No Decorum

If it isn't an error, it's certainly a mistake.

Not that we can read much into a Hornby image but looking at the picture, the bogies seem to be clip-fit, which suggests it isn't a re-tool. Perhaps Hornby thinks the limited edition status justifies the unjustifiable price.

Mine has just arrived. Yes it does. Brake rodding, tension lock coupler and two solid plastic mouldings of screw link couplings, with the bottom link modelled as over the hook. The model comes with plain hooks which come out easily so that they may be replaced by the screw-link fitted ones if desired. One tension lock is fitted to the rear. Excuse me now. I have to find the hook which I pulled out and dropped.

Also: R6783 BR 20 Ton Coke Hopper Wagons - Three Wagon Pack. Should make a nice little rake.

Is that a feather boa?

According to the Southern E-group site, the trailing wheels were 3' 0" but 3' 6" on locomotives built in 1885. http://www.semgonline.com/steam/0415class_data.html

"Hamburg Express" has arrived in Southampton with, I hope, the last two O2s.

Well, I'm thankful that none of those committees was one which was consulted in recent years. The 68 may not be the most handsome of designs, but I think it's nicer than the 66, 67 or (especially) the 70.

My blue King has arrived. The colour is deeper than the impression I had from some brightly lit photographs and is closer to the preserved blue King. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFA3z_d_iio As someone who hates Hornby's green, I'm very pleased with this one. For comparison, the NRM King.

I can well understand the confusion between this, bearing the legends "National Railway Museum" & "Special Edition" and the NRM limited edition. The one on ebay is widely obtainable from retailers and has not got the varnished finish.

Weakness has its virtues. If we don't inherit the earth, we might at least get a few gorgeous locomotives. I hope mine arrives tomorrow. I don't think we'll be disappointed. As to Hatton's, I'm going to wait and see.

As regards packaging, how hard can it be to incorporate bubbles of plastic at the design stage to allow for drain cocks and other sundries? I can't see that it would compromise thud-proofness.

If he buys one, I'm sure he won't regret it!

Sorry to mislead. My blue King has yet to arrive. My comment was based on the NRM King. Incidentally, the instruction sheet for "Cock o' the North" swam to the surface and there is no facility that I can see for adjusting exhaust beats. I was doing a comparison of "Cock" before and after. It chuffs at a constant rate up to speed step 21, then suddenly quickens. Veering a little OT, I dare say "Cock" has cost me as much as if Hornby had done it properly in the first place. It has a replacement motor and a replacement sound decoder waiting. As you may have gathered, I don't like exhaust sounds which don't reflect what the wheels are doing, so sounds of slipping when the locomotive obviously isn't slipping are a no-no. I discussed this with Jeremy at Digitrains and I have ended up with an A4 chip which I shall re-synchronise.

Very little. Locomotive and tender brake rodding, drain cock pipes, front brake pipe and front coupler, if that is to your taste. Once it's on the track, you need to prod the fall plate down so that it rests on the tender front.

Expanding the picture and looking carefully, I think I can see a thin strip of hedge under the boiler. What I'm sure I can see is the rounded bottom of the boiler.

I think so. I can confirm when Royal Mail delivers but it wouldn't make sense not to fit it with the blanking plug.

Veering wildly OT, in 1916 Rear Admiral Beattie had battlecruisers which outranged their German counterparts. Obligingly, Beattie moved within range of the German battle cruisers, whereupon the latter proceeded to blow up Beattie's ships. Mercifully, a better Adams Radial is not going to blast us out of the water.

By "dumb" I meant silent but you're probably right as to moaning. However, lots of people weather and I dare say that fleets didn't match in reality. A newly shopped locomotive would contrast with one clad in old and faded paint, another encrusted with dirt and every combination one can think of.

(I knew I'd learn something.)

You've put me on the spot. I can't find the instructions for "Cock o' the North" or "Duke of Gloucester" (must try to be tidier) but I believe that they can't. In any case, I doubt that it would be successful because, as I say, the chuffs seem to increase in steps. Steamers don't notch up!

The experts will probably shoot me to bits (in which case I might learn something) but I believe that the Great Western favoured putting the locomotive in the middle. Other railways favoured putting the locomotive at one end and the locomotive at the other.

Good idea on the part of Rails. The speaker has been removed as well, obviously to be installed in dumb green Kings. Can't have everything. I think Hornby's speaker is a decent one and replacing just the decoder is much easier than installing a speaker as well. Another point in Rails' favour: the removal is free. Hurrah for the NRM. The gloss King looks fantastic. I don't think I would be tempted by the other Hornby green Kings but as far as I can judge from pictures, the blue doesn't look too bad at all.

Taking you up on "not as good as the best but good enough", I wouldn't deny the model's shortcomings. However, it comes at a Railroad price but (subject to how the model performs and looks in reality) it seems to me better than any Railroad offering. I can't make out from the photographs but has it grey lining as well as red and white?

I agree that it's horrible. No wonder the Hornby video tried to disguise it with music. I don't think it can be corrected because the chuffs seem to increase in steps rather than smoothly. I've ordered one of the Rails of Sheffield blue Kings with the sound removed. The saving will help towards a decent sound project.