deltic79

Yes the wheel slip markings are a nice addition. My 'Haymarket' has them on one side only.

In their 2012 range they listed a 4 windowed blue/grey Mk.3 buffet, numbered as a TRSB. But this was postponed and now cancelled. Whether their retooled Lima Mk.3 RFM would have been correct for a TRSB I'm not sure. It might have been similar I guess.

My concern would be that if the paperwork denotes an affected loco (from the code stamped on the instruction sheet) that the model may have had a body swap at some point. Since the paperwork doesn't appear to tally with the body, perhaps it matches the chassis?

SS Great Britain is a very recent model so I would hope that being from a recent batch it wouldn't be suffering from mazak rot. Unless of course you bought it second hand and it's had a chassis swap by a previous owner and is now fitted with an old chassis that's starting to swell - 47508 was being sold off cheap by Hattons and would make an easy donor for someone who could recoup most of the outlay by selling on 508 again.

There was just one in the livery modelled by 38-351 (i.e. the first batch from Bachmann) as per Paul's superb website http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h3b8f931d#h3b8f931d However 38-351A is subtly different and was more common. Again Paul Barlett's website has some examples, though I can't find the exact model chosen by Bachmann but similar ones are: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h2b6bdfd8#h2b6bdfd8 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h2248e26d#h2248e26d http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h249df575#h249df575

Paul's photos are dated 1979 and 1980. It isn't clear whether they are in use at that time though.

Replica Railways

I enquired about 38-352A with Bachmann since I hoped that a subsequent run would use different tooling (i.e. that for 38-350 or 38-351). I've deliberately left some gaps in my rake so that I can mix them up a bit but still have them all in Railfreight red/black livery. However Bachmann have confirmed that 38-352A is simply a renumber using the same tooling as 38-352. They suggested that if I wanted a model with the alternative ends I should buy 38-350 or 38-351 so I think they sort of missed the point. I do wonder what number and exact livery they're going to do for 38-351A since 900205 was a one off.

Only the one in the livery that Bachmann has chosen as shown in Paul's excellent collection --> http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h3b8f931d#h3b8f931d Others just received yellow ends (which I think Rail Express commented on in their review of the model). Examples, again from Paul's site, are: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h2b6bdfd8#h2b6bdfd8 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h249df575#h249df575 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h2698ccd0#h2698ccd0 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/baa/h2248e26d#h2248e26d

I wonder if the winning bidder of this loco realises what they might have bought --> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200651468905?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 I guess it could have just been damaged but it looks to me that its showing the first signs of chassis swelling.

The Signal Box were selling them for £9.99 each at Model Rail Live. Picked up one each of the Railfreight and Olive ones. Lots of the traders there had stock with different chassis on the the olive and bauxite ones so it looks like there's plenty of each type out there and that shops aren't being sent just one type. It seems that the factory has well and truly mixed them all up.

They had a couple of URLs. My bookmark was pointing at railssheffield.com but it seems like they demised this last week as it stopped working. A quick Google search gives you the correct address.

My vote is for Metro Train "Regional Railways" too. Though I wouldn't say no to the first livery either

Something to consider is that in two or three years time it's quite possible that Heljan's standard releases of these models (assuming they do incorporate them into their standard range) could easily be around the £100 mark, even when discounted. Just look where the prices of Hornby (in particular) and Bachmann have gone this year. With high inflation not looking likely to end quickly and, perhaps more significantly, ever rising costs in China, three years time seems very likely to bring much higher prices. However, Heljan are unlikely to release them only as twin packs so there will still be savings to be made if only by obtaining only those locos you actually want.

I should sell the two versions I have in a similar state. £49 is looking a bit of a bargain, it's just sold for £78 with £14 postage

Seconded. I think we're long overdue a new 142. And there's plenty of liveries to go at so must make commercial sense.

Absolutely. A two and three car 144 in Regional Railways Metro Train for me please.

Yes it was a model I was after too - I have no interest in the European blue version. But the issue was that the current Bachmann Cl.47 tooling didn't accommodate the correct detail combinations for 47145 in Rf General livery (I think it was the boiler port that was the issue), rather than Rails simply changing their mind. They could have gone with the version that Bachmann could supply but then they would have been slated for producing an inaccurate model and would have 512 of them to shift. Though not being a rivet counter I would still have bought one Â

I spoke to Dick in Rails about this a couple of weeks ago as I had the version in General livery that they've now dropped on order, rather than the European version (that was also done by Lima and Heljan) that they are now advertising. Its a long story and one that I won't reproduce here but Dick did say that they've not decided whether to go ahead with the model yet. If not, perhaps it will become the third limited edition to be released via the Bachmann website. He also hinted at further limited editions in the future, in particular an exclusive tooling to Rails, but naturally wouldn't divulge anything until it is officially announced on their website over the coming months. Something to keep an eye on (I'd forgotten all about it until I read the above post) but not for further discussion and speculation within this thread me thinks.

When I was in the shop yesterday Chris told me that they were expecting 47461 this week.

There was a good discussion about this on the old forum that may be of use to you: My link Rob