Clearwater

Hi Neil See below. Generally, I think it's a good model (as the other Hornby Halls). Colour isn't quite as glossy as my recollection of the original. Camera phone shots below resized via Apple so apols for quality. If you'd like other angles, let me know and I can add As alluded to above, I've always had a soft spot for 5043 since seeing her at Tyseley around the turntable, largely unrestored except for a shiny copper chimney David

Mine has arrived with me. Sadly the cab side does have anL shaped handle not the straight per prototype. A pity... As you suspected/predicted factory is REF Am due to see the real thing on Saturday. Will try and take some photos to aid comparison

Smetana Die Moldau.no2 Ma Vlast

Interestingly 5051 was the fourth engine to leave Barry. I'd marginally confused myself as it was paired with Pendennis' tender cover the summer but is usually with a Hawksworth tender however my recollection from the 80s was she was with a Collett tender. A quick google confirmed. Equally 5029 would arrived at Barry with a Hawksworth tnder, photos I've seen confirm, but now is usually seen with a collett tender. The other castles sent to Barry all left service with collett tenders Given that engines were separated from their tenders at Barry (some were sold as ingot carriers) and on other occasions a purchaser mixed and matched locos and tenders, at some point 5043 lost the tender it arrived with. There's a shot in Peter Brabham's excellent book of 5043 in '67 still with the collett tender. My assumption was that a prior purchaser had decided they would rather have a collett tender than Hawksworth and hence the swap. 5043 was the third castle to leave; the second was the still unfortunate 7027, so if there was a swap of 5043's tender for another castle, the only candidate is 5051. I don't know whether hall/castle tenders are interchangeable. There's a few halls that left between 5051 and 5043 (4883/4965, 5900,6960 and 4930) Somewhere I have a picture from tyseley in the early to mid 1980s of 5043 and 7027 around the turntable pre restoration. From memory, 5043 had the Hawksworth tender at that time David

To me, the idea of competition within the ecml is a bit of a red herring. The real competition, as was ever the case, is with wcml and air travel. I can see the logic for having different franchise owners between ecml and wcml. I can also see the argument for a single franchise to compete better against air travel. However, in the latter scenario, you lose the benchmarking of operational efficiency between two operators

Quite appropriate really though - taking dirt and turning it into gold (money)!

From photos and the Book of the Castlrs, it appears that 5043 arrived at Barry with a collett tender. Checking the entries for other locos, 5051 was last paired with a hawks worth tender. I presume when 5051 left Barry, its purchasers asked for a tender swap? As an aside, I quite like having models of engines I've been behind on the mainline. Given that is currently only City of Wells, 46233, Tangmere, Bittern, Britannia and 5043 it is a realistic ambition!

Ouch - hopefully worth it though. I think the bluebell's great - they get most things right in my view

That's a long day... Easier now you can board at East Grinstead though In the bluebell's favour, they do have the Dukedog. Against them, it's out of ticket and was separated from its tender in the stock shed earlier this summer. Think there was also a 56xx in the shed too though I agree that on balance it's all rather a different shade of green!

Every third Sunday , or something like that, the bluebell gets their Director's coach out. It's ecxGNR I think. You can book it and they serve afternoon tea. Whilst set out in tables, it's not as rigid as a dining car. Mrs Clearwater approved.

Quite right -who cares about th Chinese building HS2 when the real railway question is when the S15, Hatton King, Bachmann birdcage coaches etc will be delivered. If they can't make little models efficiently, how can they hope to build our confidence in their ability to deliver 1:1 scale?

I'd note that on MRD's website there are none of the southern green ones.. Illustrates Andy's point nearly. I wonder if that sold better as that's the livery the prototype is currently wearing on the Bluebell!

Wasn't Sir Murrough one of the final directors of the LNER?

Yes - I got your word play hence my comment. (I favourited your comment). Chemically speaking, the addition of an extra 2 after the oxygen (technically as subscript) makes inert water into one of the more corrosive and volatile compounds out there. Hydrogen peroxide is an aggressive oxidant and is, amongst other things, used in rocket fuel. There are other examples where a change of number makes a significant difference, eg O2 vs O3. As an aside, if you want a fun chemical experiment take a glass beaker of ordinary granulated sugar and add a couple of drops of concentrated sulphuric acid. The acid strips water out of the sugar leaving a tower of carbon.

H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide - highly corrosive, not sure what it'd do to DJM's finest to date!

I have just read (again) the literary classic that is Usborne Farmyard Tales "Noisy Train." Are you involved in writing it? It's the only explanation that makes sense as there is a duck to find on every page...

Yes- I saw one yesterday in Ian Allen's at the back of Waterloo

There's a good shot of kgv looking forelorn in Swindon post withdrawal in the Recentish Hayes book on Kings. Also the story of its eventual extraction from Swindon in the late 60s

Looking at the close ups of the picture, I'd say it was copper but not 100%. They were on the ground outside the refreshment cafe at Didcot. Perhaps one of the GWS volunteers on here can confirm? As an aside, Rob's photo above shows it to a certain extent, but Captain Kernow's pannier photo shows a massive variation in the green

Brings to mind the old weathering forecasting adage in North Wales "if you can't see Snowdon , it is raining; if you can see Snowdon, it's going to rain"

Hi Rob Will be interesting to do the side by side of the STEAM and Locomotion KGVs. On a separate topic, was there any sign of the Bachmann auto coaches? David

I think many of us in our/our father's/our grandfather's (delete as applicable depending on your age), we have a number of over exposed, off centre, poorly constructed photos and with any number of other faults that the professional and experienced photographer could pick up on. To me, that adds to the charm. It's as people saw them and recorded the moment

I got off at Grantham a couple of weeks ago. Was tired of standing and was fairly certain would get a seat on the following train. In their favour, at least the station does have a series of boards on ecml traction history and explains the mallard story

Just a point to consider. Even those who do possess the modelling skills to put together a kit often take years to do so.... Personally, I think hats off to kernow and others who are prepared to take these commercial risks. I hope it pays off for them as it's the best chance of encouraging them and others to undertake some of the more 'niche' locos beloved of the wish lists...

Isn't the logical solution for the 615am Aberdonian to be running an hour late? Suspect not unheard of in prototype plus gives the excuse for unusual motive power to be replacing a failed engine further north?