Billystanier

If Hornby want to make money from model railways, anything new toolled needs to be modern image. Run-of-the-mill steam is largely dead and retoolling old models or releasing yet another version in BR black is a waste of time. More B12s, Kings, Halls, K1s, S15s, 700s, Scots, J15s, D16s, 8Fs, Granges, Q6s....pointless. Even BR green diesels are not as popular. You rarely see anything from BR TOPS blue onwards in the bargain bin. The only steam that may be a winner are Victorian pre-grouping with exotic liveries or little industrials.

£800k retail value of stock apparently. All from the previous owner’s house and his missus was demanding it got shifted.

The stock is going to Vectis. Last day was today and the adjoining pet shop is expanding into the model railway side. Warren is getting someone in to manage the pet shop when he becomes a sales agent for a well known model railway equipment manufacturer.

1008 now appears to have sold out at NRM and the carpet-bagging Ebay prices have started. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-L-YR-Tank-1008-NRM-Exclusive-31-165NRM-BNIB-00-Gauge-DCC-Ready-/221324259592?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3387f43108

From my memories in the 1980s around the South Manchester and Stockport area ..... Bradford Model Exchange had a decent second hand window which was under cover in the ground floor of the Piccadilly Tower. The shop on Ashton Old Road was a mecca for second hand stuff. Think the bloke running it was called Dave. He also did house clearances and half his shop was full of second hand furniture. I remember when he got a job lot of Jouef Class 40s from somewhere just as the final members of the class were being withdrawn from BR.... he had to keep them under lock and key in a secret drawer as he feared being burgled! He was shifting them out for £30 to £35 each. He eventually got stung with increased rent and rates and traded for a while from a garage round the back of the old shop. The shops I remember in the Stockport area were: The Railway Sidings on St Petersgate. Lots of RTR and lots of kits. Good all round stock, run by an old gentleman. SRA Models in the craft centre and then in a shop near the Plaza. The guy did lots of repairs and kitbuilding and also later expanded in sci-fi models. ABC Models in Hyde. Half newsagent / half model shop. Right near the slaughterhouse / glue factory which gave off that awful Hyde pong which drifted across the town. Model Exchange in Cheadle. Tiny thin shop with a good selection of second hand stuff in the window. Phoenix Models had two shops on Reddish Road, but only one had model railways. Really good cheap new and secondhand, then all of a sudden it went to RRP. One shop shut, model railways moved and then the second shop shut a few years later. At their height, then wanted to move their two shops and combine into one 'mega model shop' in Gorton on the A57, opposite where the big Tesco is now. If anyone has old Railway Modellers from around 1984/85 then there is a bizarre cryptic advert saying that 'The Phoenix Is Rising'.... and nothing else. Very odd for those 'not in the know'. More recently I have lived in Oldham, and I can safely say that Arcadia is one of the best model train shops I've been in. Others in the area were The Train Station in Royton (part of a photography shop and has recently shut) and the Handyman Hobby and DIY shop whch was recently advertised for sale. Norman Wisenden's shop may have shut, but I have seen a car recently with vinyl lettering on the back window suggesting that the business (or the name anyway) is still with us and is perhaps building kits from a spare room somewhere.

Not quite ebay, but taken from the Argos website. I wonder if some poor unsuspecting punter bought this Hornby Rairoad tanker for £64.99 before it was reduced? http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1081183.htm

Might well have been highlighted before on this thread, but just in case you missed it first time round.... HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY??? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lima-IC-125-Great-Western-Fag-Packet-Livery-Set-2-7-/111093200644?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item19ddabb704

Is it really that rare? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-OO-GAUGE-R2481-CLASS-47-LOCOMOTIVE-47854-V-RARE-MINT-BOXED-/221258996511?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3384105b1f

Unusual...... never seen one before. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-USA-Royal-Scot-Train-Set-/261240013679?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3cd31e436f

On a similar vein, someone paid over £20 each for some old style Hornby MGR wagons. OK so they have been 'modified' with metal wheels and the swinging bogie axles glued up, but surely a little over-priced? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Hornby-HAA-MGR-R033-OO-Yellow-Coal-sector-hopper-suit-Bachmann-Heljan-Dapol-/281099886861?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4172dbe10d

Like this earlier version of a 'scrap' City of Truro. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/scrapyard-4-4-0-GWR-City-of-Truro-loco-on-a-low-loader-heavily-weathered-/290867303962?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item43b90ad61a

It looks to me like the GF chassis has been removed (where is the underframe between the bogies?) and have the original bogies have been replaced by those from a Hornby Pullman coach (the pre-super detail version)?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-DOMINION-OF-PAKISTAN-LNER-BLUE-A4-LOCO-20-/130873108450?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item1e78a527e2 I don't remember this A4 in my Ian Allen combined volume.

Scratchbuilding at it's finest. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/X-2-OO-GAUGE-SCRATCHBUILT-CARD-BLOCKS-OF-FLATS-/120988819222?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item1c2b7edf16

Nice of him to put the Power Car on a correct looking Tri-ang box for the photo, but only in the small print does it say it is actually unboxed. As a side issue, if it is 'un-run' it should have a sticky label tag on one of the power bogie axles. You would have to take the tag off to run it.

Yes it really is that bad. £9 for a tri-ang moulded brake van which is worth about £1.50 unweathered. The standard of weathering has taken that £1.50 value down to around 25p.

Or a man with no head and only one arm http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-LEAD-RAILWAY-PORTER-NEEDING-ARM-HEAD-IDEAL-4-A-TRAIN-LAYOUT-OLD-SEE-THE-PHOTOS-/360445288942?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item53ec36a1ee#ht_2943wt_1165

Looks like the smokebox door is on the wrong way round too.

£74 it went for…….. me thinks there is some joke or shill bidding going on.

Or Hornby's latest R3086 Flying Scotsman. Wonder if the locomotive on the picture will really be delivered to the winning bidder? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-R3086-Flying-Scotsman-locomotive-tender-DCC-BNWB-/250998755698?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3a70b11172#ht_500wt_1413

Contender for the worst commercial kit interpretation of a real locomotive ever? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EX-CARDIFF-RAILWAYS-00-GUAGE-BRIT-RAIL-LOCOMOTIVE-0-4-0-S-T-PUG-No-1338-/270912881289?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3f13aa8289#ht_500wt_1413

It looks like a canal barge on wheels.

Live steam Flying Scotsman model locomotive. Yours for £275,000. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15-Gauge-Flying-Scotsman-Locomotive-LIVE-STEAM-/270904187163?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item3f1325d91b#ht_1364wt_1398&clk_rvr_id=316752714299&afsrc=1

Oh dear. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WRENN-W0000-5972-HOGWARTS-CASTLE-ABSOLUTELY-TRULY-SUPERB-MINT-/290637319678?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item43ab558dfe#ht_1146wt_1398

Genuine Hornby production or a very clever scam? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/L-K-UNIQUE-AND-EXTREMELY-RARE-Hornby-EDDIE-STOBART-TANKS-WAGONS-/330655080069?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4cfc941e85#ht_500wt_1413