Ficksberglion

31145 at Nine Elms in 1960. Other locos in the picture are available in RTR, if you can find them.

Hate to interupt the local banter but heres a snap of 65817, in "out of the box" condition. Well worth blackening the wheel tyres and centres though. Since been fully coaled  !

Thanks Les, identifying locations from my three brief visits to the North East 55 years ago is not without difficulty. Certainly not the first time I have been wrong, but I always welcome corrections and a bit of local history. I was however aware of the difference between Geordies and Monkey Hangers !!

A couple of pics of the real 65817 looking rather less than "out of the box". Getting away from a signal check at Hartlepool.

Steam and diesel at Sheep Pasture

More C & HP pictures on

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/124047467@N05/albums/72157715330931872/with/15143747961/

including several of the last ever steam working in May 1967.

Does Oxford have any plans to bring out a variant with the lower dome and LNER chimney as the preserved example and majority of the last survivors carried.

Hi Andy, just finally managed to sign up after several attempts over the months, but would prefer not to use my real name. Perhaps you could change it to Ficksberglion.

Thanks in anticipation.