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The irony is that the 47 that I am after is the plain Banger Blue one, plated headcode panels and a square headlight. I only need one though. Or maybe 2..... (stoppit!) A few reminisces: Rats were so underpowered and ramshackle that they had to be thrashed within an inch of their lives to do anything of merit and that was much of the attraction. One of them still managed a loaded train of PHVs (just). The sheer noise belied their lack of power. 40s were overweight and underpowered (not unlike myself), but their stance and the sound was what did it. How anything with a diesel engine could sound like that was a mystery when I was a kid. I like the Logs too, though Banger Blue wasn't particularly flattering on them but Large Logo made them. They sounded a lot more rateable than a 47. Small Sulzers and large English Electrics always sounded the best to these ears.

Like this one 🙂

Original Railfreight grey for me. I remember them being outshopped from Crewe in that livery which later evolved into Red Stripe and then Sector livery. What a great time it was.

Hopefully there’ll be some flush fronted 37/5s to go with the 37/7s in the next batch.

The track has curves so you can’t simply measure from end to t’other in a straight line and get an accurate distance. Also think about trying feeding a tape measure around curved track under model OHLE.

Haha, snap! Great minds and all that!

That 31 actually looks like a real one that's been shrunk. You normally notice little 'artefacts' on models that tell your brain that it's still a model but that looks the real deal. Can't wait to get mine!

Plus are people as passionate about 47s as they are with other diesels? I have several 47s and will no doubt get a couple more, but they were exceedingly common in the 70s and 80s and a duff turning up didn’t attract the same excitement as a 37, 40, 50, Rat, Peak or whatever. I still view them as a timeless design classic but they don’t stir the blood as much as other more rateable traction does or did. I’m quite happy to collect far more 37s than I need but not so much with the ubiquitous Duff.

That does look quite fetching. I think I like that more than the blue

37350 and a Red Stripe Railfreight split box 37/3 as released from Crewe in the mid-to-late 80s are both ones I’m after. I remember seeing them ex-works at Crewe so an excuse to run them like that.

Isn’t it “vonky”?

It’s a toughened glass windscreen. Quite hideous looking and accurascale are modelling one, albeit 31432 which had headcode boxes. I just had to get one! 😈

Talent! In my day it were Trimphones!

I’ve gone for a couple and fitted sound. I’ll be getting a couple of Bachmann early body ones too, then the SLW ones will trickle in. One cannot have too many Rats (or 40s)!

That’d be a load of Pollocks!

I was meaning more from the livery point of view - I also failed miserably to find any earlier shots as I was after one without the orange cantrail stripe ideally. I’m not too fussed about the roof pods as they can be removed if need be, or added for that matter. I have a set of moulds made from silicone putty from a Hornby example.

For me, this has to be the best look for No 8, though I've already got 3 LL ones on order, so I'll plump for a Laira Blue one when its turn comes. From A Ned's Perspective's Flickr page.

Viz comic does a great line in sending up this sort of tackiness, normally based on the Franklin Mint.

I find I need most of them or the body doesn’t sit quite right, alas!

That's brilliant. I hope it is!

Probably on here!

Sounds like a euphemism! I remember that news report!

I think Guy Fawkes has a certain ring to it and was carried by a Class 47 for a while. Hope it didn’t catch fire! I can’t find any reference to a steam loco with the name, but I think a lot of these historic names, good guys or bad guys help to keep the history of this place in people’s minds. One should never forget history.