PLD

Blackpool 941 (D801TCP) was withdrawn in late 2007 and I believe scrapped. Currently the road-rail fleet consists of 2 Unimogs, both purhased second-hand 939 c 2004 from mainland europe, 938 2006 from Brecknell Willis, formerly used on the Midland Metro.

Quite a lot of 7mm scale modellers use the 1:48 Corgi range. There is a half cab double decker bus that is just about in range for you and the Atlantean.

The 1960s pics are certainly interesting - Thank you for posting. With regard to your captions/queries: R2556. Tram Depot at the Crich Tramway Museum. October,1965 I believe the unidentified middle Tram is the ex Sheffield car that was fitted with a bus engine and used as a Mobile generator. If correct the body was subsequently scrapped but the truck survives under another car. R2557. Crich Tram Depot. October,1965 '10' is in fact Blackpool 40 (another Standard like 49). Ironically they have now swapped liveries with 40 being in Red and 49 in Green. Paul

Having seen the 'before' and 'after', whatever the debate about the density of forrestation, the refresh has undoubtedly transformed the layout to something much better presented and more lively than it was. It may possibly have lost a little prototype fidelity but it is now a much more atractive and inviting exhibition layout...

So once again we have members decrying an inovative manufacturer taking a risk because it's not of interest to them. It seems a bit selfish to be saying it's not what I want so no-one else should be able to have it... Actually we have two manufacturers working in tandem to deliver a substantial range of complementary stock putting a conplete 009 layout within the skills of a good many modellers who don't have the skill/confidence to attempt kit/scratch building and I think that should be applauded... OK it is one relatively obscure and short lived line in a remote corner of the country, but it is a starting point and better than a disperate mismatched selection for example a Ffestiniog Loco and Welshpool coaches... Reading beteen the lines of what was said by Peco reps, it was obvious they knew there was a matching loco in the pipeline, they just didn't give away who.

First impressions: there is obviously a long way to go for it to be the finished article, however the potential is clearly there and it shows the thought put in at the design stage. What was noticable, was that it was one of the better presented layouts in the show... Looking forward to seeing it again hopefully in a more complete form at Ally Pally.

On the Yorksire side, Meadowhall is sensible, giving an interchange with Supertram and, Leeds looks like the best option available for interchange with the existing public transport services, but East Midlands looks a classic case of trying to serve two places and not serving either very well. Perhaps an extension of the Nottingham trams to Derby via the new station??

Not only the layout the proved for me that an N gauge shunting layout could work (despite the perceived wisdom of some 'experts' at the time) leading to thoughts of a sort of Midlandised Nether Stowey before I built Red Wharf Bay. Also a good guy - always willing to talk and explain how it was done to encourage others...

I think ten was mentioned (or was it ten pairs?)

It'll be nice when it's finished...

Have to agree with Neil's definition of what is a scenic layout. Gresley Beat vs Copenhagen Fields is the perfect example. They both represent the same geographic setting in the same period. In one there is some of the highest quality architectural modelling to be found on any layout but it is dominated by the volume of trackwork and trains; whereas the other has some very nicely modelled rolling stock but it is almost incidental to the vast expanse of the landscape modelled... Both are very impressive layouts but for different reasons and will appeal to different tastes... Paul

Yes - they've been available since early November and I think all scheduled liveries/variations have now been released. There are plently of others who have then and put comments/reviews in the thread in the Dapol forum. It may be that you weren't quick enough and those not listing any have already sold out...

Sunderland 101 (AKA Blackpool 703) at Beamish a couple of weeks ago. When the bus pulled up I initially thought it had spoilt the shot...

This was posted on another forum on a different topic, but I think it fit in here. Health and Safety 1950s style... http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=416326&nseq=7

Fine, no criticism of the photography at all, just interested in where abouts this "photo of the Prototype that looks like a model" was taken...

It's Network Rail's experimental insulated plastic frogs that had me fooled...

Haha this is brilliant!!! Quoting a three year old post? Guess you've just proved no 3!

Right... but how do you get to the hammer...

Real-time Passenger Information displays can be very useful, however when the text is longer than the screen can cope with, there can be some unfortunate messages... Any possible reference to any well known modeller is purely coincidental...

The WL class was originally built for the LMS's NCC subsidiary at Derby and while their appearance closely resembled and they shared many components with the contemporary Fairburn version of the LMS 2-6-4T, they were as much derived from the earlier W class Moguls particularly the wheels and boiler. The main differences to the Fairburn 2-6-4s were 72in driving wheels vs 69in on the Fairburn, the parallel boiler from the W, and that they were 6in wider (taking advantage of the wider track and loading gauge) to increase water capacity.

TBH The Balloon is way down the list of jobs at the moment. Too busy with the real thing over the last couple of months - four different tramways in the last five weekends (Heaton Park/Crich/Blackpool/Birkenhead...) After Balloon, Jubilee & Brush, the obvious choices are then Centenary (but original condition or 4 styles of rebuild) and ex-towing Railcoach (which has the advantage of being reusable as a Twin Car Motor)...

As that's 'my big green toy' in post 37 I hope so!

There is a booklet published in the late 1980s called "Modernising Blackpools Tramway" [green cover with a pic of a Centenary] or something similar which dealt with the introduction of the O-M-Os, Jubilees and Centenary cars. That had dimensioned drawings of at least side views of each of those three classes. [i'll update/correct as necessary when I get home and can dig out my copy...] I presume you actually mean Peter Watson's range of card kits http://www.transportnostalgia.co.uk/ not Tramalan (which were whitemetal...)

The way threads such as this, that start out as a bit of light-hearted fun, always get dragged down to a guage-war or Diesel vs Steam argument or R-T-R wishlisting and end up being locked by the Mods...