No Decorum

I would argue that we have Heljan to thank for all the rarities we have (and are about to have) now, including the Boosters. Falcon started it all, coming out as a smallish limited edition. The demand turned out to be so great that “limited” edition after “limited” edition appeared with small changes to each one to pretend that each edition was unique. If I remember correctly, the second run differed from the first only by the inclusion of an etched nameplate. Having got the first, I confess that I was a little annoyed at the proliferation of models but decided that annoyance wasn’t healthy and settled down to amusement as Heljan twisted and turned to find something different for each production run. If the excitement on this thread is any guide, I should think more production runs of the Boosters will follow. I’m delighted by these but it makes the gap between Classes 80 and 85 even odder. I’d suggest that the 70 don’t need a motorised pantograph but for the early AC electrics … now who has produced aomething with a motorised panto before? Someone not unconnected with EFE Rail perhaps?

Only one kidney left! I’m saving it for CC3. 🤣

Tricky, isn’t it? For me, it’s the grey because I like to have a locomotive in as close to its earliest state as I can. Then the malachite with the red and white stripes because it’s handsome, is a different locomotive and is in a different state from the grey. The Southern green and BR black are also tempting. Sorry, that’s not much help, is it? 😀

Hm. I ordered a Turbomotive as soon as it was announced, in the full knowledge that it might be discounted further. I just didn’t want to risk missing it. I ordered my one and only P2 from the current batch rather later. I’ll perhaps have another P2 when the price drops unless something else, such as the Class 70s, soak up the available budget. The plastic motion of Prince of Wales makes me hesitate as does the lack of a prominent bulge over the cylinders of the streamlined versions, coupled with the high price. On the other hand, I’ll have two of the 70s. I’d like to say that it’s because of the reasonable price but it isn’t. Possibly, just possibly, the price might lead to a third. It’s a curious thing, the Turbomotive. It is a superb model but the lighting is a mess. The solution is to leave it switched off and to remove the rear lamp, which is a bit of a waste of what must have been an expensive add on but at least I end up with a decent model. Hornby, and not only Hornby, seems to be going for broke. Introduce ever more features at ever higher cost. I’m all for that but at the high price, the product has to be right and free of niggles.

All right, I’ve calmed down. I know CC3 was noticably different but I would still like love one. I know the price of models is a hot topic and a lot of people are sick hearing about it but I do notice that the price of these compares very favourably to the Class 80 being done by Heljan for Rails. What’s more, these have retailer discounts whereas the Rails locomotives haven’t. Very well done, EFE and Graham Muz!

Oh boy! That would be excellent!

A Class 70 electric! Wonderful!

Does this help? The tender versions.

Now we know why the roofs are removable.

I for one.

To me, that makes excellent sense, given the production of the EFE coaches. Will it make sense to Bachmann?

Ah, the Jubilee! IMHO one of the most beautiful of steamers, especially in red. Original domeless boiler, modified original boiler, long firebox boiler, double chimneyed and the rebuilt pair. Standardisation was supposed to be a thing on the LMS. Bachmann needs to look to its laurels or someone else will invade its territory. We have been promised a model of the much delayed new build Patriot, so a new chassis is presumably under development.

Lucky old you!

The first intimation I got of these showed only BR and Army examples, which seemed curious. LNWR examples (not to mention LMS) have now appeared in front of my eyes. Wonderful!

You don’t mention whether your Erlestoke is DC or DCC. On these pages, your problem has been mentioned a lot on DC locos. My Anthony came DCC fitted and works smoothly. It had bits damaged and detached and I am waiting for spares to replace the broken drain cocks. Apart from that, it looks superb. As for the Dapol, which also came DCC fitted, its performance is superb and the sound extremely good – much superior in features, sound quality and integration. Not that Anthony is bad, on the contrary, it is good but it is not as good as the Dapol. For detail and livery colour, Anthony is better but the performance of the Dapol is enchanting. Both locos came in the middle of a rash of new steam arrivals but for me, subjectively, only the Bachmann WD has impressed me as much as the Dapol Manor.

I suppose. Hornby seems to like lots of shiny pipework these days. 😊

Weren’t the all-steel mineral wagons quick and easy to reduce to scrap, whereas a steam locomotive consists of a lot of different metals and alloys?

I try to. I’d have posted a photograph but I never happened to be in my roof space with a camera and sick bag at the same time. 🤣

R3635 30863 Lord Rodney and others.

That’s a good list and I would probably buy every loco on it so long as they didn’t all appear at once. Perhaps add an 01 to complete the TOPS numbers? Curiously, yesterday I happened to be looking at a picture of a pair of Stanier 2-6-2Ts and thought that it would probably require three different body toolings to cover “the Fowler and Stanier 2-6-2T”, which would be expensive. There are only two non-steam locos in the list, which perhaps offers some support for Coldgunner’s point. Probably some manufacturers are working away in secret on some of those steamers. I hope so but they might be a little cautious, bearing in mind the discounting which has been going on recently.

Bachmann announced a Parallel Scot some years ago then cancelled it, to my great disappointment. I think I would be content if they were to plonk the existing body on a new chassis, which they have been doing in recent years although I’m sure a lot of people would prefer a total retool. As for the Lord Nelson, Hornby did produce a model which was decent under the skin but the paint job was truly awful. I don’t think it would require much to produce another run with a decent paint job.

I think it’s strange that we have Classes 85 upwards and a Class 80 (an “oddity”) soon to arrive, yet no 81–84. That is not so much an omission as a yawning gap.

I’ve checked again with Rails and there are no plans to offer sound versions. It’s a pity but I hope that one of the after market specialists will offer something suitable.

We seem to have wandered OT into the realm of colour! Avoiding that, I have to agree very strongly with your last comment. The NEM pocket is an excellent idea but it’s in the wrong place. Bachmann’s idea was superb and it’s a bit of a shame it wasn’t taken further, for example with magnetic brake hoses which, I believe, have been produced in the USA. I still prefer tension lock for earlier times when a lot of shunting took place but for modern block trains, I fit the shortest Kadee coupling which will work. Tension locks are unsighlly and the old huge D types even more so but by abandoning the latter we have created a raft of new problems which complicated CCT mechanisms attempt to solve.

I hope to Heaven you’te wrong! I like diesels and electrics but the bottom of the well is starting to show. The steam well is very deep.