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For once, I wouldn't entirely blame the DfT in this sorry saga. Porterbrook conceived the idea, Porterbrook Sold the idea, Porterbrook chose to allow these units to go for conversion without even conceiving or testing a prototype unit first. Even ROG seems to have gone cold with it's Parcel 768s, in part through their sheer unreliability and through a lack of trained drivers on them. The DfT might have allowed these units to happen as a result of the lack of electrified routes areas (and some kind of cohesive plan for consistent rolling electrification) but a large proportion of blame here lies at Porterbrook's door. The fact that this whole project (for TfW, GWR, Northern & ROG) is now several years late - and in the case of Northern, the newer trains have been built, tested and entered service quicker than the 769s did - and is still showing pretty abysmal levels of unreliability, has been something of an embarrassment for them. The 319s, post Thameslink or any other AC only use, should really have headed for Newport.

I have to say I'm very much with @James Makin on this one, I know I'm potentially playing it risky with these, but I'm sorry to say Hornby that I will now be holding back my pre-orders of them until I can see one in the flesh. I just cant understand why they now see Waterslide Transfers as producing a better quality finish than the previously Tampo Printed models (Mk2D, Mk3 TGS and Mk3 Sleepers) which despite their age, still stack up as some of the finest livery applications Hornby has managed to date - Even getting the ticket gold band and white lines to curve around the door of the (incorrectly tooled!) Mk2 D. It really makes it difficult to see the quality (Tampo vs Waterslide) argument. For comparison and showing off some of Hornby's previous efforts, I dug out some of my models for a quick photo in the garden this morning; Here is a Hornby Mk2 & Mk3 with the Lima rendition for comparison. Although the white lines look a little bunched in these photos, it's always been a livery which seems to play havoc with camera's, as the real thing shows here on Nathan Williamson's website:

A few of the NTC Wagons were still in Eastleigh Works when I was down there last week. Whether or not they've left since I don't know I'm afraid.

Do we know if the NTC is still down the "branch" at the moment or if it's elsewhere - I ask as there's a few of the NTC wagons currently sat in Eastleigh Works, which makes we wonder if it's temporarily stopped - which if so is a bit of a shame as... ... This tweet from Phil Marsh this week shows that rail's have started to arrive at Swanbourne.

Indeed! TRTs are their official name (Trac Rail Transposer) and predominately used by McCulloch Rail. More info on them can be found here: https://www.mccullochrail.com/trt/ As a side note - that Harsco / Balfour Beatty NTC really is an impressive piece of kit. I once ended up spending about an hour watching them lay the track through Caldercruix on the A to B (Airdrie to Bathgate) project a few years ago, absolutely fascinating!

Slightly incorrect - the 185 uses the same Aluminium bodies as the rest of the standard Desiro UK fleet, along with the same very heavy SF5000 UK bogie (of which SWT were considering replacing theirs with the same lighter weight design used under the 700s), but the addition of the Cummins QSK19 needed to provide rapid power over the Pennines adds around 10 tonnes to their car weight.

I'm still trying to hold off purchasing a 90, though the RES and EWS Examples do look rather good. I wonder if the RES 90 will lead to a reintroduction of the Super BGs? I'm still a little surprised and disappointed that there's been no further 158 releases though, it's been 4 years since the last ones were announced - id have expected those to be something of a goldmine for Bachmann given the wide range of regions and liveries the class have carried. But, I'm pleased about those working BSI couplings though - I will certainly be having a few packs of those!

I'd like to hope that (and I'm trying to say this without treading that fine line between wish listing and hope) that we see some more liveries on some of the existing tooling's first. Both Hornby and Bachmann are sitting on a number of goldmines with their DMU toolings, but seem to be somewhat drip feeding us with certain liveries. I guess we'll have to see what tomorrow morning brings us - it's going to be an interesting day with both Bachmann's announcement and East Midlands Railway's HST related one!

Seems to be a bit of an odd one, very few photos seem to exist of it named but you can just about make out something over the first window in this one.

Nice connection there! My family connection is a little more modern and probably saw your 86 off! (221110 / James Cook). I was rather disappointed to hear Avanti had removed the remaining Super Voyager nameplates as I was hoping to be in with a shot of acquiring that one, but sadly it had been removed and was on it's way to Auction before I found out. And no, sadly the sticky back plastic version on Northern Rail's 156490 didn't really appeal to me!

Thank you for the explanation Simon! Very informative and interesting. It's good to hear that they are planned to run on AC between Reading and Reading West, then diesel from there onwards to Basingstoke. Part of me wishes that the run off at Southcote could be extended at least down to Green Park, which could allow a form of dynamic changeover down there, as well as a start towards Basingstoke. And if necessary, the one day basis of an electric shuttle or extension of services down to Green Park (if that ever becomes possible / reality etc). I'll see if I can grab a photo of the camera type thing next time - I'm not sure if it was pointing upwards towards the pantographs or downwards towards the track work, however it certainly sounds like an impressive piece of kit!

On a quick trip up to Reading this week, I did notice that these signs have now gone up at Southcote Junction in the Basingstoke direction - I'm unsure if there is any for the Reading bound direction instructing drivers to raise the pantograph though? But what did catch my eye, and you may know the answer to this one, was a rather unusual camera type thing, pointing downwards towards the rails, and mounted from one of the OHLE gantries. Unfortunately I couldn't nab a photo of it on the return journey.

Is this the kind of photo your after? Here are a few of 43143 at Penzance on the 18th of April 2015.

Poor Bristol LH! 😭😆

I hope Mike doesn’t mind, here’s my photos of Oak Road at Alley Palley. Apologies if you’ve seen them on Facebook this week! As you might have guessed, I might have spent some time watching this one (along with Deadman’s Lane and Redbridge!).

Not just as mentioned above, but they did have a brief hire period to First Transpennine Express which would have taken them along parts of the WCML (as highlighted on revolutions map). A 180 or two has also visited Oxley depot when Virgin were looking to hire 3 to replace the Pendolino written off in the Grayrigg incident - they were looked over at Oxley for a while before being leased to NXEA for the Lincoln services. In the end I think NXEA subleased them to Northern - and low and behold, after they finished with them, they returned, full circle, back to First Great Western!

It was indeed staffed by FGW / GWR, but certainly not to the extent it is now. The ticket office was previously part of the main building located up on the platform, and the station was ungated. Having been posted to Burnham station several times under the previous administration, I can tell you each visit was not a fun experience - Burnham effectively was what Reading West is to Reading, an ungated unbarriered station which often bought fare evasion and anti-social behaviour sometimes in equal measures. Thankfully, with Crossrail now fitting ticket barriers, ticket offices and actually staffing these stations, will bring down instances of the aforementioned issues considerably.

A huge and welcome transformation for this station, which, let's face it, had become something of a run down dump prior to Crossrail's arrival. I'm impressed to see that it's now fully staffed and has a gateline - which should help to keep some of the undesirables out (I've worked there so you'll have trust me on that!). All in all, well done MTR & Crossrail.

Another + 2 for the First North Western livery. More so as I remember them like this (and something to run alongside my 143s)

I cant certainly tell you that the owners (RA) are aware of how they are going to be used. But, thanks to Covid delays etc, everything will be revealed soon enough.

Well, it's late but here's brief my take on it, starting with that preverbal Elephant in the room. Yes, the range is more expensive than we've seen before, we all know the reasons why and the price is going to be higher than last years ranges. Let's move on. FGW "Fag Packet " HST - Thank You Hornby. A much requested model, and the early indications are that this will be a good one. Along with the newly tooled Mk3s to match, you could very well be about to win me back on this. I Just hope the QC Teams are on the ball and able to match the quality of the earlier FGW Fag Packet releases (Please use metallic gold for the band, rather than the leftover Colmans mustard Bachmann used for their 57/6). Also - New, and correct, lighting set ups on the MML Power Cars. Good! That opens up the possibility of a few other options in the future too including MML Ocean Blue, and later examples such as EMR's Purple 43272. The return, and re-tooling of the 4VEP - Another welcome surprise, I'd sort of expected it to make a return but not in post privatisation liveries, so this is very welcome indeed. I might have to consider a SWT version as it's something I have many happy memories of travelling on throughout my childhood. The SouthCentral / Southern liveried unit is a bit of an odd choice, purely because of the limited application of the livery (i.e 1 Unit), compared to the common as muck Connex version. Perhaps that's one for the future? The FLIRT is certainly an impressive choice for the stand out "new" model. Not in my area, but as other's have pointed out, it operates over quite a wide ranging geographical area, and could well both lead to further GA liveried models (MK3s, DVTs, re-run of the 153?). There certainly hasn't been that much of the Anglian region modelled, and those that have beeb produced are also rather difficult to get hold of. One model I'm a little bit disappointed about is the Intercity / Wessex / FMRail 31 - I was rather hoping this would come out on the new tooling than the ex Lima one. And I do agree about the odd lack of 31/4 in BR Blue amongst other liveries. On the flip side, I am a little bit surprised to see a return of the NXEC / EC HST (previously a Modelzone Ltd) over a slightly more obvious Virgin Trains HST rake - It's certainly been a while since we last saw the VT HST released, and in the 25th year since Virgin Trains was launched, I would have thought would have been a nice one to release. Also, no further liveries on the 153s or no new modern wagons is a little bit of a disappointment. But, it is a range with a bit of everything for (nearly) everyone, and it certainly fills a gap in my HST Fleet.

They are indeed back in the UK and currently receiving modifications at Eastleigh Works which will see them work with RA's Barrier vans. Just because they haven't been sent out on the mainline yet doesn't mean they're a flop (especially when Arlington are currently repainting and modifying the rest of the batch) not aimed at you Mick!) I think, unlike the FlOyd 56, these will be more popular. Both in terms of being a buffered HST, and as Rail Adventure seem quite keen to show their fleet off - even of course going to the expense of taking them to Europe, touring parts of Germany with them before returning them home.

Regarding the FLIRT and Anglian based models, I don't think it would take much for Hornby to produce the GA Mk3 + DVTs. The RCS branded versions were due to be produced as part of the LSL collection last year (admittedly using the old tooling) but they'll have the artwork. The did of course previously produce a Greater Anglia 153 - Perfect for the transition period if you can get your hands on one. They really are as rare as white rocking horse doo now (admittedly I converted mine to become 153305).

I know, but it was EMT Blue than EMR blue. Wouldn't take much to remove the EMT printing and replace it with a EMR transfer though if desired. XC on hire - You wouldn't need the XC Power Cars here, just some LNER ones if you can get hold of them. August Bank Holiday 2019 saw at least 2 shortened LNER sets go on hire to XC for several North East - South West services.