine difficulties in use. I know people who think a smartphone is just something else they are likely to get mugged for, and that's without it having banking apps, train tickets and the like on it. Also, it only took one sudden catastrophic battery failure to convince me of the need to carry printed out backups of tickets wherever possible...

I thought there were two in close proximity in Steventon, or have I misunderstood something?

F/ Neither 😁

Nor did I, but then they announced D9000 in its VXC condition... But I'll leave 9016 for others...

I did the same last week as I was also worried about missing out. Arrived from Kernow a couple of days later. Moved about a grand's worth of other pre-orders at the same time...

Fair point. I did say a lot had happened in 7 years...

Depends what you mean by "original" 😀 When I pre-ordered in August 2015 (and I'm sure there are some who did so even earlier...), it was £149.99. Happily paid up the £179.99 a couple of weeks ago - I can understand that a lot has happened in 7 years to increase costs...

I agree that this piece can't be fitted without significant surgery to the front of the front bogie - you'd need to mill off the cylindrical protrusion at the front and then take the whole front face back a bit. Having found out the hard way that it couldn't be fitted properly, I decided to remove it completely as I don't have the necessary tools to make a decent job of the bogie modification. I suspect most people who tried to fit it will have come to the same conclusion, and therefore there will be a lot of unfitted bang plates still sitting in the accessories bag, or similarly discarded. I can't remember if this issue has afflicted all iterations/modifications of the rebuilt West Country model - it does seem strange to supply a part that it's impossible to fit...

Hi Castle, Unfortunately, I'm going to have to drop out of this - just too much going on at the moment, and I need the time for other things! Sorry for the short notice... 3rd Rail Exile (aka James)

Also the link from the first post on Page 1 of this thread... But not exactly hard to find other ways to navigate to the appropriate pages...

I think it's an interesting and imaginative exercise in "what if", and I can see it appealing to some sectors of the market, particularly collectors, as it actually looks quite good (glad they didn't put yellow ends on it!). By the same token, I can also see why other sectors of the market will be avoiding it like the plague - some people just can't abide neverwazza liveries, even though there does seem to be a bit of a fad for them at the moment. There will always be people who think that their particular interest would have been a better use of the manufacturing slot / body shells. It will be interesting to see how well it sells, but agree that it would probably do significantly better if it was available now rather than as a pre-order! Personally, If I hadn't already sated my need for a Jubilee memento by ordering the (temporarily) defiled West Country then I would have seriously considered buying a Jubilee HST...

An unfortunate mistake - I paused, fully aware of the difference in spelling, thought deeply and then chose the wrong one! Possibly because I've got to head out in that direction later...

I might be wrong (and apologies if so), but I think @EddieB had his tongue in his cheek slightly and was referring to the "all stations" Reading and Shenfield services which acquired 345s on their transfer to TfL Rail in preparation for Crossrail. I agree that they're nothing like the Electrostar 387s in terms of comfort or facilities (particularly the lack of facilities!). And yes, the Ealing Broadway change had occurred to me as well - I often catch the semi-fast 387 from Didcot into London as there's never any problem with seat availability, unlike some of the fast services... But until full opening occurs, the hike to the Elizabeth Line from a terminating semi-fast arriving on Platform 14 at Paddington means the H&C/Circle is still a viable option to Faringdon and Liverpool Street.