hmrspaul

Working as usual for me, very rapid. Paul

Which one? I have 8 https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=paa and I'm not claiming this is complete! TOPS codes are not wagon descriptors or names. The 5th edition of TOPS booklet describes PAA as Privately owned covered bulk, 2 axle (Covhop, Grain, Lime) Paul

I've not studied in detail but my collection has vacuum braked and airbraked versions into the beginning of the 1990s. But removal from others was earlier. On the otherhand the 25 wagons of lot 3724 and 3 of lot 3777 were built without vacuum brake as suitable for the SR only. All these had through vacuum pipe - YGB. I managed to capture one in original condition with an dark olive green finish https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brsealion/ebf9ee38 All my photos are dated. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brsealion Paul

I have added further photos of this train to my website, they are taken from a bridge so show different views to my earlier ones. They also include a different power car - 43013 and an additional coach 977995. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/nmrtrain Paul

This photo appears to show that they were painted other than black - which is what I would have expected as they were departmental wagons. However, not much sign of writing - which may well have been on the solebar. However this was only 12 years after nationalisation so its possible they were never repainted and were in a GWR grey which is likely to have faded with time. Noticeable is that the headstock and bufferstocks are also light. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrdeptcoach/e1176cade Their use was virtually finished by that date, despite WR using gas a little later than other regions - discussed in Backtrack earlier this year. Paul

Thiese appear to be rebodied by 1980 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80/e26342956 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80/e14f1ec07 and these two which I assumed were built new with the strengthened body. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80/e122827fc https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80/e18d1eebf If you look at the high numbers in my post 1981 collection then building new with the new style body is confirmed. This shows a lot of the internal cross bracing in good condition in 1977 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80/e3784a11a And the underside with a transponder https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapost80/e1b1f57f2 Paul

That isn't a suitable comparison. The whole point of the Cavalex bogie tank is it is from the next generation of wagon from the 1980s and is a very different design - most noticeably with a continuous solebar instead of the sub frames of the Met Camm type of the late 1960s. Whereas the differences in the entire fleet of HAAs and HDAs are very minor apart from it not being clear if the model is to be original or rebodied. The pop rivetting is different - as is whether there are struts across the top of the wagon. Don't overlook the history of the MGRs is available https://hmrs.org.uk/merry-go-round-on-the-rails.html And as to variants, I would have thought the CBA would have been of greater use than a CDA, being seen in far more of the UK and not in block trains but as part of the speedlink services. Full scale drawing in the HMRS MGR book, and I know David MS (the author) would share the electronic drawings with a manufacturer. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brcba Paul https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapre80 https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaapost80 https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brhaatopskip

Most of this is good but apologies John this is not true for shunting. The GWR rule book clearly exempts shunting and local movements from the requirement for any protection between locomotive and class A wagon. I would expect the other railways to have similar exemptions. Paul

Thanks, I suspected it was the wet/dry problem As mentioned earlier on my website it is the firs 300 [not 100] which were unfitted originally, unless the BR booklet for conversion is mistaken. Not many photos of these wagons in their early brief days. They'll have been converted by 1960 if not before. And they do appear to have been done thoroughly unlike some of the other wagons which were listed for vacuum braking and some escaped to remain unfitted. Dave Larkin managed to photograph plenty in his neck of the woods - Stroud etc. so the end tipper wagons weren't restricted to Cornwall. Trev Manns drawing of our measurements is reproduced at 7mm In Model Railways vol 6 part 7 Paul

Triang/Hornby couplings... Paul

That's an amazing location, like a giant model railway - a huge bridge crossing a triangular junction and other lines. Paul

Do you know why the loads shouldn't be mixed - some wagons are clearly written For Ball Clay only (which I suspect are all clayhoods) and others are China clay only which are a mix of clayhoods and not. Paul

Could be very warm! Just passing these on the Scunny tour the heat pours off of them - mind the brake van trip we did in June it was so cold that the heat was very welcome. The Ravenscraig ones only had 4 axles at each end, so assume only 200t https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ravenscraigwagon and a different design https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ravenscraigwagon/e3408a70a Paul

There are at least 4 in my collection, all at Plympton which are sheeted directly over the load. Weren't clayhoods for Ball clay? As to O13 - they had Churchward brake rigging so rather different, but I thought we had already looked at them. Or is that in a parallel universe as this has been discussed on another forum at the same time. Paul

Not simply "enthusiasts". An error all too common in the supposedly professional railway enthusiast press. Paul