Bodmin Bob

There have been a few shots and videos of the Maunsell Q class on the Bluebell in some of Hornby's recent email newsletters - if it was a clue then it wasn't very subtle! A 4 Cor EMU would be great but the cost of 4 car units is getting somewhat prohibitive these days. A pre TOPs BR blue version of the Hornby 31 is long long overdue.

I successfully bid for what looked like a very nicely built brass kit built Maunsell Q from this buyer a few weeks ago - but to my dismay when the parcel arrived the following week it contained a kit built SR USA tank together with a Hornby Q1 tender!!! It was a bit of a weird discovery. The seller couldn't subsequently explain what happened to the Maunsell Q so I eventually got a refund and the USA tank and Q1 tender went back. Now low and behold a couple of weeks later the same Q1 tender is now available with yet another tank loco - very strange!!

Absolutely, it could have been hauled behind an 0-4-0 pug fitted with a smoke unit

Ebay madness - maybe Ebay extremely poor taste - definitely https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-OO-GAUGE-Type-2-Bo-Bo-DIESEL-LOCO-BOXED/282712667573?hash=item41d2fcf5b5:g:bqQAAOSwCL9Ztnj-

Not cheap either - these will cost you an arm or a leg!

As one of the operators of Old Elms Road I must say that we thoroughly enjoyed the show - yes it was hot but not sure exactly what could be done about that (we are used to hot weather down here in Cornwall!). We were positioned opposite door 'C' which was finally opened during the Friday afternoon and the occasional through draft was certainly welcomed. That said there did appear to be a fair amount of dust floating around outside whenever there was a breeze. The water bottle vendors and the ice cream van certainly did well on the back of Bodmin Model Railway club that weekend. A great show and made all the better for the fact that it was a 3 day event - the layout performed well all weekend (as did most of the stock) although we did start to see one or two buckled tracks in the fiddle yard during the Sunday afternoon and at least one kit built open wagon had started to visibly buckle in at the sides by the end of the show. Thanks to the individual who uploaded the photos in this post and to the kind words received. We will be at Manchester in December - it's never that warm in Manchester - surely!!

Perhaps it was a Nine Elms loco!

'I can't even remember ever taking it out of the box' do you remember ever taking this picture then? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-32-803-CLASS-47-47148-BR-BLUE-NEW/222519581518?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D44293%26meid%3Dab1e1b26cd3d40a58a4962a47ed6ff11%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D222512558882

This has been up for sale for a few weeks now - it's around £5 more than a completely new kit of the same coach would cost from Comet today http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/00-GAUGE-4mm-SCALE-COMET-COACHES-KW33-GWR-HAWKSWORTH-E164-CORRIDOR-BRAKE-COMP-/302144531200?hash=item465937ab00:g:8zIAAOSwiDFYMtlW Judging from the old style Comet packaging this particular kit is a few years old Since Hornby have brought out their own r-t-r Hawkswoths recently this seller is somewhat optimistic - £30 to £35 would seem to be more realistic

USB Hubbly Jubbly!

Here's a rarity - an 'LMS Collett' coach!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-R434-LMS-MAROON-COLLETT-57-BRAKE-3rd-COACH-5644-MINT-BOXED-nh-/331964167255?hash=item4d4a9b3457:g:nSgAAOSw9IpX0am2 Were they built at the same time as the LNER Maunsells or the GWR Gresleys?

The art of weathering is knowing exactly when to stop - clearly whoever did this just didn't! We see this kind of thing on these pages time and time again where good models are simply ruined.

Fully professionally converted and upgraded to DCC - 'I doubt you'll ever find another like this' http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/R555C-Tri-ang-Hornby-Diesel-Pullman-Pack-1969-Professionally-converted-to-DCC-/272363503785?hash=item3f6a2140a9:g:Nu8AAOSwGtRXzDT2 and then look at the very next listing and you see this from the same seller http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/R555C-Tri-ang-Hornby-Diesel-Pullman-Pack-1971-Professionally-converted-to-DCC-/272363506107?hash=item3f6a2149bb:g:3HgAAOSwMgdXzDDg

'Custom renumbered' - you'd never notice!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-Class-66-GBRf-DCC-fitted-/222239917202?hash=item33be880492:g:nlEAAOSwknJXzHny

I bought one of these last year - still trying to figure out where the DCC decoder goes! I

I visited Kernow this afternoon and was able to pick mine up - it's the BR green version - absolutely stunning!

Her indoors is always telling me that I have far too many railway books also (maybe because mine fill all the bookshelves in the house whilst hers have had to be relegated to being kept in boxes in the loft) - however I feel that if you have a genuine interest in railways then you can never have too many books and you never stop learning. The only problem is that I am now getting to the age where I see what looks like a fantastic read in a transport book shop - buy it - and then discover when I get home that I have already got a copy - it's happened 3 times in the last 18 months!! The other problem is when well meaning relatives end up buying you the 'WHSmith book of trains' for Christmas (well he does like 'trains') when in reality you want to read up on the history on the Didcot Newbury & Swindon line or the development of Thompson's post war coaching stock! So the WHSmith book ends up in the loft also!!

Maybe it's been professionally weathered and fitted with working headlamps!

Especially if the caravan is built by the same person that built the loco?

I think some of this e.g. the rust marks, appear to have been done quite well. However the art of weathering is knowing exactly when to stop. Unfortunately whoever did it has gone too far and ruined a nice model.

In what way can this actually be regarded as 'railway modelling'? I know that there is a lot of debate about RTR manufacturers producing wagons with printed graffiti, but looking at many modern freight trains you can at least argue that they are prototypical. However this offering is purely unnecessary destruction - what a shame. I know it's an old model but somebody somewhere could have made good use of it.

Seems a bit pricey considering that it isn't DCC ready and it doesn't even come in it's original box!