Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

Just picked myself up a Princess Royal, Margaret Rose.

For anyone interested, Hattons now has lots of Hornby track back in stock. Just picked up a dozen right hand points.

Gone a bit mad recently.

Ally Pally - G2A and B12.

Ebay - Q6, K3 & a J50.

Coming soon - BR 3MT tank and BR 2MT tender.

And a box of 16 non-runners for some tinkering. Preliminary testing shows that nearly all can be saved with some cleaning and lubrication, a few spares needed for a couple of them.

Went a bit mad on Tri-ang maroon mk1s and bought 3 composites and a brake second. Overall very good and as described save for a little damage on one roof which is fine. 4 for £43. One other had a badly cracked roof but that was as

described and I bought it as I had a spare roof. 3 of the coaches had metal wheelsets.

Also got an R113 drop side wagon with as described a damaged side. Happy with that as I have one missing a side so using the new buy to donate a side and a buffer for my existing one. £4.

Also a spray can of BR maroon as I have three mk1s that I bought years ago cheaply, with a poor repaint so hoping I can improve them. If they are a success I will paint a blue grey buffet side as the maroon one I bought a few weeks ago had two sides the same, which I did not twig from the pictures and it was not disclosed. Only £7 so can't complain. It yielded the spare roof I used today and also had metal wheelsets. No interior though which I did not spot either!

Here is one I’d been after for a while. No motor and I know exactly what it is and approximately when it was made but feel free to have a guess if you don’t know.

Gaiety Jinty?

Older than Gaiety, although I think they are still making a different version or were doing until quite recently.

Beats me. I would have suggested maybe Stuart Reidpath but they are no longer making, of course. Go on, spill the beans - what is it and who made it? I'm dying to know.

It’s a Budgie Jinty, the original version and it’s age is given away by the LMS on the tank sides. They made a later version which looked more like the prototype and had British Railways cast into the tank sides. It was a bit small for OO. I had one as a child in the late 60s but the wheels fell off.

I think these original ones were available just in black. I nearly brought one some time ago that had been repainted red but it was in very poor condition.

The later ones are available in red, green, brown and I think gold and were still available until recently, they may still be available. The castings are not great!

This one is now on a shelf next to my JVM unpowered N2. It gives me something to look at while I’m working.

Ahhh. All is revealed. Thanks RT. Was there ever a powered version? I'm not familiar with the Budgie products although I have heard of them. I had an old Gaiety pannier that I overhauled, crammed onto triang chassis and sold. It was a bit crude and the mazak(?) casting was awful hard - diffficult to get a decent finish. I believe that the manufacturers were automotive parts makers and I think they may have used a harder alloy than is normal for model railway items. An interesting thing from an historical point of view but not much use as a model loco.

Threelink, like this one that has been stripped and primed? This is the Gaiety/JVM body with an original chassis but no rods so I might put a tri-ang one in which is an easy fit. I have another original that has the original chassis and is a great runner.

The Budgie one is absolutely no-use as a functioning loco and would short any track it was put on but it makes a nice ornament.