valeofyork

It still had those fairings: http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v3.php?img=0522051134211 It's underframe tank arrangement (and jumper cables / pipes) which I confess I find something of a mystery!

I've recently bought a Bachmann bodyshell from another RMwebber, in Executive livery and numbered / named as 47515 Night Mail and need a chassis for it. I'm told that this one has the correct chassis (apart from lacking ETS jumpers): http://www.ehattons.com/70413/Bachmann_Branchline_31_650M_Class_47_1662_Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel_in_BR_blue_Modelzone_Exclusive_/StockDetail.aspx What about this one? http://www.ehattons.com/23488/Bachmann_Branchline_31_652_Class_47_4_47474_Sir_Rowland_Hill_in_Parcels_red_grey/StockDetail.aspx A local-ish model shop has one in stock and it's cheaper than the blue one from Hattons. Is the chassis suitable?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-CLASS-57-LOCO-DRS-/390761018611?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item5afb2bf4f3 'Excellent Condition' - but appears to be missing a wheelset!

Some of them are £175 (the 'very rare' ones - i.e. the ones which only come up on ebay once a fortnight or so as opposed to most weeks). I notice that the condoms aren't 'rare', which is probably just as well as otherwise there would be too many unintended babies around!

I tried it with train tickets, and even that didn't work - once a ticket was wedged in one side it wasn't possible to separate the side and the glazing on the other side enough to get even the thickness of a ticket in without risking breaking something.

With regard to modifying the interior of the CO so that it has half first and half standard class seating, has anyone actually managed to dismantle a Dapol Mk3 down to the level of removing the seating without damaging anything? I've just tried and haven't managed it! The roof comes off without problem, but I couldn't get the glazing out - it's in several sections with bars across the top (and part of the same moulding as the windows) holding it in place, and the sections seem to be so tightly wedged in that they wouldn't come out without using a lot of force - I gave up because any more force than I tried would probably have broken them. Admittedly I'm hardly the most skilled at this sort of thing, but has anyone else managed it successfully?

I've got a 153, and they are constructed in a very similar manner to the Mk3s, apart from having a higher floor because of the motor.

Hmm. that seemed the case to me too - I've just tried getting glazing sections out by pulling the carriage side out and wedging an old train ticket in the gap between the side and the glazing, then attempting to do the other side. That didn't work though - cant make enough or a gap to do the same on the other side without using enough force that it'll probably break either the coach side or the glazing! Still thinking about whether to get the Scotrail set from C&M models, but if I do then the CO will have to make do with the first-class seating. No way is it worth the high chance of breaking it to get the seating out and cut it so that half can be replaced with a standard class layout!

How do you get the seats out of these? I've got one of the ones with the misprint on them (Rails are selling them cheap) to try a few things out on, and it doesn't want to be dismantled! Roof and bogies come off easily enough, but how does the interior come out? Do all the glazing units have to come out first (some of which are wedged by the seats), or does the bottom come off? Not the end of the world if I damage it, but I'd rather get it apart without breaking anything if I can! Thanks

I've used these for all sorts of things (including model trains) - they come in very many sizes! Stationery suppliers such as Rymans often stock a variety of sizes, so might be worth going and having a look and see if any of them meet your needs.

Well you could, but given that the whole thing even down to the couplings seems to have been sprayed gold it would be easier (and cheaper) to buy an ordinary non-rare one which hasn't been "improved".

Wonder what possessed someone to decide that it was a good idea to commission this hideous object? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261383442745?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Would any of the currently-avaialble 47s be suitable for a repaint as 47596 as it is currently (preserved at MNR, carrying NSE livery)? Thanks

The TGS still hasn't been released. I believe the only HST which it's been possible to actually complete so far is the Grand Central one, as they don't have a TGS.

True - it's an inevitable compromise when there is only one tooling. It's also particularly obvious with the buffet for the East Midlands Trains HST, which is modelled as a 4-window buffet when all of theirs are actually 3-window.

You could do, but the seating arrangement would then be wrong - depends whether you are bothered about that!

TRSBs are standard class, and are numbered in the 404xx range. The only ones now in use as such as the three with Grand Central. A number have been converted into first-class buffets, but in all cases have been renumbered as part of this. Virgin did use TRSBs on their cross country sets, and these should not have the yellow stripe or the '1' on them. I've just had a look at the photos on Rails' website, and both of the two (40401 and 40434) are incorrect. As part of the same batch Dapol have also produced RFM 10211 in Virgin livery, which is first-class and should therefore have the yellow stripe and the '1'. It appears that they have incorrectly used the same livery for the TRSBs as well.

Neither was the FGW HST!

Recent Hornby items currently going for silly amounts: SIlver Royal Class 67 HST power cars in current FGW livery Mk3s in current FGW livery (particularly the TRFB and TGS; the TS and TF have been going for less since Hornby released another batch of them). Mk3s in East Coast livery HST power cars in blue/grey livery My predictions for the future include the forthcoming 67006 in Royal livery - once that's sold out I reckon it'll reach high prices on ebay. The forthcoming HST in Executive livery is likely to go the same way too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/00-gauge-Car-Show-scene-diorama-made-for-Hornby-train-layout-/231134169792?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item35d0ab8ac0 Car show?Or dogging session?

Rails reporting a new batch in stock - FGW TS / FOs, Virgin TRSBs and some loco-hauled stock - TSOs, FOs and RFM.

The 66 isn't really up to standard - it's not anywhere near as good as the Bachmann one. Neither is the 47 (either of their toolings), or the Deltic. Plus all of the AC electrics are very dated.

So far as I am aware, the only RFMs (102xx) which have ever carried blue and grey are the Cargo-D / DB ones. I believe that when converted from various other types of carriage they were painted in swallow livery (or possibly some Executive?) Which numbers are Dapol doing? There are relatively few which would be suitable (and they should have CDL lights).

In some cases they are realistically the only option though - some modern liveries would defy even the most skilled of modellers to paint them. In the case of 185s, there isn't really anything which could serve as a base model for a conversion either - I guess the Bachmann 350 is closest, being another Desiro, but it isn't particularly close.

I've certainly seen (good) professional repaints sold on ebay, so the dynamic lines can evidently be done. Yes, the 185s are vinylled rather than painted (think the 166s are the same) so I can see why it would be difficult to do a model of them with the colour gradation - wonder if they'd considered doing a model with vinyls rather than printing direct onto the bodyshell?