One of My Holy Grails...

There are some models and sets that have been on my 'wants' list for god knows how long, but for whatever reason I never seem to be able to find a good example or one that is at a reasonable price.  Well at least one is now ticked off my list and it's one you'll like as well Super as will become apparent.

This set is a representation of "The Royal Train", a special train provided purely for use by the UK Royal Family.  Over the years there have been various versions made intermittently, but as I said I've never been able to find one that suited my exacting standards.  There have been versions with a Diesel loco <yuck!>, then others with various steam locomotives to represent various times in the vehicles long life.  About the only thing that stayed constant is the carriages in the sets or train packs.

So which one did I finally obtain?  Well its a reasonably recent release so benefits from the better quality and higher detailed models that you get from the Chinese factories.  But what's more is the loco, it is a Princess class LMS liveried version of "Princess Elizabeth" one of the sister locomotives to the "Princesss Helena Victoria" locomotive that you loved so much Super

Anyway without further ado here is the set;











However the above set, although I knew it was coming, was not expected to arrive today, instead it was a nice surprise to come home to!  What I had gone out for with the specific intention of buying today was a special Pullman car to go with the other Pullman car's in my collection.  This was a special in that it was a 'bar car', but like my other pullmans it is a super detail version in a similar livery and even has working table lamps when in use (pics below). 















But while in the local'ish model store I also found and picked up something else I'd had my eye on as they had it on special.  Talk about going from the mighty to the mini, you coudn't get a more drastic gap between the Princess Elizabeth and this model, a "Ruston & Hornsby, class 48DS Diesel and Flatbed Wagon" this one being in the livery of "Longhorn Distillery" and called "Queen Anne".  This 48DS is so small that I put a ruler alongside it in a couple of pictures, this loco is literally only 2 inches long, yet is fully operation and is even able to have a DCC chip fitted, which I will be doing in the near future