AHW

This may be the image you are thinking of. I have just found it on the link sent by Jason above. It’s labelled as being at Ely. Thank you for your help.

This is really helpful. Thank you for taking the trouble to search out the link.

Afternoon All, I'm a modeller with a cupboard full of stock waiting for the opportunity to lay some track for it. Until that day comes, I am continuing to build rakes of stock. I have been intrigued by the BR Horsebox - and am wondering how these were used in practice. You often see them coupled onto a rake of coaches which I guess is easy to do. But a thought struck me as to whether a horsebox special was ever made up on the ECML. Why would that have happened? Because the East of England is festooned with racecourses - Doncaster, York, Newmarket immediately spring to mind, but there are many others - Newcastle, Beverley, Catterick, Great Yarmouth and the rest. During a festival season were racehorses moved sporadically in occasional boxes on relief expresses, cross country etc, or were there ever dedicated workings of multiple boxes perhaps with a couple of composites for additional passengers? Anybody know? You can see I would like the idea of a racing special behind a B1 chugging down from York to Newmarket during the flat season.... Looking forward to what you guys know on this one. Kind Regards, Al

Afternoon all. I wonder if the community now has a generally agreed position on these two models. As an ECML enthusiast, with currently nothing to show for it but a cupboard full of boxed stock, I had these on my wish list at our well known Liverpool supplier but didn't buy brand new. Since the deliveries began I have had about one email a week offering me a pre-owned version - normally with something wrong/missing. I feel vindicated in holding off on a brand new model, but I feel I should have 1 or 2 eventually. What's the general feeling? Is this model a success, and do I just wait until a good example turns up in my inbox, should I avoid it, or should I resign my self to expecting eventually to have to 'work on or update or correct' a brand new version if I see one I like? I realise this is a can of worms type question but I guess I'm looking for a short 'snog, marry, avoid' type of answer. Apologies if this bores the pants off you all. Kind Regards Al.

So the input from you guys has been really helpful - and I have acted on it to build this stock list. I have made some compromises - particularly on the restaurant coach - but that is how I run my railway. The key thing for me is that it looks possible and sensible - for example I wouldn't stick a Pullman in it, nor would I put this rake behind one of my A4s - I've just acquired a B1 and I'm waiting on the new Bachmann V2s which would seem to be better. Many thanks once again - all comments welcome.

Thanks guys for the input so far - really, really helpful. My issue is going to be that the services ran across the GREAT CENTRAL line which makes perfect sense, but in my own little railway model world they will have to use the ECML in the fens - so diversions ahoy. With the data you've given me so far I can actually start to build a wanted stock list for this one. A secondary question which you guys may answer faster than Google is coach colours in 1957 on southern stock - all crimson and cream or is there a possibility of some green? I guess in my mind this makes things more interesting if I can put foreign stock amongst my Gresleys. Many Thanks

Hi all, As yet I do not have a track plan yet alone a board to place it on, but I am collecting rolling stock in significant quantities. I think I have acquired most of the Hornby Gresley coaching stock that has been produced, and I have a significant number of the Bachmann MK1 coaches in E numbering. Recently I was intrigued to see that trains ran from the south coast to the north and north east eg Bournemouth to Newcastle which led me to think I would acquire some southern region stock for these services. Does anybody have any of these formations already, or any knowledge of what they might be? Would they be simply S prefix MK1s or would there have been some Bulleid or Maunsell stock? Would be interested to know if anyone has comments. Many Thanks Alistair

Hi there, Polite question - where do your signals come from? Apologies if this info is already on the thread. Many Thanks

Thanks for this. You would think that Hornby could research this a little better - the BRD database has a raft of information on where locos were allocated and the subsequent movements. I was hoping it would have the Ipswich or Cambridge plate as that would suit my Fenland modelling.

I have just been looking at this model online, and I find that it seems to be carrying the shed plate 30D - which is either Southend or Ayr depending on... As far as I can tell this is incorrect - I believe the prototype was at Stratford (30A) , Colchester (30E), Ipswich (32B) and then withdrawn from Cambridge (31A). Anybody else have any information on this - or this is an error from Hornby?

https://www.thelocoshedmcr.co.uk/ I'm sure others on here have used this retailer - I'm just calling by to say that I purchased from them recently and am happy to say that I received excellent service. They had a Bachmann A2 'Happy Knight' model in stock at a very good price - they have PayPal which always makes transactions so easy and just 2 days later the item was delivered. The actual box was bubble wrapped and then inside a cardboard stock box, well taped and so arrived in perfect condition. I'm really pleased to have found this outlet and will be looking again when I have a new requirement.