the engine needed work, so i cleaned what i could without opening the casing, and then when i added a little lube, it stopped engaging the gears. so i popped the casing to see what was up and everything fell out. result? one dead n700! thankfully i have 3 spares, so its not a big deal.
from the same seller i bought two d51 steam engines. both work nicely and have working lights. they each need their rolling stock, so i will keep an eye out for them. pictures of them and the n700 are here
the two books were given for free and are board books. their scans are here . the tin was shown in the auction and is the reason i hit the buy now. it appears to have once held candy, as it has an expiry sticker on the bottom. its a really nice tin and now one of my favourite pieces.
really pleased to have this. now just waiting on the 2 $50 lots i bought