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Ah satan so your the one, the cab front looked identical to the dc kits model. Having just finished the dc kits 81 I can recommend that for glazing use the southern fine cast triang e3001 pack, and wheel base and diameter the lima 33/87 ones are about right , if you cut the lima chassis either side of the tanks etc it should with a little bit of filing fit just right, and set the weight in the middle of the body it will give you good traction.

For the air tanks on the roof as mentioned styrene or brass tube works well, I did try the tanks that charlie petty of dc kits sold but they are too short and too high and look more like a representation of hgv fuel tanks....so they are for another project.

Mmmmm I use the GE everyday.. The biggest issue seems to be capacity trying to run too many trains and that blocks the will to speed up services and to have a 100 mph run to shenfield and beyond, the class 321's are dire, and probably the biggest gripe is passenger etiquette ie people who always sits in the aisle seat and huff and puff when you want to sit in the empty seat by the window... And those who insist on using their phones whilst getting off trains and walking down the stairs at chelmsford.

Mark,many thanks...gives me good food for thought.

David , great pictures of the new hall/boreham loop, it's ironic to think that it was lifted and yet now could well be the site for the new chelmsford area station and almost relaid , so to release pressure on the town's station and cater for an expansion in local housing.... Yes chelmsford is officially a city now but I can't get my head around that .

Slightly off track, but has anyone built or have pictures of a ''Q'' kits class 28 ?

( I have bought a complete kit with motor etc.....knowing that it will be rather like an MTk challenge, partially as it was a bargain and never having seen one before... May be a reason for that !

Great choice, maybe we will see a virgin livery in due course along with a release of virgin mk2's...and a decent class 87 ?

Great ideas and reviews as always, it's great that we have a run of kit type models that can inspire skills and experiments.i can,t wait for the western given that it has been a model that the big boys have always struggled with, and I wonder what the livery will be . .? Golden orchre or green or maroon or even blue !

Amusing reading as ever.....and after all the deltic is only meant to be a replica and not a serious model what do we expect for 8.99? It still looks better than a Lima example and brilliant for a modelling starting point.. People do seem to be fooled by that great marketing phrase.... Precision model!!!!!

And let's also not forget the Hornby/corgi rubbish steam locos on plinths that are no use to man or mouse and more expensive and no use for modelling!

We'll done Amercon in my books

Great to hear praises of the HD model... it was way ahead of its time ,and as mentioned really good with flush glazing. As many will know its a noisy model,i have found that cork squares as used to protect mirrors and glass are brilliant sound mufflers and just the right size being postage stamp sized.    

Ilford car sheds has had a Sat-Link GUV parked up at the country end for a good 10yrs plus.

The dremel does have about 6 speed settings, and is very controllable, the minicraft if you can find one is much lighter but has no interchangeable head so will only take smaller shaft fittings and is only controllable with a DC controller as mentioned... so I would hope that Father Christmas will be generous and get you part of the dremel range.

Thanks for sharing the photos, brings back great memories of a decent  commute from Kelevdon in the late 80/early 90's when the 309's ran amock and on a crowded train there was occasionally an unlocked cab between units where the speedo could be observed... could often be exciting.

Its strange that rolling stock is now more varied loco wise, but a lot less interesting on the GE mainline. Great pics of the class 90's including the crew training run with the coal trucks, I wish I had a camera when a scotrail 47 passed through kelevdon one pm with a freightliner.       

hi, having just obtained a power bogie, should I be able to test this with no wires from a pcb board, for example ie running it on the track alone as the service sheet does not indicate any trailing bogie power collection ?

Brian, many thanks most appreciated, just what I need.(almost a shame on the project as the power unit is second to none and is the smoothest lima runner I have yet to come across).      

Hi, 31's look great, I am respraying a 31/0 to be one of the carriage heating units, and just strugging with thoughts on numbering , any ideas on who sells the ADB lettering ? the numbering on the originals looks to be the size from coaching stock ie slightly smaller than loco numbering.   

Dave, many thanks  for the updates as always,and apologies if I have lit the ''touch paper'' so to speak. 

Is Dapol Dave likely to tease us with any potential release dates ??    

A cracking looking loco, i have mine on order with my local retailer so very jealious of you chaps, (the only downer is thats its a shame that Bachmann appear to have supplied the box shifters before the smaller retailers, but thats life).

Dave, apart from what looks to be a great model,this has been the most enlightening read ever, into the trials and tribulations of creating a model from a manufacturers perspective, I think that this is an area too many people take for granted when buying a model and then nit-pick over small detail.

Also someone mentioned an element of working suspension springs... I wonder if they have seen the links to Bachmann china on another site where there appears to be a pre production HO chinese electric loco with sprung suspension.

Thanks again for shareing your thoughts and progress.

This is looking really encouraging,a sound fitted Western would be the dogs dangly bits for me (in BR Blue),and given the recent quality of Dapol products in both 00 and N, and their very realistic pricing - which I think has made others sit up and take note- We will definitely have something to look forward to... I need to start saving.

A very happy new year to you all.

Many thanks , just what i needed for my Bachmann project, most appreciated as always.

Hi,

Would anyone out there know of any of the numbers of the latter series of Class 25's, that ran with Tops numbers prior to being re-painted in Corporate Blue ? Any photos would be great.

A cracking model which runns like a dream, which I do hope has restored some peoples faith in Heljan, just one small item , does anyone have any guides to mounting footplate steps and sand boxes?

Cheers Tim

By far Heljan's best to date, nice attention to detail like the labeling on the ETH fitting -(Other manfacturers take note), just a small comment that does not detrach from such a fine model, but the window frames could have been a little more flush and painted aluminium.

Roll on the Lion/DP2/Blue Pullman.

Isn't it strange that 40 years ago we could design such an iconic machine and yet in 2009 we have the Class 70 looking like something knocked up on 'Blue Peter'' .(Maybe the first one should be named ''Shep'').