Covkid

Some very interesting results among the more predictable ones, from someone who doesn't really take "backslapping too seriously - at least up until now. Personally pleased that James Hilton is in the final three. His work really is beautiful - noting that he describes his work as art. It really is. Models - some very esoteric examples there. I mean, who could have predicted the "booster" ? Not a choice for me but it really is a beautiful creation. I am also trying to decide whether I really need to fund the Heljan 10800. I really really want one, but it is too early for my modelling period, and I am waiting for Bachmann 25s. Will be looking forward to the 2024 voting in 12 months time, and can imagine an even tougher battle between such beauties as the Rapido 44xx prairie, the Jones Goods and the Accurascale "buckjumper", although I am peronally hoping for the Bachmann "early" class 25 to be a stunner.

seen a couple of images on FB of the EWS "ghost" engines in all white. 37885 was one of them. Wonder if this might be in the Accurasale crosshairs www.flickr.com/photos/189680810@N06/52788470459/in/photolist-2oqJH9p-qwgJgY-2oqEGsv-XZbNq7-2ib6G2a-tSMAAq-nVUSbt-2p6JecQ-hdKj1E-2otDiHx-fxY3vE-he9goi-9GrQnf-2kBAk5S-2jhov6V-2kHFwXK-2eqmkGN-2mzGGfd-Kgos2s-2oa7shX-dNtuUv-dqVy1j-22jAGyc-dtPRGL-25dKKEp-uaxwYV-2mZaX4M-23DcCwf-2j5Q3wn-2mxYwCj-2nf2k3E-2j8JqmV-21Tztv9-fSfEFv-2a8Dw9Y-2mXJd6d-2aQPgL2-9TaYEh-jH9nmA-2k7CYaD-SjV957-2oomEBy-5gvud-pSuz5p-uaxxyc-gRMcB8-wRVf8S-cSbcqu-4V1jBs-2bpyVi

And depending on how accurate you want to portray your models - which period you are representing. £7422 has already been mentioned a number of times in this thread, but this loco has had evolving details for a number of years, such as black headcodes, numbering etc etc. Obviously rule 1 takes care of all of this !!

My 12100 in waspy green turned up today after my hivvering and hovvering over buying one. Looks blummin beautiful and is probably going to be renumbered 12056 with 3C shedplates. Nice work Model Rail team and Heljan

The only time I ever saw a Ferry tube was actually a pair in the OBB yard at Steyr in Austria - in May 1981 !!!!

Ahhh Quedgeley. Remember there was a Fridays only service to Northampton which I think was 7M65, and I think it was a class 25. As you say formed of STVs. I assume there was a balancing empty working back to Quedgeley, as the wagons were vaccy braked. .

Happened to be in Derby today so had a quick visit to the marvellous emporium that is TTC. Up there on the shelves were a number of Revolution TUAs in various liveries. The owner explained that TTC have a very good relationship with Rainbow Railways, hence why some of these are in an exclusive model shop in central England. A beautiful tank wagon, which along with the Hornby TTA, and the various new bogie tanks really brings liquid transport up to a new level of quality.

In the very early 1980s there was an occasional flow of tubes using Tubes (STV) which had their side doors removed. I think the wagons were loaded from Round Oak to the Weldless works at Wednesfield Road - on the stub of the Midland Railway route. Can't remember which target number it was but IIRC it was 2x20 when I saw it. I imagine the missing wagon doors allowed stacker trucks to get their tines under the tubes to offload them.

"I am very sorry my best wasn't good enough to maintain Hattons success." Am I the only one to find this statement a little wierd ? Does anyone regard Hattons as unsuccessful, obviously financials apart, which we are not aware of ? I always got the impression Hattons was a pretty good model railway company with just an odd few little quirks.

No. The LMS saloons were numbered M450xx by the LMS, then BR added a "D" to the number. Example - the Walsall area saloon was M45026, which became DM45026 in BR numbering. The GWR saloons were numbered W809xx under GWR and had the same "D" added in BR days. Post 1948 BR built some saloons to replace the earliest pre nationalisation vehicles, and because they were ordered and built by BR they gained DB9995xx numbers. I understand West Coast have DB999506 and took it for a trip around London last month top and tailed by diesels. This vehicle is probably very similar to the vehicle involved in showcasing the Mainline Freight livery, but don't forget that the nascent EW&S was very keen to establish it's corporate maroon & gold branding. It is therefore little surprise that DB999504 was repigmented in short order. HTH

For a transition era LMR modeller that looks very very tempting. Well done Accurascale to think the production versions will be even better !!!! The challenge is to make them "hoover" !!!

Exactly. Sunak's decision has moved the WCML problem which HS2 was to solve, a few miles north up the Trent Valley, and more severe. At least the fast trains could achieve 125mph for much of Stafford - Willesden.

From memory domestic / industrial coal was conveyed by the Speedlink coal Network (SCN) after the carve up of Speedlink. A pool of dedicated class 37s operated this network, 37222 and 37235 spring to mind as two of the dozen or so locos. The bit of the network which I recall was Washwood Heath with services to Didcot and Toton, and the "branch" round via Bescot to Smallshaws depots at Shrewsbury New Bank and Gobowen. Toton fed into the north whilst Didcot serve London, South Wales and Exmouth Junction. I recall a BS drivers diagram involving working a freightliner to Didcot then preping a class 37 and working 6M?? to Washwood Heath, then 6J43 Washwood Heath - Shrewbury - Gobowen, as far as Bescot. Wheen we got to Didcot we were given a class 58 to work back to Bromford then at Bromford the driver I was with didn't want to swap it for a 37 on SY shed, so a driver was sent to swap it out in the yard. Struggling to remember which one it was - maybe 37298 ?

Any transition era iron hoppers would be most welcome, but also the "standard" 21T hoppers (TOPS HTO HTV) very much welcome. .

Am I right in thinking that Bachmann 46 was missing an exhaust port ? Obviously no problem to fit

Mmmm Nice. Not seen that piccie before. That possibly needs another rethink !!!! Oh and while you are at it Rapido. Isn't that loco cute !!!!

Well I have given it some thought and think I am going to adopt the Rapido way of thinking. My modelling basically centres on the 1960-974ish period in South Staffordshire. One of the flows of traffic used Midlands Tar Distillers tank wagons, which were black with white insignia. The Four Ashes plant was established by Midland Tar Distillers prior to purchase by Croda Chemicals, so my mind is set on a Caledonia Fireless loco painted black with Midland Tar Distillers signwriting, based on the asssumption that MTD acquired "Gamma" a little earlier in it's life. Think I need to email Mr Isherwood for some transfers.

Just adding my two penn'th here. IMHO Accurascale have raised the bar with their class 37s. The stay alive and the DCC sound are technologically advanced and need that consideration. When you put the loco on the track you need a few seconds for the onboard capacitor to charge up. Once this has happened everything should be fine. After a few flyers for the class 37s I decided to buy D6702 but the sound fitted version was not available, so I opted for buying the DCC ready version and the decoder. Unfortunately Accurascale didn't have any Accurathrash speakers in stock at the time so I ordered an EM1 from Roads and Rails which was advised is the same as the Accurathrash, but without the branding. After learning to wait the few seconds to charge the power source my D6702 is fine.

That is a possibility I hadn't considered "Dungrange Park". I keep expecting someone to explain it all logically, but that hasn't happened yet. I expect the P class, AB and Warwells etc will always have been of value, but their "handover" to Accurascale, RoS etc seem a little disjointed. This suggests to me that the closedown plan in Widnes was quite a swift decision, rather than restructuring into retail and maybe manufacturing as separate business units.

Many thanks for that "Vanguard". Form submitted

Pardon my ignorance but where is the web form ? After the excellent announcement of the "Caledonia" Fireless loco, and referring specifically to the Croda locomotive based at Four Ashes -I recall the location despatching the odd ferry tank of creosote. I don't have numbers nor photographs but the one shipment I recall was in two tanks with a "54" country registration code. How utterly fantastic would it be if Rapido were to launch a OO scale ferry tanks with end platform and handbrake. Something different from the tank wagons already produced, and useful as a typical BR 1970s trip working with just a couple of wagons and an optional brakevan.

The class128 DPUs handled considerably more than a maximum of two wagons in real life !!! One of my all time favourite piccies of a Class 128 is by Simon Dewey and shows one departing Wolverhampton Low Level with what I take to be a train for Dudley. From memory the unit is hauling at least four vehicles, one of which is a 12T LMS van with a sliding door, and a Palethorpes 3 axle Sausage van. If my assumption is correct the train would have turned right at Priestfield Jn and headed via Tipton Five Ways and Daisy Bank, and I think was post 1964. After the Beeching axe of many DMU services in the Black Country and South Staffordshire, BR had to create a network of diesel parcels car services to cater for the services provided by the 2 car DMUs based at Walsall's Ryecroft MPD. At this time BR used one of the Palethorpes sausage vans in parcels service. Fast forward to 1979 when Barmouth Bridge was banned to diesel locomotives BR sent a DPU up the Cambrian Coast to bring back any vacuum fitted wagons to Machynlleth when they could return to the "railway". The DPU was bringing back seven vehicles at a time from Portmadoc, Penrhyn, Barmouth and Tywyn, mostly gunpowder vans which were for loading at Penrhyndeudraeth. I stood on the Down platform at Machynlleth as one of the trains rolled in - IIRC a mix of seven vacuum fitted vans which were stabled in the yard for that evening's 7G19 to Bescot.

You need to watch the Bachmann video of the class 30/31 uncoupler in action.

They worked well enough when I had my trip. BR staff "comfort tests" back in around 1986. Flying through Shap summit at 115 mph. It was quite literally awesome

To be honest, I would use "inspired" rather than brave. Given the success of the Hattons Barclay, the Hornby Pecketts and numerous other model industrial locos, the AB Fireless is actually really a follow on. Just how many gasworks and industrial chemicals plants will be spawned for that odd corner of your layout you need to fill, from this annoucement. As the Croda "Caledonia" lived and worked less than ten miles from me it will be an essential for me, but will need a less contemporary livery. I also think this model could easily wear the NCB livery a little more credibly than the "low height" Bagnalls, but that is only my opinion, and may well consider. Thanks Rapido