Thanks for posting that...
Is front buffer beam detail / screw link etc provided?
Are the front steps provided? I have my fingers crossed as they are sorely neededto fill that gap! No disaster if not, as I do have some Brassmasters ones tucked away
Is the rest of the loco brake gear provided? It looks a bit open underneath without it.
It seems somehow less sharp / precise and the colour and lining looks a bit less in quality than the pre-release photos I have on my desktop - or is that just the exposure?
The Lubrucators look much coarser than the pre-production images too - Damn!
I'm an LMS modeller so have to ask... Which is correct - the single heavy orange boiler bands on the production loco or the two fine orange bands with black in the centre as per the pre-production photographs?
Tender ex the B5 is not bad really, but it will also benefit from the Brassmasters detail kit and new axleboxes etc, as hornby does them a wee bit too shallow in profile - they should be meatier.
Overall though, proportions look not too bad at all - but it certainly screams for a bit of TLC on the far too bright detail & something like frame overlays to get rid of the open look around the front end bogie plus perhaps replacement of the standard Hornbyross pop valves with some from Markits, followed by a closing up of tender and loco
Richard
(and yes, I'm fussy - but it does look like the proportions are OK, as its going to be a good basis for a very nice model)
(Before anyone gets on their high horse about my criticisms the questions are about the loco, and are NOT implied criticism of those who like to run things as they are out of the box - Each to his own - I just prefer to add a little of myself to each loco I have, and I intend to have a couple of these!)
You'll need a small philips screwdriver to take the box mountings off, neat idea to save the loco getting damaged in transit.
Initial thoughts are