Floreat Industria

I thought that as well. It must be very useful to Somali pirates. Still, nothing's very secret in today's world, and if it is it can evidently be hacked.

God help anyone following politics these days! We're just having a bit of mild amusement while we wait to a) put our loco in a cabinet b) be the first to take it completely to pieces, or even c) run it on our layout. I've got over the fun of getting my "Sir William A Stanier" and my H Class now and I think the Bulleid diesel is the next one to really look forward to - especially as it's paid for. When it comes I can look forward to the SECR livery birdcages, Oxford N7, Hattons P, Stirling Single and Bachmann "Peggy". I keep rearranging their order on my "outstanding" bit of paper. It can be quite fun in a pathetic sort of way. It's a pity we don't know the ships! I do a lot of rail tracking on various sites but I didn't realise ships could be mildly interesting or that there were so many. You can even see which tugs took your ship into harbour. By the way, the "Tihama" has left Tangier now and is on its way again. Cheers, Patrick.

The container ship is just docking at Tangier port at this very moment!

The suspense continues! Now half way through the Suez Canal at the head of a convoy and due in Tangiers on the 9th.

New position just in - in the Red Sea between Port Sudan and Jeddah.

I've just been combing Colin Judge's magisterial book re horns. They evidently originally had klaxons, much like buses, and on early photos something can be seen to the right hand side, not protruding very far which I presume is the klaxon. This can clearly be seen on the delivery photos of the last of the batch - parcels car no. 17. They certainly didn't have the protruding trumpet-like horns fitted centrally later. I will be filling in the holes on my no. 11 and looking for something small and round to fit to the right!

Hattons are showing "due into stock on or after Monday 30 October" - same as the H class.

The latest news from Kernow is that they're on the TIHAMA, due in UK 15 November. I've just looked it up and it has left Singapore and is due in Suez 3 November.

Well - I've had one of them - a "Stanier" - as an impulse purchase! Having been born and brought up 5 minutes from the East Coast Main Line in Darlington I feel slightly disloyal but I remember getting a "Day Line Diesel Ticket" and going over the Stainmore line to Carlisle and seeing these beautiful red locos change on the Royal Scot and just had to have one.

They've gone again! I wonder if they just pop up now and again when cancellations come in.

R3538 SECR livery is showing again on the Hornby site as available for pre-order!

I've just looked to see if there's anything new for The Engine Shed and it now says "updating our website" and "no telephone orders". Obviously something going on.

It looks good but the safety valve surround really needed to match. It draws the eye rather.

Roco/Fleischmann does not seem to be in a very happy state. This article says that the bank wants to take over the shares:- https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://extrajournal.net/2017/09/25/raiffeisen-will-modelleisenbahnen-fleischmann-roco/&prev=search Both in mainland Europe and the UK the model railway market is shrinking and I think we have "never had it so good" as recently but can any of the big names carry on indefinitely?

They've changed the dates on their site back to Dec/Jan! Virtually everything I've ordered seems to be being changed to a later date at the moment.

I've ordered 753 as it was the first of the class and had the taller tanks and cab. Note the subtle difference between the two SECR locos.

The pictures have been changed again and are different to the ones the other day! The date now shows as NOVEMBER, unfortunately. I've paid for mine so I suppose it will be here for Christmas, which will be expensive with the Dapol GWR railcar, Hornby SECR H, Oxford N7, Bachmann birdcage set and narrow gauge "Peggy" all on order. At least when my wife asks me what I want for Christmas I can say "one or two things will be coming"!

I've just noticed that the 10201 photo on the Kernow site has been updated to what looks like the production version.

Yes, I see they've gone again. I only looked last night to see if the date had been altered and was surprised that it was showing available.

Interestingly, the SECR livery model which was shown as sold out to pre-orders on Hornby's site is now shown as available. It looks as if they are making more than originally planned.

I see that the availability on the Bachmann site has now changed from "Dec/Jan" to "3rd/4th Quarter". It sounds as if they might be here in time for Christmas.

I'm glad they've got their act together after originally advertising a prototype which never existed. It looks very nice with its round-topped firebox. I've ordered the grey one as it's so unusual - it will go in the display case with other pre-grouping models which I can't resist buying. My SECR fully lined tender loco will be running however when the coaches and the new tank loco come out. I hope they bring out 69614 the famous Liverpool Street Station pilot with late crest. I'll certainly have one of them.

I've got one somewhere. If anyone is interested, there's one on eBay at the moment.

Yes. I've got them all and am looking forward to No. 5. Also, "Coupe News" etc. have an absolute wealth of information. See here for an index:- http://www.semgonline.com/coach/coupe/

No - not red wheels! See Kernow's site:- "The first painted samples have been received. A couple of minor issues require correction - the running numbers and BR early emblems are placed too high on the bodyside and will be corrected. The bogies require the axle boxesand springs painting black and the wheels will be the correct Bulleid pattern rather than the simple wheels provided for testing purposes. (The first engineering sample had the correct wheels)."