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No. 181 All Change – ex GWR ‘B’ Sets from Rapido compared with Airfix, Mainline and Hornby varieties

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February 2025 February 2025 and Rapido UK have released their new models of the ex GWR ‘B’ Set carriages. Ex GWR ‘B’ Sets in BR Lined Maroon livery.  Spot the red flashes for the communication cord apparatus on the new coaches, Rapido front, Mainline rear The new models are everything that you might expect from Rapido, well finished and very well detailed.  They are also delicate, expensive and finding space to store the empty packaging will be challenging. I have purchased three sets, in BR plain maroon, crimson and lined maroon liveries.  The new coaches will replace earlier models.   Ex GWR ‘B’ Sets in BR Crimson livery, Hornby front, Rapido rear Ex GWR ‘B’ Sets in BR Maroon livery, Airfix front, Rapido rear Some history   Over the years I acquired three variants of ‘B’ Set carriages from Airfix, Mainline (Palitoy) and Hornby.   The old order BR Maroon (Airfix) left, BR Crimson (Hornby) right I fitted metal wheels to these old carriages and Bachmann Mini...
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No. 180 Heljan Handiwork, a Class 14 and a W&M Railbus

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I have to admit to recently becoming an impulsive/compulsive buyer of some early Heljan models.  Sadly the terms ‘as new’, ‘unused’ and ‘unopened’ should ring alarm bells.  These ‘ten plus’ years old Heljan products should come with a health warning - they can be seriously flawed.   Heljan W&M Railbus The first to arrive was a W&M railbus from I am guessing 2018.  I am happy to believe that it was bought, packed away and never taken out of its box. 8701 - Hejan Railbus W&M E79962 I was concerned about the condition of the motor.  However it was not the motor that was an issue it was the ‘click click’ and ‘bang’ from the transmission.  Removing the cover plates to expose the drive axles confirmed that one of the final drive gears had cracked and separated from the axle.  It was tiny – and why did it have three washers on either side? Heljan W&M Railbus drive axle with washers and tiny gear My Heljan drive gear had 12 teeth, a length (wid...
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No. 179 45157 Glasgow Highlander

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R30226 or R2449 – both in fact?  Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 top left R2449 bottom right 2024 and Hornby have released an updated version of Black Five Gordon Highlander Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 My first Hornby Gordon Highlander, product number R2449, arrived in 2020.  I was probably late in the day judging by the product number and I am guessing that the model had been released around 2012. Hornby Glasgow Highlander R2449 with blue background to the crest Spring 2024 and Hornby issued an updated model.  Perhaps they have a lot unsold and I was offered one at a price that I thought I couldn’t refuse.  (My wife might have had a different view!) Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 with gold coloured crest, unlined cylinders, speedo cable and AWS trunking along the edge of the footplate . The newly engineered Glasgow Highlander R30226 was issued slightly ahead of its stable mate R30227 the Caprotti fitted number 44755.  Both new Black Fives, R30226 and R...
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No. 178 Top Lights, Top Marks, Dapol Mainline City Coaches

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Good fortune or a lucky chance meant that I have acquired a pair of Dapol’s new ex GWR Mainline City Toplight coaches. All second ex GWR Toplight in BR livery The advertising literature tells me that these coaches were all withdrawn by 1957 although two or three lived on, on the South Wales Mineral Railway for carrying miners to work.  I love the squat appearance and I can imagine that prior to withdrawal these coaches would have been cascaded down and used on some quiet remote branch line.  My brake second and all second will form an extra early morning working in place of the routine daily ‘B’ Set. An early start When I first unboxed the coaches I was immediately struck by their heavy weight.  The Dapol Toplights weigh in at 175gm compared to 125gm for one of Hornby’s suburban Collett coaches.  Even Bachmann MkI coaches only weigh 165gm and they are nearly 50mm longer!  It was only later that I realised that Dapol have provided a proper metal chassis, similar ...
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