Moxy

It ceased publication some time ago (2006 maybe?) I think due to low circulation figures. There were at least 12 issues and possibly up to 14 or 15 (I can only find up to Issue 12 on my bookshelves at the moment), but I do recall having a subscription to it & that publication ceased rather suddenly. Some back issues here http://www.magazineexchange.co.uk/model-railway-modelling-magazine/ HTH Moxy

I think that Peckett's 'W4' was nowhere near as standard a design as we would like to believe, the builder would have upgraded their loco designs over the years. Hornby's model is perhaps the most common version of a W4. Assuming buffer height is standard, then there could be any number of reasons why footplate levels differ, frames could be deeper, perhaps the customer specified wheels a bit bigger than standard. I have attached a link to Hornby's forum discussions that shows a W4 above a W5, there are clear similarities there, but but also several differences, notable the higher footplate level on the W5. http://www.Hornby.com/us-en/forum/engine-shed-peckett/?p=7/ I am no expert on G&SWR engines, but perhaps the Ayr Harbour W4 is a late model W4 that incorporated parts of the W5 design? I don't think there is going to be any easy way of raising the footplate on the Hornby model, because you would also have to rebuild the cab to maintain its proportions. I think I would be tempted to just repaint it & ignore the lowered footplate. Regards Moxy

The link takes me to the MSC one, maybe was the wrong picture/typo error, since corrected?

I Interesting find, I was with Robert in thinking there were no British ones with spark arrestor chimneys, but their use in a chemical works would explain that. Looking at the pictures the centre one seems to show the standard chimney, so were those spark arrestor chimneys fitted by Brookes Ltd rather than Manning Wardle? According to the MW works list I have all 3 were class 'L' locos. Thanks

They've got to start somewhere, and Post Office were one of the largest users of the Sherpa van. Given that Oxford Diecast are based in Wales perhaps it is no surprise that it's a Welsh Sherpa first. I'm sure British Rail (and other versions) will follow in due course. Moxy

It does seem to match the prototype, https://admin.Hornby.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PECKETT-563-Dodo-01-13-web.jpg shown on Hornby's website. That suggests to me that 'Dodo' was named by its owner after delivery, rather than Peckett supplying their standard nameplates. If you are looking for a match on the Narrow Planet website, the 'GWR B' style looks closer to the prototype. HTH Moxy

Hi Dave, Not sure what's happened, but most of the links in your last post point straight back to this page on RMWeb, not to the Shapeways pages. Can you give us the links again please? Thanks in advance Moxy

Wargaming scales are the height of a figure in that scale, usually from feet to eye level, equivalent to roughly 5' in a 5'8" person. For example, 10mm scale = 5 feet = 2mm/ft in railways scales, 28mm scale = (just over) 5 feet = 5.5mm/ft scale in railways scales, etc. Wargaming descriptions may look odd to us, but model railway scale use of 'so many mm/ft' probably doesn't make much sense to wargamers either! HTH Moxy

Would that be the Austin Aquila? http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/concepts/concepts-and-prototypes/concepts-and-prototypes-maxi-based-aquila/ Way ahead of its time, but I see what you mean about the front end...... Moxy

I was looking at the wrong car, didn't see the Morris Minor on the right first time round. I agree with RaR, it does look like the earlier MG/Wolseley designed Magnette. Moxy

I don't think so, a couple of pictures of MG Magnette ZB attached: http://www.simoncars.co.uk/ado9/slides/MG%20Magnette%20III%20front.jpg http://www.simoncars.co.uk/ado9/slides/MG%20Magnette%20III%20rear.jpg -which shows its Wolseley parentage, nice car though. I think it's more likely to be a Ford Consul Classic like this one: http://www.simoncars.co.uk/ford/slides/Ford%20Consul%20315%20Classic%202-door%20rear.jpg HTH Moxy

I don't know if this is the same one Geoff, but there was a 009 layout called 'Eitomo,' which was retired in 2008, having appeared at over 100 shows. http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=2844625&searchId=683fe9deb79ff614ae2dac8ccece91cd&npos=3 HTH Moxy

Good luck with your new venture, whilst the class 15 is not for me I await future new products with great interest. May I make a suggestion with regards to the website? If you still have access to your blogspot website http://littlelococo.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html perhaps you could post something on there in place of the 03 & 04 page? If you put out a press release saying 'see website for details,' and then the website doesn't work, then that tends to make people suspicious of your business and your motives. I appreciate you're waiting on the web company sorting out their end, but if your customers can see some sort of online presence, even if it's a temporary website, they would be reassured that you are here to stay and you are genuine. Kind regards Moxy

Bagnall 3027 still exists, it's at the Foxfield Railway, http://www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk/diesellocomotives.php the one named 'Leys.' They would probably be worth asking in the first instance. The W G Bagnall archives appear to be at the NRM, but it looks like a visit would be required to try to find any drawings, a search on their website produced no results. I would interested to see this conversion, 'oversized body' is understatement of the week so far! HTH regards Moxy

Mainly trains underframe still available, http://www.mainlytrains.co.uk/acatalog/4mm-coa-kit-detailing+underframe.html Regards Moxy

Agree with Andy, there is not much out there for 1:148. Besides Crosville, Liverpool was also served by Merseyside PTE & by Ribble Motors. The main double decker in service with both of those in the 1980's was the Leyland Atlantean, only currently available from Farish, so there is the (under)size issue to consider, plus the bodywork on the Farish model isn't the correct version for Merseyside PTE (Farish model is Park Royal, should be Alexander bodywork for MPTE IIRC?). Either version would require at least a repaint into correct colours. Ribble also used the Bristol VR. so a rename of the Farish NBC 'United' version would do at a push, although I'm not sure Ribble's VR's made it that far south, memory suggests they were mostly used in East Lancashire. (that memory does go back over 30 years when my late father worked for Ribble, so I'm not guaranteeing my memory is accurate!) Regards Moxy Edited to make sense

I'm not sure if it's too short, but it might look different with the walls added on top, as per these examples: http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/photos/bpn38.jpg http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/12/87/128715_859d9ff0.jpg http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/09/82/098213_5f4c0758.jpg I know they are all bridges over roads, but they all have extra masonry on top of the pillars that is taller than the bridge sides, it is difficult to judge on your model with the just the sides in place. Regards Moxy

Thanks Mick, a post preservation modification would explain it - none of the earlier in service photos showed it. Regards Moxy

Is there an extra cabinet on the right hand running plate of that loco, under 'COAL' or is it an optical illusion? If so, what's it for? Regards Moxy

The problem with a Bachmann 'Tal-y-llyn' is that it would be produced from a tooling designed for a TTTE character, which I think was the technicality on which Hornby won the last legal challenge. The Bachmann 'Junior' range didn't look anything TTTE characters when they were on sale here, they were just generic industrial shunters - that didn't stop Hornby's legal action. If Hornby were selling their locos as TTTE characters in the USA, then yes, Bachmann would stop them. If they are selling them as A3's or 14XX that is fine, those designs are not TTTE and not covered by these (admittedly somewhat ridiculous) licensing arrangements. If Hornby made a tube train and tried to sell it as Underground Ernie, then again, licensing rights come into play because Bachmann hold the UE rights, otherwise no. Bachmann 'Skarloeys' can be had in this country if you really want a 'Tal-y-llyn' - there are several companies producing conversion kits, including Narrow Planet further up this thread, replacement 3D printed smokebox doors and even decal sets to produce different versions of the loco. Whilst you can't buy the loco direct from Bachmann US, they will supply their dealers in the US and Europe, who are mostly quite happy to sell Bachmann products to UK based customers for their own personal use. (What was I saying about ridiculous licensing arrangements?...) I really hope that you are right and I'm wrong, and that Bachmann can find a way of selling a 'Tal-y-llyn' version, there is certainly a demand for it in this country, comment on some narrow gauge forums suggest that most of the first batch have been sold outside America, with a fair proportion ending up with modellers here in the UK, hence the cottage industries here providing the conversion kits. I doubt we will see it though, I think Hornby will invoke their UK licensing rights to block it. Who knows, maybe this will provoke Hornby into making their own 009 TTTE range !

It's nothing to do with the prototype or the age of it, but who holds the relevant licence to produce toy versions in which market. Hornby hold the licence in the UK, so no-one else is allowed to sell TTTE related trains here. Bachmann hold the licence for the USA and they tried selling their TTTE standard gauge range here in the UK (without faces) under the 'Junior' label a few years ago. That range had to be withdrawn following a legal challenge from Hornby, so given that previous experience I'm not really surprised Bachmann haven't released a Tal-y-llyn here. I too would like to see Bachmann's narrow gauge range available in prototype form, but I suspect that would result in a similar legal challenge from Hornby, which benefits nobody (except possibly the copyright lawyers).

I don't think the NCB was quite organised enough to have a 'standard' livery across all its Areas & Divisions, a brief search on the internet shows NCB locos in all sorts of different liveries. I can't open the pictures to read the number/name plates on the Golden Valley model, but maybe it is based on an area loco that was blue? I think we can safely say it's not based on a Littleton loco if they were black. Moxy

Having measured mine, the wheelbase is approx 20mm + 24mm, which would give you 5'0" + 6'0" equivalent in OO. HTH Moxy

Some photos of the Bagnalls https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3784/12617298365_648751ee8e.jpg https://www.flickr.com/photos/96859208@N07/12594976365/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/96859208@N07/12595414534/ and some of the Hawthorn Leslie, which apparently still exists in store at Tanfield Railway http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/5868901369_9aa5ef4cf6_m.jpg https://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/7102349453/

That's interesting, I tried the link you gave, it threw up a silly error message on my computer saying, 'Virgin media cannot find this link.' Very strange. If both links work and end up at the same place, then I'll blame Virgin media! I've found the original announcement on NGRM Online, they are aiming for a release date of 20th February at Narrow Gauge South West. Thanks Moxy