Nova Scotian

Just saw this posted on the IKEA website the last few days: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/uppdatera-storage-box-light-bamboo-80520718/ Smaller and slightly more expensive than the Knaggligg, but thought it could be ideal for a boxfile layout for a few reasons: - Interior usable space is excellent as the wood is thinner, and there are no corner supports - You could cut a large window, leaving a column on each side, and support across the top and bottom, for strength, while still getting a large viewing window. - You could even cut up the wood you removed for the window to strengthen the four corners, and you're not going to use up too much real estate due to the nature of the wood Being 32cm this is much more traditional boxfile size than 46cm (although I reckon you gain back at least 5cm internally, 10 if you double the walls of the knagglig). It's lighter, and is more ready for immediate finishing - no need to put a skin over the top. I reckon if you support the corners a bit you could also stack them for storage/transport. My only concerns are the height (15cm versus 25cm), and the joining looks pretty "delicate" by virtue of neatness... it may not be as easy to structurally modify as the knagglig. If I get time in June I may get one and experiment. Anyone tried one yet?

Great pictures. My parents attended the first day and had a great time, I just got photos to my inbox. The 25 looked in fantastic shape. My father was excited by the 44 - I also got the list of when he'd been behind the 46 in the 70s, and numerous times on the 50 when it was in service (mostly in NSE livery!).

Forgive my ignorance - are the 70s hard on the track, while the 66s are surprisingly good (because radial bogie), or have I misunderstood?

Staking my claim now if they're referred to as "whips"

I'd cut them more slack on that - the complexity of the compound curve at that height transitioning around the side... I think the only option they had was to allow it to climb slightly?

Class 17 as well right? Most recently a converted DVT (other end of a 91) to trial some type of hydraulic power?

Love this idea. BNSF, Santa Fe, Union Pacific from the US. The SNCF two tone blue and white (think CC 72000). Maybe the DB class 102 (cream and red), or the cream and dark teal/blue/green from some of the 60s diesels. An homage to the CP Class 1800 would be fun too, it's not exactly a looker though... Licensing could be a challenge though...

Would also be perfect for Calendonian sleeper - though possibly 75mph is a bit too slow. But would give them options around engineering works to run diesel under the wires if de-energized.

I really like 69002 (large logo blue) and 69004 (red derby). 69001 and 69003 are... fine... but same opinion of the speed whiskers as many here. However, this one has missed the mark imho - although I applaud them for trying. I think it'd look better with the Hymek two tone (move the light colour band to the bottom, so no variable thickness), and then white rather than cream window surrounds. I'm glad there's variety and it gives us all something to talk about. Interested to see what comes next! I'm hoping for the large loco grey, yellow front, black windows a'la class 58 , red beam. Think it would look even better than my second choice (dutch engineers). NSE could be fun, but the not sure about the grille/grids getting in the way, which also might make the two tone class 47 (green) look a bit off.

Really like the composition of this one!

Even worse - 4ft 8 1/2 - rather than God's own 7 ft 1⁄4 in It's why the bogies look so undernourished

For anyone interested in a bargain - analogue control, full sound, and realistic smoke/clag. May make a mess of your loft. https://www.directrailservices.com/heritage-fleet-sale-continues-2/ From the website: "The third tranche of Direct Rail Services’ (DRS) heritage stock is now available for sale. This sale will see four Class 37 and two Class 57 locomotives available to buy through a competitive online bidding process. Locomotives 37038, 37059, 37259, 37409, 57003, 57007 are all offered as part of the sale and an opportunity to view the engines will be made as part of the tendering process." Any idea what condition these are all in?

If our hobbies can be supported by people liking the SVR paint job, and buying a Hornby special edition - good for us. Not for me, either of them.

Interesting - found an old spec sheet stating the Mirrlees is 3.41m high... and the cat 175-16... also 3.41m high! (maximum) Reckon that 3.4m must be a magic number to fit through power bay doors, or within locomotives etc. However, given the emissions requirements of modern diesels, it's possible that they need it shorter - to fit in particulate filters, Urea etc etc. Hence being a tight squeeze for anything off the shelf?

Saw a photo of Toton go by on Twitter - showing the new car yard, but with some sad looking 60s infront of it. Got me thinking about whether there's a technical reason they can not be repowered a'la' 69s etc? The CAT 175-16 in the 68s is about eight tonnes lighter than the Mirrlees, can be made III B compliant, and in the 60 there'd be both the weight and space available to likely do so. Output is a match for the traction motors - you could even go potentially larger and derate the engine to extend reliability. Therefore you can repower with a new engine, rather than the 69 approach using grandfathered emissions. Or are the problems the traction motors? Frame? Controls and electrics? Could you essentially drop the 68 controls into the 60 like they did with the 66 and 69? Technical roadblocks, or business case? I remember with the 69s and 73s the business case was that repowering was about 1/3rd the cost of building new - makes sense with the 69s, but what was the engine source for the MTUs and Cummins in the 73/9?

Following because this would make some great modelling - love those photos.

In the 90s and 00s I quite regularly went from London Victoria to Brighton or Lewes, or Reading to Gatwick Airport and then on to Brighton. (father worked near Victoria Street, and family near Brighton). Well aware of the gatwick express! I did it once when work paid for it and it was a Juniper, which was fun, and it actually ran! I don't have fond memories of Connex Southeast slamdoors on that route. And not really of the 165s either - I've never really liked them or the 166s (growing up in Reading there were lots of them at one time). I've been on them in their new GWR lives and they still just seem... slow and boomy... and I have memories of baking in them in the summers of the 90s when the aircon failed. Whereas 158s I adore.

Now booked up. Pendalino from Glasgow to Carlisle. Avanti West Coast. 397 Nova 2 from Carlisle to Glasgow. Transpenine express Voyager from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley. Cross Country. Azuma from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Central. LNER. All local daytrips will be booked on the day - I think Falkirk is out because the two things we'd see, the Kelpies and the Wheel, are frustratingly hard to get to from the station without taxi etc. Stirling, Wemyss Bay and a few others all good options. Also possibly at some point my partner will need to go to Manchester for the day from Penrith or Glasgow - I may just send her as the tickets are quite expensive. Looking like I'll be over with the kids in August and car rental rates are four times what they were pre-covid. So thinking of going into Gatwick as my sister lives near Tattenham Corner. I'd then probably go to London. Then out to Reading - I grew up there and haven't been back since the redevelopment. Then on to Dorset and Devon for family. I don't have time to do Norwich, which is a shame as would love to check out the FLIRTS.

Glad you got to pick something up - which SNCF? Photos when it arrives? There were some gorgeous ones. When I think about the quality of some of the Rivarossi and Lilliput steam locos coming out compared to the rough Hornby at the time... My father used to travel for work and would always hunt out the model shops when abroad - I loved the Roco and Fleischman he bought for their weight and smoothness, and the Lilliput and Rivarossi for their detail. Jouef always seemed a bit more hit and miss, and Lima too (though near the end the motors etc in their contintental outline were much better). So, will we see boxes of old Lima sent to auction some day? Joeuf? Or did those days already happen?

So it’s possible that what’s seen here isn’t owned by the parent company - if the best of that collection went to margate. This could have any number of potential owners, though it’s presence in the UK seems odd? Surely it’d gain higher prices on the continent?

I have an early Rivarossi E8/E9 and it's extremely good for the age. Very quiet too - but apparently the motors are quite flaky. They're metal geared in the rear bogie, with a round motor (pancake like?), but vertically mounted driving what I think is a spur gear? Anyway, I've been quite impressed, and been trying to pick another chassis up cheap for my unpowered unit so I can reverse the wiring and run double headed (the criticism is that they're a little underpowered). I really like some of their french outline HO too - they were some of the best at moulding in Europe at the time I reckon. Them and Lilliput. Added it up, at the mid-level estimate I'd drop 4000 GBP on what's listed there (30-40 items). Obviously that's not happening - but if I had some lying around I'd definitely take a punt on a couple of my favourites!

Couldn't find this existing, and wasn't 100% where to put it. E-mail from Rails of Sheffield informing an auction on April 12th, the first, of about 400 Rivarossi items from the archive. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/special-auction-services/catalogue-id-srspe10484/search-filter?brand=Rivarossi&mc_cid=f34d19bd8a&mc_eid=24f8e8e809 I went through and told my partner we'd need to sell our belongings as there's a couple of grand I want to spend there! Always had a soft spot for some of their HO. However, is this because there's no museum anymore? It seems sad that this is all being flogged off, when it could be better served as a history of the brand? Maybe people aren't proud of the brand anymore, as it's very much a shell of what it used to be, and with foreign ownership why would the parent want to buy it all out?

The last time I went through Heathrow I had to use the non-UK queue - but maybe I was being stupid. I do not particularly like using my Canadian passport for my return to the UK - although both don't let me through the gates anymore as I've lost 4 stone since the photos were taken and my face changed shape! My kids can get a UK passport, so I'll do that at some point, but my partner is Canadian and she's not eligible in anyway. She would love to move to the UK, but we're here because of my kids.

Best looking for a bogie diesel - especially if you have tighter curves. If looks etc don't matter you may be able to pick something up that others don't like, especially in HO. There are some US outline models by Life Like (proto 1000 and 2000) that are bo-bo or co-co, have twin flywheels and heavy chassis blocks. There's one on ebay for 20 quid right now - two of those (top-tail) and you'd be sorted. The challenge with those is they sometimes split gears, but there are ahearn and others that are capable too. For continental outline, Fleischmann and Roco. For UK - I'd echo finding some Heljan. Or make a frakenstein - find a random co-co, with a beat up body, old lima/Hornby pancake stuff. Then find another motor bogie. Drop a big lead weight in the middle and over each pancake motor. If it doesn't need to be smooth/quiet/accurate you could have some fun with it. I've been thinking about a pugbash of a garrett type loco - hinging three jintys or pugs together, all wired up, with some movement in the hinge (so not just side to side, but 3 axis), all for fun.

Lovely feedback - thank you. My partner and I have discussed returning when we can for a more proper "highlands" holiday - in which we'd also do Orkney (I've been once and loved it). I'd plan on Fort William and a few other places. If our finances have changed hopefully we'd be on the caledonian sleeper from London for it, but that's not realistic at the moment. I think Wemyss Bay is a winner - but that might just be because I love ferry rides, train rides, station architecture etc. We only have one "floating" day, where we're in a hotel near Glasgow Central in the morning, but then in the evening we're staying out near the airport as our flight is early the next day. Very disappointing they cancelled the airport connector link around the time I left the UK - would have made all the difference to our timing and spending pattern in the city on that final evening.