Bodmin Bob

It seems the thing to do these days is to let people know exactly what you are building - you never know there might be somebody interested out there. Well my passion is coach building both OO and O gauges - primarily Southern region coaches but not necessarily restricted to just that region (if the right kit comes along at the right price then I will try and build it!) New out of the works over the last couple of weeks have been: Maunsell Un-classified Corridor Brake S4440S from a Roxey Mouldings kit. These were interesting vehicles in that they could be used as 1st, 2nd or even 3rd class vehicles depending on need with the class indicated by stickers placed in the windows - you would have known your luck was in if you were travelling 3rd class in one of these - the seating was apparently amongst the most comfortbale on the Southern at that time. Roxey's coaches are great to build - the only tricky bit with thier OO coaches is their plastic roofs which are not easy to get right when fitting, but with care and patience a good result can be achieved. I believe Roxey's O gauge coach roofs are or metal construction but I have yet to build one of their O gauge coaches. The second new arrival is not a brand new coach but a complete strip down and overhaul of a Comet Bulleid SO S1481S. I originally built this coach about 5 years ago as E1469E and it represented one of the batch of Bulleid SO coaches transferred over to the Eastern and Scottish Regions in exchange for a number of Mark 1 coaches during the mid 1960s. The model was originally finished in lined maroon and was used as part of a 9 coach ER inter-regional train that we run on Bodmin's club layout 'Old Elms Road'. I was never 100% satisfied with the finish on that model for a number of reasons so I retired it after we appeared at Warley last year and it has now been fully stripped down to bare metal and undergone a change of both livery and a number. That said I clearly suffered 'senior moment' as I had intended to number it after the preserved example on the Bluebell Railway that I recently travelled on i.e. S1482S - however it wasn't until after I had numbered it and added a couple of coats of varnish that I realised that I had given it the wrong number - oops! However I am pleased with the result and whilst Bulleid coaches did look attractive in maroon - anything but green does not seem 'right'. With many of my Bulleid/Maunsell coaches I have used Bachmann's SR coach bogies for smooth and reliable running but this coach represents a slight departure as I have used a set of Hornby's excellent Maunsell coach bogies for this coach for the first time. They look slightly better than the Bachman versions and run really well. Bogie kits do come with most of these coaches but I tend to use RTR bogies if possible purely to save weight - a 9 coach rake of brass coaches can be heavy so this can be reduced by using good RTR bogies where possible - you also always know they are very free running and can be easily replaced if one gets damaged during an exhibition. In works at the moment is a Comet Bulleid loose Brake Composite which will be used to supplement one of my SR express rakes from 8 to 9 coaches. I already have a crimson and cream one so this one will be in BR green. The body shell and chassis are complete and now the roof fitting and detailing will take place - I estimate this one will be ready in around 4 weeks (I'm not the fastest coach builder). Awaiting construction is a Comet Thompson SK which will be finnished in crimson & cream and will replace the Bulleid SO mentioned above in my ER inter regional set. I also now have all the bits required to add a second Bulleid 2 car BSK+BCK set to my fleet having built my first one a few years ago so I have a number of projects to keep me going for the next 4 months or so. All these coaches will run on Bodmin club's Old Elms Road layout which is scheduled to be at Tolworth Showtrain in South London in November and also at Stafford exhibition early in 2016

Or Old New Stock?

Surely that is 'as new' or 'mint' - whereas an item that is 'brand new' is one that one that has just been constructed or produced

'...Railway Modeller July 2007 - 'brand new'...' Now it may be that I'm stating the bleedin' obvious - but how can that description actually be true? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Railway-Modeller-July-2007-Brand-New-/400244186146?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d30699c22

LMS locos were all DCC

I wouldn't even pay that for it!

Probably the worst example from the Mary Shelley school of Railway Modelling seen so far!! A Britannia loco body A King Arthur tender Peppercorn A1 smoke deflectors Streamlined Bulleid Pacific Golden Arrow badge 2 Swindon chimney tops And a partridge in a pear tree!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-00-GAUGE-BRITAINNIA-CLASS-70014-MODIFIED-LOCOMOTIVE-RENAMED-TORNADO/231598139234?_trksid=p5411.c100167.m2940&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140131123730%26meid%3Db2caa3b837264c7ca76da3e1b9dfbcdb%26pid%3D100167%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D9%26sd%3D261930006859 Surely the kindest thing to do would be to just push it into a turntable pit and to then fill it in That said I don't know how it would move under its own power as there is nothing connecting the cylinders to the driving wheels!!

Oh dear - I'm sure the intention was good - but what an absolute mess has been made of this one!!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-31-103-KIT-BUILT-BR-4-6-0-STANDARD-CLASS-4-LOCO-72020-WEATHERED-MIB-my-/331422675505?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d2a54b231

'...some 'minor' damage to the cab...' Something of an understatement but at least if you look at the 4th picture he has very kindly added an arrow to show the 'minor' damage in case you missed it! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-00-gauge-Pannia-Tank-Engine-/371350507374?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5676370f6e

A lot of money for a kit built loco that looks like it was put together with a sledgehammer!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-GAUGE-KIT-BUILT-WADEBRIDGE-BR-GREEN-WEST-COUNTRY-4-6-2-LOCOMOTIVE-34007-/201321572116?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2edfb36714

This is really clever (check all the photos) - on one side it is a Hall but turn it around to face the other way it becomes a Manor http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REDUCED-NEW-Bachmann-32-002-Hall-4-6-0-5960-St-Edmund-Hall-with-early-emblem-/171802944504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item280040e3f8

'...THIS IS WORTH MORE THAN I AM SELLING FOR...' This chap should have run for parliament in last week's election - he's a genius!

'All run and tested...' - how does that work then when they have not yet been built?? (good price though) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roxey-00-LBSCR-Push-Pull-Driver-and-Trailer-Kits-/231554811309?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e9be05ad

It probably seemed like a really good idea when he brought the aerosol can of weathering paint! A prime example of how to totally ruin a really nice loco in a matter of minutes! What a shame - what an expensive mistake!. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heljan-o-gauge-western-hero-maroon-weathered/301619903387?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3Dc78b853a309a43c6bb5c3d5377d8e062%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D301619903387

Not really sure exactly what market there is for these at this price - but to be honest I wouldn't even buy them if they were available now for just £5 - rare or not! Apart from which, when was Thomas the Tank engine painted red and with LMS on the side and when did he become a 2-6-2? It looks to me as if somebody has paid a very large sum of money for these in the past and now realises the error of their ways and wants to try and recoup their monies - good luck!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Unique-ERTL-Thomas-the-Tank-Engine-Prototypes-Last-Ever-Models-Made-COA-/251484320883?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a8da23473

Our friend strikes again! Apparently this is 'kit built'! If so, then it appears to have been very carefully dismantled again in order to make it easier to fit back in the box. Brilliant!!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PDK-MODELS-KIT-BUILT-BRASS-GCR-LNER-BR-4-4-0-DIRECTOR-CLASS-D11-1-LOCO-MIB-py-/370819155667?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item56568b46d3

It's like keeping the family jewels in your kitchen bin!

At what point in time is it no longer accurate to describe a 1960's built Triang Hornby Jinty with a missing emblem, worn lining and a damaged box as being 'new'. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-SMOKE-MODEL-Triang-R52S-Jinty-3F-Class-0-6-0-Tank-47606-with-late-crest-/171747991152?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27fcfa5e70 A look at his other items shows he has some 'brand new' Airfix and mainline coaches too! Do you think he might be a time traveller?

Would be really good if you were building a diorama entitled ' .....after the gas explosion at the NRM'!!

Totally agree with you on that one Matt - hardly a wonderful addition to your layout if you model modern image N gauge!

Oh dear - yet another streamlined Coronation pacific in LMS livery in 'scrapyard condition'! Give me strength!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scrapyard-4-6-2-Coronation-Duchess-loco-heavily-rusted-and-weathered-/301593488446?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item46385f6c3e

I know that the SECR converted one of Wainwright's C class locos into a saddle tank but I never knew they converted another one of the class into one of these!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-British-Locomotive-Collection-Train-SECR-C-CLASS-0-6-0-No-592-/181710038721?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4ec326c1

It might be written on with a white pencil!

Free 'click & collect' available on this one!! Just as well really - if it was sent in the post it would surely turn back into an un-built kit!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRFIX-MODEL-No-R201-B-R-RAILBUS-CONTRUCTION-KIT-BUILT-/301326726547?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item462878f593