Legend

Just seen the DVD with Decembers magazine. Good article on Ruston Quay. Enjoyed your section on brickwork too. Have I missed how you constructed the large warehouse disguising the dmu shuttle ?

Try getting a response from British Gas or insurance companies in less than 24 hours. I really think it was a bit unreasonable to expect a reply within 30 minutes, if not instantaneous. Never forget you could lift the phone if you want instant reply . People often forget this and resort to emails. I get it at work all the time. Increasingly accrimonious emails bouncing back and forth, when a simple call will sort it out! Well done Kernow. I appreciate people have been waiting a long time for this . Looks like in most cases they've got a result though!

Thanks , hadn't realised that. Very happy with the D16

Nice , just picked up an Early Creat one from Modelzone Glasgow for £87.99. Have had a quick check. Nice runner . Struggles a bit with my Bachmann Thompsons but they have excessive friction and I'm sure will do a good job on my secondary passenger services. Great loco at Good price.

Still in shock! Glad I got them when I did now. Won't be taking up this offer

Yes , sorry to see the layout is going to be dismantled. I'm a regular viewer from the links on here. I must admit it's a bit like train spotting watching one of your videos, but with the comfort of an armchair and red wine! Thoroughly enjoyed them and intrigued by how you manage to take pics from behind the driver in the dmu, or from the guards van. Personally I always think it's sad when you see layouts being dismantled , so probably would not watch that. But certainly very interested in seeing a new layout emerging. Finally many thanks for the hours of enjoyment . I wish you well in your house move and new layout

But you have to ask, why not just get it correct in the first place? Save us the hassle.

Very nice . I suspect Hornby may give us a relivery at Chistmas though. Still of the opinion that VTEC is one of the nicest modern liveries around

Still not convinced by the standard range shade of green. This has put me off buying the Grange , Hall ( bought a red one for £47 to paint green , but had the shade been correct I might have gone for Root Ashton Hall @£105) and puts me off the King. The difference is all the more striking when you see the gloss Locomotion limited edition. Come on Hornby , there's a good few on here saying the shades wrong. Too milky and matt

Yes I see what your saying Ian. The only point I'd make is surely The Engine Shed Blog is the same as the brief to the press. What else would be in a press pack that's not for general consumption? It just so happens that the internet connected get to see it at the same time as the press and the information is out there in the market immediately. I think in any case it is clear that Hornby has decided to go direct and cut out the press for whatever reason. On the other hand Bachmann seem to be taking advantage of the void and using the forums as an extension of their PR . I'd evidence that by various statements on here direct from Bachmann eg the price of Thompson coaches, lack of product , delays on the Stanier mogul etc

Surely its just a matter of timing. The mags will pick up the information from the Internet and publish as soon as they can in their news section, as we have seen with Collett coaches etc, so those without internet access are only disadvantaged by a few weeks. So I think the policy is really pretty inclusive. And I would suggest that if its so important to have up to date information, in all facets of life, they would probably have recognised the benefit of having the internet by now. Its not like you have to get it piped in, you can pick it up very easily on a monthly pay as you go phone. Even amongst seniors I would have thought people who aren't internet connected are very much in the minority now. What was the alternative. Announce to press and wait for the mags to publish in 2/3/4 weeks , with an embargo inbetween (which was broken several times by one mag that seemed to go to the publisher early). Then subscription readers got information ahead of the mag appearing in shops , how was that fair exactly? Then of course you couldn't comment on it on a forum because it may have been embargoed and run risk of moderation. Really the internet with direct communications between manufacturer and their customer has swept all that away. I get if you are a mag proprietor you may be a little bit peeved at no longer having news that could boost your circulation but really for the rest of us this is a tremendous improvement. And I think mags are savvy enough to realign their offer accordingly Initially I was very cynical about Hornby's new direct approach, and I still do not like the fact that they are cutting out model shops by selling direct. But I thoroughly enjoy Simons blog and The Engine Shed and I think both have been a great success in enguaging directly between Hornby and their customers. So if no Christmas announcement because they've pre announced next years range I'll not complain. What I think you will see is maybe an announcement concerning re liveries or perhaps even one new model around Christmas time , coinciding with release of new catalogue. There's been no modern image items announced (Sorry don't view the 71 as Modern) so maybe there is something still to come there. There have been tantalising glimpses of what appears to be a mk3 in some Engine Shed videos, so you never know.

Personally I'd settle for the Lima HST and Mk3s in Railroad range in VTEC colours , with Special editions using the main range one for those who want something special and are prepared to pay for it. Otherwise a whole train will be unaffordable.

Very nice. Not a small industrial layout fan, but may be tempted if price is right, and I've got more faith in Hornby getting it right! I also like this new approach of showing a tangible model on Engine Shed, much better than a pic of a subject that's 4 years from delivery. Well done Hornby!

Ah I remember Lone Star. Could buy it from Woolies in the late 60s . Must have been pocket money prices. I can remember Union Pacific yellow diesels, budd coaches, jinties, a 24 , mk1s , cabooses ,just like out of Casey Jones, a black loco (maybe German?) and a lot of imagination!

Nostalgia and happy memories. Usually of Christmas long gone by , but sometime of relations who are maybe no longer with us. I have every train since my Brush Type 2 " Freightmaster " from Christmas 1965. Each one brings happy memories. Oh I have lots of new stuff too, in fact I'm at saturation point. So while I get a kick out of running the latest locos in correct period with correct coaches , I also get a kick out of seeing the old locos perform . I've got an old LMS Princess Elizabeth from 1971 and a new Hornby one from 6 or 7 years ago. The latter is much more detailed and looks the part making the first one look like a toy, but I know which one is most precious to me

I think it demonstrates the point. It looks black. I'm not really into multiple stripes but this is at the opposite end of the spectrum . Completely bland and boring. I'd vote it one of the worst liveries around . Conversely I've just spent Friday and Saturday in a lovely flat at Spittal, Berwick upon Tweed , with the ECML at the bottom of the field. Have to say I'm very impressed with Virgin EC livery on both 91s and HSTs . That's a proper livery. Also surprised at the amount of stock wearing the new livery. It's certainly in the majority, particularly with coaching stock

Best picture I've seen of it yet. Thanks D1059. However its still too dull for me . It needs some relief, I think one or two stripes would have livened it up a bit. If it looks dull in a good day , its going to be very non descript under the usual leaden skies and non existent in dark. Also didn't GNER eventually have to take its cast logos off because of corrosion underneath? Don't we learn anything from history? At least it'll give Hornby another livery for its HSTs

Jenny, thanks for the Video. I was only ever a Triang Hornby man, but I do love Dublo and the trains of the era , so this video is something out of the ordinary. My modern trains are much more accurate and I try to keep as close to prototype movements as I can, but I do wonder in the course of doing so if we have lost the fun of just playing trains. Sometimes it good to get back to basics Again many thanks

Lucky if they had "go at all" stripes. Something that Heljan managed to replicate perfectly in the "OO" guage one

Really love Glendevon and never tire of seeing it. I especially love watching the shunting movements . The lush countryside, just a reminder of the way things once were. Nice to see it getting extended

But is that just Hattons estimate?.Remember the issue over the Marsh Atlantic

They want to have a look at Book Law then. Although in fairness it seems to be an outlier. I'm always bemused by constant tales of how much labour is going up and why models are getting more expensive, yet when somebody comes up with an idea that saves labour we find it really won't save that much........? Which is it then?

I didn't view that as a rant, just some constructive criticism on how the model could have been better. And on the whole I think the points being made are within context. An un rebuilt Crosti is no use to me , but it looks a very good model. Hoping it does well and a rebuilt one follows. That could very well prove tempting

Or Ian Allan as I think they sold their mags to Key Publishing

Yes , your last point is my fear, but I Suspect I'm coming in the opposite direction. I think most would agree that this model is a strange mix of Railroad and Standard and is priced as such at about £117 I think. My fear is that Hornby will think they can get away with charging £120 for Railroad items which were coming in at £80 mark ( eg P2) while I think your fear is that items that could be super detailed will end up in Railroad range. I think more than ever it again emphasizes the need for range distinctions. Again what motor is in this one is it 5 pole or 3 pole ? In their defence this is probably one of the last locos from the Kohler era where loco standards from one release to another were very mixed.