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Dubaimike

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Everything posted by Dubaimike

  1. The Pen & Sword website shows a book by Tony on the Class 22s, to be published at the end of April. It's also available on Amazon UK, along with a follow up volume which is due in July.
  2. Well, I was guessing when I wrote the post above, but a book by Tony on the Class 15/16s has now appeared on both the Pen & Sword and Book Depository websites, for publication in October. Book Depository also advertise one on the Class 14s; publication in 2022. I'll be ordering these two as I've found the previous three very interesting. I'm still reading and enjoying the one on the Claytons. In the past most of what I've read on the NBL class 21/29s, the Metrovicks and the Claytons could be summed up as "they were unreliable". I hadn't previously seen any author give an explanation of why this was, and what was done to try and fix things, as Tony does.
  3. Thanks Airnimal. No, I don't think the local library has that one. However I lived around that line until I was 18, so buying the book is tempting.
  4. Thanks Gents. I've done the usual searches but I haven't come up with any pictures of the railway in use. It was indeed a dispersed site but the railway served (I think) only the largest of the separate parts. The junction with the LMS/BR was on the east side of the line, south of the Stanley Road overbridge.
  5. That's great Nick, much appreciated. I'll have a look at the website, but I can immediately see the loco shed I referred to! Thanks Mike
  6. In the 1970s I lived near the site of RAF Handforth, (61 maintenance unit) in Cheshire, and visited frequently. Although completely abandoned by then, there were many remains of a large internal railway system, including much track and a two road loco shed. The site had been served by a connection to the Manchester-Crewe line between Cheadle Hulme and Handforth stations. I'd really like to know more about this railway system. Can anyone point me to any references such as a track diagram and/or photographs of the railway at work? Many thanks in advance. Mike
  7. I received my copy today. As the previous poster said there's an awful lot to take in, but my initial impression is that it's superb. Congratulations Tony! Can we look forward to further books, maybe one on the Class 15s & 16s?
  8. Publication date has been pushed back to 30th April on the Pen & Sword website.
  9. I have it on order. If it is up to the same standard as the class 21/29 book it will be fascinating.
  10. I found the class 21/29 book excellent, and am now part way through reading the Co-Bo volume. I'm finding this one very interesting too.
  11. Yes the 21/29 book is about 290 pages with a RRP of GBP40, although available for significantly less even from the publishers. Well worth it in my view.
  12. Many thanks for the detailed reply. I'll have to think about whether to get a copy. What interests me most in the case of the short-lived diesel classes is why they were unreliable and what was done to try and improve things. It sounds like there may not be much new in this one. Maybe Pen & Sword will do a volume on the Claytons in the same vein as their class 21/29 book, which gives a lot of detail on problems in service.
  13. Thanks Chard. One to get to absorb during lockdown then.
  14. Is there any text about their service history and problems or is it all pictures? The spelling howler on the cover has put me off buying it so far.
  15. I received a copy for Christmas, I think it's excellent. Lots of detail and some fascinating photos which were new to me. Congratulations to the author.
  16. Are the class 14 and class 22 sound effects in this video authentic? I ask because I'm sure the sound which accompanies the class 37 leaving the Dean Forest is of a class 25.
  17. On Sundays in the mid 70s I regularly used to ride my bike to Reddish. I was always given permission to go round the shed and I don't think I ever saw anything move, except on the 1973 open day. The only loco classes I saw were 24, 25, 40 and 76, again apart from at the open day. Class 506 EMUs were regulars of course, I'm not sure if I saw any other types. The Longsight class 24s were stored there for a long time before and after withdrawal and these included a couple of interesting examples in 24005, which was originally D5000, and 24021, which carried the BR lion symbol on its' blue livery to the end. I'd like to share an "if only" moment from one Sunday in 1975 when I was delighted to find 40171 on the depot. This was one of a handful of class 40s still in green livery at the time. It was outside the shed, perfectly posed in the sun to show off the terrible condition of the paint, which was worn away to the red undercoat in many places. I took lots of pictures, then moved into the shed building where I found 25043, the only remaining green class 25, was there as well, again well placed for pictures. This was amazing luck and multiple frames were exposed on it. So what happened? The slides came back from processing to show the budget conscious 15 year old why some "own brand" films were so cheap. With dreadful colour balance and totally unusable, they all went in the bin. An unfortunate lesson in why cheap is not always good. I only used Kodachrome from then on, but of course I never encountered these locos again. At least I did get good Kodachrome shots of the two class 24s I mention on a later visit. Thanks for bringing back memories of Reddish and I confirm that in the 1970s there was still a painted notice on an external wall of the depot saying "Pullman Oil Only"! Cheers Mike
  18. Oh, OK. I must see if I can get one. I remember the painted colour illustrations were quite good, but maybe that was because I was about 6. Anyway, thanks for starting the thread, I'd forgotten the book entirely until you did.
  19. I remember this too. I think the children travelled around the UK with their father, who explained aspects of railway working to them as they did. I recall the boy saying he wanted to see "one of those new engines that runs on oil" and the girl being able to list the names of the A3s! But I don't remember the title!
  20. Are you sure about 6339 at SPM in Oct 71 Brian? It was still officially in traffic then. Regards Mike
  21. I've just been dipping into the "Book of the Warships" and the piece on D870 got me thinking. Maybe the collected hydraulic knowledge on this forum can help with some info. D870 was intended to be fitted with ETH, although in the end it wasn't. If it had been: 1. How would the electrical supply have been produced? The BOTW mentions updated engines, but a pretty substantial generator would have been needed surely. Where would it have gone? 2. This was in 1961, did BR have any ETH diesels at the time. If not, why experiment with a DH? Wouldn't a DE be much simpler? 3. Was there any ETH fitted coaching stock at the time? Maybe the WCML electric hauled stock? At the end of its life D870 was sent to Derby RTC for experiments with gas-turbine hydraulic propulsion, but was found to be unsuitable because of collision damage: 1. So what happened then? Was the idea abandoned? 2. Why was D870 chosen, given the number of undamaged withdrawn Warships around at the time? I'll be very interested in any info that throws any light on the above. Cheers Mike
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