SP Steve

All now taken - many thanks for those taking the time to investigate my offer

Likewise I've only just seen your request - many moons ago I did a freelance footbridge using scale link etched lattice sheets. I think this is the same stuff so maybe another option to consider: https://www.scalelinkfretcetera.co.uk/product/slf052/ I've measured the one I made and it would appear to be the 5mm square version that I've used (the second image appears distorted but this is due to the camera!)

Whilst awaiting a platform space at Preston on Saturday, I noticed that the low sun had lit up the adjacent rails such that the manufacturers details could be seen. It was a little surprising to see the year 1965 but would that relate to the date the rail was produced or is it the year the company came into being? If produced in 1965 then it seems strange to think that it would be well acquainted with Black 5s and 8Fs! (incidentally it was on the up slow line).

All now taken or rehoused at the charity shop - many thanks to those who took up the offer.

I have three books available for cost of postage only, these being: Great Northern Locomotives 1847 - 1947 by R A H Weight - TAKEN The Isle Of Wight Railways by Michael Robbins - TAKEN A History Of Highland Locomotives by M C V Allchin - TAKEN All items now re-homed with many thanks to the prospective new owners - I hope that they prove inspirational!

Pete Johnson, creator of the excellent 'Canada Street' layout, did some work on these wagons as can be seen on the EM Gauge Layouts website: http://emgauge70s.co.uk/model_omwb131.html He created etched components to detail them but I'm not sure if he offers them for sale.

There is a set of drawings for EWS ordered Class 66s in Issue 204 of Modern Locomotives Illustrated magazine (December 2013 - January 2014)

With that in mind is this working in connection with Rainhill 150 (held in May 1980)? If so then the 56 is probably 56.077 which if I recall correctly propelled the APT through the site. Also the Class 40 may be 40.162 which retained a working head code box to one end only.

The service was indeed given the "European" title from May 1983 although it was initially launched as the "European Scot" (the title was very quickly shortened). The working was an amalgamation of the former Glasgow / Edinburgh - Nottingham (via the S&C) and Manchester - Harwich Parkeston Quay boat train (known unofficially as the "North Country Continental"). It ran as the "European" until May 1987 when the Glasgow / Edinburgh to Harwich working was re-routed to run unnamed via the WCML (Watford, Shenfield, Colchester being among the stops) with the Manchester - Harwich leg re-instated to start from Manchester Piccadilly under the "Rhinelander" named train title. As the "European" the stock consisted of ten Mk2 with a Mk1 buffet - on the northward trip six coaches were for Glasgow with the remaining five being destined for Edinburgh. It was also scheduled for haulage by a Stratford based class 47 which worked as far as Preston before it returned the next day with the southbound service.

Depending on the day of the week, the Leicester - Skegness could be 1E26 (SuO) 08:19 Leicester - Skegness, 1E86 (M-Th) 08:20 Leicester - Skegness or 1E86 (SO) 08:50 Leicester - Skegness. The 'Peak' working wouldn't have been to Skegness if it had started at Chesterfield - it would have been 1E83 (SO) 07:39 Chesterfield - Great Yarmouth. If it was working through to Skegness then it would have been either 1E17 (SO) 07:32 Sheffield - Skegness or 1D17 (SX) 08:25 Sheffield - Skegness (depending on the day of the week). 47.457 is heading 1S85 (M-S) 07:17 Harwich Parkeston Quay - Glasgow Central /Edinburgh

Noticed that the Mercian Models website now carries an announcement stating that some of the 4mm etched brass diesel kits have become available again - speaking to Trevor they are the residue of what he has left in 4mm so once gone they may not be available again. I've hankered after a BR Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0DM D2500 - 2509 (Birkenhead Dock shunter) for a while so finally glad to put my name against one. Details of kits here: http://www.modelrailways.tv/4mm-scale-diesels.html He will be attending Warley (Stand D28 from information on RMweb) so anyone visiting might like to reserve in advance (should add I have no connection to Mercian other than as a customer)

I have a WTT dated June 1961 covering traffic between Leeds and Skipton and the following services ran weekdays as Class C Freights: TWFO ThQ 5026 20:00 Harpenden - Greenhill MX 5012 20:23 Wetmore - Carlisle MX 5014 21:15 Nottingham - Carlisle London Road MX 4924 04:20 Hunslet Down Sidings - Carlisle Kingmoor MSX 4986 07:15 Hunslet Down Sidings - Heysham MSX 4936 07:50 Hunslet Down Sidings - Carlisle Viaduct Yard MSX 5020 01:55 Willesden - Carlisle SX 5004 16:45 Water Orton - Glasgow College SX 5008 16:55 Water Orton - Carlisle Kingmoor SO 5008 16:55 Water Orton - Carlisle London Road SX 5006 16:25 Leicester - Carlisle Kingmoor SX 5010 20:30 Rotherham Masboro Station Yard - Glasgow SX 5022 19:23 Hendon - Gushetfaulds "CONDOR" MSX 5035 19:50 Gushetfaulds - Hendon "CONDOR" MSX 5001 17:42 Buchanan Street - St Pancras MSX 5025 17:50 Hurlford - Brent MSX 5003 18:18 Glasgow College - Washwood Heath MSX 5033 00:10 Carlisle - Leicester MSX 5045 21:20 Edinburgh Lothian Road - Stoke Gifford WThSO FOQ 5043 00:30 Greenhill - Wilshamstead 5009 06:00 Carlisle - St Pancras FO 5001 17:42 Buchanan Street - St Pancras 5041 13:05 Carlisle Durran Hill - King's Norton MX 5133 14:50 Heysham - Stourton Up Sidings 5019 16:03 Carlisle - Washwood Heath I've taken traffic passing Skipton South Junction as the datum - most of the workings would have passed in the hours of darkness which may make it easier for you in selecting typical traffic flows.

The image was taken from the August 1949 edition of "Trains Illustrated" which featured a piece by G Freeman Allen on Engine Head Codes & Train Numbers. If the source material has been used correctly then the two you've quoted appear to be reversed i.e. 3 = Class C and 4 = Class D. Comparing the two images gives: 1 = Class A 2 = Class B 3 = Class C 4 = Class D 5 = Class F 6 = Class H 7 = Class G 8 = Class J 9 = Class K The only one featuring in the June 1950 version without a direct equivalent is the Class E. In the Ian Allan "British Railway Headcodes" book of February 1962 it gives the following equivalents (presumably to cater for the four character panels on diesel & electrics): 1 = Class A 2 = Class B 3 = Class C 4 = Class C 5 = Class D 6 = Class E 7 = Class F 8 = Class H 9 = Class J & Class K 0 = Class G Having no recourse to official documentation on the subject then I have no means of checking if any of the above holds true!

For completeness, head codes carried before 5th June 1950 would have been:

This would be 17:21 Manchester - Southport service - in the summer I used to call in at Hindley on my way back home from night shift to photograph the Southport - Manchester turn (07:16 from Southport).

The following may explain the differences (from Trains Illustrated August 1950):

This was the Western Region's take on such practice as of October 1974:

Checking the date shows it to be running on a Tuesday and looking at the position of the sun I'm guessing it was taken around late morning to mid-day. The following XC services were listed in the national timetable (as far as I can recall all three were HSTs): 07:10 Edinburgh - Bournemouth (via Glasgow Central) "The Wessex Scot" Departed Carlisle 09:45 08:50 Edinburgh - Penzance (via Glasgow Central) "The Cornish Scot" Departed Carlisle 11:28 09:00 Aberdeen - Plymouth "The Devon Scot" Departed Carlisle 13:05 I'm guessing the middle of the three fits the bill.

Here's a couple of sectioned images taken of a set of newly delivered AL6 inside Crewe Electric shed - the first shows three of them alongside an earlier member of the AL1-5 group for comparison whilst the second showing E3162 depicts how the blue responds to light at different angles (note the open door appearing to be darker than the rest of the body).

The purple patches denote East Coast rather than National Express - I seem to recall being at Kings Cross just after NXEC had handed back the franchise (November 2009) and saw staff hastily replacing the National Express title with East Coast purple patches on stock in between arrival and departure (limited time meant application wasn't always the best!).

Hi Les, Page 65 of the "Parkin" book shows a diagram of carriage lettering in which it states that the Number / Regional Character were 4" high. It also lists that such lettering for Crimson / Cream was done in old gold / golden yellow with thin black line and that this was gradually replaced by yellow when given green SR livery. Maybe a little late for you but by 1980 there were two FKs in Southern ownership - S13007 & S13086.

Thanks for the added info! Just for completeness, the first 142 (with white stripe) was 142.065 whilst the first 158 (again with the white stripe) was 158.811. Both were given the new look for the launch of Northern Spirit on 21st May 1998 and were sent to Newcastle, York, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Hull to promote the brand (which up until that point had been known by the less than catchy 'Regional Railways North East' (RRNE) title). Regarding 158.909 and the "N" embellishment, was it silver? I have an image of it which suggests that it was a very light grey rather than a metallic silver colour.

May 21st 1998 saw the launch of "Northern Spirit" as a brand but it was a little unusual in that three livery schemes were utilised - TPE 158s were given burgundy / gold, local service stock in the form of 'Pacers' and 153 / 156s took the two green livery whilst the PTE 'Metro' stock retained their original maroon and cream but with additional branding. The MTL owned franchise only ran to April 2001 after which Arriva took over and I think this was the cause of a few token splashes of the turquoise colour being seen rather than any specific Northern Spirit influence. It wasn't until the advent of Northern Rail that station signage underwent any sort of mass changeover - I recall that they sold off all replaced signs from across their system and most if not all were from Regional Railways days along with some black & white ones from BR days.

Apparently Potassium Chromate / Potassium Dichromate is added to anti freeze to act as a corrosion inhibitor - at the time of the big freeze in 1962/3, Hull had an allocation of Class 37s whilst Class 124 Transpennine DMUs were also operational in the area so could it be that it was being used as a mobile source to top up their coolant systems? Another consideration might be that as Potassium Chromate isn't conducive to good health then using a withdrawn loco and tender earmarked for scrapping would minimise the risk of contaminating other water supplies.

I thought that this working might be a little too early to catch the sun (I lived in Carlisle for a number of years so ditto with sun rise!). The national timetable for this period shows that the working would almost certainly be the 10:36 Berwick-upon-Tweed - Newcastle which was scheduled to arrive at Alnmouth at 11:06. My original suggestion was gleaned from Loco-Hauled Travel 1987 which mentioned two Gateshead diagrams covering for 143 DMUs but not surprising that other workings such as this occurred given the troubles they had with introducing the Pacer units into squadron service.