Holly green

Locomotive livery can be a very emotive subject. On the Isle of Man, most people think of the engines running in India Red, a sort of bauxite colour. There have been others however. Ailsa Green, a pale apple green, was a major feature of the line and Hutchinson was turned out in blue back in the 1990s. I like the colour but may enthusiasts hated it.

Holly Green also made an appearance in the early days and the latest model from Oxford diecast has been turned out in it. To be honest, I wasn't sure. For a start, I'd not seen an engine painted in it. Not until this year.

To match the model, Kissack now appears in the dark green and looks superb. The colour really sits well on the Victorian design. I'm not sure it's ever going to be my favourite, but I'm glad the model provides an accurate representation of a loco we enjoyed on holiday. 

Rather less accurate, but undoubtedly more useful, is this model of Loch. 

At first sight, I assumed this was a pencil eraser, but spotting the £10 price tag, this wasn't the case. In fact, it's a USB memory stick. I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but it's a fun souvenir and the ideal place to back up the photos I took while on the island.