As a boy in Dundee Scotland one Christmas (1951) I received a "Train set". It ws the Hornby Dublo A4 Gresley with teak coaches etc. Well I played with that for many a day until I wanted a bicycle. So the train was sold and the proceeds went towards my first two wheeler!! Many years later (1980) I attended a local model railway exhibition in Aberdeen and to my surprise I saw a Dublo layout fully operational! I was hooked ! Fortunately for me I met a gentleman many years my senior who was also observing the HD exhibit we got talking and he invited me to visit his home to see his personal collection of HD. My friend now of 20 years, Eric, encouraged me to start my own Dublo collection and with what little money I had available I gradually put together some items nothing of any great value except that I enjoyed displaying them. I did however want a Gresley but none were available or if they were I could not afford the price asked! So I just admired them and dreamed!! Well one day in 1992 a vendor's representative who I dealt with, called to see me at my place of employment . He knew I was interested in Model Railways and he produced a brown paper bag containing bits and pieces of what had been a locomotive... not just any loco...it was barely recognisable but yes it was an A4 and the number "7" was feintly visible! The donor told me it was mine to do what I wanted with it...needless to say I was overjoyed...but I was not a restorer..I did not know where to start. So I called my friend Eric who had retired and was now resident in England. Could he help? My friend was very willing to take on the project and I managed to deliver the bits and pieces to him. The date was April 20th 1993 ...my wife and I were leaving on April 29 to commence work here in the USA!! Eric promised to keep me informed as to the progress of the restoration and true to his word I received a Postcard from him four weeks after our arrival in California, to say the loco was up and running!!! The only thing was that Eric insisted that I had to pick it up personally whenever we were back in the UK! Circumstances did not permit me a personal visit to Eric's home but we were in touch regularly and I was assured that my dream loco was safe and sound ..just waiting for me to collect. Spring 1997 arrived and the Salvation Army Band I am privileged to be a member of, was booked for a 15 day concert tour of Britain. One of the venues was clsoe to Eric's home so I invited him to the concert. I looked everywhere for him prior to the start of the evening concert but no sign! The band came on the platform for the opening number, I looked again and there he was in the front row! He caught my eye and held up a blue box!! Yes you've guessed it it was my "Sir Nigel Gresley"..rescued from the paper bag...lovingly restored and a joy for me to behold... Eric too shared in the emotion of the moment and I am forever grateful to the vendor's rep and even moreso to my great friend Eric for his painstaking work. It was literally a bag of bits and now as the photograph shows it is worthy of display in all its grandeur1 Perhaps not of great worth to retail, but priceless in sentimental value to me. I do not covet anyone's collection of Hornby Dublo items, rather I admire what I see, but what little I have I am delighted to own and of course pride of place goes to the former contents of a brown paper bag! Regards Ernie Young