Going Spare

The plastic wheelsets with metal tyres are indeed old, particularly those with square axles (20+ years), and the latter were notoriously poor runners. The R8096 solid disc wheelsets are the current standard for coaches taking 12.6mm wheels with the R8097 version intended more for freight stock. The pinpoint axles on the plastic wheelsets often wear down and although your examples appear to be in quite good condition, because of their age the bogie axleboxes may also have sustained wear giving rise to the lateral movement you mention. Also check that the back-to-back measurement between the wheels is no more than 14.5mm for current Hornby track and ideally slightly less for Peco streamline points; as you have both, a compromise setting may have to be by trial and error.

Whether correct or not I do not know but I have always taken a '16 ton mineral wagon' to indicate a 16 ton load capacity with the (tare) weight of the wagon itself additional to that. In your example, the total gross weight of a correctly fully loaded wagon would be 22 tons 17 cwt.

R3503 should also be X9289 NEM couplings. Online images show only the tender coupling fitted so that for the loco is likely once again to be in the Assembly Bag (possibly together with other detailing parts for the loco - pipes, steps, etc.). The Operating and Maintenance sheet which accompanies all locos when new may show how they are fitted.

R3244 is covered on Service Sheet 405 (search on the Product Support section of the Support drop-down menu above for Service Sheets but use the full catalogue number R3244TTS) which shows the need for a R8219 NEM coupling head on the bogie and an X9289 NEM coupling head & pocket on the tender. Class 31 R3262 is not yet covered on a Service Sheet but Sheet 276 for earlier releases quotes X9289. As the R8219 coupling heads are part of the full couplings in pack X9289, one of the latter packs should cover all your needs including R3128 as per your earlier post.

Specifications may vary, particularly with Flying Scotsman as there are so many different versions. Please advise the R-numbers (e.g. R3128 for your 72xx tank as per previous posts and advice already given). Have you checked the Accessory/Assembly bags that come with the locos: these often contain couplings?

Same answer as for your Wishlists posts: Summer/Autumn are the website expected dates. If you are expecting a reply from Hornby, contact them direct - they do not routinely monitor the forum posts.

If all you need are the coupling heads (hook back to 'fishtail' clips) as on the front pony truck which appears to include a pocket, the pack is R8219. If your loco also needs a pocket on the rear pony truck (in to which the 'fishtails' locate and itself fixes to the mounting block on the loco by means of the triangular moulding at one end - not visible on the Service Sheet), the pack is X9289. Each pack contains 10 items. Hornby's price for R8219 is bordering on the extortionate at £11.99 so it might be worth going for pack X9289 at Lendons @ £2.99 - but note they also have just the heads listed as X9289 but priced at £1.99. Late thought: there is a coupling head supplied in the "Assembly Bag" that comes with the loco when new but may not have been fitted, including non-factory-fitted detailing such as brake rodding, vacuum pipes, steps, etc. If you then need just one more head or coupling, have a look at the range of Assembly Packs on the New Modellers Shop site (that for the 72xx is not available) which may give you a few more general detailing items at the same time.

The class 50 coupling cam/mount was modified (X9233 to X9233M) a while back so you need to know which one to purchase if you are going to replace your damaged one. If your loco is R2641 or a higher number, you need the modified version. However, these appear to be sold out at Hornby and the major spares suppliers which may be the reason why the previous owner attempted a repair.

Yes, the pick-ups need to touch the metallic part of the back of the wheels, usually the rim as the inner part of the wheel is probably plastic, and make sure they stay well away from the spokes. The wheels can move sideways to deal with curves so make sure the pick-ups maintain contact throughout that displacement. If you find you need to reshape any of the pick-ups, do it very gently - they are fragile.

The image (Service Sheet 391) is revealed by clicking on the icon in the centre of the black area.

Reference to the TXS HST set being a web exclusive was an error and has now been corrected as other retailers are offering it.

Someone with better maths than mine can shoot me down, but by my reckoning, if stock has reduced by 12% which is stated to be £3m, 100% of stock was £25m at the previous report, which now has reduced to £22m - considerably more stock to shift?

Or SD061 for the Hall as both are GWR 2-cylinder locos.

Unable to edit my first post but have found reference in the 2020 catalogue to R4802 dining car, R4803 1st, R4805 brake 3rd (which may mean R4804 was another 3rd), plus R4843 passenger brake and R6799 horse box.

Whether they are an exact match you will have to decide for yourself but other super-detail LMS coaches listed in Pat Hammond's British Model Trains catalogue are: 1st - R4230/A/B and in train packs R2659 & R2985; 3rd - R4231/A/B and in train packs R2659 (2), R2907 & R2985; brake 3rd - R4232/A/B and in train packs R2907 & R2985. Also, there are the Airfix-designed slightly less well detailed 12-wheel dining car R4095/A-E/G, the bogie passenger brake/parcels van R4233/A/B and the 4-wheel CCT van R6640/A. The catalogue has not been published since 2013 so others may have information regarding more recent releases.

Simon Kohler has posted a very interesting background to Hornby's involvement with the 1984 show and the models that were produced for use at the Apollo Theatre as well as the locomotive that was presented to Her Majesty The Queen. It is on his kohlercoms.com website, in the 'Kohler Confidential' section, "Simon Says - reloaded" - well worth a read.

@GMD - I do not know whether it is the case with the J50 but I believe the size of the firebox often determined the spacing between the centre and rear axles.

@bee In the U.K, the word "Autotrain" was often used to describe a train, usually a tank locomotive and one coach working a branch line, where the coach incorporated a driving cab at one end so that when the locomotive was propelling the coach, the fireman stayed on the locomotive but the driver moved to the coach driving cab and was able to control the locomotive from that cab, removing the need for the locomotive to run round the coach at each terminus.

Very unlikely, I would have thought, because the locomotive would need greater and different servicing to the coach(es) on a daily basis.

The website quotes expected (not guaranteed) dates of Summer for the twin-sets and Autumn for the observation coach.

'Tech Specs' state 12cm for the single-arm and 17cm for the junction signal.

In the recent past (c2014), Hornby also briefly offered a few Mk1 coaches with interior lighting and, further back (late 60s/early 70s), Mk2a coaches.

Coach pack R4582 was issued in 2013 to augment R3184. It contained cars Audrey, Vera and No.87.

I, too, took the "one-off" reference to imply that it was a commemorative presentation item rather than being intended for quantity production.

Service Sheet 137 is more appropriate for this early version of the class 58. It was notorious for being very low powered with just one motor bogie because much of the output was absorbed by the gear train, and later versions had an uprated motor and an improved gear train fitted (the motor mounted on its side on the chassis block) as per sheet 137B.