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I’m sure I read somewhere that the Mk2 (Mk2Z) which were vacuum braked generally didn’t have Inter-City logos but the 2As which were air braked did?! I’m quite interested in finding out which individual coaches did and didn’t carry the logos and there doesn’t seem to be much online unfortunately. If anyone can suggest a good photo site for 1980s coaching stock it would be very much appreciated!

That fat 47 looked awful! I bought one of the early ones and it went straight back to the shop! I realise everyone has a personal standard to which a model is worthy of them purchasing, I’m not after perfection in every little detail but I do expect it to look like it’s supposed to in the major areas, but I realise some are not so fussy and are happy with something that vaguely looks like it supposed to! As has been pointed out already, things like the side windows maybe only a fraction out but that fraction will become blindingly obvious when some of the br sector liveries are applied and when the colour should go under the window it hits the window that is now too low! As we seem to be in a world where we have to pre order everything for fear of missing out, I’ve actually ordered 11 of these so I’m really hoping Heljan get it right - especially as they are pricing it at the top end of the market. Unfortunately I can see it going the same way as most of their other releases and them doing nothing about the fundamental errors that plague most of their diesels or electrics on first release. If that’s the case, despite preordering them, they will all be going back. I’d also planned on a couple of the 25s, which I’ve cancelled due to the errors, and most of the late BR Blue 45s which I can see going the same way unless they correct the errors before production release. Now I get it’s entirely my choice, but that’s around 20 loco sales they’re on their way to losing because they just couldn’t be arsed to put a bit of effort in in getting it right first time. I got shot down for saying it last time but there has got to be something seriously wrong with the design department at Heljan, the odd indiscretion can be accepted but these design errors occur with far too much consistency. Yes they might get there on the second or third attempt, as they seem to have done on the 33s and 86s, but why not put the effort in to get it right at the beginning?

The things that put the Heljan ahead for me was going to be the mechanism and lighting functions on dcc, but the look is important and they didn’t nail that unfortunately. Ive not had a chance to try the Bachmann on dcc but have they done anything with the lighting functionality at all? I’m thinking independently controlled tail lights etc, I believe they have done this on the 20/3.

Yes the peaks are an exception I guess with quite a few in a very short space of time! The regional approach is quite good if you want to accumulate a few similar in a short space of time - whether you intended to or not! ;-) I wasn’t going to get any of the Bachmann ones originally as was waiting for Heljans offering, but comparing the shape issues on their sample vs Bachmann I have changed my mind and the first arrived this week and I’m about to order a second! I really hope Bachmann bring out the headlight fitted 45/1 at some point too as I’d definitely go for 2 or 3 of those!

Indeed the second and third toolings of some classes can’t come soon enough! Lol. I don’t miss the basic models, but I miss the days of Lima - being able to get a fleet of locos in the same livery in a relatively short space of time! I remember having about 4 or 5 different Res or RfD 47s - we’ve had 1 of each from Bachmann in about 10 years? Of course, it could be worse, it’s usually not until the second or third tooling that Heljan actually get the shape right!

To do a 9 coach IC they’d need to add a R40156C I think?

Not sure it’s worth the effort of changing it really as still looks bloody awful!

Which is why I was hoping that this was the announcement that they were, so I can make the decision on whether to cancel my pre orders or not based on what was announced! But going on the price info available on other wagons, I imagine should Accurascale announce HAAs they would get my business.

Quite interesting really, although probably not for here I guess! I thought football would be a big one, but perhaps with gardening!

Personally I would have thought railways was quite a marginal hobby really?

Am I right in thinking that Hornby don’t actually produce/have tooling for the two extra coaches? How different they are to others I’m not sure but from memory there is one that looks like it should have a pantograph but doesn’t?!

Just been looking at the [relatively] newly listed Class 144s and there are a couple in the West Yorkshire Metro livery. Now I’d really like a couple of original, as delivered, livery ones but I believe the cream band was wider and it had a thin yellow stripe to start with? When was the narrow cream band and no yellow stripe version that is shown on Realtrack website introduced and did it last long before privatisation? Cheers.

They may match on quality but they’re certainly not as competitively priced. I have 42 of the Cavalex on pre order at £89.95 per triple pack. If the Accurascale models are priced at a similar amount to some some of their other triple packs that’ll be around £69.95 or £74.95 - that’s quite a big saving for something that’ll be equal or better in quality. With that saving I’d be likely to go for two full rakes of 36 hoppers. In fact I could probably get a couple of the gorgeous looking 37s too and still be equal or better off that the buying the equivalent number of Cavalex!

I’m pretty sure they should be yes, I’m more sure on the IC but I lost interest in railways from mid 90s to early 10s so not as certain on GNER but I believe the buffet was turned in the Mallard refurb. The photo Hornby are using seems to show a 9 coach train but with an additional TSO I assume, so effectively... TSOE TSO TSO TSO TSO TSOD RFM FO FO So they would appear to be one short on a TSO, incorrect on the buffet (producing Standard when should be First) and one over on FO (there wasn’t an FOD until later - was this also added at Mallard?)

Thanks for the replies above, I’ve been looking at some videos on YouTube and the formation in InterCity days appears to have been 8 coaches, at least at the beginning, and lettering for for First Class seems to be G/H etc TSOE TSO (one TSO likely to be TSOD) TSO TSO TSO RFM FO FO Hornby ‘seem’ to be incorrectly producing a current day formation but in IC livery, as the Buffet should be First Class and not standard and they’re also showing lettering up to L/M which doesn’t seem to be correct.

I’m aware of the Cavalex and actually preordered some, however since that announcement there was a thread about Accurascale having also completed significant work already on something similar. The quality and value of Accurascale products would make them my preferred supplier, therefore I’m hoping that they formally announce these soon!

Hoping it’s the HAA!

I’m just wondering what period the InterCity Mk4s are being portrayed as? I thought when new the buffet was a first not a standard and I’m not sure the was a first disabled toilet either? When was the buffet turned around? I thought it was in GNER days?

That’s a lot of GBRf stuff there! Let’s hope they can find the right shade of blue this time!

There was a skinhead last year, but to my knowledge Hornby have not done any refurbished BR Blue Class 31s with them all being in early condition and definitely no BR Blue 31/4s. I’d welcome the latter and would probably buy 4 or 5 if they became available.

Sorry, got carried away with the excitement of some decent Mk3s! Back on thread I’m trying to justify to myself having a Strathclyde 156 on a layout that’s going to be based in South Yorkshire!

No, but the painted sample shown earlier in this thread is very clear and clearly shows they’ve not got it quite right. I’m still hoping they are able to correct it but, it’s a faint hope, as many have said before they may be too far gone in the process already to do anything about it. I guess if you’re looking at a sample at an exhibition (seems like a distant memory of going to one of those!) and not able to directly compare with the prototype it would look like a Peak as you’re relying purely on what you’re memory recalls and in that situation I may have come to same conclusion. However you only need to look at the sample and a picture to see that it has some easily spotted issues. Whether those issues are enough for an individual to reject it or not are purely down them obviously.

Thanks for the pictures, it certainly looks good! I might have to treat myself!!

If you’re thinking about it, you need to think about all the main versions! Oh and the power cars too! ;-) Lol.

I just wondered what the general consensus was on the newly released Class 58s? From the photos I’ve seen on Kernow website they appear to have produced the livery better than any of the previous Heljan attempts. Was thinking of getting the two Railfreight versions and the only thing that stood out to me was possibly the cantrail stripe being a bit on the thick side, but a minor thing compared to some of the previous versions.