PJT

When I've bought etched nameplates from Fox Transfers, they always come with a small sheet of textured translucent plastic over the top to protect the plates in the post. I always keep this material, having used it for frosted (rather than white) windows several times and it looks pretty convincing. Granted, you'd need half a dozen nameplate purchases to have enough plastic to glaze the side of a restaurant coach, but over the years they do mount up. The same material is also great as backing for diesel headcode number and letter transfers, behind the headcode panel glazing, because it lets plenty of light through from behind if you've got illuminated headcodes on your model. Pete T.

Ah, but it at least has tenuous railway heritage - Izal was made by the same Newton, Chambers & Co who made the car carriers... Pete T.

I wholeheartedly agree. In many instances Rob's pictures provoke good conversations about the locos - more, in fact, than comments about the pictures themselves. We readers and contributors to RMweb are, thank goodness, a broad church, from on the one hand collectors who buy and admire but rarely touch their models through those who just enjoy running them, to those who dabble in model making and modifying, to those who make most things themselves. We all derive our pleasure from models in different ways and none of them are 'wrong' (we might not like some of the ways other than ours, but that doesn't mean they're wrong). Rob's pleasure, partly through necessity, is two dimensional modelling rather than three. It's certainly, absolutely, no less creative than three dimensional modelling (in fact in some instances it's a great deal more creative). And I really don't see why one of Rob's massaged Star photos is not acceptable while a photo of a beautifully home-weathered loco from gwrrob on the same thread page is acceptable - neither are images of the model as Hornby sells it and, more importantly in a sort-of academic sense, neither are misleading at all on that point. Rob's captions state in the clearest possible terms whether the photo's retouched or not. I really like some of Rob's work, some of it not so much, just the same in fact as many of the photos people have posted showing their own three dimensional modelling exploits. Some I like, some I don't. Some of the ones I don't like, other people do. Of course I don't have a problem with that and I certainly don't want all the work I personally don't like swept away so I don't have to sully my vision with it, thus denying it to people who like it more than I do. As I said, we're all different, thank goodness - and even I'd get pretty bored in a world where everyone had the same likes and dislikes as me. Right, I apologise for my late post on the matter (I really wanted to join the conversation but didn't have the time to earlier today). We can all go back to our Star studies now! Pete T.

You remember quite correctly, Al. It was the only aspect of the purchase that was at all disappointing. I gave up looking for a set of brake rods at the time, but thanks for reminding me - I'll have to go on another search. Pete t.

It was R3170 Adderley Hall, Robbie, in Hattons' Winter Sale at the end of 2018 and the price was an amazing £49 (you'd have got it even cheaper of course, without VAT). I got one to give the grandson at Christmas, but I wish I'd got another one or two for myself! Even if as usual Hornby's green was a bit suspect (agreed!), a coat of Johnson's Kleer soon deepened it and made it more acceptable to my eye. In the same sale, for the same £49 knock-down price, was a Hornby Railroad Patriot. The difference in quality of design, detail and finish between the two models was huge. The Hall pretty well held its own by comparison to contemporary hi-fi models, as your photo shows, whereas the rather crude Patriot (in my opinion) wasn't really worth much more than £49 anyway. Pete T.

Wow. Just brilliant. Well done that man. That's the second great tonic for current affairs today. The other one was Radio 4's PM programme playing the London 2012 opening ceremony theme 'Underworld - Caliban's Dream' to cheer everyone up just before 6pm this evening. If you didn't hear it, try it on YouTube: I challenge you not to smile while you're listening. Pete T.

Yes, still got mine, too. Mine arrived on my 6th or 7th birthday and apart from having to glue buffers back on in the first few accident-strewn years of its life it's never needed any repairs since. If the wheel flanges weren't too coarse for modern track it would still be doing service now on one or other of the layouts in the family. The number '47606' will never mean anything other than Tri-ang Jinty to me, wherever I see it written! I've also still got Tri-ang's Brush Type 2 'D5572', my second loco all those years ago. It still works (on code 100 track, at least) and doesn't need DCC sound; it has a very distinctive growl all of its own which I swear has got louder and louder over the years. Pete T.

Yes, you're dead right. However, it's still fun suggesting models, or features or aspects of those models, that have pleased us to the extent that we felt we got exceptional value for money. Even if we can't actually debate comparisons of those models' virtues because they're good value for money for several incomparable reasons. And I suspect you mght agree with me that as a bit of very light and inconsequential entertainment it sure as hell beats watching the news at the moment. Pete T.

No, I didn't think the Hall would be anything much to write home about either (Railroad branding plus Design Clever - was this Hall design clever? - doesn't lead you to expect very much, does it?). However, picking it up and giving it the once over I was pleasantly surprised. Very surprised. When I put the Hornby and Bachmann Halls side by side, the Hornby one really didn't show itself in a bad light at all. Sure, it could of course be improved with a few bits of home-added detailing (which frankly would be lost on its young grandson owner and probably lost by him, too) but for the RRP - let alone some of the spectacular discounts, one of which I took advantage of to get one for the grandson - it was brilliant value for money. Trouble is, I agree with robmcg: from my point of view it's a shame the prototype's not more exciting! Pete T.

And another vote for Hornby's Railroad Hall. When Hattons had them at £49 in their winter sale a year back I bought one for the grandson. When I looked at it when it arrived in the post I had to persuade myself to give it to him instead of keeping it myself. I'd expected a well made, robust model maybe just a bit better than Hornby's tired old ex-Dapol County but I found myself holding and looking at a complete surprise: something way, way better and quite capable of holding its own against many of my own models. The detail was pretty close to a hi-fi model and the finish of assembly and painting was perfect. Even at its RRP of £80-odd it still would have been a very, very good deal. Pete T.

My vote for first place goes to the single chimney Stanier Jubilee. In my opinion, the most balanced and best-proportioned big loco. Every time I see one of the three single chimney survivors, I just find myself transfixed by it. Sorry Bahamas, you're a great looking loco and I'm sure your double chimney works a treat, but it just doesn't look quite right. Equal second place: Gresley V2 (great proportions, flowing lines, just let down at the last by the firebox hump), Peppercorn A2 (a seamless blend of traditional and modern lines). All very predictable? Yes, certainly! And for good reason. Pete T.

Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you. Pete T.

Looks like the water scoop standard, Rob, from the opposite side of the tender footplate to the handbrake standard. Or vice versa. Pete T.

30102 was latterly shedded at Plymouth Friary. The spark arrestor was fitted for shunting in areas with a high percentage of combustibles present - of which there were several in the Plymouth area, but most particularly Oreston timber yard. Pete T.

Quite right too. I read that in my student years. Never forgotten that quote. Pete T.

Certainly is, Rob. Hornby really nailed the character of the B1, I reckon (and the K1 and L1, possibly a bit less so with the O1). Your photo's not half bad either... I do have a model of your photo subject, Sir Harold Mitchell, but I bought it secondhand with the nameplates already fitted so I don't know if it was supplied new with them in the detailing bag, like Stembok. Presumably yours had the detailing kit fitted at the time it was weathered, before you received it? Pete T.

Definitely. More than once I've had to spend a lot of time repairing the paint finish of a Hornby A4, after removing a very well glued plastic nameplate to fit a shorter one that doesn't hide all the damage, during a renaming exercise. DIY nameplate application would remove all that grief, though I do understand why many owners would feel nervous about fitting their own and would prefer their nameplates ready fitted. I like renaming/renumbering Hornby A3s. All the nameplates, however long or short the name, are the same length!

It looks like TrackShack are displaying the Hornby artwork, whereas Rails are displaying their own photograph. The Hornby artwork is a sort-of 'halfway house' image, with some of the detailing kit fitted (nameplates) but most of it not fitted (front steps, drain cocks, etc.). The Rails photo shows you the loco as it comes out of the box, without any of the detailing kit fitted. I've had two Hornby Stemboks, bought a year apart from each other and from different shops, both of which were supplied with the nameplates in the detailing bag. The second one I prefered that way anyway because I wanted to change the loco itentity - not having to risk damaging the finish of the loco while prising off strongly-glued plastic nameplates was a real bonus. Hope that helps. Pete T. P.S. I do think it's a bit odd supplying plastic nameplates in the detailing bag, rather than fitted to the loco. Brass ones in a detailing bag, maybe, but plastic ones? I don't remember ever coming across that with any other named loco I've bought. Perhaps Hornby considered that owners might want to change the identity? I don't know if the other Hornby named B1s (Roebuck, Harold Mitchell) were supplied with nameplates not fitted in the same way.

But tell me, where do the children play? Err, I think we should stop this drift before we get told off. Anyway, I'm off to play Catch Bull At Four. Pete T.

You and me both. The rest of the song is a direct hit, relating to today's outburst, too. Apart from anything else, I just can't be bothered to make my world so unpleasant by getting all rude and loud like that any more. Oh, wait a minute, there's always Brexit... I certainly did get rude and loud whilst kicking out against learning some of life's lessons, once upon time - but it was only to my parents (that was bad enough!), not several hundred internet forum contributors. Pete T.

How on earth did Cat Stevens come up with that when he was only 22? Well remembered, Darius43.

For your info, if you're going to have a go at the plastic wheel centres for the first time, I've just put a hopefully useful post about the crank pins on the centre driving wheels on these locos on the thread 'Which size nut spinner for Bachmann valve gear?' Pete T.

The fore and aft driving wheel crank pins have hex heads that are the same as Hornby's and I'd agree the Hornby nut runner is probably the easiest to get hold of that does the job (it also features a smaller size on the other end, making it more useful for other tasks too). However, you'll see on the older Bachmann (split chassis) locos that the centre driving wheels have round headed - not hex headed - crank pins with tiny circlips under the heads that secure the coupling rods and connecting rods. On these, you only have to remove the circlips and the rods can then be removed. Don't try to remove the centre driver crank pins from their wheels; they're not intended to be removed and you will end up with either sheared crank pins or crank pins that are nigh on impossible to refit (yes, I learned both outcomes the hard way on the first couple of split chassis 4MTs and B1s I worked on where I had to remove the coupling rods!). Spare circlips are a matter of a few pence plus postage from Bachmann's spares department. I always have a few spare ones around because it's very, very easy for the things to ping off and disappear forever as you try to remove or refit them. Pete T.

Sorry, Butler Henderson, you must have posted your comment a few seconds before I posted mine. Mine reads as though I read your post and then contradicted it in a bit of a high handed manner, whereas actually I didn't see yours at all before I posted mine. Apologies if you read mine that way and I assure you my answer would have been phrased a bit differently if I'd seen yours first! Pete T.

Even though it's a split chassis loco, I'll bet it's not a wheel/crank quartering problem. There's another very common fault with these locos - the plastic insert in one or more of the driving wheels has swollen and distorted to the point where it's catching a coupling rod, most likely, if you have a look at the driving wheels. To fix the problem, try the following: Remove the insert (it just gently levers out, after undoing the coupling rod from the wheel, leaving the die cast metal wheel behind). Then straighten out the distortion with your fingers, using a bit of warmth (e.g. put the insert in a cup of hot water for a minute or so). Using fine wet and dry paper remove sufficient of the diameter of the 'rim' of the swollen insert to get it back to the right size - it should fit without any force back into the metal wheel casting. When fitting it in for good and before replacing the coupling rod, use a small dab of glue on the back of the insert to hold it in place - you don't want it coming loose and fouling the coupling rod. That should cure it (I've done dozens of exactly this repair on both Bachmann Std Class 4s and Bachmann B1s with split chassis). It restores smooth running like magic. Good luck! Pete T.