Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

Tri-ang Hornby R348 Giraffe Car Set. I've been looking for this for years, and finally found one on eBay.

Very good condition, with not a single mark on the model, which came complete with all parts. And it matches perfectly with my Transcontinental loco, which my lovely Nan bought for me when I was 15 years old, 51 years ago.

https://imgur.com/gallery/Hvbpruu

I am ridiculously, and childishly, excited!

I found a Class 66 TTS decoder lurking in my spares box, so I just had to pop along to ‘click and collect’ this from my local model shop Great Eastern Models in Norwich. Box shifters price too.

... Seeing as The Black Cats was my local footie team as a lad.

It doesn’t come with lights so I shall give it a run to make sure it is OK before taking the tools to it.

A Hornby Princess Royal class, R3711, "Princess Marie Louise" running in on the Rolling Road powered by a PP9 battery prior to installing an X9659 4 pin decoder wired to an 8 pin plug (just a temporary measure). A beautiful model.......HB

My latest acquisition is a Dapol Class 121 Bubble Car. To which I have fitted a Marks Trains u drive sound decoder . Nice unit do many features on the decoder

HB, loving the Princess.

Al.

I had purchased a Hornby Lord Nelson, but had had a few issues.

Despite verifying everything, the motor overheats within 2-3 minutes' running - hopeless.

Reading threads available within the web, I'm not the 1st to have problems with it's motor.

Having said that, I liked the locomotive, a lot, but encountered a problem with the body - self-inflicted.

I decided to purchase a 'spare' body available within Ebay surprisingly - no chassis (aka motor), then had a brain%art and decided it looks much nicer 'as preserved', and have completely repainted and decorated the locomotive (courtesy of some superb transfers and etched plates by Fox) as a Southern Railway malachite green 850.

Still not happy with the motor, not finding one, I've just 'won' a 'new TTS removed' (Rails did this) BR Lord Nelson for a substantial reduction in list price - so I'll have 2!!

For the former, frightened of losing the transfers, and not wanting to spray and fog the paint, I've purchased some Humbrol acrylic lacquer which I'll brush on.

I'll 'test' somewhere less obvious 1st.

If successful, I'll continue with the rest! This is to seal in the transfers as well.

Al.

Just acquired R3695 NCB Peckett B2 Ryhope Colliery from Hereford Models as they have a few new old stock models still in stock. I was surprised to find they had a few left as they were very popular when originally launched and I can see why its a lovely looking model in the NCB lined blue.

Things must be getting desperate - I just bought an empty box!

I've had a few 'bargain' locomotives unboxed, and have located good-condition, fairly priced boxes later on to ensure safe storage.

Al.

Picked up the blue Merchant Navy which is first class and a seven car Scotrail HST set, the power cars are stunning as usual but the mk 3’s with the nem couplings not so good as Hornby have used the cam system which in my opinion has always been very poor, couplings should be on the end of the bogies. Another gripe is the power cars roofs are gloss black whereas the coaches are Matt black. Still a beautiful site running at speed around my layout.