turbos

Good news for us Scottish 1980s modellers, looks like my wallets going to take a hammering with ScotRail Mk3s and DBSOs also on the horizon. I always thought the coal sector livery suited the 26 quite well, a bit late for my modelling era though. Now to decide which one(s!) to get.

Having built a fair amount of PD 00 kits (and still have a few awaiting building), I've become a bit of a fan and was a bit worried when I heard a few months ago about it being for sale for retirement. I'm glad it's ended up in the Peco range as the kits will be around for many years to come. The main negative is that there was a lot more to PD than the kits, the individual sprue service, coupling mounts, different types of wheels, etc. All delivered with excellent customer service. Also they were willing to sell complimentary products such as Modelmaster and LMS, so giving new startups and small specialists access into the crowded market that is model railways. I don't expect any new kits to be developed but that creates an opportunity for either a new entrant or bespoke 3D printing services as this becomes more affordable. Overall I feel the positives outway the negatives, and I hope all involved get the most out of the new directions they're now going. Anyway, having just finished building a 13 ton goods wagon, which shall I do next?

Brian.

Fantastic effort, it's given me a lot of inspiration and direction as I have a box full of 'Whisky Blues' awaiting some chopping and detailing, I'm still getting the additional bits together before I make a start. I've already printed out your PDF and put it with them, I don't know how well it will work for the Hornby version but it's a good starting point.

Was there any particular reason you chose a Bachmann version to detail?

I'm quite sure all of these announced models will be up to the standards we now expect from Bachmann when they eventually appear. I cannot get excited about things that might appear at some point in the distant future, 4-5 years is longer than the lifespan of many layouts. The VEA was originally announced so long ago that anyone really wanting one would've given up on Bachmann and gotten hold of the Parkside Dundas kit, built it, painted and detailed it and by this point in time had it running on their layout for many, many years. Even if you bought the kit today and took your time and had it finished by the end of month you'd have a completed VEA many years ahead of the arrival of the Bachmann VEA. I'm much more interested in what's recently or about to arrive from Bachmann.

Pastimes on Maryhill Rd near St Georges Cross Subway station is good for preowned.

McLaren Models in Falkirk, specialises in USA,but has some UK as well. They also organise a monthly swapmeet.

Scoonie Hobbies in Kirkcaldy, the front shop is mainly Radio Control, the rear is filled up to the ceiling with Model Railways.

Wonderland Models in Edinburgh, a large model shop with a Hornby section.

I'm gonna need a few of these wee beasties for my 70s/80s Fife layout. 

One less kit on my 'Things to do' list. It's nice when something you've consistently voted for on the wishlist poll gets announced for production. I haven't been the biggest fan of Hornby since I was a wee kid in the 70s, but it looks like my second blue/grey Mk1 rake will be red boxes as Hornby now have a good record of producing what they announce. The only worry is the price due to the collapsing junk £.