Helmdon

I see the Railway Modeller this month is back to 'available now' I wait with bated breath

actually, to be strictly fair, I did have an A2/3 and Clan on pre-order. But on pre-order with Hattons, so when the inevitable happened I recycled the money back into things I needed. Like a V2.

don't start - Lucknow (and the Titfield Thunderbolt) are the two exceptions to my single minded pursuit of the GCLE... In 10 years of collecting for this project.

Absolutely, I've got Lucknow on order, so I've ordered 5 LNWR Genesis to be going on with. All my other coaching stock is E numbered crimson and cream (whether Gresley, Thompson or Mk1), so I needed something....

I would also suggest that it shows Mr Hattons that there's a market for doing more of it, which given the hole in the sales of Hornby stuff... (obviously I know the limited edition loco commission is long proven, but this is punting out £30 stuff in volume - and crucially, from what I can see here, to a higher standard for about the same price than one of the main 'manufacturers')

Is this a competition? did I ever say there weren’t? I’m really struggling with the idea that my 70 hour weeks plus hours at the weekend for the last 15 years are odd just because I choose to get up at 0500 and go to bed at midnight and spend what spare time I do have modelling rather than in the gym, or watching football. I’m sorry but I do feel rather under attack by you for somehow failing as a parent or a commuter. I *make* the time because it’s important to me - and if that involves modelling on the train, or in hotel rooms (pre-pandemic at least 1-2 nights per week) then that’s what I do.

'Lot' is a relative concept - I've got a seven month old, a full time job and childcare responsibilities. However, given that she just about sleeps through the night, and goes to bed at 1900, I'm trying to get ahead on the modelling now so that when she's more active I'm closer to just running trains. I've also, because I knew exactly what I wanted to do, been buying the stock, track, etc piecemeal for over 10 years now and storing it straight into cupboards/under the bed (so I've got quite a large collection now but it didn't cost me anything like what it would if I'd not been so obsessive), so that when the stars align, as they have, and I had the space I could get on with it. Anyway, sitting next to a baby monitor and watching Midsomer Murders on ITV3 while making a Parkside 16T mineral wagon is therapy...

I’m spending a lot of time on my two layouts - where I am going for accuracy. The GC in the 50s and the L&B in the 30s (in fairness the latter is a plank set up rather than a full on layout before I sound greedy). Then Rails announce a Precedent, one of my all-time favourites, I need something for it to pull while focused on getting the 50s and 30s right, and Hattons announce Genesis. Frankly, I’m not bothered what the LNWR purists think* (not for a moment a criticism of their layouts), because I just want a quick solution for an LNWR ish train for one locomotive to pull while I concentrate my time and money on getting Northamptonshire in the 1950s as accurate as I can make it. there’s (still) a whiff on this thread of criticism of the “lesser” modeller for taking short cuts, which seems to ignore the market of people without the time or money to do it properly, or indeed people spending their time and money doing something else properly… *anymore than I worry that an LNWR modeller who happens to have a nice green J11 and wants some quick GC carriages to pull is queering my pitch. I think part of the issue is that what is being offered here is both flawed but in some ways better than even some of the better modellers are capable of (especially in terms of application) and so some people feel threatened. Maybe I’ve got youth on my side at 40, but I’m enthusiastic about short cuts that help me, and see no conflict between those and the short cuts I won’t take where I want to be accurate.

A couple of months and a load of pages back I sold all my shares in Hornby as a protest. The fact that I got a lot more than they’re worth now is a small consolation…

I started volunteering as a 9 year old on the SVR at the back end of the 80s - they were dollies to us too

Ah but you see I see David Haig as reprising his role as (an older, obviously) Lionel Virley... Born to age into Mr Valentine!

I'll caveat this by saying that I would hope this would never be remade, but on the basis of casting it with a free hand for a remake I couldn't stop: Cast list A. Valentine, the bibulous financier of the railway - David Haig B. Reverend Weech, the train obsessed vicar - Jim Broadbent C. Blakeworth, the cycling town clerk and regular commuter - Robert Bathurst D. Squire Gordon, everyman who wants the railway to remain open - Dominic West E. Bishop of Welchester - Roger Allam F. Emily, Reverend Weech's elderly housekeeper - Una Stubbs G. Dan, old engine driver - Trevor Harrison H. Hawkins, traction engine driver - Philip Glenister I. Joan, barmaid and Hawkins' paramour - Tamsin Egerton J. Crump, dodgy boss of coach firm - Daniel Mays K. Pearce, Crump's sidekick - Stephen Graham To be filmed at Chinnor. To be honest I think I probably would watch that.

Pieced together from posts in some L&B groups, they exist and they’re in containers, but have been hit by the pandemic, Chinese New Year, and potentially also the Suez Canal. imminent. Ish.

That's a little concerning, given that Rails have got it up for pre-order (I have, notwithstanding not knowing the price)

I like it... could be a winner

well that was an easy pre-order... Not sure what Thunderbolt (or a Precedent and a rake of Genesis LNWR coaches) is doing on the 1950s GCLE but there we go...

Works in a lot of fields. I spent 10 years in the ultimate ephemeral world of brand consultancy - while adding precisely nothing to the sum of humanity (one of the reasons I got out) it was nevertheless a great education in business and hopefully of benefit now I am doing something more socially useful. anyway, in adland/the brand world it’s a truism that brand agencies have the worst brands... the good ones are too busy sorting out their clients’ to worry about their own.

brilliant - thanks

As the proud owner of Lew, Exe, Taw and Yeo, naturally my thoughts have turned to Heljan's forthcoming Lyn. I'm doing late 20s/early 30s but without faffing around fitting the steam heating equipment. Struggling to see the material differences between Heljan's two late period Lyn models - does anyone know if there's anything substantial that separates them?

To go with their range of 4mm buildings to recreate Woodstock high street?

Resurrecting my own thread.... well done whoever hinted I wouldn’t be happy with a diorama, I’ve now got all 4 MWs, and an assortment of carriages and wagons. given coreless motors, what controller should I buy to not fry them?

I’ve had a new variation on the theme where my pre-order has just been set back to pre-order in case they get any more, and the money they took the other day refunded... Cancelled it and diverted (some of) the money to Derails for a couple of L&B coaches.

Not yet, they took the money for Steady Aim over the weekend, but I suppose they can still give it back....

Um, has anyone else got one they don’t want...? Please?