Atlantics: Small Meets Smaller...

Good afternoon all. Just a very quick post from today. Whilst pottering around in the workshop I noticed that a parcel had arrived at the house. Inside was another new toy: my 00 gauge Bachmann model of the GNR Atlantic No251. I ordered this some time last year, perhaps October time, not long after the NRM had announced their build. 251 is the only survivor of Ivatt's large boilered C1 4-4-2 Atlantic class and is part of the National Collection. The engine is currently at the NRM's other base: Shildon: and is on display to the public. As far as I know, commercially made models of the C1 haven't been available in 00 gauge before and the new locomotives were sure to prove popular. My main reason for ordering one was of course my bigger C1: the LBSC Maisie Atlantic No4436 which I bought last year. With her in mind I had ordered the LNER liveried variant that Bachmann offered, but following some research it turned out that the later model came with the LNER modifications. 4436 never received such mods and remained in GNR condition despite livery changes. This made my order change at the very last minute to the Great Northern liveried 251 model, simply because it came with the same outline and features as my 3.5" gauge engine. This afternoon, both Atlantics were pictured in the garden in the sun. In that picture, the 00 gauge model is completely dwarfed by the live steam 4436, though the small size of the Bachmann engine makes its big sister look even more huge than normal! Hopefully we'll see 251 running on the garden line in the summer. Cheers all, Sam...