Downer

Just for once, waiting for the price to drop actually worked! It seems probable that the B1 duplication has over-subscribed the market, as many feared would be the case. If so, bad news for the trade.

Just connected up my LMS home and tried it. I have to say, it works as well as it looks. Well done, Dapol.

First decorated samples on display in the July issue of Hornby Magazine. Price rises notwithstanding, they do look tasty.

The first 39 L1s (67701-39) had Westinghouse brakes. 67701-30 had the curved front footplate, 67731-800 the split front footplate. I think I'm right in saying that Hornby has released three versions with Westingouse brakes and curved front footplate and two without the Westinghouse brakes and with the split front footplate. I know there's been no release of a Westinghouse loco with split front footplate (67731-9) because that's what I'm waiting for!

D5578 wasn't painted blue until 1960, so the dating on this photo must be wrong.

They're here!

Personally, I'm waiting for one of the GE-territory machines in the 67731-40 range which had the split footplate and Westinghouse equipment. But with Hornby's recent record of avoiding obvious new combinations in favour of churmning out more of the same, I'm not that optimistic.

Re. the long couplings, most Hornby vehicles seem to suffer from this affliction, and this one seems more afflicted than some. I've cured it on some other vehicles by cutting about 3mm from the outer end of the pocket, a similar amount from the coupling tails, and drilling a hole through pocket and coupling to insert a wire peg through both, to retain the coupling in place.

Great idea. I'm going to try it on my BY van.

Is it worth the extra wonga? I'd say yes, if it weren't for the ludicrously extended couplings. When I work out how to shorten those I'll probably buy one.

Brossard, I do believe you're right about the body being the wrong way round - how depressing! You say it's possible to reverse it, but won't you also have to move all the footboards?

Maybe this should be in the Prototype section, but... in what sort of trains were horse boxes moved? If, for example, owners in Newmarket needed to get half a dozen horses to a racecourse elsewhere in the country, would the boxes be attached to passenger trains, freights trains, or either? Or sent separately?

Does anyone know for certain what livery Hornby are giving the first release of their BR Gresley suburbans? Maroon has been mentioned more often than crimson, but the only picture so far seems to show unlined crimson. I shall buy a rake whichever it is, but it would be nice to know.

£80-100 for what's essentially an 0-4-0T?!? Still, I have to say, it does look awfully tempting, even at that price.

There's an article on the Co-Bos in the current (May) British Railways Illustrated. One photo, dated June 1961, shows D5705 and D5701 on shed at Derby, both still in plain green, but with the revised front windows.