Received my sound fitted Ragley Hall today, I was going to wait for the other one I had ordered (Kinlet Hall) to arrive, but my willpower crumbled very easily when I saw @Ensign Elliott 's pictures!

I am not typically a GW modeller (although I have a few locos) but as Halls were seen on the GC after Nationalisation, and regularly on cross-country workings I can justify a couple, and I am really pleased that is the case! The loco is superb, beautifully detailed and finished, runs sublimely and the sound file is excellent. Now to me it does not quite shade the new V2 as the best British N steam loco to date, but there really isn't much in it.

Personally I am not too fussed about the Hawksworth tender but understand why others will be wanting to wait, and I really hope this loco does well enough to justify another run quickly, such a lovely model of a really versatile prototype really deserves to do well.

As to the Dapol Hall, the kindest thing I can say is that it was an OK model for its time, but things have moved on, and in pretty much every respect possible the new Farish model absolutely blows it away in my opinion.

Roy

Quote from: njee20 on July 25, 2026, 08:10:20 PMVinyls would be rubbish on a Dapol mk3 anyway, too much relief on the body side. Paint it and apply Railtec decals, IIRC they do new and old NMT logos.

Thank you, nice to know.

GE

Quote from: jpendle on Yesterday at 07:04:52 PMAs we don't have a slightly bemused thread this one will have to do 

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Dapol CL68, sound fitted, in TPE livery even though Dapol won't ship to the US.

"Felix" was just £150, so a real bargain.

My son and our grandchildren just came over so they brought it with them.

I just tried it out and it runs like a dream and the sound project sounds pretty good to me.
BUT I already have 2 TPE liveried CL68's 

For some reason I thought that I just had the one.

Old age is catching up on me 

John P

A good problem?

I too wanted one of those bargains but was stymied by Dapol.

As we don't have a slightly bemused thread this one will have to do 

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Dapol CL68, sound fitted, in TPE livery even though Dapol won't ship to the US.

"Felix" was just £150, so a real bargain.

My son and our grandchildren just came over so they brought it with them.

I just tried it out and it runs like a dream and the sound project sounds pretty good to me.
BUT I already have 2 TPE liveried CL68's 

For some reason I thought that I just had the one.

Old age is catching up on me 

John P

In Scotland and N.Ire it's 71 and in England and Wales it's 75 before you're exempt. WHY?
I won't be safe until I'm 76 so 2 1/2 years 

The Tale of the Lost Railway - Part seventeen

For the next couple of episodes I am indebted to John @Train Waiting  who has written the text so eloquently

After a detour to collect Colin Penn's luggage from the Guest House, the party returned to Baskerville Manor so that everyone could have plenty of time for a bath and then change for dinner.

Flic had really gone to town with the arrangements for dinner, drafting in additional people to help the Manor's servants. Archie had invited some local dignitaries to join his house guests at dinner and, hopefully, hear a positive response from Gerry Fiennes and John Hammond to his plan to re-open the Moretonhampstead branch to passenger traffic, connecting with his private railway to run through to Okehampton.

Their assistance with the important matter of Ministry of Transport approval for the private railway to open to passenger traffic would be essential.



The changing bell rang at 6.30 and, by 7.00 the house guests had assembled in the library for drinks. Archie and Flic stood by the door of the library to welcome their evening guests when they were announced by the butler.

At 7.45, Flic led her guests in for dinner. Due to the numbers present, this was served in the Manor's Ball Room which was magnificently decorated for the occasion. There were two long tables, arranged side-by-side along the main axis of the room. Across the room, at one end, was High Table, on a dais, set for five.

During the day, Archie had spoken to Bertie and Bonzo, inviting them to join him at High Table. To his slight surprise, both had declined, preferring to be seated with the other guests. Although Archie knew both of them, he didn't know them as well as you do and you won't be in the slightest surprised at this. At Bertie's suggestion, Flic had arranged for he and Bonzo to be seated at end places of each of the long tables, with a somewhat over-awed Colin Penn opposite Bonzo and Ron Parker opposite Bertie.

Archie sat in the middle chair at High Table, with Flic at his right and Melissa to his left. Gerry Fiennes sat next to Flic, with John Hammond at the other end, next to the lovely Melissa. These two gentleman enjoyed enchanting company for dinner.


Archie had arranged to open several bottles of wine from the cellars which had been retained for this very occasion

Looking at High Table, Bertie allowed himself a moment of self-satisfaction - that was precisely the arrangement he had suggested to Archie. The dinner was absolutely fabulous and Ron was greatly relieved to be seated opposite his new friend, who had, of course worked his magic on the butler and a young footman kept that end of the table well-supplied with lashings 'N' lashings of fine, foaming Devonshire ale.

Although the guests were in black-tie order for the occasion, there were four exceptions. Realising that neither Ron nor Colin would have the correct clothes, Bertie and Bonzo were informally attired - Bonzo in a neat grey suit and Bertie in a yellow-ish tweed suit with a loud purple check. Apart, perhaps, from Gerry Fiennes, no other man in the room could have carried off that garish garment; they would have looked like someone who had escaped from a circus.

Ron told Bertie how much he had liked meeting Gerry Fiennes and had enjoyed Gerry's anecdote about a locomotive, thirty-seven wagons and a brake van ending up in Granton Dock in the autumn of 1939.

"Granton," said Bertie, "I've a good chum who used to live there. A Welsh chap - he's delightful company, you'd like him enormously."

Colin enjoyed talking to Bonzo but, at one point, asked about his War service. Bonzo mentioned he had been stationed in Kent for a while and then went on to say that there were some lovely wild flowers to be seen in the Weald. Although a young journalist, Colin realised his question was being diverted in the most polite and gentle manner and resolved to look into the War service of this courteous and diffident man.

To be continued........

A very short test of Ragley Hall today and a little look over. In my view such a good loco and really looking forward to modified hall now.

Graham

Quote from: Newportnobby on Yesterday at 04:56:52 PMI'm still dithering as there's nowt really wrong with my Dapol Wollaton Hall

2 old Farish bogie tankers, 2 Dapol Syphons and a NGS/Dapol Stove-R up a 5 degree slope with a 30cm radius curve at the top

Quote from: thebrighton on June 12, 2026, 03:28:18 PMI was wondering how to spend the first 2 weeks of August, some country walks, visit the odd preserved railway etc but, no, 2 weeks jury service with the joy of trying to negotiate the 15 miles of gridlock to Lewes for 9am every day.
I love the invitation: You have been "selected", have 7 days to respond to the summons and if not could be committing a criminal offence and fined up to £1000 all in bold type.
Gee, thanks!

And it gets worse. Being retired they now expect me to sit on a 4 week trial. I could make up reasons why I can't but they want evidence to back up any claims.
Words cannot sum up how angry I am about this.

I'm still dithering as there's nowt really wrong with my Dapol Wollaton Hall