MartinTrucks

I may well be wrong, my memory not being all that it was. However, I seem to recollect the barrier wagons being introduced in BR days following a rear-end collision to a tanker train on the Eastern Region in BR days when the proximity of the guard's brake van stove to the load gave cause for concern. Best regards, Martin

The COLFIX and BENZOL By-Products versions of these tank wagons appear to be with retailers now. Best regards, Martin

When is it going to be released in N-gauge?

Oh dear, I need to sit down. Now, R6938 seems to have completely disappeared from the Hattons website! It's back again now in a darker brown https://www.hattons.co.uk/513909/hornby_r6938_sr_d1543_24_ton_brake_van_sr55052_in_sr_bauxite/stockdetail.aspx

Just a FYI/'Heads Up', R3719 the G-W-R version No.4154 and its DCC-fitted equivalent are both available to buy direct from Hornby. The BR green version is still shown as 'pre-order'. Jadlam are advertising them for sale on eBay at 10% off RRP and free postage. Rails and Derails are offering similar deals but do not show them as actually being in stock as I write. Please feel free to search out the best deal for yourself. 'Brick and Mortar' model shops obviously need as much support as we can give just now. Best regards - Keep well, Martin

Yes indeed! The RRP is £18.95 so not much of a reduction from Hattons. Rails are offering them on pre-order for £15.95. Oxford Rail themselves have posted on Facebook today 'Product update: OR76TK2001 and OR76TK2002 will be arriving shortly, and soon after will go out to our stockists. These wagons come with 3 link couplings in a pack inside the model for fitting by the customer if desired, please note these could affect the NEM coupling if used'. These are the Mobil and Carless versions. Martin

For your further information chaps: https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=857&utm_campaign=mar-365-oxfordrail12ttankwagons-segment&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Klaviyo&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJhcmNoaWUzNDA1OUBnbWFpbC5jb20iLCAia2xfY29tcGFueV9pZCI6ICJKR1FlWGgifQ%3D%3D

I do hope that Rails have not incurred any great expense with this project. Martin

I think that is the point!!! £16.99 rrp for a brand new tooling of the Rocket open carriage and £24.99 for brand new tooling goods brake vans which can be sold in several liveries/eras. It certainly makes me suspicious!! Martin

Rails of Sheffield have emailed stating that they expect to receive the Hornby R3721/X Class 61xx Large Prairie later this week. This is No.6110 in GWR green and lettered 'Great Western'. Keep well, Martin

An improvement in colour but the solebars should be brown too! Martin

The traffic these compartments were designed to accommodate was 'invalids', accompanied by a nurse, travelling to the West Country to enjoy the benefit of the 'fresh air'. GWR brakes tended to have one compartment with a door and two quarterlights both on corridor and compartment sides. One assumes that the stretcher could be passed through the doorway, giving access from either side. I recall seeing such an invalid and nurse during a summer holiday journey to Dawlish, Devon. The Mark 1 stock was not originally designed with this feature. One assumes, at the behest of the WR management, the prototype CK was redesigned with a stretcher window and door to the compartment on the corridor side. The window opened inwards and was held up during loading by clips attached to the two luggage racks. 16210 on the Bluebell Railway had the opening window replaced by a standard frame, but the clips are still attached to the luggage racks. Martin

I acquired one of these vans from RNAD Bedenham. It had been plywood clad but the independent, one-block per side brakegear appeared to have been unaltered. Edit:< I have just taken a look at Peter Tatlow's LNER Wagons Vol. 1 and there seems to have been several types of handbrake gear fitted to various build lots of these vans.> Regards, Martin

A Maunsell Third Open in N-scale would probably be a better suggestion for a new Dapol moulding. They were physically unchanged during SR Maunsell, SR Bulleid, BR Crimson Lake & Cream and BR Green livery periods. These vehicles were paired with the Maunsell kitchen firsts for most of the latter's lives. Once there is a Maunsell Open Third, asking for a Restaurant First would make more sense. Martin

Is that not because IT IS a 10 ton van? Regards, Martin

I assume that the BP tank wagon is an additional livery in the range of Oxford tank wagons that we are still waiting for? Martin

The first railway wagon that I was ever 'close up and personal to' in 1:1 scale was of this type. It had been left behind when Commercial Road Goods Depot (London ex-LT&SR) was closed. IIRC, D&S Models made a very nice 4mm scale kit for one of these in whitemetal some decades ago. Martin

It's a lovely model. I painted the buffer heads and wheel centres in weathered black and changed out the long Hornby couplings on mine. If I was in a bitchy mood, I would say that there was little Hornby could have done to mess up the BR grey livery! Regards, Martin

The model is in BR late crest green so carriages in BR green are the order of the day: Hornby/Bachmann Mark 1 corridor carriages in BR(S) green (Buy new or used - the Hornby Railroad ones are OK) Hornby short ('suburban') Bulleid corridor carriages in BR(S) green (Buy new) Bachmann Bulleid corridor carriages in BR(S) green (Buy used) Hornby Maunsell corridor carriages (not the Railroad range) in BR green (Only dining cars seem available new at present, otherwise buy used on ebay but check photos for possible damaged models being 'dumped') Sorry, I haven't got the time to look up part numbers as there are simply too many. Cheers, Martin

Remember, Google is your friend! http://www.hornbyguide.com/catalogue_number_details.asp?catno=R.2845 Martin

See this for the livery: https://www.hattons.co.uk/336695/hornby_r2845_sd_schools_class_4_4_0_30901_winchester_in_br_green_with_late_crest_pre_owned_bro/stockdetail.aspx Cheers, Martin

Precisely! - But that did not stop the muppet from Oxford Rail arguing with me that their 'window' was correct. Perhaps I should have suggested that they manufacture an 'authentic' window box with flowers to attach to it! Martin

Have you shown that upper photo (with the guard using the centre 'window' to fit the tail lamp) to Oxford Rail? Martin

Pick a shade (1:1 scale)! Martin

Please pardon my ignorance, but are the BTK and FK the same as those already produced by Hornby? Best regards, Martin