In Praise of Lima.

[glencairn]

When I returned to the hobby, the first loco I bought was a Lima Western Enterprise D1023 It included track, controller and three wagons all for the princely sum of £4 99. Although the controller has long gone, the remainder are still on the layout. The only thing I have altered is the loco number -- to D1000.

I have a number of Lima locos and love them all.

Glencairn

[Mountain]

The Lima western I found was a nicer model then the Hornby western. The Hornby model did have a very impressive cab interior, but they mounted the front lower end of the model onto the bogie which spoiled the look of the loco. Yes the Lima version wasn't perfect, but it did have a nice look to it, and it really became impressive when pulling a rake of suitable coaches at speed. The motor gave a satisfying noise when running it at speed. It made it feel value for money.
Anyone remember the shop advert in the back of Railway Modellers offering Lima westerns in each of the four colours available for £12.50 each? I seem to remember the shop was based in Swindon. Swindon Models?
Also anyone remember the advert in the front section of the Railway Modeller when a certain shop offered free toothpaste supplied in the body of Lima locomotives ordered by them? The advert stated they didnt recommend the treatment, but anyone who wanted it, they would supply it.

[luckymucklebackit]

The shop that I remember advertising in the Modeller was Railmail, which offered Lima Locomotives (among others) at silly prices, I always remember the would put "phone" against some of the models. You could pick up locos like the Deltic for £5 (about £16 in todays prices) Their Glasgow shop in Parnie St. later morphed into D&F models, if memory serves me correctly their HQ was in Sheffield.

Jim

[b308]

Not quite, Jim...

http://www.eastbank.org.uk/shops.htm

(Rest of it it'll probably take you back as well!! Williamson Models sounded like a fun place to go!)

[luckymucklebackit]

Not quite, Jim...

http://www.eastbank.org.uk/shops.htm

(Rest of it it'll probably take you back as well!! Williamson Models sounded like a fun place to go!)

I may have missed out a couple of steps, but it was the same David and Irene (and the other Lady who's name I forget) that staffed the shop from the Railmail days in Parnie Street through to D and F Models in Bell Street.

Thanks for the link!

Jim

[Bufferstop]

I can remember Railmail and its heavy discounting, I'd bought a box of nickel silver 00 flexi track, from the Swindon outfit, and they sent galvanised steel. I'd arranged with them to send it back and get it replaced when rumblings started in the magazines that they were shutting up shop. A day or so after I'd decided that was the last I would see of my track I got a phone call from a guy who was very obviously in Glasgow checking my address as he had been asked to send me a box from his stock. The box arrived a day or two before it was announced that both shops were shutting down. I was most grateful that guy had taken the trouble to send it, as he was almost certainly out of a job by the time I unpacked it. For the price it wasn't bad track, not quite as easy to lay as Peco, but quite up to the job. When it was getting towards twenty years old and had been used on several layouts, I discovered a problem, these fancy new Hornby wheels kept falling between the rails. Checking with the calipers the gauge was heading towards 17mm, weather it had always been that I don't know but I had to sort through my stocks and get rid of it. I thought I'd found it all, until I was troubled with derailments in my new fiddle yard. That's when I found the last three inches of it, fortunately for three inches a bit of surgery on the rail fixings and a few Peco track spikes got it back to the right gauge.