This is cute...

I don't remember him/her in the Rev Awdry's books Mind you, it was a very, very long time ago!

Then your memory is failing or your education was incomplete ;-) "Stepney the 'Bluebell' engine" was published in 1963 (No. 18).

"kim" wrote

Act quickly if you want one - we sold out in two days and Hornby have totally sold out too. Watch out too for the new "Oliver" loco based on the GWR 0-4-2T. That's cute too, but the green would make the GWR cringe! :-)

John.

Ah, that explains it. In 1963 I was 20 years old and had just "discovered" Dennis Wheatley's books.

Oh dear, he was a bit old fashioned for the sixties, you should have been reading lyrics!

If you're reading this in English thank a second world war conscript.

Same shade as their "duck"....Much prefer my dapol Stepney, without the face, even though, due to their carriers (the postal oriface), it took 3 attempts to get one delivered!

"Badger" wrote: [Thomas range Terrier]

I must agree - I bought a Hornby "un-ruined" Terrier recently just in case they'd "done an E2" to their mould. Many a trip to a preserved railway has been ruined for me by the appearance of some engine or other turning up with a face tacked on the front. (That or Santa flipping specials). All evidently very popular, but - humbug!

Mark.

Mark Dickerson wrote: snipped

Sadly essential to keep most heritage railways solvent. Wizard Weekends,

1940s Weekends, Teddy Bear Specials etc. make all the difference to the profit and loss account. Many of the lines would not break even from enthusiast ticket income alone.

Dave W.

[Moaning.]

Oh, I know. Just a plea for the odd Sour Git service now and again...

Mark.

I'd rather still have a heritage railway to go to (and work for) than keep it purely for recreating the experience and go bust! It's just a tragic that ultimately, heritage railways don't work just as heritage railways (especially in areas with a minimal tourist industry). We need the croud pullers or we'd just sink.

Ronnie

-- Volunteer guard on the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire Visit the world's only double track preserved steam railway!

Oh, I know. Just a plea for the odd Sour Git service now and again...

Oh, Our line does those too (You missed that Dave!) The evening specials with Bingo over the Tanhoy or the Cream teas on Wednesdays or Sundays (Which come V highly recommended, speaking as the Guard !)

Andy Sollis CVMRD - Home of the Churnet Valley Model Railway Department Remove the Standard Tank from E-mail to reply

"Ronnie Clark" wrote I'd rather still have a heritage railway to go to (and work for) than keep it purely for recreating the experience and go bust! It's just a tragic that ultimately, heritage railways don't work just as heritage railways (especially in areas with a minimal tourist industry). We need the croud pullers or we'd just sink.

Ronnie

-- Volunteer guard on the Great Central Railway.

Ronnie, Too true Blue, Too True. Some our discussions on our own Newsgroup have been along this vein, and last night was about the new availability of Mk 3 Coaches. Think we decided that the CVR will NOT be having them, but lets see which heritage line will... After all, apparently if it's over ten years old now (as seen in a recent magazine) its Heritage!

Andy CVR Guard

Taking the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre as an example, for the months May to October there were 5 days of Thomas and over thirty of ordinary steaming (old git service).

See

Ok so there were only 6 days of diesel for younger gits! And a further

10 special days of other kinds. Seems a reasonable balance to me.

Mark Thornton

Well, ahem, I've been unofficially informed that if I were to find the small piddling sum of money to buy a Mk.III or two, and then the much larger piddling sum of money to have them moved, they'd be quite welcome on the GCR(N). However, I think I shall opt for the much cheaper option of Mk.IIs :)

Ronnie

-- Volunteer guard on the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire Visit the world's only double track preserved steam railway!

[More moaning] [Sigh] This is one of the places I'd visit more (especially with Oxford Rewley Road station being there), but the Chiltern line always seems to be being dug up when I try to go before even getting to the bus... Looks like it's Thomas and Santa only there, too, at the moment.

No steam for me this year, then. (Only two other attempts that I'm too cowardly to name and shame. One, in August, diesel replacement, no buffet, no shed access. The other, a museum, no steam as expected but

*all* locos removed from display entirely because of an upcoming steam up.) I'll be campaigning for a family unfriendly model railway exhibition at this rate. With layouts surrounded with razor wire and loudhailers that bellow, "NO!" every time fingers approach.

Mark.

Can you still get the unfaced Terrier?

Ask hattons, they had the dapol ones, hornby do other terriers without faces, you never know the face might come off and reveal a normal smokebox door?

Martin wrote:-

Yes but only in this livery:-

(kim)

The smokebox door is probably a separate moulding from the main part of the body. I must admit that it is a long time since I had the top off one.

Dave W.