Saturday Variety

…  from a grand wood-panelled terminal building.

The terminal still had a touch of excitement even in the 1970s. But way, wa back you would walk up the ramp, through the building and there, lined up outside, would be “trams to all parts”

The rest of the lettering is a single colour but  the transfers are crude and thick.

Later you were lucky to get one colour printing, helped by the yellow shell and the yellow tank!

By the time Bachmann came along, Tampo printing was the technology available. (Tampo is a brand name). A rubber blob picks up the image from an inked metal plate and “stamps” it on the model. Because of the high quality of the “stuff” you get high quality multi coloured print which can be very small.

The print on the solebar is barely legible.

The new Hornby model is even better, so much so that fbb’s cheapo mobile phone could not focus small enough in the light conditions available as this blog was prepared. (It’s yer depth of field, mate – again!).

The phones didn’t like the white on green …

… but just about coped with the solebar.

Astounding!

… although many retailers do offer a few pounds discount. From frail and fading memory, fbb paid about £29 for his, a couple of years ago.

… one quid cheaper!