The LNER Encyclopedia

Couldn't see any previous announcement of the Graham Farish LNER locos for this/next year. They're scheduled to produce a J39, WD (O7 but not in LNER livery), and Peppercorn A1.

Word on the street is that retailers had the Peppercorn A1 for sale at this weekend's International N Gauge Show. Neither Hattons not Kernow have it listed as available on their sites yet. Initial comments on the ngauge yahoogroup suggest it might be the best looking British steam engine in N Gauge so far.


Richard

It certainly is. I saw it at the show in various guises including 'Tornado' and it looked stunning. Does anyone out there know if an A1 ever appeared at Blyth, so I can justify buying one?

Well, BlythStationLad, remember the three rules of railway modelling:

1: It's my trainset and I'll run what I like.

2: Visitors may ask me about anything they see and I will answer truthfully.

3: If visitors do not like what they see, please see Rule 1.

Remember these and you'll never go far wrong. I model the Somerset and Dorset, so what chance do you reckon 4470 Great Northern has of turning up there? Or a Patricroft G2A? Or LT red Pannier?

Works for me.

maybe one went to Bolckows

Went to Model Zone in Holborn today to buy a Farish TPO and came out with the TPO and a fantastic looking 60156! I wasn't expecting it so soon - won't have a chance to run it before I go on my hols but it looks absolutely amazing.

The other A1s were there too but they were going fast, according to the staff there. I'm not surprised.

I think there's only limited stock currently in the country - so you are lucky. It is the usual Bachman Farish practice of air freighting some in for a launch/show and the magazine reviews, the rest will arrive by sea container.

I'm still undecided on whether to go for "Tornado" or "North Eastern"...

Richard

Well there are plenty of good excuses there for me! Time for the credit card to fall out of my wallet and onto a model shop's counter again, methinks...

Ay up!

You mean

Your wallet

lets you do things like that?

I nearly got banned for life from our local model shop after the scrap I had with my wallet to buy a pack of cheapo Hornby wheels!

BlythStationLad wrote:It certainly is. I saw it at the show in various guises including 'Tornado' and it looked stunning. Does anyone out there know if an A1 ever appeared at Blyth, so I can justify buying one?

Can't you just do what I do, and make up an excuse - such as, it is on an RCTS or LCGB railtour? Or maybe Blyth Spartans have drawn Leeds Utd at home in the 3rd round of the FA Cup?

Well I'm a Spartans fan, for my many sins, and many football specials were run up to the early 1960s when coach travel started to take over. I'm modelling the station at Blyth as it was in 1958: we did have a few FA Cup specials that season, mainly six-car DMUs apparently. They also used to run specials to Cup finals at Wembley for Newcastle games in the 1950s.

From a modeller's perspective the running of 'specials' involving locos and stock - often from other regions or companies - that would not normally have been seen, is very under-used. Apart from sports events, such specials were run for BRSA outings, factory outings, visits to 'best kept' station gardens, agricultural shows, religious events... A train could be run at relatively short notice as long as there were enough people likely to fill it!

As for my wallet, it's tendency to appear is directly related to whether my partner is with me in the shop! Actually I'm quite lucky as she understands it's my hobby (she even helps drive the trains on my layout at exhibitions and is better at it than me!!!) and doesn't mind what I spend one bit. In return she has an expensive dress sense though...

Our hobby costs a lot less than golf or fishing, if what my mates say they spend on their kit is correct. And just what is the cost of following a premier footie club these days? - I can't afford to go to Anfield like I used to, even with Priv on the WCML!

Go on, those A1's are "the business", as we say "dahn sarf"!