D9001

I suggest you read retail guru Bill Grimsey’s three reports on the High Street; with nigh on 50 years in retail starting in a market and finishing as boss of Tesco and also the biggest retailer in the Far East, he knows what he is talking about. High streets will have to change massively, many Town Centre shops will be converted to residential, it’s already happening, many big names will probably go exclusively online, many High Streets already have virtually no shops - see Baldock, Herts. Where there is a very large Tesco in a former lingerie factory at one end of the Street and a small Londis or Mace or something at the other and nothing in between but estate agents, flats, offices and pubs. town centres will need small, independent quality retailers to offer something different and quirky to create USPs to attract people to come, otherwise there will be no need for people to go there. Sadly, I can’t see model shops being a major force. Many out of town shopping malls like the Metro Centre in Gateshead are now in trouble because they have lost so many stores, particularly the large ones like Debenham’s (huge in the Metro Centre), BHS, John Lewis, Boots, and The House of Fraser (again, both huge in the Metro Centre) It was happening before Covid which has made it much worse. Hey: Remember Beatties?

I really miss the model shops I used to frequent: Rolling Stock I’m North Shields and C and G in Darlington were truly excellent, I was always in both but both lost owing to their owners passing on. Peter’s in Middlesbrough and Harburn in Edinburgh are now the two closest to me, 160 miles from each other! I guess it’s a microcosm of the national and international trend in retail.

Vauxhalls used to dissolve as they left the dealers

TMC advised me today that it would be “some time this year but there is no definite date yet” so it’s going to be a while by the sound of things. Gives me time to save up for payment.

Great! Thanks

Can’t imagine Aslef would ever have allowed less than two crew then. if Buckton was involved he would probably have insisted on six

Okay, genuine question; were tarantulas unwelcome but common “cargo” in the banana bunches in these vans?

Had to smile when I read the bit about your local model shop. My local model shops are 60 and 100 miles away respectively

It’s been nearly a year since the last TMC update on this. I appreciate the effects of Covid and the new importing regulations but is there any further update ?

I could fully understand this given the mayhem of the last year, it would just be nice if someone, whether Hornby, Hatton's or both, would issue an official explanation.

If anyone is still searched no for a green or blue Dapol brake tender take a look at this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dapol-00-GAUGE-HM014-DIESEL-BRAKE-TENDER-BR-GREEN-B964039-NEW/284249887289?hash=item422e9d1239:g:AL0AAOSwlxhgAbMR Yes, just shy of ONE HUNDRED QUID! Profiteering? Never...... I hope Dapol do another issue of these to end such extortionate pricing.

ANy further information in when this model will be coming out? I, a bit worried because I ordered min through Hattons.......

Pricisely the same as my situation. I have ordered 78047 from another suppler now to make sure.

How accurate is Hornby’s umber colour? Compared to photos I have seen of Pullman stock it looks dark, i seems to remember it bing much loser to Humbrol’s “mid brown” but I know film varies enormously!

Me too. A month after they cancelled my A2/3 order so doubly disappointing. I am a big fan of theirs and a regular customer but i will not be pre-ordering anything from them again, I feel that I can’t rely on them delivering. Ordered one now from Hornby direct, hope it materialises.

Class 81? Wishful thinking or have I missed something?

There’s a jolly thought. Hopefully they have a large layout up in Heaven. And locos are the right shade of green .

The issue is that my personal egg timer is rapidly running out of sand.....

I am seriously beginning to think that I may not live long enough to receive my Hush Hush. I’m 61 for God’s sake get a move on!

Just the sort of daft thing that that awful “Great British Model Railway Bake Off” programme would ask modellers to incorporate, along with a stiletto shoe, a space hopper and an old bra.

Received mine today. What can can I Say? It is a stunning model and clearly an early contender for Model of the Year. KR Models deserve all the praise they are getting for delivering a truly outstanding, quality model of a prototype which none of us ever thought we would see, within a relatively short timescale (it probably would have been 6 months sooner had it not been for Covid) and at a good price. KR have also had to take on the chin numerous totally groundless, cheap comments, criticisms and attempts at undermining them and this model on these pages and at all times have kept their dignity, patience, professionalism and good humour when their critics certainly haven’t. If KR are “gloating” then good for them because they have earned the gloating rights. I can’t wait to get my Fell at the end of this year!

Received my email, my GT3 will be here at 11 am tomorrow.

Hello? Anyone there?

I’ve had an email from Hatton telling me they can no longer fulfil my order for Sun Castle as they won’t be getting any more. Fortunately and thanks to a couple of people on here, I got the very last one in stock at Kernow Models. Thanks for the suggestion, gents. what worries me is that I have four other locos of various classes on order with H, so am I going to suffer the same problem? Think I need to order duplicates from other sources.

Many thanks