Silver Sidelines

I recently acquired one of Hornby’s 52xx tank engines to add to my fleet of ex GWR heavy good engines. Hornby 52xx Going Backwards   It is a good looking engine with some very fine detail.   It runs forwards and backwards very smoothly albeit at a prototypical slow speed.   I had to take my glasses off to study the handrails round the bunker – and yes they are individual wires!   I like the full set of brackets on the rear of the bunker visible when using the engine in reverse.   However the footplate on my model is not completely straight – possibly like the prototype!   The footplate appears to be locked to the bunker and side tanks by around eight plastic lugs – I can see me investigating further – but it all looks very delicate! Hornby 52xx Going Forwards   I do sometimes buy things on impulse.   I had been impressed by the preproduction pictures of the model.   However I did not keep up with more recent correspondence...

Back in the early 1970s I was a not infrequent user of the overnight sleeper service from Edinburgh to Kings Cross. I would say not my favourite mode of transport. However I would also say that no 1960s model railway can be complete without some sleeping cars. Bachmann Mk1 Sleeping Cars The date on the solebar shows 1960, which should be ideal for my sixties layout. Hornby Mk1 Sleeping Cars with detailed underframes and fitted with Bachmann bogies. Up until very recently the choice of ready to run model seemed to be limited to the Hornby version. My Hornby sleeping cars dated from the ‘Topshed’ era’ and appeared to be based on the original CKD (Completely Knocked Down) Mk 1 models first made by Triang in the 1960s. The corridor ends and underframes are formed from a single moulding which appears to have been used unaltered for the complete range of Hornby Mk1 coaches. Different coach types having individual side pieces slotted into the solebar and clamped ...