gc4946

It took me about three hours this afternoon and tonight to rectify both my Hornby's A3 60078 Night Hawk front bogies because they rode badly and derailed on plain track. Earlier on, my ex-Easterner set A4 60004 William Whitelaw needed similar work, but was less of a problem. I now own three mechanically optimised Gresley pacifics. On the other hand all my diesels ran OK out of the box (Hornby 08, Tillig DB V162, V200 and PKP train set loco)

At last, this afternoon I erected my 90 x 90 cm setup. A few teething troubles especially with uneven railjoints and having to adjust Hornby's A3 60078 Night Hawk's front bogie bar because the bogie constantly derailed, now largely sorted. This layout is more suited to smaller locos, hopefully a J50 and/or J94 will be in my hands at some point.

Impressed so far with your progress, what livery are you planning to complete your model?

Back to my home situation ... Today my extra half-circle of Tillig 310 mm radius curves arrived by post. Tonight I've partly reorganised the spare room to make it easier to extract both tables to mount the 90 square cm layout in the living room. Tomorrow I'll rig up my layout for the first time in nearly a year to see how my latest iteration stands up.

Trial fitting of passing loop/goods yard. The station area will have single track. Fortunately Tillig's straight points are very compact, however I'll need to buy six more pieces of 310 mm radius curves in order to keep the parallel outer line on the boards. Fitting 353 mm radii pieces pushes the outer circuit over the edge of the board. In any case there'll be safeguards against trains crashing to the ground as part of my 900 mm square setup.

Also Peterborough area, ex-LMS traction arriving from Northampton https://www.peterboroughimages.co.uk/black-five-at-oundle-station-1964/ though no J94s were allocated to New England shed

Hornby's recent announcement of a J50 tank loco means their steam and transition era stock, current and planned, is biased towards the ex-Great Northern section of LNER and Eastern Region. With their planned Black 5, the best geographic combination for all their stock side by side - A3, A4, J94, classes 08, 31 and 37, and their LMS, LNER, BR Mk1 and Pullman carriages, would be on the approaches to Leeds from Settle & Carlisle line, Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield. Either Holbeck area or former Leeds Central station could fit the bill.

For a start, many apologies for not posting anything in this thread for a long while. The slower than usual introduction of British TT:120 hasn't helped matters. I'm also carefully choosing which British models I'll own in the long term. However, work's recently begun on a station. The only locations on my setup allowing anywhere like a decent station are the corner bases. I've considered a bay platform but this'll be a single platform. Goods yard and possibly engine shed will be located on other corner sections. Platform height of curved station is 10.5 mm, just enough clearance to clear a 26.4 m long DB carriage with protruding steps, running on Tillig pre-ballasted track. For comparison a short British-style platform is 17 mm height, again using the same track.

With the J50, if you're prepared to accept huge gaps in traction and rolling stock, based on Hornby's current and future intentions (J94, Black 5, classes 31 and 37) a scenario based in the West Riding of Yorkshire is possible. I'm already leaning into that possibility.

I hope Hornby caters for most variations I hope Hornby caters for both 57XX and 8750 class variations, and simultaneously bring out a Toad brake van

Then Hornby would need to tool up a pair of matching Maunsell carriages in order that modellers could produce a "Hayling Island" scenario, the tooling costs would initially make that non-viable.

If Hornby produces a Black 5, J94, classes 31 and 37 as planned, the best area to model based on what's actually offered or in the pipeline would be either the southern ECML or West Riding of Yorkshire in the steam/transition era. In terms of post-steam diesel/electric practice, BR Western Region (HST, 08, 47, 50) or lines served by the current GWR (HST, 08, 66)

This morning I received an email from Hornby asking me to update my card in order that the purchase be processed, which I've now done. Hornby's subsequent email stated my order "will shortly be prepared for despatch"

Hornby hasn't yet invoiced me for my three preordered Total TTAs, I'm hoping they'll arrive next week or so

I rarely place preorders but ordered a pair of Liverpool & Manchester 2nd class carriages and the Royal Mail coach which will be available separately as a mainstream release for the first time.

I'm delighted that Hornby's announcing a model of Locomotion in time for next year's 200th Stockton & Darlington's anniversary.. Hornby's seeing a niche for early railways However I'm surprised they haven't announced any appropriate Skaledale 1830s structures to accompany Rocket and Lion. PS The First Great Western local lines 153 will fly off the shelves in no time!

I don't know if Hornby scanned a Jinty survivor because they're only currently producing OO Railroad versions (based on late 70s tooling) Otherwise a J50 could appear because they've produced an LNER brake van. A Terrier would need appropriate rolling stock (eg Maunsell carriages, SR brake vans) which haven't been announced so far

A Jinty would be desirable for their new 0-6-0T, but I won't be surprised if Hornby shrinks a Terrier or J50 because they've done all the work in the past few years.

Tonight I collected my 08 from DPD pickup point, I examined it for any damage in transit, there was none, then quickly tested that on a short piece of track, it ran OK without jerking or wobbling. Then put it back in its box for now, another satisfied customer! It'll be my last TT:120 loco for some time now - I also own a pair of A3s, an A4, Tillig DB V 162 (later BR 217), DB V 200 (later BR 220) and train set PKP Traxx diesel.

Hornby's blue 08s have arrived at their warehouse and my order is being processed. I'm eagerly looking forward to mine!

Tender drawbar engages in a slot under the cab (with close-up view)

My chosen base model, Bachmann's 31-853 version. I'll re-number the loco but won't modify the tender by removing the tool box.

I bought Bachmann's 31-853 LNER no. 1996 from an auction site, thanks for the offer. Incidentally mum lived near Tivetshall, Norfolk at the time it was numbered 1940 so she could have seen it there

Thanks my plan is to reproduce no. 1940 as new in 1938 from Darlington in plain black with high-front 4200 gal tender

Thanks will examine images online and/or locos on sale at shows for the base model