JohnR

Thats ok - I cant claim the set-up to be unique!

That could be me!

Brilliant, thanks Duncan. Please pass on my thanks to Mike @ CRA and keep us updated on when the first volume of that book on Scottish Traders is out!

A good point was made earlier about Frasers stores stocking TT120. We've often moaned about the lack of visibility of model railways in the wider retail market, and perhaps this is something that Frasers can assist with - stocking Hornby product, making it visible to the buying public - and what better thing to do that the scale were Hornby are (effectively) the only suppliers?

Lets not run away with ourselves here. Mike Ashley can only asset strip or sell off brands if he gets control of Hornby. He currently has less than 9%, and can only get control if the largest shareholder, Phoenix, wants to sell to him. Which really doesnt seem to be what they want, nor is it their usual way of doing business.

Fife coal would have be worked by the NBR, surely? I've seen pictures of wagons from the Fife coalfields in Dundee and Arbroath, but not in Brechin or Forfar.

Given the success of TT, I suspect the result will be to lean into it, not abandon it.

I think you have to be a member to post on their forum (yes, I know I ought to join up) Indeed. On similar instructions, I've sometimes seen a reference to the company where the colliery is located (eg GWR, MR, etc), which would suggest this was on the Caley somewhere in Scotland (so probably not Fife, then?)

Its the Co-Op history thats led me to this. The Brechin United Co-Op was one of the earliest, being founded in 1833. However, it shared its profits according to a share, rather than the dividend method of the Rochdale pioneers. When in 1861 some members failed to get the United to change to the Rochdale system, they set up their own - hence the Brechin Equitable Co-Op. Both co-ops had several shops throughout the town, as well as separate coal yards at the station. However, they eventually merged under the Brechin United name in 1912. Several mergers and take overs later, they're now part of ScotMid, who sadly dont seem to have much information about them.

Could very well be a fancy S - I had thought it might be an ampersand, given there seemed to be some space preceding and following it. It is named as Eddleswood colliery on the RAILSCOT page, however? https://www.railscot.co.uk/companies/H/Hamilton_and_Strathaven_Railway/

The list on the Scottish mining website has the following collieries ending in "wood" Maxwood (Ayrshire) Wellwood (Ayrshire) Knightswood (Dumbarton) Lingerwood (Edinburgh) Eddlewood (Lanarkshire) Haywood (Lanarkshire) Kirkwood (Lanarkshire) Milnwood (Lanarkshire) Westwood (Lanarkshire) Barrwood (Stirlingshire) I *think* it might be Eddlewood - if I squint, it looks like it might start with a Big curly E, and possibly have two dds?

It was my assumption that Fife collieries were most likely, but I've looked at the lists and cant see any names which seem (to my eyes anyway) to fit the writing.

Thanks - this is the best copy the HMRS can provide.

Could be, but it really looks like two words to me

I had assumed a Scottish colliery, but of course it could be elsewhere.

This is a long shot, but I wonder if anyone could help identify the colliery named on this wagon? Its frustrating, because the "Return to" and "Colliery" bits are so clear! The wagon was owned by the Brechin United Co-Operative Society, and the photo is dated to 1900. I think it might be a two word name, possibly with an '&' in there as well, but I cant seem to find a colliery (at least in Scotland) with this form of name. Does anyone have better eyesight than me?

Not any more it isnt!

I'm assuming that some people voted for categories in which they didnt model, as the vote totals are similar in each scale. Personally, I didnt vote in the N gauge, OO9 or O categories, as I couldnt give an opinion, as I dont model in those scales and havnt purchased anything.

Title says it all! https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/rails-hattons-faq?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=railshattonstakeover

It should be noted that Hornby already own Corgi, this is just the model club that is being acquired - they offer limited editions of classic corgi models. I see from the reports that the expected margin of the sales is just 15% - seems low to me? https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/corporate-finance/kent-based-Hornby-acquires-corgi-model-club/

Such a shame all the previous photos have been lost - this is a lovely layout!

BR ones are listed at £251 on Dapols website.

Frasers must already have had a small holding beforehand. If you track the trades, you can see they purchased their 11 million shares in a single block last week at a price of 20p. Can only have come from Artemis.

I'm assuming Dapol bought them back. I wonder how easy it would be to put them into BR livery?

There may also be a difference between who is an "Official Stockist" and who is not.