paulbb

Where the newly delivered Class 81 electrics and production Deltic class 55s involved in high speed testing on this line between Slade Lane Junction in Manchester and Crewe via the Styal Line around 1961-3? This route was a sleepy LMR route (though used by the Mancunian express so it did not need to stop at Stockport as all the other London expresses did) until it was used as a test bed for the then new 25KV ac traction being developed at the time. Many electric EMU's were tested along here prior to the main route being available for electrics. It was rumoured that the 55's and 81's were coupled together and involved in testing overnight at very high speeds -100mph plus. One of the early class 44 Peaks was allegedly involved in these same speed trials too. Can anyone shine any light on these matters?

Many thanks for your suggestion. The Kadees look a bit clunky for UK short wheelbase wagons, even the S gauge ones

Presume these can't be used with freight vehicles as the shank is too short to prevent buffer locking? Or is a longer version to be made? Are Kadees too big to look OK on UK freight stock?

Looks fab will buy one, and I dont even like them. ( never lived up to expectations , the prototype that is )

Any chance of another run of plain green ones please?

I would have at least one myself- no yellow warning panel. Any chance Accurascale?

I bought an Asus laptop with windows 11 preinstalled so as it has never 'known windows 10' so all the drivers etc. were set up for it from the start so it has been fine. The only wrinkle was a regular notification that I had a problem with my Microsoft account, which I ignored for a while. When investigated it turns out that when I set up a Pin number for my account, this 'problem' went away. Go figure as the Americans say.

Make it 6 or have i been counted already😄

A worthy successor to the 47 with the paunch/beer gut and the class 52 with the peaky blinder/roof extension.

Heljan cab shape looks too flat as its its lacking a slight tumblehome, just like their class 20.

A return of the Triang brand with a value Princess, a Jinty , and a dock shunter, plus the return of the whole Transcontinental range including the Budd Railcar. And of course the Giraffe and Rocket cars, along with the whole Battle Space range. Gets my vote!

Sounds like S gauge... that would be something

Great photos on the link above. Its the kind of crsisp layout that a modeller can learn from, rather than the mega layouts which are entertaining and bring in the punters at shows. We need both I guess but I know which type to spend more time looking at during an exhibition. Thanks for sharing.

Another vote for a class 22 in O gauge pretty please, its the only gap in the ranks of O gauge hydraulics-except for its big brother the D600s which may not be as useful for these (often) small O gauge layouts. The 22 is a very short loco and perfect for micros and shunting plank/Inglenook type layouts. Come on Dapol before Heljan beats you to it!

From the images oh Hattons I would say very little chage to the tooling, maybe inside tho . The overall shape and profile of the cab, viewed directly from behind, still lacks that little tumblehome that the prototype has making it look flat, and is a deal breaker for me.

My favourite choice of steam outline model for Accurascale would be the GWR auto tanks, the 14xx/58xx. Both the ex Airfix/Hornby ones had issues and the DJ Models one was so poorly made (speaking from bitter experience) we could do with a much more definitive model. This is one of those classic machines that would be very popular from a commercial perspective.

I think that Jenny Kirks review was even handed and balanced; she made the important point that to remedy all the issues with this loco would have taken a complete redesign with new tooling. Although that was probably the way to go from the modellers point of view, Heljan it seems decided that the economics of it just did not add up, and tried to make a silk pursefrom the sows ear that was the first release.

Class 66s took over because of the poor quality of the British built machines they replaced. Yes I was brought up on the myth of British Engineering excellence, which had been exposed in the 1960s as fraudulent when all those Modernisation Plan diesels showed how poor British manufacturing had become.

I think that much of the current market demand for model railways stems from its prominent baby boomer demographic, and many of these that are now drawing state and corporate pensions from this group and are key to sustaining what we have in the trade. When this bunch start to 'decline' as it were then we shall see some major changes. A growing market of youngsters and/or females may confound this of course! Lets hope.

I have a box of Scale Trains/Scale Model Trains/Airfix magazines etc that I am going to offer free to a good home. If anyone is interested then please PM me , it would be collection only and I live in the M21 postal area of Manchester about 2 miles from the M60 J7.

The Fell loco caught fire at Manchester Central not Piccadily (then London Road) as quoted, and some of the comments about Derby works I did not quite follow-it was a busy workshop into the 1970's as I recall with class 20's Peaks 24s 25's. It was a very interesting read to see the engine as a 'might have been', tho its not clear about how its maintenance and fuel costs compare to a similar powered diesel electric.

Should we not just bin the whole concept of a 'Powerhouse'? The term has no value or meaning particularly as the politician who coined it blamed the 2009 near global financial collapse not on the greed of the people who actually caused it but on public spending . The Opposition let him get away with it too, to their eternal shame . Clearly the Goebbals principle of lie repetition still works rather well !

Today on the TCM channel at 1.15 is ' Murder She Said' 1961, with the great Margaret Rutherford as Jane Marple. It is based on Agathie Christies 450 from Paddington of course. There is some brief footage of a couple of D600 diesels on Paddington Plymouth trains with largely maroon rolling stock. Given the date, this was shortly before the class was confined to west of Newton Abbot (or further). Cant think of other footage featuring these locos. Hopefully there will be someone who will confound this view!

If they are dressed as 'nurses' then skip the hammock,,,,,

Many thanks 37114 for your comments on the presflo 3 links. Tested on my layout just now,they work just fine on Peco FB points which are medium radius I believe, towing or propelling .