Bulwell Hall

Whilst the 'Dukedog', 'Earl', 90xx, or whatever else you care to call it, is only just hitting the shelves is it too soon to express the hope that Bachmann will follow it with a 'Bulldog'? Tender, loco chassis and cab should all be suitable - 'Blasius' in GWR post-war black would be my choice but there would be plenty of scope for all those modellers of the pre-war GWR scene. It would make such a lovely model and were more widespread than the 90xx. Just a thought. Gerry

This kit is rather older than 30 years - I reckon it was released around 1970. Whilst it was OK for it's time it has been superseeded by a rather nice white metal kit by David Geen which is the route I would follow if I wanted an Open C. Gerry

Having been announced for release on 18.11.13 'Glastonbury Abbey' seems very reluctent to reveal itself!

Malcolm Wright - now there's a name from the past! I wondered where you dissapeared to all those years ago! I too was a member of the Oxford MRC back in those long ago days at Headington. Glad to see you still retain your interest - I remember being impressed when you built the 'Skye Bogie' and it is good to hear that it has been revived. Best wishes Gerry Beale

It is tempting to think that Bachmann might take the opportunity to completly re-tool and upgrade their 'Modified Hall' to show what they can make of a GWR 4-6-0! Imagine if it were re-released to the same standard as the new 10000 diesel or the 4F! I'd love it - even if it does cost more! Gerry

I still haven't yet seen a photo of the drivers side of 4061. Have Hornby remembered that the reverser was moved forward and lowered on the 'Stars' from 4050 onwards and there was a cover over the reverser in front of the cab? The presence of a 'King' tender on the pre- production sample is a little worrying as well - hopefully that will be corrected!

Mike The photo of 45xx 4598 right back at the beginning of this thread was taken in the Looe Branch platform at Liskeard - the pillar tank in the background is the givaway and 4598 was a St.Blazey engine for a good number of years. In the backgorund of the photo of 3608 at Oxford can be seen the tower of St. Barnabas Church in Jericho - to generations of Oxford enginemen this was known as 'Barneys Clock' as it was right across the railway from Oxford engine shed. Hope this is of interest. Gerry

What a wonderfully nostalgic photo! A few years after this photo was taken I spent a few months working on the buses at Weymouth - Western National by then due to the National Bus Cmpany merging the two companies - and I well rememeber working on the Lodekkas. One of them had brakes which squealed all the way down the hill past the Sidney Hall when returning to the Kings Statue from Wyke Regis whilst another was overhauled in the workshop at Edward St garage and looked immaculate when she came out. The buses were used to transfer boat passengers to Weymouth station who were not travelling to London - the boat train ran to Waterloo. Mention has also been made earlier in this thread of Huntsman Ales - these were from the Eldridge Pope brewery at Dorchester which closed sometime in the early 1980s I believe. The Eldridge Pope brewery was on Weymouth Avenue in Dorchester next to the road entrance to Dorchester South station and was at one time rail served. Devenish brewery was in Hope Sq. on the opposite side of the harbour from the Tramway - anyone remember the dreadfull Saxon Bitter? There was an excellent Devenish pub near the Town Bridge called the Kings Arms - still there but much enlarged these days - and an added attraction in the early 1970s was that it was regularly frequented by young female student teachers from Weymouth College! Happy days! Gerry

What a big disapointment! Now I understand why it just didn't look quite quite right. Us GWR types are really not doing very well at the moment - the 'Modified Hall' was a big let down and will still be less than satisfactory even when it returns with fire iron tunnels. I had hoped that a 'Bulldog' would follow the 'Earl' in due course but presumably the boiler pitch would be similarly compromised. Gerry

Also look at the cylinder cladding - on the 'Modified Hall' it flares out to meet the footplate valance rather than tucking in under the footplate as on the Collett 'Halls'. It is a disitinctive feature of the 'Modified Halls' And if they had so much information how come they got it so wrong - unless they did it down to a price and hoped nobody would notice?

I was looking forward to a 'Modifed Hall' very much as they were fine locomotives but the Bachmann model has turned out to be very dissapointing indeed. Without wishing to make too much of it, when it was anounced that the 'Modified Hall' was to be reintroduced I did contact Bachmann to offer drawings, notes and sketches of the differences between a Collett 'Hall' and a 'Modified Hall' - my offer was ignored. It does rather seem to me that a high point might have been reached with RTR locomotives. The Hornby B1 and B17 4-6-0s released last year were nigh on perfect but the recently announced "design clever" Hornby locos look as though they will be wanting and this example from Bachmann seems to have taken a similar retrograde step - especially after the superb Midland Compound. I do hope I am proved wrong! Gerry

If it is Bradford-On-Avon it is very unlikely to have been a Bristol - Weymouth or Weymouth - Bristol service as these trains were usually made up of ex GWR stock in the traditional mixture of styles. Most Bristol - Weymouth services carried class A lamps and the ex GWR stock remained on these services until the introduction of DMUs and the reorganization and rationalisation of the Bristol area local workings in 1959. To me the uniform rake of roof boarded BR Mk 1s strongly suggests a diverted main line train In my 4mm version of the W,S & W 'Glastonbury Abbey' will be renamed as Westbury's 'Queen Berengaria' and most certainly will be seen on Bristol - Weymouth services - she may even appear on the 12.30 Paddington - Weymouth - a regular Westbury turn. Hope this helps. Gerry