Bomag

Class 120 were not delivered in sets, there was some overlap in construction of the driving cars and intermediate cars but to start with (end of 1957) there were only DMBC finished.

If somebody is willing to chip in I can probably get EARM to paint 69621 blue as GER 999. Oxford can then do an authentic GER blue version without people nit picking minor 'errors'. It's a minor miracle that there is going to be a RTR model in OO so don't start quibbling - however as they have switched from E6921 to 69612 I may go for 1002 in Gray and then get one of 7999/9621/69621 if they get round to it

To lose one operator is unfortunate, two is slightly careless but three is a reflection of to much treasury influence.

Sorry, I don't get the connection. From the information I have seen Dapol have issues with particular products not selling and a lack of pre-oders, both of which may be down to the often silly mistakes in models (mainly livery defects). The inference is that N Gauge modelers are seen as fickle; coversely some N gauge modelers see Dapol as being wofully inconsistent e.g. the Class 68 looks good, the 142 less so. This has no bearing on whether a £900 APT model will sell and whether a £600 lower spec version would sell better. In tems of the limited number of retailers doing 'N' gauge specials, there is a fairly obvious difference between 'N' and 'OO' - the former has a quality society dedicated to its promotion which also produces many kits and RTR products which in OO are covered by shop commisions. While I am just about willing to spend £900 on the current APT concept I would much rather have fewer bells and whistles leave enough cash for a Class 85, or even better a 309.

I passed it on the late running 14:05 from KX. It did not particularly singed, all the firemen were standing on the platform looking as though the fun was over. I was slightly disappointed not to go via the Hertford loop as originally expected.

In answer to your point, you may not be the only one but from the models which are sold off cheap it looks often to be the BR blue versions which don't sell as well. For those growing up after the end of the steam ban when apart from No 9 nearly everything on the mainline was was in Big Four livery the current obsession with dull BR liveries cannot end soon enough. However, each to their own.

I had a pleasent 50 min at paddington yesterday (16:30 onwards) of the four 800 services I saw three were wedged 5 car sets

If we are looking at options then the base pack coupld be the preserved 6 car set with one exta pack being the trailer cars of one set and a second pack would be the trailer cars but with the TRSB replaced with with a second motor car. one of each forming a 14 car train. You can go for the cheaper 'full' set with one motor by getteing 2 extra pack 1s

Full marks for not running away from Mk2s but perhaps if DFR had not cut up a XP64 coach some years ago more coach enthusiats might be more supportive.

I passed the NRM last night going South. The NRM sign on the north front of the building had gone but the plastic/fabric sign on the side saying NRM was still there.

They only gave choices of sets as they were at the time of the vote i.e. nothing which had been renamed or choosing a 3901xx namber for a 8 or 9 car set. So it was not exactly a specific decision to only omit 033. While I think that some people are quite happy to be 'sensitive' for other people regarding stock in crashes, it would be better to chose something which did not have a very much shorter life than every other similar vehicles - Farish's first Mk2a BSO had a life of about 2 years rather than 30 than most of the rest.

You have the wrong end of the stick, it is not 'enthusiast' who have revised the past it's that for the last 50 years its been a steady race to the bottom. This means that what was passable in 1976 is now 'best practice' (well MML/GC/EC stock). As far as i was concerened the only thing wrong with HSTs was the brakes, which were eventually fixed - the freshly prepared food was usually better than anthing from a Mk1 RBR or RMB. In terms of the Great Traveling Public new, shiny, free wifi and power sockets are defiantely a draw but as XC have found with the refurbished HSTs regular travellers are quite happy to adust thier working day to fit in with HST diagrams out of Birmingham.

Surviving coaches in the following ranges were renumbered from 1983 when coaches were added to TOPS to avoid clashing with locos and SR units. 14xxx 15xxx 16xxx 25xxx 26xxx

For 1980 the number sequences for Mk1s were SK 24xxx-262xx BSK 34xxx-354xx CK 15xxx-162xx FK 13xxx TSO 37xx-50xx BFK 14xxx Coaches in the following ranges are too late for 1980 SK in 18xxx-19xxx CK in 7xxx BFK in 17xxx

Is there any confirmation of when they expect everything will be dispatched?

Given the weather forecast for the area the punters are likely to appreciate the ETH. I once got off the sleeper at Newtonmore in May to find it snowing.

There are over 60 Hunslet Austerities left.

According to the staff at the house he had somewhere to put it, just that the low loader they used was unable to negotiate the entrance off the B class road. The quoted extra cost for changes to the drive plus redelivery cost from BR was more than he was prepared to pay.

The NT at Cleveden Court clearly state that it got to the gates before it was realised it would not fit. While the NT does turn some of their sites into playgrounds their history research is usually checked, and not only on Wiki.

In 1997 40414 was in a cross country set. While it would have got to Glasgow I don't think HSTs even went on the West Highland on rail tours, though being RA5 they could have done.

As stated the Dapol buffet car is a compromise between two different HST vehicles and the loco hauled RSM/RFM (102xx). All of which have 4 passenger seating bays. To clarify one comment above the coach does not fully represent all RFM. When numbered 40000-40034 (or 40400-434) the buffet car represents a TRSB. For IC Swallow sets these were mainly used on cross country serviceswith seven trailers, one TF and the bar area mainly next to the TF (although they were seen the other way round). There was no yellow band. A couple of 404xx were also spare catering vehciles for GW services and could be seen in 8 car sets with 2xTF. Several TRSB were modeified as TRB with 1st seating and yellow band. These were the normal catering vehilces on shorter distance GW routes. The seating was next to the TFs The second type of HST catering coach it is suitable for is the TRUK/TRFK. By the IC Swallow period only two where in normal service as second vehicles in the EC Pullman sets. An additional one (40513) was used as an executive saloon. The remaining HST IC Swallow sets (EC, MML and GW long distance 8+ car sets) had 403xx/407xx/40619 TRUB/TRFB coaches which only have 3 passenger bays (which were neraly always next to the TFs). If you don't mind the wrong number of windows then the model (without yellow band) may be suitable for early GW repainted sets as these lasted as 403xx TRUB later than the EC ones However, my interests were elsewere in this period so cannot confirm it. You don't say where you model. The 7 coach cross country sets, for which the Dapol coach is most relavent, ran along with EC, MML and GW sets. While very rare at London termi they were the most widley seen sets.

The oldest Mk 1 vehcile is apoximately 67 yerars old the youngest about 43. While they never fully solved the durability issues the basic design meant that we can carry on fixing them

There are Freightliner branded container wagons available (Dapol 2F-044-001 to 004). If you are refering to specific types of wagons it may be helpful to say which ones.

The Farish Digital set with the Inverness based 37/4 has been released. Can you run Farish DCC (non-sound) fitted locos on DC without swaping the decoder out?

I was at York show and two layouts had effectively units, a lot of GM locos and the odd Class 70. Good looking layouts and stock, but boring (like many GW layouts). One layout also apparently runs stock appropriate for sectorisation to privatisation and had a much more varied stock.