Arnold?

There were some good items in the British outline Minitrix range, and some awful ones. The 27 was a hideous lump, but the Warship was OK. The mk1s were never great, but they made some nice Gresleys. They also made a decent 47 with the early style radiators grills, which the mech was good on also. Freight wise there was a 21T brake, and other odds and sods, most notably an HAA which were fetching silly sums on ebay prior to the introduction of the Peco model. For my money their A3 Pacific is a far superior model to the much later Farish one!

I would love Hornby to enter the N Gauge market, as the '66 wars' have shown the improvements competition results in. Perhaps a 9F and Britannia would be a good start, as the Minitrix versions, though not perfect, are much sought after. And then for the diesel fans, either an outside framed 08 or a quality 37 to supersede the Farish lump. Some joined up thinking with regards to appropriate accompanying rolling stock would be great too, such as 21ton mineral wagons for the 9F, and some modern freight stock (eg bogie steel carriers) for the 37. These are only examples, but it gives the gist. For instance, what in the Dapol range are the Collet/Hawksworth (which are they again?) coaches meant to go with? They're an odd partner for the 14xx!

Just my 2p worth

Rich