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shame , it could be worse though - you could be modelling N gauge - Dapols attempt is no better. I fear that the fact we are seeing a real life plastic pre production model basically means most of the metal has been cut now - little things can be tweaked yes, but I think its beyond the point where major shape errors can be corrected (be nice to be proved wrong though) It does seem like the class 60 and 52 all over again. Here, by the way is what a 50 should look like: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112640-trethosa/page-2 it may be a 4mm scale model but more usefully, the corrections to the RTR model give a good guide/explanation to getting the cab looking right. Heljan and Dapol would do well to have a read of that thread very carefully - its brilliant. Jon

It's nice to see an EP finally but it looks all over the place to me... Dapol need to look again at the shape of the rainstrips/cab roof/windscreen/cabside windows - they all relate very carefully to each other , and the relationship between the bodyside grilles and the cab doors - and the bodyside grilles relative to the start of the tumblehome . The cantrail should be a more gentle radius , and the curvature of this should carry through and be visible above the cabside windows/cab doors - i.e, the bodywork above them should be curved. Unfortunately it looks a bit Roy Walker to me... Jon

The view from my office - a ‘Pagoda’ 280SL

Have you thought of painting the light cluster 'tunnels' white on the power cars - its quite distinctive on the real things - it's a little fiddly - as you have to remove the black paint from the light guides first (i used T-CUT) but I think its worth the effort: Jon

That photo alone is splendid tribute right there. I do love this layout - a small sleepy station with HSTs flying through is just perfection to me - as a subject for a layout I love those kinds of exercises in restraint, plus It instantly takes me back to being a kid watching HSTs in the early 90s at places like Ivybridge and Bodmin - they had much more presence there than at a busy mainline station IMO Any chance we can see an INTERCITY set on there one day Jon

Now that's going to bug me - It's a thumper isnt it?? I'm going by the damper in the middle of the bogie ... Jon

Sometimes we liken it more to kennels - some of the guests often leave puddles on the floor ....

Jaguar XJ12C - in , what almost looks like rail blue - quite an appropriate color for a 70s 'Jag. Lovely, although I'm not a huge van of the jaguar v12 in anything other than the XJS. The XJ 'coupe's , IMO handle better with the lighter straight six up front

last Jensen picture I promise! A very tidy series 3 - this one's US spec so has the slightly less pretty side repeaters/reflectors. Looks lovely in black - but I'm not a fan of the vinyl roof , even though it is original. Jon

The blue Lancia Gamma chasing the CX is Horsetans clip earlier - reminded me - we have an identical one at work! drives like a dream - and so does the Beta - properly lovely Italian ride and handling - shame they were made of 'sugar' Jon

Interceptor III “Nelson” Jon

Agree , agree Chris! - I noticed this too - how many take time time to strip the models down first and remove excess factory grease from the bogies sideframes for example, or from the faces of the wheels - so your lovely weathered loco doesn't end up with oily blotches all over it as the lubricant leeches into the weathering . Jon

wow that'll be nice, (especially with the improved glazing they added a couple of years ago) even if it is perhaps 15 years late - I seem to remember a review of the then 'new' Hornby mk3s when they were first released questioning why they hadn't gone for NEM pockets and close coupling to start with with when this was clearly the direction models were heading. Got there in the end eh !

Now that's a car chase! Love it - Think that's a Gamma not a beta though - the little louvred panel below the rear windscreen actually has glass behind it too - so you can look through it from inside the car to help reversing . cool car. Jon

Volvo Amazon Kombi - with its original roof rack . A personal favourite of mine - both to look at and to drive - although this old girls is a little tired and waiting for an engine rebuild plus overdrive . Jon

...and that's quite simply the best 4mm scale class 50 I've ever seen. Jon

A nice tidy v6 Capri visiting us for a suspension upgrade , it’s got its original velour interior, original caspian blue ‘livery’ with recaro seats and the owner just managed to source the pepper pot wheels to really bring it back to ‘stock’ . It’s just missing it’s “injection” stickers on the boot and wings - that’ll finish it off nicely Jon

The Citroen SM - this one is actually the original UK press car when the SM was launched - now owned by my boss. Just amazing to drive ... Jon

Love it! Nice to see someone who understands the shape of the rainstrip around the cabs - which is a big contributing factor to the sad 'droopy' look of the windscreens on these locos. Have you done anything to the compressors? Hornby missed out the inner portion of the mounting cradle and have modeled them balancing mysteriously on the outer secton of the cradle - always looked weird. Seeing your model in grey plastic , and with that polybulk in the background , are you sure it wouldn't look nicer as Defiance Jon

This didn't happen in the middle of the tundra though - the scene in question was literally yards from Lewisham station - I think that was a contributing factor to the frustration of those stuck on board. Looking at the photos, If the train had stopped about a coach length further down the line there could almost have been a set of doors on platform 4. I'm well aware of what the 3rd rail can do! but like I said, for all those people that clambered out that obviously wasn't enough of a concern to keep them on the train - and it didn't surprise me at all that it happened. Jon

Especially as the trains were so close to the station - a controlled evacuation much sooner really should have been called for - I don't blame people for taking the situation into their own hands - the juice rail is probably going to be the last thing on their minds . I commute along that very route daily, and pay an obscene amount to do so - crammed in like cattle - the heating is on those trains either not working or on waaaay to hot - its uncomfortable at the best of times so being stuck like that for three hours doesn't bear thinking about - Seeing the pictures from people on board I would have been first out the door!! I was very lucky I decided to stay at work a little longer on friday or I could have been on one of those stuck trains Jon

Yep - there's none to go wrong As a hand built British product of the 1960s , it can certainly show hand built products of the 1970s a thing or two - including those from the same manufacturer. The quality of the shut lines on the C-V8 says it all I think Jon

Not sure if it counts as a film - The Day After Tomorrow (into infinity) 1975 starring Brian Blessed. Lets just say its not aged very well... jon

It's fibreglass, so not quite as delicate as you'd think and in fairness only stuck it outside to run it up for a bit out between downpours