Hal Nail

Popped down to St Blazey today and 5356 is in but missing a safety valve cover! At one point I was kicking myself for not buying a green one but I think I made the right choice now

Similarly I've always kept below 135 so had nothing added. I noticed the recent hike and fearing they've finally discovered brexit, and possibly our VAT laws, queried it and received this reply: "unfortunately, yes. The short answer is Brexit. The slightly longer answer is that due to a increase in prices due to the new customs regulations and shipping conditions, our prices had to be increased too. In essence the UK is, from a pure customs perstecive (sic), no longer within the limits of continental Europa. And that's why we had to adjust our prices to the current standards." Presumably customs sort any duties, so nothing should change in that regard and if they haven't charged VAT when you order, its their lookout anyway as its the vendors responsibility to pay it over, not the buyer? ie apart from more postage, shouldn't be any different?

Tracked 48 for a small parcel is only something like 50p more than 2nd class and has £150 insurance so I always use that for everything now (unless it's worth more than 150 obviously). It's cheap so avoids putting off buyers but only takes 2 days so if I get things out the next day, its plenty quick enough. As an added benefit I subsequently discovered it takes seconds to buy through eBay but I was doing it manually for ages. Doesn't support the post office which is a downside but unfortunately you can't be a capitalist and a socialist all the time :)

In my experience the more I get to know them, the more true that is!

...and on that note, in the late 50s, early 60s, era, I was under the impression SKs were more common than SO usually?

Are those your own wheels as well?

The bottom of the cab lining is very high up in that smugmug one? Seem to have reverted to unlined later: https://www.thetransportlibrary.co.uk/m/media/afc63e09-d7d8-457c-881e-d5f3f0166087?hit_num=9&hits=14&next=485355bb-c5fd-4549-b319-53ed08cae4e3&page=1&per_page=25&search=2238

Could it be as simple as they had mislaid/broken the glass or beading? Did they just weld up the hole? When prairies had their portholes removed, which admittedly is slightly different as permanent, with a few exceptions which were proud (eg 4559) they inserted a snug fitting blank and flush welded it. Almost impossible to see but I have one close up photo of 4565 and you can just make out the outline. So I'd always assumed the same applied with wartime windowless cabs but there isn't any hint in that top photo. Would they have replaced the whole side sheet and then just reused the old handrail? I've seen one or two green moguls with black tenders.

It is not unknown for us to be working in the extended headshunt where locos run round. I've always got well clear which others think is a bit over the top. I've shared these clips now!

A day trip to London from Southampton with my Dad in the late 70s allowed us to feast on exotic treats. King's Cross for Deltics, St Pancras for Peaks and Paddington for a good Italian restaurant!

Worth getting in touch with these guys? https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/bournemouth-west

I removed the early crest on a 14xx and actually it wasn't that easy. Repainting plain black is about as straight foward as it gets though.

I've been thinking about buying a late cab pannier but holding off given the risk they get discounted shortly after I got a voucher off Rails today when I suggested I was within my rights to return 2 vanwides I bought the other week only to see they discounted them another 25%. Excellent on their part and we are both better now off!

I never managed to establish if the later batch is an improved BR green, or just dark photos. Even Dapol don't seem to know. If it was tweaked I would buy another and paint my original black, if not I wouldn't bother obviously I guess you win some you lose some, but I bought two vanwides in mid April from Rails and they've just reduced them by 25% (and a variant I would have preferred in the first place). I've emailed asking what their returns policy is and whether they might be able to do something!

Not on AL6's either - they were rail blue.

I know we've discussed this before but that photo really shows what a huge difference your flush glazing makes to the cab. I'll probably give it a go on my 7mm one.

Yes thats true. As it happens mine was converted from a late format 45 so I had to lose the flap under the long grill and match the paint. Backdating the grills (or at least removing the hinges) would probably have been easier than doing that but I left them alone!

Buying unseen carries risks given the variable quality of what is released. One of the key arguments in favour of pre-ordering is that the large retailers didn't take any money and let you cancel. So this change from a significant player would be significant.

Found someone selling 3 O gauge Dapol 16T minerals for £68 post free today. These are typically nudging £50 with postage and the cheapest I've ever bought previously was £25 about 10 years ago! Had vowed not to buy any more but at that price will flip one and I'll have the other two for virtually nothing.

They appear to be missing the extra roof hatch the 46 had minutes

John Dornom's roundhouse, a Tony Reynalds loco.

4820 in Great Western livery will be the early version without top feed and original format steps. The preserved loco has a top feed and later steps.

Tower's update from March said May. They post up dates from Dapol and Heljan so its as good a place as any to check where things are.

Aside from top feeds, there were differences in tool box positions, whether the front sanding gear was covered or not, where the logo was placed on the tank sides and by BR period, some had very obvious welded patches on the side tanks. 1451 had the top feed well into 62. I wanted it without in 57/58 so invoked rule 0.5: completely correct, just not at the time I'm modelling!

They have already done all of these in 7mm: 1405 black - top feed 1444 green early crest - top feed 1426 green late ceest - no top feed 5819 black - no top feed. To do a black no topfeed, I bought the 58xx and added back the auto gear. For my late green I bought the early and swapped logos. (they did swap the format round for the 2nd run)