Today I attended the York model show and one of my aims was to find out information amongst the booksellers on Midland & Great Northern (M&GN) locos and LNER B17s. Even though I use the internet as an integral part of my work and for pleasure, there's a lot of information that's only been recorded in books and other non-electronic media.

I was successful in both of my aims, Yeadon's register of LNER locos showed quite a few photos of LNER J41 locos (M&GN rebuilt D class 0-6-0s), only four of them appeared anywhere like their Midland Rly 3F counterparts as modelled by Bachmann, but only with extended smokeboxes and differing chimneys - no cop out. If only Bachmann brought out a MR round-topped boilered 2F, none of those issues would have arisen (incidentally, Loco Works in OO have brought one out in ready to run form)

The second aim was to find out about the early prototype history of my Hornby model of B17/4 4-6-0 2859 Norwich City, in LNER Darlington green. According to the RCTS volume dealing with the B17s it was initially allocated to the GC section in 1936 and only appeared in that guise for less than a year until it was streamlined and re-named East Anglian in 1937 for the East Anglian express and transferred to Norwich. Consequently Hornby's version represents the loco for a very short period indeed.

By the way, did they ever visit Chester via the CLC or reach Oxford on inter-company services?