Phil Hawkins and I were in the same railway photographic folios so in those days I only knew him as a very good photographer. He is the tops in railway artists along with Eric Bottomley; I have one of Eric's 'Castle' paintings over the fireplace.
I think that going for the earliest version of a prototype in order to cover the widest period needs to be balanced against the most popular modelling periods. Dapol's choice of an early panelled Auto Trailer is an example. They had gone by 1957 thus leaving it out of the late 1950's 1960's era, one of the most modelled periods. It always seems to be the early liveries that are left on the shelves.
The Churchward 4300 locos only represented a small proportion of the whole class. That a handful lasted until 1961 was pretty good going considering their age. However, the 53xx and 63xx represented the largest numbers in the class and were virtually identical. They would have represented the 1921 to final withdrawal period and would have given modellers a far wider choice of running numbers.
Modelling-wise, the roof of the weighbridge hut was slated this morning and a patch of lead flashing added in readiness for the chimney stack, which will be painted separately...
I bought a Pooley weighbridge, but a second variant also arrived cast by a foundry in Hollinwood on the Oldham-Failsworth boundary. I am tempted to use this one seeing as I was schooled and worked in Oldham....