Downendian

[/quote name="Clive Mortimore" post="1605763" timestamp="1411906379" As for the headcode, 4 as it is a fully fitted freight, Z is a spiecal, bananas would be off loaded when the ships docked and would not be a regular timetabled train, and 89 would be the train/working number. I'm not surprised by the Z reporting code, but I was by the 4. In the 1970s this was used largely for air braked workings, e.g. Freightliners, speed links, for example 4E70 Danygraig-Stratford. I'm guessing the 1960s was different, and that 6ZXX or 7ZXX would have been more likely by the 70s indicating fitted by speed restricted freight. Neil

Pairs of 25s also worked the Avonmouth trains. Interesting reporting code on the type 3 though.

Good point re Barry Docks Mike, but that was Geest using that port? The Fyffes ships were Avonmouth. I can't see evidence of which company this train is. Neil

Wow love the Banana train Phil heading North(?). That can only be from the Fyffes shipments that arrived at Avonmouth around that time. Have fond memories of those trains- any idea of the reporting codes and destination? Neil

Another vote for The new one by Pineapple Thief, Magnolia. Listened to it on the M5 coming down this morning - very good. Neil

I actually look out for Carp weathered eBay victims like this 44 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-gauge-WEATHERED-Bachmann-32-651-class-44-Penyghent-BR-blue-44008-DCC-READY-/221520856831?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3393ac06ff I need a chassis for some body shells I've just picked up, and it looks like the chassis escaped the worst of the muddy puddle it was dropped in. My best offer was declined. Currently £68 BIN, probably asking top dollar for this model, carp weathering, wrong box, card sheet and window missing. Half that price is a good offer I reckon. Neil

Unfortunately I can't post the precise link here (I've tried) but the September 2014 update of the Kier Hardy EM website http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk Has some excellent models of ex big four parcels stock on Greg Brooke's Shenston road. Just as I remembered them - a beautiful mix of ancient stock being fostered together and loose shunted into the parcels bay at Temple Meads. Neil

Actually my dates were according to Ramsey's, Bachmann 9F first released 2006, Hornby railroad 9F to market 2008. Neil

I still maintain its unusual. One of the examples you mention above wasn't simultaneous either Bachmann 9f released 2006, Hornby railroad 9f 2008. The LMS twins hit the marketplace a good year or so between them as well, although I think the announcements were pretty close. I think we are arguing semantics but- Ok let's refine my argument a bit. Simultaneous release to market (I.e. Within the same trading year) is rare, announcements of the same model are more frequent but still uncommon, but as we have discussed many fall by the wayside (Hall, Blue Pullman, DP2). This is for sound economic reasoning. The main point of relevance to us the consumer and this thread is will one manufacturer drop the King over the next few months? I suspect (and hope) not, but these situations when they happen will affect profit margins for the duplicate models. As this is a thread on the Hornby model, I'm convinced this one will happen, and that's no sleight on Hattons/DJM, Hornby are just the bigger outfit and appear to be more advanced and more economic commitment thus far. Neil

Duplication is not a bad thing at all for us the customers - both sides have to up their game without knowing what the opposition is up to. This has (probably) been a contributory factor to why Hornby appear to have dropped "design clever" with the King. Although, they may alternately have felt it's been a bit of a commercial own goal. What is unusual here though is "simultaneous" duplication - although Hornby appear already ahead in the race. Duplication has traditionally led to an incremental advance in quality but with years between the different releases (compare Heljan/Bachmann 47s, Heljan/Dapol Westerns, Bachmann/Hornby B1s). I hung fire with the Dapol 10000 LMS twins, and was glad I did I bought the superior Bachmann model, and to be fair to Bachmann they are yet to release the popular LMS black livery variants. This was sort of the same time frames on announcements. I hope we see both models - as someone has mentioned Olivia's decided to drop their Heljan blue Pullman and Dapol their version of DP2 as they were deemed too much of a commercial risk, when Simultaneous announcements were made. I have two DJM kings preordered, but may change my mind - which is a choice I don't mind having, let's see what the Hornby EPs look like. I will then make a judgement based on what my learned colleagues say here is the better model. Neil

It's there now http://www.Hornby.com/news/Hornby-confirms-the-king/ Neil

Now the nights are drawing in, our Thursday night drinking gang (about 10 of us) will use our garden pubs a bit more to save on cash. There are three within 100 yards of my Bristol home, and this is mine in a converted garage. We chip in to buy a 36 pint box of real ale from our local Bristol brewers Bath ales, (actually in Warmley North Bristol) and GWB (Great Western Brewers). Works out at about £1.50 per pint. Favourite brews are Bath ales Gem and Barny, and GWB Maiden voyage or Classic Gold. With either a takeaway curry, home brewed Chilli (with greenhouse grown Devon/Downend chillis), roast spuds, fishy treats etc and a late toddy (see malt whisky collection in background), very fine enjoyable evenings are had until the wee small hours. We've even got a collective cider press and tried our own beer brews, with admittedly mixed success. The Cider could have stopped elephants in their tracks. Neil

This is getting so many YouTube hits right now it might not run, but rather amusing. Edit this cloned link seems to work Edit2 above clone was removed original here Neil

From Viz this morning. Neil

Over £100 for a Hornby 25 is not going to happen. However, these are not box standard 25s but modified to produce 24/0 and 24/1, quite a bit of work, I've done a couple back in the 1980s. Still not worth over £100, but I'd much prefer the based on the Bachmann base model, and the forthcoming Bachmann 24/1 is less than £100 anyway. Neil

Seen lots of Red Kites recently at Didcot, looks like a red kite to me John, forked tail the giveaway - images just a little dark to see the white underwing patches that would be the clincher but 99% sure. Neil

Plodding progress - but four blue WR namers emerge ready for weathering.47 086 Colossus, 47 080 Titan, 47 083 Orion and 47 089 Amazon.The last three for the last "brush 4 namers" I needed in 1974. All based on the Heljan product, chipping and headcodes fitting next. Although brand new, many had lost their under slung tank fixing lugs - one all four of them- epoxied in place now. 47 091 GFYE is currently being weathered. Neil

Was pointed to Facebook by my daughter to this Our stereotype? But it made me smile.

Thanks for all the beautiful pics from fellow lepidopterists, That Adonis blue - just wow. Have a few days with the family in South Devon over the bank holiday weekend, will be wandering the hedgerows with Camera in hand - a few Wall butterflies around last week, will try and get some shots. Other wildlife to venture in my South Devon garden this month - a large 2 foot plus grass snake ( haven't seen one that big since the 1970s) and a rather large hedgehog - I wondered what was keeping the slugs at bay. Neil

Small world Steve, think I've bought one of yours before. A pleased returning customer. Neil

Just won a Hornby (ex Lima) Weathered CCT , complete with Shawplan lazerglaze at £15. With the lazerglaze being £6, I reckon a bargain. Neil

From the RMweb archive but worth posting again - look and weep what you could see in a day in the mid 1970s. Sunday August 15th 1976 Marathon trip to BREL works at Crewe and Doncaster and surrounding depots- did we really do all this in one day? We skipped Derby works which was on the itenary due to lack of time - A magnificent trip organised by the Inter-city railway society, costing little over a fiver (£5.50)! Westhouses depot 08 181, 20 004/042/062/068/077/082/097/142/155/157/165/187/188/190/197/198, 47 352 with 47 477 passing. Doncaster depot 08 100/102/131/136/184/373/506/607/608/876, 20 130, 24 010/017/097/099/125/126/127, 31 001/010/011/156/196/281/300/303/327, 37 032/162/212, 46 047, 47 216/220/223/302/375, 55 015. Doncaster works 03 058/091, 2173, 08 057/087/401/444/559/745, 13 001, D5901, 24 003/015/016/071/086/096/117, 25 015, 31 016/105/110/143/153/191/218/268/271/276/284, 37 004/018/044/075/090/163/164/218/244/300/305, 47 006/425, 55 002/010/013/019/021, 56 031-033. Mexborough 37 134/135/203, 45 044. Wath 08 047-049/050/864, 31 148/246/275/299/307, 37 125/129, 47 285, 76 004/006/009/011/015/021/022 /023/027/029/030/038/041/053. Barrow Hill 03 129/389, 08 141/267/331/509/861/868/870/871, 20 003/021/022/054/057/058/119/204/210 47 276/294, Crewe works 08 068/112/460/469, 40 006/008/039/040/043/046/053/065/066/068/074/080/086/102/103/105/106/107/143/150/155/166/196, 47 004/007/044/060/068/072/077/079/086/093/111/118/134/137/141/148/156/168/176/181/194/197/198/205/215/249/252/272/287/288/295/309/323/333/355/377/404, 407/408/413/414/418, 424/427/428/429/434/448/451/456/467/462/479/480/507/511/519/521/523/534/539/541/555 (63 class 47s!!), 50 001/006/018/026/041, 76 034/035/037, 81 003/006/016, 82 003/004, 83 013/015. 84 007, 85 001/005/022/023, 86 035/208/218/223/228/233, 87 017/030 W43025/027/028/029. Cockshute depot 08 416/635/802/913, 24 047, 25 264, 47 242/339, with 81 001 passing. Bescot depot 08 083/294/327/356/590/613/614/674/809/814/955, 20 060/075/091/150, 24 137, 25 153/252/253/259/262/300/306, 40 174/178, 46 010, 47 002/094/138/144/185/280/335/354/487/545 A very memorable trip organised by the Devon branch of the ICRS. We left at around 0300 and I well remember the parched yellow motorway embankments (1976-remember the drought?), and the very early morning mists which I'd never seen before (never needing to get up this early!). Westhouses was the first stop at around 0600 and what a fascinating place it was- I seem to remember a large proportion of the class 20s there were still in green livery. I can also distinctly remember to me an alien sulphurous smell in the atmosphere around the South Yorkshire coalfield area, which of course has now long since gone- those smells were new to me too. At Doncaster lines of 24s awaiting cutting were present as well as the first 31/0s to go, and also the last baby deltic D5901. As means of compensation, three new 56s (the first built at Doncaster) were there in frames, and 55 013, Black Watch - my last Deltic. After rapidly touring some Sheffield sheds we made our way to Crewe, and that vast expanse of a works was host to now less than 63 class 47s, plus some early class 40 withdrawls. Also the HST build programme was in full swing, and class 50 overhauls had yet to switch to Doncaster. I have some groggy photos of the day which I will try and scan and upload in due course. I'd had one too many fizzy drinks (not alcoholic I hasten to add, I was only 15!) and based on the rough ride endemic with 1970s coaches I managed to throw up in the bushes at Cockshute after suffering badly from travel sickness between Crewe and Stoke. Neil

I also know little regarding legalities, but taking Bernhard's and Kris's points further for discussion. Is the preorder system deemed a binding contract? I've placed in excess of 20 of them with Hatton's and they are all on the basis of a price advertised in advance on the EHattons website. I'd always assumed that the preorder system was a form of customer loyalty scheme, and good savings in return for Hattons having a good idea how much stock they can shift when the goods actually arrive. If preordering has no guaranteed long term price, then I will certainly look elsewhere. Neil

Well I was charged £42.50. This is an automatic notification to inform you that we have processed your order for the following items: 1 * Bachmann Branchline 39-777 LMS 50ft Inspection Saloon BR Blue & Grey. Price is estimated - we will notify you if price rises and offer option to cancel @ £42.50 each = £42.50 Payment Type Amount Payment Card £46.50 Goods cost ex VAT: £35.42 Goods VAT charged: £7.08 Royal Mail Tracked 2 day £4.00 Grand Total: £46.50 Neil

Hattons is my current favoured supplier, much of this has been down to fixed preorder pricing- and I've "saved" (think the oxymoron, the more you spend the more you save) a significant amount doing so. But I guess all good things come to an end. I don't think this immoral, just an economic fact of life- I couldn't see them making much profit from me with some of my preorders - New tooling Bachmann 40s for £62 for example. With longer production delays, Hattons profit margins will be squeezed tighter and tighter. For me, now they won't now be automatically the first choice when placing a purchase, and I've started ordering stuff elsewhere, some close to Hattons prices on Heljan 47s were recently obtained from Hereford model centre for example. It's a free market, and we can shop elsewhere. Neil