Covkid

One fact I am surprised at regarding the new Bachmann class 25s is the lack of a "Scottish" loco - in other words one with the loco number beyond the cab door. Quite a number of class 25s were overhauled and repainted in Glasgow - either the home region locos or others. An example is 25034 which had cabside numbers until 1978 when it went into St Rollox for overhaul between March and June, and retained the bodyside numbers for the rest of it's career. The other bodyside air filter locos with "St Rollox" numbers were 25035 25037 25044 25046 25049-25050 25059 25062 25064-25066 25068 25072 25075-25076 25078-25079 25226-25235 25237-25241 25244 25246 25248. This probably allows options for special commissions I imagine

That looks to me as if you need Accurascale's "D423", then do two things : Renumber it to you chosen TOPS numbers and BR arrows. Fit the MU jumper cables - which Accurascale may even supply within the box As far as I can tell, the only BR blue versions in the initial run are D423 without MU jumpers and 50006 with nameplates on the bodysides. I am surprised Accuracale haven't chosen a BR TOPS numbered example as transferred from the LMR to the WR - prior to naming and prior to refurb.

After a couple of holidays on the island and visits to Havenstreet, I have several times hovered over the "buy"button for an O2. They are such beautiful locos in comparison to the ugly Caley 0-4-4ts, but I keep coming back to the original designer and the scores of complaints about the models, then move my finger away !!! If a new "deJonesed" mechanism were introduced by EFE I would very likely purchase one in BR black.

Nice collection of traction there, but how did that 58 get to Millburn as a matter of interest ? Lovely weathering all over but that "Eastfield split" really does look bangin !!!

Have to say Jason that my Next18 fitted 03 chassis sacrificed into my James Hilton inspired Bagnall diesel is absolutely amazing. The Digitrains sound and it's gear changes are absolutely fantastic and make it such fun to drive.

Watched the Key Model World video and have to say Richard Proudman has researched his rattery very well. The only fact I think he may have slipped up on is there were actually four class 25/1s bullt without boilers D5179-D5182. These spent some time in South Wales working iron ore trains amongst others. Renumbered they became 25029-25032 but only the latter received dual brakes and a slight stay of execution, which I appreciated. The fifth of that body type was 25242 which I believe was built with a boiler but had it removed when BR selected it for dual braking. Information is quite scarce in the public domain, but in my opinion the boiler was removed to make way for the extra pipework and compressor, after which it was realised that the works could convert a loco to dual braking and retain a serviceable steam generation. Visually 25242 looked very much like 25032 with the boiler water tanks missing from between the bogies. Sticking with the video it is good to see 25085 modelled in BR blue. I was hanging around New St on Sunday 3rd January 1982, when an additional service to Bristol was announced. The gen in the waiting room was the boiler on the class 45 was demic so Saltley were sending up a 25 to steam the coaches. Looking down the Derby tunnel we could see a 25 approaching but....... it had a deep middle windscreen !!!! 25083 rolled into the platform and coupled straight onto the train, then 45065 dropped on top of it. We departed via Proof House and the "secondman" on the 25 was not shy with the "noise making lever" on the climb to Proof House and the climb from St Andrews up to Camp Hill. I was especially pleased as it was the only time I ever had a class 45 and class 25 working in tandem. Very happy to see this video and hear the news tomorrow but based on the models on the video I espied D5179 GSYP no boiler tank 25057 BFYE D5225 GSYP 25085 BFYE D5282 GSYP D7525 GFYE weathered D7660 BSYP D7672 Retro GFYE Really fantastic news

Trying and failing to airbrush history - when it suits.

Good point. One of my NCB "St Andrews" RCHs had a loose end door which was secured with a drop of poly.

Well thanks all for your replies to this topic. The answer is yes. I think I am going to adopt the "Wallsrail" youtube offerings where Nigel uses the old Hornby TTA models and adapts them for his purposes. My mate has a lathe so will probably ask him to have a little dabble with some ends for me.

Oh yes. Very nice Andy and Dave. I did visit the website this morning but all St Andrews cross versions are sold out. Don't really need any more but there is no harm in wanting is there !!!

Hell yeah !!!!! Best RMweb post I have seen in weeks !!! Are you watching Rapido team ?.

Ahhh. Thanks Paul. Wonder if they thought they wouldn't be popular enough. Shame Thanks

I have gone back to 2022 on this forum to look for any topics relating to the conical end bitumen tanks which Bachmann announced a few years ago. I notice they were mentioned in this post in 2019 but did they ever happen, or have Bachmann dropped the project ? Bachmann 2020+ - Bachmann - RMweb

As a matter of interest "Mistamatthews" could the Mk2 have a shim inserted between the bogies and the underframe to raise it a tad ?

I remember my dad taking me to the Tyseley extravaganza on two consecutive years which I think were 1969 and 1970, or maybe 1968 and 1969. I am sure one was on August with good weather. what has just become apparent to me was when I saw 5428 at Tyseley in LMS livery it had only recently arrived light from Yorkshire, but was obviously repainted in that year or so. I have always loved the black fives and am a little tempted by this model, even though it would need to be in 1960s livery and condition for my collection. Wonder if the lamp on the smokebox can be replaced by a lamp iron.

Woohoo. Five pristine NCB liveried RCHs delivered this morning. A really useful blank canvas for dirtyfying. Thanks again Rapido UK and World of Railways

But by the same token, a freshly outshopped glossy WCR vehicle can look quite different to one in service for several years. I notice some images online today of 99318 which I believe has just headed up to Fort William. Nice rich glossy WCR paintjob which I am assuming is quite fresh. Looks like an SK which has had a buffet counter conversion in the last couple of bays. Contrast that vehicle with some of the tired looking air con Mk2s in the fleet.

Yes. The running qualities of the Bachmann type chassis are amazing. My introduction was via a friend's class 25 split from a trainset which had the original DCC PCB type decoder. It didn't perform very well at all and we were persuaded to fit a new PCB and a separate decoder. The results were absolutely amazing and certainly opened my eyes to what a decent decoder can do to an already very good transmission. I have about 8 or 9 stashed away to go under Hornby class 25 bodies, but they may be surplus to requirements now !!

As has been said D5218 never had the underframe valances but also had a much more see through underframe. Bachmann's class 25 was a welcome breath of fresh air back then but still has issues- which Shawplan etches won't resolve. We know the cab shape is wrong and the underframe is wrong, but Bachmann used the class 24 design cast alloy air filters in the bodysides. These were subtly different to the class 25 filters which flush framed and slightly recessed grilles. I suspect that etched hinge straps on the bodyside of the Bachmann 25 would exacerbate the discrepancy

Haha "Fly shunting" by Chargeman Hartley - does have a ring to it !!!

I watched a youtube video of a guy staying in the Corrour station "guest house" this week and he filmed or photographed most of the trains through there. I was surprised because I expected the class 156s to be single units but the majority were pairs. UK's most remote station! Corrour on the West Highland Line offers hiking and dogs. (youtube.com)

I believe Bescot's target 18 was diagrammed a class 45 but often got a 47, as did T64 and T65 when they ran. These trips mostly conveyed coal from Mid Cannock to Lea Hall colliery (adjacent to Rugeley power station. There were some 16 tonners in consists but 21 ton minerals and 21 ton hoppers were more common. My memories are from 1981 but not sure when until.

I think that is the point. The new Hornby black five as cost a lot of budget to develop and I am guessing Hornby will expect it to be paid back. Bachmann's models have become pricey in the last few years - relative to other manufactrurers, and it is noticeable the class 31s from Bachmann are more or less pegged at a similar price to Accurascale.

That is Sam. It is his USP. He has a large following. You either mildly like his output, or you "marmite it". Sam does seem to have a thing about metal bodywork construction being better than plastic. Not sure I totally agree about that, but hey. To be honest, I am not sure whether it has harmed Hornby's product reputation more by running the black five with an LNER tender rather than simply terminating the review and sending it back to Hornby. One think for sure the lamp issue is clearly highlighted by him, but is symptomatic of what manufacturers think of their potential customers in terms of built in tech. It seems to me that many car manufacturers are putting a tablet like screen on the dashboard between the front seat occupants. My eyesight is good enough to drive, but not good enough to obliquely view an electronic display to my left, particularly in the full range of lighting conditions a motorist experiences. I want my driving requirements to be in front of me, because I am the driver of the vehicle, and 97% of the time I don't have anyone else in the car with me. I will reiterate the situation. Steam locos were fitted with lamp irons which stood away from where they were bolted, welded or rivetted. The lamps were generally less than 12 inches square or round so are less than 3mm in OO scale. The lamps had a paraffin wick and a glass lense to enhance the feeblow glow, and fitted onto the lamp brackets - themselves less than a scale millimetre wide. Hornby development team are trying to recreate olde worlde equipment using blinding new state of the art technology which in my view does not work, especially when you consider the role of the lamps. They were used to signal; to ops staff what they were. Technically the fireman would go off shed with the lamps set for the movement, then at each station or yard the lamps would change. I am not from that era so I don't know whether the fireman would hang a tail lamp on the front or back of the loco for movements within the station, but the whole point is that Hornby's moveable lamp offering is not practical and needs nipping in the bud. I was half contemplating replacing one of my black fives with the new version, but have decided I really won't be forking out north of two hundred quid for a model which Hornby are charging extra for impractical gimmicks. If Accurascale, Dapol or Rapido were to bring a black five to the market, without such gimmicks I would be interested.