robertcwp

Apart from two generations of station building on the south side, Reading is unrecognisable compared to how it was 20 or so years ago. 47816_Reading-_28-8-01 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

From the end of the 1960s, the WR went through something of a phase of having brakes coupled together in the middle, most notably on Penzance trains using a pair of BSO 2c. I suspect it was mainly for convenience of loading and unloading the vans but may also have helped at short platforms. A pair of BFKs would have been less common then although a single BFK or a BFK and BSO might also appear in the middle. D1034_47_Lostwithiel_9-75 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

Yes, four BFK 2d are shown as WR in the 1980 RCTS book.

The newer Peco points don't need the rails cutting as they are made with a break which is bridged underneath, so you cut that instead. The link between stock rail and blade still needs to be made. The bullhead points dispense with this arrangement and are live both ways. The frog is dead but is metal and can be wired to a switch or, for DCC, a frog juicer. What micro switches do you use, please?

Not a shortened set but one of the Midland Pullman 6-car, all first class sets. One 6-car set was tried out on the East Coast as you note and the are photos and footage of it.

Good point, I meant 126 first not 108, ie 3xFO. The sets were usually BG, 5 TSO, RB, 3 FO. The WR did not have any 2d BFKs until the late 1970s or early 1980s, I forget when exactly. 47478_Slough_1A42_0945-WSM-Pad_26-9-74 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

The 8-car Blue Pullmans only seated 120 second and 108 first class, so not really enough second class for many trains. After downgrading of some accommodation, the two 6-car sets together only seated 144 first and 120 second. They were non-standard and could only do 90 mph. They required lots of crew and at the time of withdrawal were in need of heavy overhauls. The 6-car sets had been split up in 1971 and mixed in with the 8-car sets. The new Mark 2e/f stock was entering service when they were withdrawn and offered a better ride as well as more accommodation overall. A standard WR Mark 2e/f set of the time seated 126 first and 320 second.

If not, it can be arranged.

Thanks.

60508 still gives good service after many years. The model must be well over 40 years old now. The Lanarkshire Models lamps are a more recent addition.

I did hear mention somewhere of solid state things existing that work on DC but I have not identified any. The DCC Concepts item about diamond crossing wiring caught my eye as I have a dead frog diamond on my DC layout and have been thinking of relaying with a live frog one but sorting out the switching has rather put me off. In this regard, DCC is much easier. Now for the revelation: I have begun work on a new layout which will be DCC. It will not replace my existing one - the new one will be much smaller. I plan to use frog juicers throughout but have read of others having problems with Peco 3-way points, of which I have one planned to go in the fiddleyard. All the 'on scene' track will be the new Peco bullhead type, where the points were designed with DCC in mind. I have no immediate plans to convert my existing, and now rather old and tired, layout to DCC but if I decide at some point to refurbish it, conversion may happen.

I didn't say they were frog juicers. What I wrote was "I believe DCC Concepts do devices that can help with live frog diamonds on DC layouts." The items referred to are devices and they help with live frog diamonds on a DC layout.

They were Mark 3. The only Mark 2 EMUs on BR were the Class 310 and 312 units, which did not have air conditioning.

I think it is something for when using DCC point control on a DC layout. See here.

I believe DCC Concepts do devices that can help with live frog diamonds on DC layouts.

I asked about the Peco Code 75 3-way and Oldddudders informed me that he has got frog juicers to work.

There was a Mark 2 air-con EMU, built for Taiwan.

Has anyone managed to get frog juicers to work with the Code 75 3-way point, please? There are really only two frogs to switch as the first two from the toe end are always the same polarity.

The B3 shot looks as though it might be more recent than Roy's time as the first carriage appears to be a Hornby BSO. It's a great photo for giving an impression of speed. I thought the photo of a 47 was of the full-size version to begin with!

A further small Retford update, but without any photos or video as I forgot to do any, is that 60027 Merlin has retired from Elizabethan service after many years and has been replaced by 60012 Commonwealth of Australia, which is a Hornby model, modified and regauged by Sandra. It ended up being something of a hybrid of two separate Hornby A4s. It can shift the train without the slightest trouble and was clocked at - if I recall correctly - a scale 112 mph on one run.

Yes, there is a photo of a maroon Thompson pantry car in the Harris LNER Carriages book with restaurant car branding. I have no yet found a photo of a Gresley one in maroon with the branding. However, the final batch of Gresley ones was built during WW2 and ran initially as open firsts, later downgraded to open thirds/seconds, and I believe their pantry equipment (if fitted) was never used. The Mousa etches are of the earlier variant with shallow window vents. I found a photo of one with shallow vents and the later angle-iron trussing but it was in LNER livery. It did, however, provide support for the variant Brian produced for me. Brian and I decided against RESTAURANT CAR branding on my one.

Some Retford developments. There was a minor reshuffle of the trains last weekend, which saw two existing trains replaced and some others revised. The main development is the reappearance of a down 'Postal' train, which includes two vans kindly loaned by Geoff West, that were built originally by John Houlden for his 'Gamston Bank' layout. Sandra has a further TPO van under construction to complete the train. The set also includes two Bachmann Thompson full brakes, which have been improved by Brian Kirby with reprofiled roofs, new roof vents and rebuilt underframe detail. This video shows the train in action, hauled by 60539 Bronzino whilst a J6 shunts in the goods yard. Here are a few images: IMG_0460am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr IMG_0461am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr IMG_0462am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr The other new train is a King's Cross-York/Hull service. Going by the 1956 carriage workings (as we don't have 1957) this included a pantry car running as an ordinary open second and had no catering provision north of Peterborough, where a buffet car was detached from the rear. This Gresley pantry car was built by Brian Kirby using Mousa Models (Bill Bedford) sides on a Hornby Gresley buffet car. It has turned out well. IMG_0464am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr And finally, here is a video of the (unchanged) Yorkshire Pullman.

I can confirm that your extract was from the Winter 1959-60 book. So far as I am aware, the East Coast books were all Landscape at least from Nationalisation until Winter 1964-5. All the ones I have are in that format. The GN Main Line books were all portrait. From the Summer 1965 timetable, the two books were merged into one portrait format book.

Perhaps things changed after the carriage working books had gone to print. This is what is in the GN Main Line book for the Summer of 1958:

From the Summer 1958 East Coast carriage workings: