gc4946

I've had a break but recently sound-fitted two more of my Scottish loco and multiple unit collection, a Hornby J36 and a hybrid Lima body/Hornby chassis 156. Fitting the sound chip and speaker in the 156 was far easier than the J36, the 156 had the whole assembly fitted in the passenger saloon. With the J36, I tried many ways to keep the height of the wiring and chip down until I sufficiently moved the wiring around inside to properly replace the tender top on its chassis.

My mum could have seen them steaming through Tivetshall, Norfolk in the 40s, I'm considering buying an example. However, I'm assuming the loco will be based on the full-fat version of the B17, as opposed to the Railroad version.

I emailed Hornby suggesting the 2nd class carriage be offered separately, I already own a R3810 pack with three 1st class carriages with three R40102 3rd class carriages and arguably the 2nd class carriages should be more widely available to form prototypical trains.

Maybe Hornby's trawling through Hornby Dublo's archives looking for any locos depicted in their artworks, or those which design work started, but were never produced

I'd never anticipated Hornby bringing out this model! It's a nod to Dublo and Liverpool - the prototype first ran in service between London Euston and Liverpool before transferring to the ECML.

The R30090 L&M Rocket train pack includes a newly-tooled 2nd class carriage exclusive to that pack, I hope it's made separately available for those who bought the R3809 and R3810 packs.

That's very encouraging news, Hornby must have been caught out by surprise about the level of interest in TT:120

Today I was back at work after my Xmas and New Year break, that's why I was able to reach the state of progress that I'm in regarding the layout. My next task will be finishing off the Nissen huts. Hopefully this month or next my Hornby A3 pacific and its pair of Mk1 carriages will arrive. They'll be thoroughly track tested. No name has yet been decided for this layout, however I may go for a dual identity depending on whether I run German or British stock.

Very welcome news I'll order decals and plates for 60108 Gay Crusader when available

Another milestone completed. All unpainted styrene covered and/or painted over except for the areas where the Nissen huts stand. I haven't added scenics in all corners yet, because I want to lay extra track either to create a double track or single track oval with passing loop and sidings, which I have available track to hand. And a second photo with a DB freight train and road vehicles added

I'm glad Hornby's sorting out the loco for you. At the moment not too concerned at the lack of a front coupling, because my layout under construction is roundy-roundy. However that would be an issue if modellers wanted to run an end to end heritage railway or engine shed layout. I hope on later production runs Hornby retools the bogie to allow a front coupling to be fitted and offer that as a spare part for upgrade.

I've drawn up my final list of speculation before 10th January: New tooling: LNER D49 Rebuilt Merchant Navy Mk1 BFK LMS Stanier non-corridor push-pull coach A North British or Caledonian Railway goods van Upgraded: 466 Networker with DCC capability Oxford Rail's models brought into Hornby's main range, upgraded where necessary. Specials: Dublo Castle Locos representing the Big 4 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their establishment Locos representing the first days of British Railways 75th anniversary with early and experimental liveries Plus packs of four wagons, each from one of the big 4 companies, accompanying the above locos 4-coach pack of ex-Big 4 parcels vehicles in rail blue era (Hawksworth BG in blue, LMS 50' BG in blue/grey, SR Bogie B in blue and LNER 4-wheel CCT in blue) Reliveries: Freightliner Genesee & Wyoming class 90 (Railroad) Current Scotrail and Northern 156s Stanier non-corridors in BR lined maroon

Latest progress as of tonight: Horizontal and vertical grid roads and paving completed, curved sections awaiting attention. Work to begin on finishing Nissen huts soon.

Hornby has the TT9001 NER footbridge in stock https://uk.Hornby.com/products/footbridge-tt9001

Dent station didn't have a footbridge even in BR steam days so Hornby downsized their North Eastern Railway model instead.

It's a good thing Hornby hasn't started advertising its TT range to Joe Public yet because of the shortages, problems with quality control and delays to products. As a well-known brand, people would have been up in arms across the media! Probably better to hold back mass advertising until spring or summer when more product is available to ship from the UK.

Customers could have pointed that out to Hornby so I won't be surprised a Saltire 156 will reappear next year. Hornby's only done one production run in Saltire, R2950. That carried the original logo with "Scotland's Railway" as a tagline, but current trains have that in English and Scots Gaelic.

Gresley's pacifics often hauled ex-LMS stock on Liverpool-Newcastle services between Leeds and Newcastle. There's two photos of Stanier carriages behind Gresley's pacifics in Martin Bairstow's Railways around Harrogate, volume 1 (published by the author, 1986): Page 25: A3 60036 Colombo hauling southbound express (Newcastle-Liverpool?) with rake of Stanier crimson/cream carriages through Melmerby north of Ripon sometime in the early 50s Page 59: A4 60032 Gannet hauling Newcastle-Llandudno service through Wetherby 3rd August 1963

Once I have my A3 pacific and rolling stock in my hands I'll also check my stocks of transfers. I just hope someone will produce suitable etched or paper self-adhesive nameplates for those who want to change their loco's IDs. I've only preordered 2 maroon Mk1s because Hornby will release Gresley composites and brake 3rds during phases 3 or 4 (see page 22 of brochure)

For next year's rolling stock announcements: A newly tooled Mk1 BFK - never done RTR by any manufacturer LMS/BR Stanier non-corridor push-pull coach A pre-group Scottish railway company van (either Caledonian or North British Railway - examples survive in preservation) Lined BR maroon Stanier non-corridors A train pack of four wagons to celebrate the centenary of the big 4: GWR, LMS, LNER, SR

Now preordered A3 60078 Night Hawk, two maroon Mk1s (CK, BSK) and LNER Toad brake van in BR livery

I'm almost on the point of preordering a Hornby A3. It'll be their 60078 Night Hawk https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-class-a3-4-6-2-60078-night-hawk-era-4-tt3005m At some point it'll be renumbered and renamed as 60108 Gay Crusader, as per my GC ID but Fox Transfers haven't released any 1:120 scale transfers (decals) or nameplates yet. The Hornby model is correct for its loco and tender combination but I daren't postpone my purchase much longer in case the batch production gets snapped up

It's the number on the shipping box

1839 Scotsman sets produced, I wonder how many Easterner sets will be made? Seriously it shows how much interest there's in Hornby's new venture.

Hornby will announce appropriate locos for their LNWR and NBR 4- and 6-wheelers. Both the NBR Glen 4-4-0 and LNWR George V 4-4-0 will be in their range, a Glen is preserved and there's a group working on a new build of the LNWR class https://newprincegeorgesteam.org.uk/