Gilwell Park

I asked Ebay AI to produce a description for me. Never again!

Darth Vadar? The new Star Wars class?

The recent pictures of B1 have reminded me about a query I have regarding SB number plates. Several show white edging to the plate. Was this just white paint carefully applied or was there a cast lip to the plate as a guide? Was it restricted to one works or a particular period? My SB transfer number plates all have the edging and it has been a right pain to carefully trim it off. Thanks. Roger.

The RCTS book on BR standard 4-6-0 & 2-6-0 report them as being used on excursions to Clacton etc. One of the Stratford engines, 78023, was reported being used on a special freight to Chingford. I always understood that they were allocated to Stratford to replace the remaining J15 for a few months before being transferred to March.

375.007 is preserved in Prague technical museum, although with a more normal smokebox door. It looks magnificent and the way the frames are made and everything attached is fascinating. Well worth a visit. Would love to see one in action.

Here is my Y7 converted from a Triang Nellie as an odd job during lockdown. Only thing purchased was the transfers. Not as accurate, and without a whistle, but much cheaper than £144.95 from Rapido. ( which I am sure will be a brilliant model)

Just to prove that a B4 will fit on a nellie chassis.

Last entry for a spell. My first BR/WR loco was a gaiety cast pannier body onto Jinty chassis. This was followed by a Kitmaster prairie body on a Princess chassis, later used under 666. My next attempt was a Cambrian goods, 849, converted from a Triang 3f 0-6-0 tender loco, prompted by a picture in an early 60s RM. When I found a drawing I realised how inaccurate it was so rebuilt it to produce this improved version. The boiler was cut off at the top of the splashers, then a slice cut off the bottom of the boiler + firebox portion. The fire box was shortened and a new cab produced. The tender top was completely rebuilt on the old frame. Now preserved in my museum box. Still not very accurate but it's my own work & more fun than spending £100+ on a modern model, which I would be very reluctant to carve about.

From memory I fitted it with a more modern motor with a fold up gear box, since transferred to the Ks 1361. The pick ups however were difficult to fit without catching on points.

Here is another pair of conversions. The front one a standard Nellie with GW boiler mountings & extended bunker. Currently is store, ie no motor. The other is No. 666, an AD,N&SW rly, ex ROD. A Jinty body with new boiler mountings, tank overlays & new cab. The chassis is from a very old Triang princess, originally fitted with Romford wheels these were removed & fitted to a Ks 1361 0-6-0st years ago. Currently fitted with spare nellie wheels, see through on one side & solid the other. Well I can't see both sides at once.

Many years ago before models of obscure prototypes became so common I converted Triang / Hornby Jinties into some of those fascinating Swindon rebuilds of Welsh pre-grouping types. UI have recently recovered them from storage so here are a couple of Rhymney railway S or S1 shunters. The front one is a later style Jinty with a mainline 2252 boiler, the further on is a very old Jinty with a cut down Triang 3F tender loco boiler. The more recent one still works & is used occasionally for coal empties but the other has very coarse wheels and has sacrificed it's motor to something else.

Here is a similar modification to LNER Y4 Stratford departmental 33 on a Rivarrossi chassis.

Thanks. I have ordered one. The trouble is that having done one it shows up the others. Roger

My Triang L1 4-4-0 motor was suffering from advanced old age and in spite of cleaning, including comutator slots, and lubricating was overheating. I have replaced it with a Peter's Spares modern motor & bracket. The performance now is fully up to modern standards. Has anybody else used these motors? The only problem is they cost several times the cost of the original L1, 45 shillings?

Has anybody yet produced a 4 door MK 2 Cortina? I had two. One stolen, the other turned upside down with me in it. Grateful thanks to Fords for solid roof struts.

Sounds like rumour mongering, let alone conjecture!

I have the latest LNER green B12, 8527, but need to renumber it as 8572, the preserved example. I am reasonably happy to renumber BR green or black locos and match the factory finish. However dealing with apple green & shaded transfers could be more difficult seeing that i do not have any apple green paint or LNER transfers. How easy is it to remove the existing numbers? and what is the effect on the paintwork? The style of the numbers should match the lettering on the tender, not a good match at present. Thank you. Roger.

Hi. Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but here goes. I have the Fox Transfer sheet FHR 4000/15, 2 pairs of "BRITISH RAILWAYS" in GW style lettering. One pair is red/yellow with black shading. The other pair is red/yellow with black lining out. I assume, but may be wrong, that the red/yellow could be used on black or green locos but that the pair with black lining out should be used on green locos, otherwise most of the lining would be invisible. Confirmation would be welcome. Thanks, Roger.

Yes I remember MEKS. I used to work for BT in their factory behind Selby's in Holloway Rd. OK for a lunch time walk. Was also a good location for Kings cross models and the continental shop, Victors, initially in Chapel market, then Pentonville Rd, on the 14 bus. Was always puzzled about MEKS, where their stock came from & how they made a profit from that location.

This is my i/c 4-4-0. Named Exmoor. My justification is that the GW actually rebuilt all the Dukes with Bulldog frames. Then realised that the curved frames of the early Bulldogs were just as bad as the Dukes. This left them with insufficient Blue route locos so a limited number of new 4-4-0 were built around the same time as the 2251 0-6-0.

The L1 has always been my favourite Triang loco, it was the first one with all wheels flanged. Fairly soon I converted it to a LMS 2p as I was in my S&D phase. My first conversion of an expensive loco instead of Kitmaster conversions. Some time later when Hornby introduced the B12 I began a GE section branch line & used the L1 chassis as as base for a D16 using a cut about B12 body. When Hornby introduced their D16 the original conversion was withdrawn & stored in the junk=might be useful one day box. In the meantime I acquired another L1 & repainted it into BR lined black, because I liked it. I have always enjoyed producing unusual locos by conversions but lately they have become so expensive that I don't like cutting them about so I extracted the old 2P chassis & with the aid of a battered L1 body from Ebay produced an inside cylinder GW 4-4-0 with a mainline 2251 cab & 43xx boiler. During lockdown I restored my 2P with another L1 chassis from Ebay, no motor. I now have 3 locos on the L1 chassis. An L1, a 2P & a GW 4-4-0. A very useful loco. Any ideas for further conversions?

The W1 was never named, but Hornby gave it one.

If Hornby were to produce one of these in BR dark green & with the A4 style sweeping curve on the smokebox I would probably get one, otherwise no thanks. Rule 1 applies.

The only way I could tell a D1 from an E1 was the coupling rods. D1 are plain, E1 fluted. I couldn't distinguish a 6" difference in wheel base then and certainly can't distinguish a difference of 2mm now. Roger