Silver Sidelines

Many thanks to that well known retailer in Sheffield who contacted me on Friday for payment and then delivered the locomotive on Saturday. Hornby R3191 - Duke of Gloucester What do I think of the model? Well it is ‘growing on me’. Straight out of the box there were a number of issues. Most obviously ‘something’ had come adrift in transit and the engine was no longer coupled to the tender. Tender to engine coupling unglued. In the way of things this is minor and can easily be remedied. Engine to Tender Coupling as it should be The front of the tender is easily re-glued (remember to reattach the metal engine to tender coupling first!) Front section of tender / keeper plate A more concerning issue was the poor running quality. The engine would hesitate and there was also a tendency for it to snake or waddle i.e. not run smoothly in a straight line. I would try ‘running it in’. After some thirty minutes there was some improvement. The wheels t...

Before continuing with my journey around the layout I thought I would share a few pictures of the Main Junction Station populated with some rolling stock that might have graced the north east of England in the 1960s. Bachmann Mk1 Pullmans, Hornby L1 and Bachmann WD 2-8-0 The original theme of the layout is BR (LMR/WR) perhaps near Chester or there again maybe Shrewsbury or even somewhere further south. However I also have fond memories of growing up in north east England and with the availability of so many splendid ready to run models I have indulged in a few north eastern and Scottish types. Coincidentally the buildings for the Main Junction Station are those early Hornby Skaledale models based on Goathland on the North York Moors Railway. This was done purely for convenience until I can construct some more appropriate types. So some views with north eastern rolling stock should be a good fit. Bachmann V2 60964 suitably weighted and with blackened wheels First a vie...