Garethp8873

From what I know there are three steel bodied Tool Vans still around. Two belong to the 813 Fund (80982 at the SVR and 16908 at a private site in Evesham) and a third at Tyesley (14984). Of the three I have only seen 80982 as the roof of this wagon is currently being worked on at the SVR and is also the office of the Wagon Group. As seen on the GWR 813 website, 16908 is in a very bad state of affairs. As for 14984, bar one photograph in a book I haven't this wagon yet. As for diagrams, 80982 is a Diagram CC7, 16908 is a CC2 and 14984 is a CC3. Garethp8873.

Just a quick message to say I had an update on my question regarding the CORAL A at Didcot today:

Speaking of GWR Wagon Oddities, this I know has come up in other threads and comments before but has anyone recently seen the GWR Pollen C and E that have come up on ebay? Link to seller here. I do remember seeing these when they were on sale via somewhere in the USA but now these are on at a more sensible price, I maybe tempted into getting one. Probably will be the Pollen E as I have seen them at Didcot. Speaking of the Didcot Pollens, why are they still in that all grey livery? Garethp8873.

Neal, If it was 3D Printed I would be interested. After having seen the potential with the Pollen C and E that have been done using 3D Printing this maybe the right way to go with the AA19 Toad. Garethp8873.

It is still a good representation of that it is meant to be. It just has so much charm about it that you don't think about the errors with it in my opinion. I am going to be putting together a ballast train as I have got three ballast wagons and this wagon now. Would this wagon count as a brake van or would I need a Toad or Ballast Brake? Were GWR Loriots used in ballast trains aswell? Also I was wondering whether the current OO Flangeways Mermaids would be suitable for a GWR transformation at all?

Hey Ozexpatriate, Having looked in the book "All About Iron Minks" and "GWR Wagons Before 1948 Vol.2", the modeller seems to have done a very good job in representing the original GWR 15000 (with probably some slight imagination included). They only have photos of the van during it's BR times though (which always seems to be the way with some of the oddities). The skylights can be seen in the photos in the books but I am not sure the same can be said on the ventilators. The wagon as you can guess has been built from a Ratio GWR Iron Mink kit. Although in reality Iron Minks were 16ft and these Tool Vans were 18ft, I can easily get past this with the model form. Garethp8873.

It's great to see alot of interest in GWR 41723 I must say. Hopefully with the interest that has been sparked up surrounding this unique wagon then maybe something can done to get it back to working order? I keep asking the 813 Fund about what is to happen with 41723 and all come down to funds or private work in the end. It just seems such a shame that something unique as this has been left to become the state it is in now. I think Didcot has been very lucky when moving this wagon about the site up until now but I don't wish to bring on any bad fortune with the poor wagon. I have posted a question up on their facebook group and I will see what they have to say on it. Will let you know how that goes. If anything surely a new wagon kit or a 3D printed wagon of the CORAL A may just bring further interest to bring out the restoration of 41723. Not trying to go off the CORAL A, but I did get another "GWR Wagon Oddity" today from the well known ebay. A GWR Tool Van based on the CC1 Diagram. Very attractive I'll say and with some possibly imagination maybe? Pics included below. ATB, Garethp8873/

Having seen this one a many times on the SVR, I am pleased to see this now make an appearance in model form! Leave it to Bachmann to do it! Pre-ordered the LMS version myself and the preserved 42968 version for a friend a while ago. As you can see the preserved example is going through her next overhaul having ended her boiler certificate last year.

Thank you for the reply Noel. My CORAL A however is a scratchbuilt one I purchased from ebay a few years ago. Very pleased with it. Garethp8873

I guess it's a good thing that GWR 39860 was eventually given this duty otherwise it may have never entered preservation. Hard to imagine that this is the last GWR example now in preservation.

Hello Mark, First off here's the GWR Coral A Wagon. This was won off ebay several years ago along with several other wagons which included Iron Minks, Cattle Wagons and a SR Open Wagon. I must admit I didn't think I would win but luck was on my side with this one. One of my favourities and a talk of the wagon collection I will say. Garethp8873.

GWR 41723 is definitely one of the more interesting GWR oddities that we have around still. This wagon dosen't belong to the GWRS but the 813 Fund. From what I hear, there is interest in getting the wagon restored but it all comes down to funds in the end I guess. Since those photos from the GWR 175 celebrations it has been moved down to the right side of the GWR Engine Shed. The poor wagon certainly needs some love and attention now and I hope it will soon. The 813 Fund certainly has several odd other wagons besides the CORAL A, including the GWR Mites and a GWR 137696 which was originally a AERO wagon converted back to an open in 1946. In models I am lucky to have a scratchbuilt version that I won off ebay several years ago and it is one of my favourite GWR wagons. I will get a photo up later for you all.

I did ask this question to Paddy Goss, the owner of the 813 Fund a while back and he did confirm for me that 41736 was one of the original Canon's Marsh Shunter trucks. With him saying this, does this mean there was more than one at Canon's Marsh?

Very pleasing to see them doing the M3 and M4 diagram rather than just the one diagram. This is Hornby's folly doing just the sloping handrails. Once again Bachmann has nailed another piece of rolling stock perfectly! I will be getting both companies models so it will be interesting to compare both versions.

Unfortunately this is way it is going to go eventually. The RTR companies are now starting to find they have less to work with and now having to look at what makes the kit building companies successful. A perfect example is Cambrian's BR Shark Brake and GWR Shunter truck. I imagine they have noticed a drop in sales of these two kits since the RTR versions have appeared on the scene. This maybe why we have seen Cambrian do alot more pre-grouping stock (Cambrian Railway and LSWR to name two) appear in their range as they least likely to appear as RTR form in the near future. I myself don't have much experience in kit building and I have to either ask someone to do a commission of a model which can be costly or wait for the RTR companies to announce it in their range of that year. Garethp8873.

I have to say that the example displayed via Flickr is not an original GWR Shunter truck. The shunter truck (100377) at Didcot is a former GWR Mink A Van that was converted in the Shunter truck form that it is today in 1953. The 41736 example which is shown in the catalogue and is one of my photos I took, is an original built in 1913 to diagram M3 and now owned by the 813 Fund on the Severn Valley Railway. From what it says on the 813 Website, 47136 was originally allocated to Canons Marsh Bristol and was moved from Bristol around 1973 so it is quite certain that it is a shunter truck that was originally allocated to that area. Garethp8873

Neal, If GWR Toplights were ever to surface as a RTR model, I would most certainly be interested in purchasing several examples. Having seen the carriages we have on the SVR, I always enjoy seeing them. They rarely come out of the Carriage Shed unless it is for a shunt or Galas due to their age. I reckon with the companies now starting to look at what the customer wants, the Toplight may soon be something we'll see appear. Garethp8873.

Hello guys, I was just about to order the LMS 4970 version of the Beyer Garratt. However I have just thought how would the fixed bunker Garratts go around corners? Also the money for the pre-order wouldn't go out until the model had been released right? Sorry if this has been said before. Many thanks! Garethp8873.

I take my hat off to you! This is absolutely amazing to see! I would have never imagined a N gauge 813 in the first place.

I can one of these resting in the shed with my three LMS Pugs. Finally another RTR L&YR Loco on the scene!

I got myself the LNER Y1/2 Sentinel and I was able to test her out on my friend's layout tonight. For such a small loco, it is an excellent piece of work. We tested out it's haulage and it was able to take around 14 wagons. What surprises me more is that it is smaller than the L&YR 21 'Pug'. To achieve this is something indeed. Here is a photo of the LNER Sentinel in action. Unfortunately I had no LNER wagons with me at the time. Garethp8873.

No not really. I just find it very funny that someone can justify $3500 for something which you could just buy the nameplates for and have them put on a newer Bachmann LNER A4. Garethp8873.

Don't know if anyone has put up this link yet, but can someone please tell me how the price can be justified? This to me is beyond comprehension. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bachmann-LIMITED-EDITION-DWIGHT-D-EISENHOWER-NUMBER-004-/180691286543?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2a120a3a0f Garethp8873.

Another ex-RNAD Bedenham wagon that has been preserved is the B&MR Open Wagon 197 on the Severn Valley Railway. Garethp8873. DSCN5808 - B&M Open Wagon 197 by SVREnthusiast, on Flickr DSCN6852 - B&M Open Wagon 197 by SVREnthusiast, on Flickr