Adrock

I saw one running on Making Tracks 3 yesterday and I must say I couldn’t get over just how smooth and quietly this ran. Im not a modern image modeller but it’s that good it makes you want to be! Both of my young boys liked it as well, and kept saying “there’s the InterCity!”

I saw one running on Pete Waterman’s Making Tracks 3 today at Chester cathedral. Looked amazing and ran pretty well too! The class 89 was outstanding actually.

The junction looks complex (and therefore amazing!). When you say the points will be hand operated, do you mean via wire in a tube to the edge of the board? Or literally by moving the tie bars themselves? I really look forward to seeing the updates each day, it’s just superb in concept and execution!

It’s looking nice this. I think I’m going to get a BR grey version and renumber / change the allocation to one more suitable for me in North Wales. Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of depots that had AA20s in the 1950s? thanks

Couple of observations - on my early non-DCC ready version, I cut down that block that sits in the boiler (basically to look like the lump including in the DCC ready ones) so I could fit a Zimo decoder in. Looks like your decoder was so small it would fit without needing to do that (assume a Lenz gold or silver?) secondly, I find the Buhler motor smoother and much quieter in comparison with the Collett Goods with later Bachmann motor - such is progress!

Hi, does anyone know of a source for a single replacement tender wheel set for the Collett 3.000gal tender used on 32-301 and 301A? The Bachmann spares website doesn’t list this particular pattern. thanks in advance.

I couldn’t agree more. A brilliant set, unusual at the time (and even since) in that it accurately portrayed a complete train at almost full length for the winter timetable formation (7 coaches); and it’s split into 2 with an engine on each portion. And really well presented. You have to wonder why manufacturers don’t take this approach more often - maybe the cost would be prohibitive these days. the only drawback was always the chassis of the 2 engines - my Manor couldn’t manage a 7 coach mk1 set unaided round the layout and neither were easy to DCC chip. Both engines have been “replaced” in layout use by the Dapol mogul and the soon to arrive Accurascale Manor - I wonder what to do with the Bachmann locos, I’ll probably keep them for now to keep the set complete.

Absolutely stunning to be honest. Handling the siphon makes it feel more like a kit built piece of rolling stock, with painting and finishing to the highest factory standard which you’d argue is rarely possible on a kit built item. Certainly when I picked up the green van, it felt very different in comparison as a result of its plastic construction. Will be interesting to see how they run together, but here it is posed with some other NPCCS for comparison purposes.

Agreed, that must have been a likely use for the Siphon. I was looking through all my books a few months back to try and find pictures to justify mine, but they weren’t too common. I’ve recently got hold of two other vehicles known to have run in this train - a Southern region green bogie van and one of the new Thompson coaches! A great excuse to run stock from other regions.

Very close! The mogul looks great though too. Reminds me of another couple of pictures from the start of the Huntriss book.

Excellent! Manors are our equivalent of the Gresley A4 or the Stanier Duchess…therefore you can never have too many Manors! What are you thinking in terms of your re numbers? I want 7819 in late BR green (I too have 7802 on order) plus I’d quite like 7823, 28 or maybe 27! Hopefully you will have enough space on shed! I assume there was rarely more than a couple on Aber shed at one time, in between turns?

I’ve only just stumbled across this thread and I must say that it’s absolutely fantastic. The shed really captures the look of the original. It’s a great idea for a shed based layout to best use the space that you have. it’s also nice to see someone else who shares the same interests in terms of Cambrian locos in the same period! I have undertaken very similar research and use of excel to look at locos based at 89c in the 1958-62 period, for which I’ve been building up my loco collection over the last couple of years. A new layout is to follow soon but I can’t settle on exactly where just yet! Have you got an Accurascale Manor on order?

Absolutely outstanding, I love the interior detail and also the colours. It really bring these characterful wagons to life and probably pushes the bar higher then ever.

Hi Tony, I’ve just watched your most recent video of Little Bytham. It is just brilliant, the way that you have mirrored the operation of the real railway and described it was so interesting to watch / listen to. One question that I did have, I noticed just how many of the expresses were A1 hauled in the video (and therefore in reality), including the Flying Scotsman (if I remember correctly). I’d always assumed that the A4s were the “darlings” and we were still employed on all of the most prestigious and fastest work - however, was that not the case by your time period? Or was it down to the fact the A1s were just a more numerous class? thanks Adam

Were there any updates on projects in progress (such as this) in todays announcements, does anybody know? Thanks

I know this is an old post / thread but thought I would respond to record my findings anyway in case they’re remotely helpful in the future! I did quite a bit of research into the 0-6-0 chassis, and I believe there are 3 different “modern” versions ie since the mid-90s: 1. Version with just 2 pickups, flange less traction tyre on the centre wheel set, sprung rear axle and shiny wheels and motion. In this scenario, this is as described in one of the posts above where the chassis is live for the return feed. This has 4 screws when viewed from underneath 2. Modified version with addition of two more pickups on the other side, removing the need for the chassis to be live. Wheels and motion now blackened, but rear axle spring still retained. I believe this change was made in the very late 90s and is referenced in the service sheets at the time (201 & 201B). This version has 5 screws when viewed from underneath. 3. further modification removing the spring rear axle and replacing it with a fixed arrangement. Definitely no traction tyres and centre wheel set is flanged. I don’t know whether the version at point 2 above had these two features or not. I have actually just bought a loco with a chassis of the version at point 3 to replace one from point 1 for my 2721. The replacement is a 2011 model and comes in a Railroad box, I’m thinking it will be a superior runner and will be easier to convert to DCC. incidentally, I wonder if these final changes were made as part of the process of Hornby offering this chassis as DCC fitted in some of its starter sets?

Thanks all. Yes I’ll have a look at Alan Gibson ones, although ideally I was looking to understand if there were any with black tyres so that they would match the driving wheels. But I guess there aren’t so I’ll have to paint them. thanks

Hi has any one replaced the front pony wheels and the tender wheels on the mogul at all? If so, can you please recommend wheels for this, that have blacked wheel treads and look a bit finer than those supplied on the model? thanks in advance.

Thanks all. And if anyone wants to sell me a Hornby R4837 please PM me 😀

Agreed, it’s a wonderful formation that is crying out to be modelled - green, maroon and blue and grey coaches in a train of 7 vehicles. I just need to try and track down models of each - the southern bogie B is proving particularly elusive. They seem to have sold out immediately upon launch!

ah yes thanks! I reckon getting hold of one isn’t easy tho, hence why my original search came up only with what looked like 1980s tooled ones!

Thank you both @Phatbob and @spamcan61 for your quick replies. I thought it looked southern! Now to see if I can get one in 00 gauge - I think there is only an ancient Hornby one isn’t there; and this piece of stock hasn’t been redone yet? Thanks.

Hi all, im currently in the process of going through some of my books and looking at replicating specific train formations. Could anyone please help me in identifying what type of van / diagram the first van in this train is; and in what colour? The location is the Cambrian main line for a aber-York mails train in 1966. I was wondering if it was a Southern region van in green but I could be completely wrong! I think the next couple of vehicles are Mk 1 BGs.

That signal is looking fantastic! Have you got a thread for Bala Junction on here?

Looks absolutely amazing. I’m really looking forward to this model! I too wonder about the shed code plate - I did raise it on here at the beginning of October but I think it was lost in the excitement of the announcement! I would have thought 89C would have been it’s plate, but maybe Accurascale have a picture showing it carrying an 89A?