GeoffBird

I am having problems trying to contact GGW to order some steam loco nameplates, I have sent them several e-mails as I can't find a telephone number but am getting no response. Alternatively, doe anyone know another source of steam loco plates. Specifically I am looking for a complete set of name, numberplates and "SOUTHERN" plates for Merchant Navy 21C2. I have tried Fox but they don't do the cabside and tender plates that CGW offer. Any advice greatly received.

Would be good if they were to do a variant with a spark arrester like most of the Friary based locos had. Where can one get such a thing anyway?

In he Middleton Press book "Guildford to Redhill" there are several Pictures of Birdcage sets on the line, several around 1951/52 with a C class and a T9. Most interesting is one in 1957 of a GW 43xx in unlined green hauling a 3-coach set. Would this have been rfepainted into SR green by then or still in Crimson?

I see that on the Hornby Website, 21C1 and 21C3 and now showing arrival dates for tomorrow (8th March). Two BR liveried ones just say "Summer 2017". Can't wait to see the first real photos of 21C1.

On the Hornvby Website there is now a new date for arrival of 21C1 - 10th March 2017.

On the L&B Members Website they are reporting "Well, it's been a long time coming but we have now been advised that delivery of these long-awaited Heljan models is expected to be at the end of February. The first batch coming from China is already sold-out on advance orders. However, the L&B have been able to secure a batch of each of the three models. Because we know that these models are already in great demand, and although we do not as yet have them in stock, we have decided to take reservations in advance."

In one of the "Southern Way" magazines there is a nice picture of 21C1 entering Salisbury with a goods train from Eastleigh. It seems as if in the early days they were based at Salisbury and not entrusted with passenger trains being used on such a service in case of a urgent need to return to the works. Let's hope there are real pictures of the locos when the Engine Shed comes out later today. Hornby still saying 19th Jan for delivery.

I was thinking of that, but where can one get plates from? I have looked at Fox and Modelmaster but they only seem to do the nameplates.

It is now only about 10 days until the first ones arrive at Hornby - has anyone seen any pictures of the real models, particularly 21C1 wth its "gun-metal plates"? The last note on the Engne Shed back in November said "Obviously like with all pre-production samples we receive there are inevitably things that need changing and altering slightly. You’ll notice that the green on the wheels is slightly different to that of the green on the body and also some the nameplates and running number's placement needs some attention so that it fits exactly between the yellow lines. However, do not fret, our team in the factory are aware of these and a few other minor errors and are making the changes as you read this" The pictures on the Hornby webste and various suppliers still show a computer Picture with the "cardboard label" plates. I would be very interested to know if anyone has more information as I am thinkng of cancelling my order if Hornby can't get this right.

As far as I can see, at the moment, Fox Transfers only do the nameplates & smokebox door ring, not the cab side and tender side plates. I too am waiting to see what Honrby have to say about 21C1 in future Engine Shed reports. If no Change then I too will go for a 21C3. Appüarantly, the plates lasted with the Malachite green livery (albeit very grubby) from 1945 until 1950 on both 21C1 and 21C2.

AS I said on another site, aren't the "gun metal" cab side and tender plates on 21C1 horrible. Look like printed cardboard! Hope they are better on the production Version.

21C2 was also fitted with such plates and , apparently, they were also cast for 21C3 but never fitted. One reason was that that the gun-metal used made the locos even more over overweight. I hope that the pictures of the plates on the current pre-production model of 21C1 are not going to be repeated on the production Version as they look horroble and cheap, nothing liker the cast plates on the real locos. They look like cardboard printed and stuck on!

Unfortunately, the locos are not yet available to order from the Hornby web-site. I notice that the Hattons pre-oder does not include a Hornby "R" number, so presumably they arfe not that far down the line.

I have had mine for a couple of days and it runbs perfectly, quiet and smooth, hauls six coaches without any problem. Visually it is a superb model, the lining in sharp & crisp and even the glass windshields behind the front window are fitted. The most obvious visual problem is the frequent Hornby problem of the loco number on the cab and the "LNER" on the tender not lining up. In all the photographs I have seen these are at the same level although prersumably there would have been some difference between a full and an enmpty tender (similar problem with the three lines on the SR MN & WC tenders). Are the loco and tender made separately and not checked before they are put in the box in China?

Yes, the comments are probably correct about the photographic limitations of the time. A more intensive look at the photo under a magniifying glass would seem to indicate that the lettering is shaded and not block as I thought. Glad that Hornby and all of you are correct. Certainly the picture taken in 1937 (4 years after rebuilding has shaded lettering) . Yes, the LNER did seem to have a penchant for one-off names that never went into Service, like the A4s that were "renamed" during the war. The Hornby model, with its add-on extras is a super model - shame about the lack of a screw link coupling on the front. Lets wait and see what variants will appear in 2017 - perhaps a "2614" in apple-green or a "62614" with the early BR logo and in apple-green.

Mine arrived here in Austria direct from Hornby yesterday. A superb model but the numbers and LNER lettering seems wrong. Comparing the model with the picture of "Frederick the Great" on P83 of vol 14 of Yeadon, the lettering is block not shaded.

I have just had an E-Mail from Hornby saying that my 8900 "Claud Hamilton" (R3433) has arrived and is being prepared for dispatch. Great!!!!!!

Although not listed in "Incoming September" , the Thanet Flyer" Train set is listed as available on the Hattons Website.

Rather than thinking about some Bulleid coaches that may or may not appear in 3 or 4 years, what would be more useful to a lot of S.R. modellers would be a BCK and CK of the existing Maunsell stock in Malachite. At the moment there are only 3rd Brakes, Firsts and Thirds. Perhaps this may be part of Horrnby's announcement for 2017/8. I am particularly hoping for a BCK to enable me to form a 3-coach set of the Weymouth Portion of the "Bournemouith Limited" together with a Malachite liveried Schools. As far as I remember there were some produced a few years ago (r4338?) but they seem not to be on the market at the Moment.

A certain box-shifter beginning with H is spltting the loco and the coaches from the set. The loco costs 82 GBP and the two coaches 52 GBP. As far as I can find out No. 1854 was repainted in malachite in September 1946 and later as 31846 with "BRITISH RAILWAYS" on the tender and the number on the back of the tender as well. It ran inn this livery until repainted BR lined black in July 1950. No. 1817 was repainted black in May 1949. The repaintings were done at Asghford, so I assume that these were Eastern Section based locos.

I too am thinking of lashing out for this collection, but which Hornby Pullmans should I buy when I want to extend the train? Also, the Pullmans in the set seem to be fitted with the correct arrows and GA nameplates, where can one get duplicates to fit to new carriages? Finally, I have been looking on Websites etc for a book on the GA, esüecially one dealingh with the stock used post-war but cant't find ne anywhere - are there any written on this subject?

I notice that there is now a proper picture of CH on the Hornby Website. Comments expected on the accuracy of the model vs the other D16/3 variants. Note that the delivery date has gone out to September.

I think that lochlongside has misread the Dapol description for 4S-018-003. This says "SR lined black", i.e. with green lining. All of the class, apart from those at Soton Docks, were painted in this livery in SR days. I have looked through Bradley and there is no reference to any being painted green, I looked on the Net for the P. Cooper Monograph mentioned, but the best price was 25.00 GBP! In terms of delivery, the latest I heard from my supplier was back n February when I was told "Our latest information from the supplier suggests this item will arrive with us between November 2016 & December 2016" What would be a nice variant is one of those based at Plymouth (Friary) and fitted with the spark arrester .

If you are after Kent coalfield wagons (and not too fussy about accuracy) there are several listed on the Dapol Website under the "Special comissions" section.

#And aren't the cab numberplates a bit wonky?