I have a pretty good idea what a Class 40 looks like, as a result of a complicated technical procedure that we self-appointed experts on the internet like to refer to as "having seen one". I will thus be approaching the forthcoming Bachmann release with the preconceived idea (rogue that I am) that the model should look like the real thing. Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of this type 4 is the trademark English Electric profile of the roof which gives the impression of being almost a semi-circle, although obviously it's not. A profile that the sibling Class 37 modelled by the same manufacturer so spectacularly failed to replicate. Note also the distinctive shape of the nose and the way that the loco hunkers down low on it's bogies - both key areas where careless errors by manufacturers will stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.
I'm just scratching the surface here, but suffice to say the human brain can recognise shapes and movement (even in the periphery of your vision) almost instantly without you even having to consciously make the effort. This is why a poorly-drawn sketch of your partner, for example, just won't look right, even though you might not be able to quantify exactly what's wrong and quote detailed measurements. If something doesn't look right then that's almost certainly because it isn't right. If a model looks wrong and a reviewer is telling you it matches his published drawing, then (assuming there's no hidden agenda) it simply means that the drawing is wrong. On occasions when the spin-o-matic is cranked all the way up to 11, of course, the related and rather fanciful claim that a model matches all known drawings means, presumably, that it's made out of f*ck*ng elastic...
Actually, the real reason for my use of this wonderful shot of Lichfield Trent Valley station being rebuilt in the early 60s is that a fair proportion of this site has been rebuilt in the last 24 hours. One consequence is that this OMWB page has moved - so if you've bookmarked it in the past you'll need to update things. The other obvious change is the addition of specific links to items on pages such as this, enabling you to go directly to individual entries.
Currently On My Stereo: Various Artists - Tales From Yesterday.