One of the advantages of being a member of the Hornby Railway Collectors Association is their annual Spares and Replacement parts Directory. This gives you information on people who can provide spares, repairs replacements and reproduction items. It does have some minor drawbacks. One is that many of the suppliers do not have websites or email addresses and another is that it is not always clear as to what exactly you are looking for and whether they have it. Now I have found someone who does have a website, takes pictures of the spares that he is selling so it is easy to identify the exact part you want and you can order online. I have added a link to them. I have not yet used them but I am sure that I will be giving them a try in the near future. www.mtrains.co.uk

Welcome to the New Year with two engines to welcome it in. They were both actually received in 2009 but this is their debut on the website.

The first is very interesting; a Graham Farish 00 gauge ex GWR 0-6-0ST with a hand built chassis. This has a surprising amount of detail for a die cast moulding and was introduced around the end of the Hornby Dublo era and continued on for some time as a GraFar model. The custom built 3 rail chassis and the heavy body makes for an excellent and quiet runner. It was in the same lot as the BR Standard 5 and they are both very good additions to the loco fleet.

The second one is a hand built chassis attached to a Trix body of an ex GWR 0-6-2T. It is missing the top of the chimney but apart from that is in very good condition. A good runner but with limited pulling capability. I already have an original Trix version converted to run on HD 3 rail. The learned books always say that this was an HO model but it certainly doesn't give that impression when lined up with the other OO gauge models. Pictures have been posted.

An acquisition of some weeks ago from ebay was a I thought a Hornby N2 in LNER converted to 3 rail running. What another N2 after all those dublo ones. Well my reason was that it was modeled with vapour recovery pipes going into the tanks as fitted to most of these engines running out of kings Cross.

However when it arrived it was missing the pony wheels making it a 0-6-0T - not as the maker intended. An email to the seller bought no response. Further emails both direct and via ebay also bought no response. As the engine was bought at a low price it was a matter of living with it and finding a spare set of wheels. A contact at the local Model Railway Club went off to search his spares box with the result that he said it was an Airfix model and no he did not have a suitable spare set of wheels.

Research then began. It was designed by Airfix but the company went bust before they put it on the market and thus it was sold by Mainline trains but seemingly only for about 2 years in 1982/3.

So I did go to the train fair but there was nothing there to attract me. I have to say that there was more there than usual with some very nice super-detailed wagons and coaches but the prices were on the high side which surprised me given the current financial situation. It was pretty clear though that a lot of people were looking and picking them up no one was buying. A rather tatty LMS 0-6-2T was at a good price but although I pondered no purchase was made. Good to look though.

Ebay was once again my undoing as a rather nice BR Standard was purchased at a very attractive price. Although the paintwork needs some TLC it is a very good runner. Its background is a bit of a mystery, the seller described it - IT HAS GOT A KIT BUILT METAL CHASSIS, THERE IS NO IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAKE OF THE METAL CAST BODY AND TENDER, IT HAS BEEN NUMBERED 73031, Certainly the motion is very complicated and well built and the pick ups are of the sprung copper type so probably the kit built seems right. I have not taken the body off to see what motor it has. I will do some research as it does seem to be a cast body not a brass one. Off to Google some kit manufacturers. Very nice addition to the loco fleet.

Pictures have been added to the gallery

The links have been checked and some have been updated. Southern Railways Group, LNER, RM Web to name a few. I have removed links that do not work.
I have also added a link to the most amazing website that has every copy of the Meccano Magazine in pdf format starting way back in 1916 and going through to 1981 - an absolute feast of nostalgia - enjoy To get there immediately

http://www.meccanoindex.co.uk/MMpdfs1.php?id=1253816687

They do take a long time to download but don't give up hope they will appear

They are also available in .jpg format

http://www.meccanoindex.co.uk/MMmonths1.php?id=1253816687

No new purchases to comment on but I am off to a swap meet on Sunday so there might be something.