mattingleycustom

How Can I Love You More - M People

Just blacken the buffers and you have a cracking model. Glenn

Happy House - Siouxsie and the Banshees

Baby Love - Supremes

Clowns - Goldfrapp

Tony, Just looked at some photos of the originals in Yeadon's book. The nameplates on MONS MEG are too far back on the model, their leading edge should be roughly in line with the front of the outside steampipes. The parabolic curve looks to be similar to that on 2003, in that it should be horizontal immediately ahead of the steampipes. A photo of 2001 (with the streamlined front end) shows the black painted smokebox and parabolic curve further back from the front of the loco; more black/less green in this area. Despite these 'flaws', I won't demand my money back on 2004. After all, she's a big girl and looks just about perfect in my opinion. Glenn

Interesting to compare 2003 with 2004, also by Loveless Note the difference in lining on the cab, wheels and around the wash out plugs and green wheel centres on the tender ... interesting! Glenn

I think it's time to stand back and look at what a superb example of 1930's engineering the P2 was. This is the Loveless O Gauge model, Glenn

Absolutely Tony, when I renumber anything I remove all the existing numbers using very fine wet 'n' dry paper (or white spirit if the printing really won't shift). This is one of Hornby's R3115 'Exeter' models renamed as 34018 Axminster from my own collection: Transfers are Fox (water slide) 9" cream BR Gill Sans; I think they are slightly under scale size but the 10" version looks too big to my eyes. I use individual numerals not the full numbers that are available as I would rather trust my own spacing between numerals. Nameplates, plaques and class scrolls are etched brass also from Fox. Wheel rims, axle ends and buffer heads are blackened to improve the appearance of this model of the smaller variety of Spam Can ... I note I haven't added the brake rods yet, something I must get around to! Glenn

Muz, I see your review picks up the much the same criticisms as I did: see my post of April 27th. It's such a shame as the rest of Hornby's Maunsell stock is of excellent quality. Glenn

Sorry, I meant pacifics with a tender, not tank engines. Some interesting views on whether to cover the Markits securing nuts or not. I have an SR U Class to build and I intend to cover the securing nuts; Decorator's caulk sounds like an interesting solution. Glenn

I was looking at the photos of the A2 and pondering how many other British pacifics had inside motion?, I can only think of The Great Bear and Bulleid's creations. The A2s look really long locomotives, the low running plate and the parallel(?) boiler emphasizing the locos size. I agree that they look better when twinned with an eight-wheel tender. I like the way the LNER livery lends itself to masking the appearance of the Markits axle nuts on the drivers. I always feel that these are a visual let down on otherwise excellent models, don't Markits provide covers for these? Glenn

I have just seen photos of these 3rd Class Dining Saloons/Open 3rds on the Hattons website and have to say I am very disappointed. The glazing: main window, ventilator glass and the bodywork 'bar' between them, are noticeably recessed into the body and look nothing like the prototype unless viewed from side-on. Curious as Hornby got this feature right with the glazing on the 1st Class Dining Saloons/Restaurant Cars themselves. ... and now I have noticed the oversized seams on the lower bodyside I definitely won't bother, there were only six of the things after all. If you look at photos of the prototype, there is a prominent horizontal seam between each of the main windows, there are seams at the top of the windows and on the bodyside but these are so subtle as to be almost invisible. It seems(!) Hornby have made all these seams the same size and consequently spoiled the appearance. Now if that nice Mr Muz were to have a word in Simon's ear! Glenn

Robin, I too was impressed by these and have stretched the credit card balance to purchase four of them. I think Rapido have captured the subtleties of the wooden planking better than most manufacturers. Lots of clever details: different buffers and cast works plates on the underframe to name but two. Livery is just about spot on, although those wheel centres should be black, or better still weathered. Glenn

I have two U's: one is still the full kit of parts in the DJH box, the other a non-runner "in need of restoration", or it will go in a skip! Seriously(ish), would love to see both the U and U1 produced RTR, but the manufacturers are deep into producing one-off diesel models right now, well anything one-off (LNER W1 for instance). Maybe I should just sell the whole lot, relax and resume my drinking habit ... hmm, tempting! Love the D1 but beyond the obvious livery errors, looking at the photos are the drivers undersized? Glenn

... and seven years later, still no sign of the things. I did email Bachmann a couple of years ago about making a model of the U Class: 50 built, 4 preserved, almost as widespread as the N Class in their working lives. I got a polite 'we'll consider it' reply. Glenn

Couldn't agree more, where is that U Class?, there were 50 of the things after all. Glenn

He's not Felstead, he's a very naughty boy! ... sorry, couldn't resist. Glenn

Not sure about the smokebox door. It looks like it's too far forward, it should sit in a recess around its circumference (word of the day?!). Glenn

Could you just swap the tender bodies over?, I think it is only the brake handle that causes any grief. The polarity of the tender changes between each batch with Hornby. With my cynical head on I thought it was to prevent tender swaps but I suspect it's not that devious just the way the factory turned them out at the time.

34107 would have lost the casing ahead of the cylinders by the time the tender was cut down, a sharp knife will sort that out. As already mentioned, Fox etched plates/plaques/scrolls would improve the look of the loco considerably. Much as I like Fox nameplates those for 34043 are noticeably too long, I used Modelmaster for Combe Martin as they are closer to the correct length. Glenn

I'd forgotten about the Kruger ... and I thought Bulleid's Q1 was No.1 in the ugly stakes! Glenn

"More King action" - oh, it's not that bad ... ... although I much prefer a Castle. Keep up the good work, Glenn

Excellent Andy, a candid interview with the boys from Barwell showing that Bachmann are alive and well and very much on the ball. The Class 47 was a revelation earlier this month, the Class 40 and the G5 look excellent as well. The Bulleid coaches look to be fine models and as an SR modeller I look forward to their release. I pray that among their 'in the background' projects are the SR U Class moguls, this class regularly appeared in the most-wanted lists for years but nothing has yet appeared. With a range of tooling options the entire range of Maunsell moguls would be possible, all 172 of them. Fingers crossed. Glenn

If you want to see what life was like 50 years ago, get the Isle of Wight Ferry