Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

A second J17, also by Bec, and also with a Triang Jinty chassis, but this one seems to be able to go through more modern pointwork, and also has tender pick-ups attached.

I may leave it in LNER livery to give me a choice of time periods.

The 3rd of my new kit built acquisitions is a McGowan models J20 0-6-0. This is a monster of an engine and towers over a Hornby J15 by comparison The real thing was classified as a 5F, and only a little less powerful than the Southern Q1. The model is very heavy and can probably outhaul any of my Hornby steam engines. It has an unusually long wheelbase for an 0-6-0, so the model has unflanged centre driving wheels. This means it only has pick up on the front and rear driving wheels, and I am again looking to add tender pick-ups somehow, though it will need new tender wheels as the current ones are plastic.

With a J15 for comparison:

Finally, my most recent purchase is an LNER F4 2-4-2 in mainly etched brass, which has been very well made and beautifully lined in LNER passenger black. The chassis seems run quite smoothly, but only has pick-ups on the four driving wheels, so I am looking to add extra pick-ups to the non-driven wheels. It also needs couplings front and rear.

Just got my hands on two of Hornby's new 4 wheel coaches, and I am very impressed. I got R40106 and R40103, the GNR ones with lights. Strangely the website still has them as not in stock, but they were on the shelf in a local model shop so I bought them in the moment.

I still intend to get some of the Hattons ones, but for now the Hornby ones are incredible. Probably my new favourite items of rolling stock. Only quibble is that if I run them with older locos, the lights flick on and off randomly.

Although GNR coaches, they look great running behind my Terrier and Dean Goods amongst others, so would recommend these teaks for anyone, not just GNR modellers.

Are these 'older locomotives' tender driven - perhaps it's the motor magnet causing the light switching?

Al.

I've only had chance to run it with a pannier tank so far, must be early 80s I think. I presumed it would be something like the motor magnet, not a big issue though as I don't have many working older locos and those that I do have aren't likely to be pulling the 4 wheel teaks (King, class 25, 37 and a few panniers amongst others) I only hooked them up to the pannier to test them, just thought I'd mention it as something to consider in case anyone else was intending to run them specifically with a loco like that.

Two chaldron waggon kits From Smallbrook Studio to go with Rocket train.

The kit comes with Backmann couplings and dapol wheels but ii used my own magnetic couplings and some open spoke wheels I had. The only problem I had is the kit has no bearings for the wheels and the friction of the axles running on the plastic is to great for the rocket to pull more than two wagons so I will have to make proper bearings.

Hornby R2562 "Britannia" 70000 - I should have bought this when it was released by Hornby as long ago as 2006 (it would have been cheaper!). It has been on my "wishlist" for sometime, and last week this one appeared on the "auction" site. It has now been added to the collection. All in good order, box in first class condition, and came with all parts (including coal). I'll get some etched name plates for it.

Hi BB, did you include the optional Westinghouse pump?

Al.

Well 35024 blue 'air-smoothed' Merchant Navy has arrived!!

What a beauty - all pickups work fine - 9V battery test.

Only problem is 3 of the 4 contact points for the brake rigging on one side are broken - that's a simple fix - just remove the base and a little 'touch' of superglue will sort that out - I always use superglue on the Bulleid pacific brake rigging - fix it once!!

My front 3 electric lamps are all upright, not 'slammed' as some have found.

Al.