coline33

Accurascale will be releasing a model of a 'Buckjumper' J68 in BR livery as 68646 and is available to preorder. PLA did hire-in Stratford engines in the 1950s. One of these, 68654, was photographed in Royal Docks with its PLA crew.

Alas sold out. If required use link and add to wish-list.

Illustrated comparisons between the PLA's Millwall Circle and my first design!!! When my dining room table is fully extended then I can insert that extra siding section on the other side of the circle to serve the ship berths. I had wanted to put the storage sidings fan in the middle of the circle but it would have been at the expense of having Millwall shed where a spare road awaits delivery of PLA56 to be alongside PLA74, 200 and 201.

Many thanks for this. Looking at the timber conditions of A64, the side looks original but the end seems relatively new. This leads me to suspect that Harland & Wolff at Royal Docks have done a rebuild of the ends at some time which has warranted the van to survive into the final PLA numbering series.

Thank you both vdery much for the observations. Then definitely those axleboxes point to its CR origins. The planking, etc. of the sides of 2080 reflect those of A64. I can only assume that somewhere in its history A64 had its ends completely rebuilt. From its condition in the PLA photo I can only think that A64 was a renumber from the PLA's original van numbering series. It looks too old for the PLA to have bought it after WW2 or maybe it had no choice!!! So I have changed the "ex-LSWR" to "ex-CR/LMS" in my listing. Was the diagram D67 that of CR and did the LMS change it, please? I do not suppose the D67 has sufficient appeal for a RTR product suggestion in CR/LMS/BR/PLA liveries - unless someone can prove otherwise? On the subject of covered vans, I would love to know just how many ex-BR Palvans, beyond the three that the Bluebell purchased, there were? I have a note that there was a grounded PLA Palvan body alongside the Queen Elizabeth reservoir at West Molesey but cannot find anything further about it. I am looking to make a case for a product suggestion for a RTR Palvan in BR and PLA formats. What I am looking for is a prototype PLA wagon that is a 'dead-ringer' for any 4mm RTR model open wagon produced - has anyone any ideas, please?

Although the axleboxes appear to be the same, the brake is very different. Do we have the CR van photographed in LMS or BR condition, please?

PLA records stated A64 to be ex-LSWR. It is a high version without shielded end vents. The LSWR photo looks as though it is a low version.

I had a reply from Bachmann accepting the PLA Austerity suggestion to go forward in their next product review, I was going to reply with the suggestion of PLA A64 from the original LSWR van tooling. However, the original tooling is for the lower height van and the new tooling is for the higher one. Alas the higher one has vent shields on its ends - oh, you can't win!!! But I will submit and ask if the shield is an add-on so easily removed.

Yes, but I will be going after EFE to see if a RTR of it can be add to their range from the original tooling. I have this afternoon sent a suggestion to Bachmann for a RTR PLA Austerity to be added to the range for a steamer to go with the Janus diesel for Royals and Tilbury Docks.

Although not 100% correct, EFE Rail 87052 would be a good start to alter and repaint this LSWR covered van as PLA A64. Kernow MRC have plenty in stock. Beware this 87052 is the best tooling for the PLA van. EFE have produced new tooling for this series but it would be more work to alter!!!

I have submitted Rapido's Product Suggestion form in respect of open wagon 619/C127. Interesting to see how they respond. Next is to see if Bachmann are interested to do A64 an ex-LSWR covered van based on their existing LSWR/SR/BR model.

Oh dear, I missed out A64 ex-LSWR, A66 ex-GWR V18 and A73 ex-GWR V16. C55 was ex-LNWR not LSWR! Sorry.

Now to add some more data to my previous post. I am not aware of any PLA rolling stock being bogie or 6 wheel. Open wagons 127-9 were described as Tube wagons while 1283 was delivered from Hurst Nelson in 1914 being a 3-plank dropside open in white for the engineering Dept. Please ignore references to 1390 and 3124. Those numbered in the 3000s were flat wagons. 3038 was a standard height flat but 3147. 3217/8 and 3392 were low height. With the final number series in diesel days came prefixed number. 'A' was for covered vans - 45/52/79 ex-BR Palvans; 'B' was for brake vans; 'C' for open wagons - 55 was ex-LSWR and 127 ex-GWR O18 and 'D' was departmental i.e included breakdown vans such as 07. If anyone has more info to add please do so.

I corresponded in the 1970s with the author just before he passed way. These were what he found just before final drafting. He kindly presented me with a signed copy which went into the PLA Library - whether it is still there and whether the PLA Library still exists in the present set-up or is with the Museum of London, I do not know. My known rolling stock numbers shows open wagons from 126 to 995 with two oddities at 1283 and 1390; brake vans 1001-1005; breakdown vans 1007 and 1166; insulated vans from 1144 to 1544 and ordinary vans from 2043 to 2576. Now those 120 flat wagons were four wheelers for timber carriage and storage in I&M and the highest know number was 3124. They were ex-Millwall DC and low floored hence the I&M locos could be found with two separate height buffers! Hope that helps.

A bit of an update! I had a devil of a job tracking down a stockist who still advertised the Rapido PLA van A73. So I pre-ordered two allowing me to change the number easily to A78 although I have no record of what type of van it was! Sorry only one left so I took it. In checking the van list I found A66 ex-GWR V18 as W104700 on the Severn Valley. So corresponded with Rapido who confirm that the last pre-order they had for the PLa van had just been taken! The only difference that I know between V14/16 and V18 is that latter has the same body but the chassis comes with or without vacuum brakes. With all A73 now out-of-stock and the similarity of van types could not a second run be included but as A66. The response was that the V18 is in mind so could include A66 but it was felt that to add to the present plan would overdo the market at this moment. However, Rapido is interested should there be other wagons, etc., in mind. So I will follow up with open wagon 619/C127 on their wish-list! Regarding the I&M Yorkshire Engine diesel, I see that the Gaugemaster Collection is taking pre-orders for a 2024 release of a blue BR 02 class and a green version as an industrial, priced at £169 each. The price is off-putting my suggesting to them of the need for a PLA blue version, what do you think I should do, please?