Il Grifone

I know they're collectable spares but.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Triang-Hornby-Spares-Locomotive-Coach-Wagon-Buffers-/110648302415?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item19c3271b4f The seller has a few other 'bargains' too. The goods shed door starts at more than I paid for the rest of the thing!

Sold for £500! and then turns out not to be the Platinum edition after all.

The roof moulding is common to all the vans and has a pronounced arc. The height overall is reasonable in the cattle wagon but the other vans have excessive side height. They are not too bad, considering the period, but the underframe is rather poor. Enormous axleboxes, no brake gear and the solebars are too wide - this could be reduced, but 1. they're collectables and 2. mazak is tough stuff to saw through! Modern* wheels require the boss on the back of the axleguards filing down to allow them to revolve freely, I find. (The spoked wheels are quite nice, especially for vehicles needing a thick tyre (NER for example). *Those rubbish plastic wheels from kits etc., that never get used otherwise, are ideal for things like these that live on display shelves. IIRC the plastic is immune to Mekpak, but Humbrol Liquid Poly will work.

It's an ERG cattle wagon. Clear plastic sides and mazak underframe. They were available with various wheels - Bakelite? hard plastic (like these) a rather nice metal tyred version with a plastic spoked centre to BRMSB and also HD standard.<br><br>There were also 3 vans (supposedly goods, meat and fish, but I have never been able to work out which is which) 5 plank open, steel mineral*, petrol tank, bolster and brake van.<br>* rivetted/pressed steel LNER type. The vans are all too tall cf Farish.<br><br>Edit:-<br>I forgot the high sided open (described as high and low wagons). I've found an advertisement in MRC 08/54, which states 3/9d each plus postage 3d* or 6d for 2 or more. The bolster wagon is not listed. IIRC correctly this appeared later, possibly replacing the cattle wagon, which does not appear in later ads. (It's the hardest to find after the bolster wagon.) The rarity of the latter is probably due to its construction. The sides are from square section wood and the bolster from thicker section with two bits of wire stuck in. Guaranteed to fall apart again, if assembled with 1950s adhesives. (Durofix or Seccotine anyone? - There were others all somewhat lacking in their ability to join things together.) They came with ERG 3 link couplings (very overscale!). I remember the buffers and couplings would not fit in the holes/slots provided in the headstocks or, at least, not with the tools I had at the time. HD wheels were supplied unless BRMSB were requested, which appears to be have been general as most survivors have scale wheels - probably when you added 2/6d for Peco couplings, it was cheaper to buy a Dublo wagon.<br><br>*About 30p in today's money - rather less than today's 'First Class' letter and considerably less than a small parcel. IIRC letters were 2½d or 1½d for postcards and unsealed envelopes - everything delivered next day or even the same day if local! <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt="" src="http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/public/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif"><br>

Someone wanted it! @99p. Actually useful to collectors, as are the HD doors, though new Wrenn ones are available on eBay. Now these from the same seller are expensive! http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item5ade44216b as can be seen here http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?rt=nc&Parts%2520Type=Nuts%252F%2520Bolts&_nkw=meccano%20nuts&_dmpt=UK_Construction_Toys_Kits&_fln=1&_ssov=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

And it's the 'rare' version (or at least the real thing was!) with the vertical grained doors!

The wooden wagons are a pre-war* design (used also for salt traffic and basically an RCH mineral wagon with a roof), that probably lasted into the 50s, possibly early 60s**, whereas the other thread is referring to the later steel grain wagons - the BR standard 1950s design (based on an LMS 30s diagram) modelled by Hornby Dublo/Wrenn/Dapol (a couple of feet too short due to sharing an underframe with an overlong cattle wagon) and the later air braked wagons. * probably pre WW I ** Wooden underframed wagons were enthusiastically scrapped in this period. Sorry I can't help with livery dates.

The Fleischmann Loco is H0 scale and 2 rail, whatever the seller says! I think he is confused by the plunger, which operates Fleischmann accessories IIRC. We are getting confused by scale and gauge again. H0 and 00 gauges are both 16.5mm and 00 scale track is 19mm gauge, according to the NMRA. The Americans are quite precise on this. The Dublo stuff at £26 seems about the right price, considering the condition. The Loco needs a repaint or new body. The crane needs new runners and possibly the jacks. The repainted coach is probably only fit for spares and the two wagons are only worth a couple of quid each (both very common). It will probably cost about the same again for the parts needed to complete.

I thought they were c**p back then! I did finally acquire one in the sixties (that dreadful safety vale casing had already been replaced). IIRC I paid 5/- for her. The Tri-ang Chassis eventually finished up under something else... I did get another boxed one (at least it was the proper box) in the eighties. This one was a couple of quid. The paint cracked off soon afterwards!

This seems a bit OTT pricewise. It that why she didn't sell and has been relisted? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260697003718&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNARL:GB:1123

Well it is blue, they're Pullman cars (more or less) and it's electric and sold for about what it's worth. The late Tri-ang TC cars are quite uncommon (more so in green). I would agree that the item could have been better described though.

Everytime eBay 'downgrades' their site this happens. Why can't they leave well alone?

I think the clue to the repaint lies in the different numbers on each side! She certainly seems nicely done though, but the cycling lions are a bit ropey. I might be tempted myself, but I don't really need yet another Dublo/Wrenn 2-6-4T.

4MT tank anyone? http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item483d5ebbc2 I know it's a rare limited edition, but..... And here's another bargain! http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item2eb0d7b7c6

Very rare item! NOT. And as a rare collectible, it would not be suitable for layout use anyway. Love the bit about the seller being away until 26/02/11 and there may be a delay in processing your order.

I would assume that someone wants the bits???? £40 is not too bad for two SPUDs, but I can't think what anyone would want two Airfix bogies for, though.

£1k seems a lot, but there are about 40 locos, a large quantity of rolling stock, several boxed sets, track, controllers and a quantity of Minic Roadway and scenic items. A resale profit is quite probable. Boxed sets usually make over £100 alone. Saying that, I would have wanted to see it first, before parting with all that bread! Condition is important! (All that stuff chucked in a box doesn't look too promising.)

As stated a rare Dublo N2, but the condition is not that brilliant (I don't remember ever seeing one). The seller's other items all seem priced 'at value' - not cheap, but not everything on eBay is a bargain.

Got 2 of these! Interestingly, it's described as GWR freight brown (???) but the photo shows BR(W) livery.

On a good day, with the wind behind you!

Anyone have any idea what could possibly be "RARE" about this. The 'Hornby' branding doesn't wash IMHO. http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item4cf230cf24 The GF coach looks like a close relation of Hornby's strange 00 3 compartment effort. The original GF 00 4 wheelers were definitely of the 'chop a bit off each end of a bogie coach' variety.

Cr@p for collectors only! And does anyone want a Hornby Dublo N2 to go with it? http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item483a23aed4 It's possible that it's not even the original box as I seem to remember paying 59/6d for mine in 1954. (No discount 'box shifters' then, thanks to Resale Price Maintenance). They're not 'rare' or 'hard to find' either. Or, if that one's a bit too expensive, there's this one without even a photo! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hornby-DUBLO-No-EDL7-LNER-0-6-2T-BR-No-69567-BOXED-/310213064992?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item483a23b920

Yes it was available with either chassis. There was also Gaiety's own chassis for it. The casting was quite crude even by 1950s standards and (roughly) represents a 27xx pannier* despite the 5700 number on it. It was presumably passed off as a 57xx, because the last 27xx was scrapped at about the time the model first appeared. It's one of the few prototypes for which Romford's 18mm 16 spoke wheels are more or less correct. Neither the R1 nor the Jinty chassis has the correct wheelbase, but both have the great avantage over the original of being reliable and having round wheels. * Parallel chimney, whistle on the cab roof and square windows in the cab. The valance and steps are also typical of a 27xx.

I have a GWR 70' composite from King's Cross. Still unfinished though I have painted the sides in 1922 livery. It stalled though missing ends and I've never got round to buying/making new ones. The sheet plasticard I used was a failure. When I find where it's stored I'll post a picture, along with the CCW clerestory I did actually complete.

The wagon has Dean- Churchward brakes, so the lever is redundant and could be used on something else. I must reassemble mine. It's been in bits for ages. So many trains; so little time!