Clearwater

Fully agree that a model that takes the aftermarket upgrading of locos but bundles them together is a welcome development. However, to me this range will be competing not with Hornby and Bachmann but goldenage and kit built commissions, although owning something unique will always have it's appeal over even a limited run. I'd also be slightly concerned if I was an aftermarket supplier. As such, and per Tony Wright's thread, these models will need to have the same pulling power as those heavy brass locos. When they're reviewed, I'd like to see the reviewers test them with a rake of 12-14 kit built coaches. I suspect those with the spending power to buy a loco at c£400 will also have the spending power to acquire kit built coaches and equally will not want to see their top spec A4 hauling the naff railroad quality Hornby silver jubilee coaches. The A4 is a logical choice - always sells well. However puts me off considering the Hornby A4 set... David

£199.95... Or the left side of a Dapol a4

£400 sounds like a high rrp. However, is it? If we try to build up the price differently, what do we think is reasonable for a high spec loco? Eg Hornby current top detailed locos around £165-170 Sound card and project - give or take £100 Add extra lights on dcc. Plus £25 "Weathering" or improved paint finish plus £25++ Add smoke plus £25 I'm sure not a comprehensive list but I'm over £350 without too much creative thinking... David

Great to see you and layout in person earlier at Warley and apologies my child ran away! Funnily enough, he told his mum all about seeing the "BRM man" as soon as we got home... David

Catalogue lists Drysllwyn as 5076in shirt button livery. A narrow window... The Bristolian is quoted as 1935 with 6009 King Charles II with shirtbutton logo. Three (catalogue describes as a "trio". I refuse to use that word as makes it sound like a pretentious restaurant pudding) collets - left hand brake corridor 5108, right hand brake corridor 5107 and left hand composite 6160. Will have name boards fitted David

They'll have scanned 8572 judging by other comments. I'd note they also use a photo of8572 on the website David

Possibly not unconnected, but there's a longish profile on Dapol in the RM2015 Annual

I nearly dropped my child when I saw the Heljan 47xx RRP. I guess the only other steam engine they sold gives them a benchmark... David

Managed to completely miss the Dapol stall. Was with small child and the largish scrum deterred me... Now I know why!

I 'invested' earlier today in the handbook at the Hornby Warley stand. I find it odd they've not announced an LNER green version per the NNR prototype. Suspect we'll see a special edition

Thinking about it, of the GWS castles, 5051 is an odd choice. Given 4079 is more iconic and nearing steam again, I'm sure 'Castle' can confirm exact schedule, I'd have thought a tie in to that loco would have been more obvious David

I'm also rather amused that the predictive advertising on the Hornby King page pulls up an advert for the Hattons model!

I see they've put another gwr liveried king in next year's catalogue with the shirt button logo. Still seems to be missing the double red disks though.. Delivery at end March may clash directly with DJM/Hattons David

Reckon it will be a preservation era livery David

Interestingly it shows the stock levels. When I first checked, around 7pm, they were showing c.36 Granges and c.8 P2s. I've just got home and they're down to sub 20 Granges but still 8 P2s. The 46233 isn't shifting either.

Would that jig be helpful for coaches as well? Thanks David

As an FYI, Sir Charles is the cover picture on Backtrack magazine this month

82xxx? Works on a variety of levels. Suspect we'll get the Q class on the Bluebell this year

It's not dissimilar to what's happened with ticket prices for west end shows. Effectively we've seem shows hike up their prices to where the touts were able to clear the market. Whilst it's galling no longer to see shows cheaply, I'd rather the money went to the theatre, performers and promoters rather than a tout. In the model rail context, whilst we all complain about rising prices, if there is profit, wouldn't we rather see it with retailers, manufacturers and, to a lesser extent, related causes like Locomotion and Steam rather than resellers. If I were locomotion, I'd be thinking whether the 250 units were underpriced and b I'd be thinking of doing what theatres and sports events do. Those tickets often come with strict no resale clauses and, if contravened, the reseller is banned from, eg the Lord's ticket ballot / thrown off MCC waiting list etc etc. I'd have no objection if locomotion were to introduce a similar policy. Would be relatively easy to track who, eg brought number 250, and ban them from future limited run purchases. Of course, people will always seek a way around but it can and should be made more difficult David

I was musing on this issue the other day when trying to pick a period for my planned layout. I guess there's a practical point that if you want to model the GWR and use mostly RTR locos, you're pretty much limited to post 1938 or so. If you go before the Grange, Counties, Modified Halls etc, you're taking on a huge kit building programme for saints, aberdares, bulldogs etc. I guess not dissimilar to LMS enthusiasts where there is a massive lack of pre Stanier locos David

Indeed - I'm using it as inspiration for a diorama! Some hit to land the ball in a wagon though...

Or a link to a 3-d printer from that wonderful little programme from GWS on how to design your own GWR style engine... Would transform the imaginary locos thread!

I particularly like both the colour and black and white shot showing the angle under the overall roof. Great to see the platform detail and cameos. The open angle of the roof and curve really allow the viewer to see in

I think the first question is what is the spark that makes one want to create a model railway. It's clear that a trigger is the railway of our own youth though personally i don't find the blue diesel/sectorisation era I spotted in interesting to model. To date I've resisted large logo 50s or intercity liveried 47s. I had such models at the time and sold them. For others, the railway becomes a natural show case for their modelling skills, eg landscape and building modellers. Once that spark is ignited though, it tends to create the interest in other eras. For example, I'm sure Burntisland will be a big draw at warley though no-one will have seen the prototype... Equally, there's always interest in broad gauge layouts that by definition are prior to anyone's lifetime. What would be interesting to see would be to take the show guides for say Warley, Manchester, Ally Pally and York and analyse whether since 1970 there are any discernible trends in layout eras. I suspect it will show the obvious that there is a time lag between current big railway practice and what's modelled plus a core of layouts being set several years prior. Also, I'd expect to see the range of layout era increasing with time with earlier shows being more concentrated in certain eras with recent shows having similar layouts spread over a larger time period. Where 2045 modellers will be fortunate is that there is now both a wealth of source material to be able to access that is increasingly well archived and, from fora such as this, a treasure trove of oral history to access. That will never be the same as direct primary sources but will, I suspect be a darn sight better than anything we have on the 1895 railway. David

Joking aside, I presume someone like Fox produces little disks to fix in the appropriate spot?