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In the area...? It's very nearly my local show...!

It was good to see the layout again and have a play with the coal drops job, if I didn't have the smallest layout in the world I'd definitely consider using a smartphone as a wireless throttle, as this method has the easiest useability of any DCC handset I've encountered. Thanks for letting me have a go.

Nice to see they've given them a chance, they must have been in stock for all of 5 months....

Sounds like 84001. From memory, every AC cab I've been in has had a blue desk.

Nice- it's like they've numbered and arrow'd it ready to have a name applied... (it was allocated the name "Emissary" in the 1960's, but BR didn't go ahead with the plan to name early AC's).

Because it's a Chrysler...? Looking forward to seeing the layout tomorrow...!!

I think the Trix tooling might have gone to Dapol in the mid 80's, they were certainly advertising unpainted shells around this time. A "Railroad" 81....? No thanks....! I think a brand new model would sell as well as the 85, and the cost of modifying the tooling might be prohibitive. It's the kind of thing Hornby would do, and look how well their business is doing...

Was that the layout on the cover of the August 1977 edition (with a green title)...? It's funny you should mention that Ben, I can remember going into a newsagents when visiting my Granny, as she had promised to buy me a comic. I must have been quite insistant as I definitely recall her saying it was quite expensive when compared to what she thought I'd like, I think I chose it because I recognised the Triang 81's and catenary which was obviously more interesting than the Beano or whatever. I must have been just over three years of age, and it was my first modelling magazine (I have another copy somewhere, I think the original was cut up for the photos). My Son recently passed the same milestone, but would rather have a Charlie & Lola comic (which due to market forces, are nearly as costly as railway magazines). I can but hope...

I've finally found the only photo of the model in an unpainted state, to show the construction:

Thanks for posting that, it's another location I can add to the list...!!

See posts 607 and 611.

They're Bachmann Commonwealth coach bogies (they're not quite bulky enough but looked alot better than some whitemetal lumps I had), stretched to the correct wheelbase. The join is covered by the bogie hangers and secondary suspension. Being unpowered, the bogies still retain alot of strength, I did start a model of 84001 but didn't quite get as far as trying to work out how to do the sideframes.

Nicely presented at an agreeable height with effective lighting, curtains, and probably the most important point of all, something that works...!!

Rakes of Bachmann Intermodal wagons where the containers haven't been mixed up, so you get a pair of ECS Maroon, then a pair of Seaco Blue, then a pair of Seawheel Green ones. It's like the crane operator was trying to be "Arty". I am also annoyed by the fact that whatever your interest, you always end up with a scrapbox full of junk, in my case it's mostly unfinished coaches with custom couplings and half finished modifications that 15 years ago I would have snapped up at a bargain price, but now haven't got the time or inclination to get them to a standard where selling them would be worthwhile. I also think It'd be a good idea to only let people into a show who have built an exhibition-standard layout....

A couple more pics from it's wanderings, firstly out of gauge on Jim S-W's "plank": And Oulton TMD (I think I've got that right), with all three RTC liveried locos together: It's also been to Wells Green TMD, alongside James' Network Rail 86/9's....: i'm still looking for phots of it in Scotland, at Tim's "Auchinraith", and of course the layout it was built for, "Carstairs".

Here's something I build a good few number of years ago, when the only way to get an 84 was to either scratchbuild using a few key parts from RTR models (such as a Hornby class 86 body and Bachmann Commonwealth bogies) with A1 Models class 84 window etches, or use the DC Kits etched brass and Whitemetal kit (from which I used the brake gear etches). The additional grilles are from a Lima 50 and are slightly too wide and not tall enough or rounded enough in the corners- a compromise I was happy to make at the time but wouldn't expect from todays standards. Knowing that a few people are interested in such a project following the resurgence in AC modelling, I hope these photos prove to be helpful to them.

And a few miles further along the line at Bodmin Parkway:

Yes, one of the last, if not "The" last BR loco to do so.

From what I've seen (from photos on here and the pre-production model), the blue is tricky to judge, if it's overexposed it looks slightly washed out and too much of a pastel blue colour. The real colour wasn't very durable, just like the slide film of the day- you could compare a dozen images and they'd all be different. The grey however looks too dark and needs correcting. I actually have an AL5 on the desk next to me, but it's not coming out of the box as I cancelled the pre-order three weeks ago but the box shifter still despatched it...

Yes, the desk top is blue.

Some more piccies, inside the shed: And a Roarer line-up: "Little Willesden" is a small diorama built by Graham Clark to complement his AC Electric articles in Practical Model Railways about 25 years ago. I've had it on loan for the last ten years and is kept in safe storage, only seeing the light of day for official portraits of new locos (which is very rare since other projects have stalled). I've just realised how rough my other 85's look....

Certificate, etched plates, and the earlier chokes (you also get a spare oil header tank): Etched plates: Box:

Pan: Cabside and nameplate: Diamonds: Nameplate and Barrow Hill depot diamond (I'm not sure if any other locos have carried this)

Yes, as per 101. CE depot diamond on one side, BH roundhouse on the unbranded side, etched plates to cover the printed ones. I would have preferred it without printed nameplates, but hey.....