Arthur

Prior to 1983, military vehicles released for civilian use, took the number plate relative to the year of first civilian registration, In 1982 I bought a 1973 build lightweight Land Rover on a Y (1982) plate. In 1983 the Q plate was used for any older vehicles taking their first civilian registration. This included kit cars, ex military vehicles and vehicles identified as being stolen and being re-registered when the original identity was uncertain. Later, I'm not sure when, where possible, older vehicles were given registrations relative to their year of build. My current, 1976, ex army ,forward control Land Rover was given an R (1976) plate when I first registered it in 2000.

 There were plenty of 32t rated Ford Cargo tractor units and some were rated at 38 tonnes. Ford pushed them up to that weight after the demise of the Transcontinental.Â

To add to Brians pretty exhaustive list of magazine articles are three relevant books. All cover U.S. prototypes and their modelling, though, as the laws of metallurgy are common on both sides of the pond, so is the equipment (railways aside). Firstly, Dean Freytag's,  'The History, Making and Modeling of Steel', originally published by Walthers as part of their steel mill series, it was long out of print and was going for silly money. The NMRA managed to get Walters to re-print it, currently on special offer at Walthers; http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/98-20 A large hardback, it is mainly devoted to the prototype with a bit at the back about using Walthers kits. Secondly, Dean Freytag's, 'The Cyclopedia of Industrial Modeling' Pure plastic modelling, not entirely devoted to steel but relevant to any industrial modelling. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/pls/pls115.htm and finally, Bernard Kempinski's,  'The Model Railroader’s Guide to Steel Mills' http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12435.html in Kalmbachs typical softback style, similar to Deans first book but with a little more modelling though not what you could call a step by step approach. Arthur

Plastruct do an enormous range of tubing, elbows, T's, flanges reducers etc. but, though some of the range is readily available in the U.K., most appears not to be (well, not that I can find it). Â I've ordered direct from Plastruct in California without any problems; here's their website http://www.plastruct.com/ However, it can work out VERY expensive, though each part isn't too much, once you've had six of these, half a dozen of those and three of them, it mounts up!! Arthur

Been playing a couple myself this week, the theme from Department S is a particular favourite. Â I also downloaded a John Barry Orchestra version of the sixties series 'The Human Jungle'. Â A series, which as young lad, I always found a bit creepy. I was always reminded of this theme tune by the intro to Led Zepplins 'Dazed and Confused'. Arthur

Small corrrection, blast furnaces produce 'blast furnace' gas (carbon monoxide) in vast quantities, a million or more cubic feet per hour. Â It's a dirty, low calorific value, fuel but steel works use it for heating blast stoves, coke ovens, reheating furnaces and boilers. 'Producer gas' (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) is produced in a Gas Producer by blowing steam through incandescent coal. It's clean and has a higher calorific value, Steelworks used it mainly for firing open hearth furnaces. It's an obsolete process now. Arthur

I'm pretty sure that Carrs used to do an aluminium solder and flux, came in yellow packaging if I recall correctly. I used it to solder a whitemetal end onto an MTK aluminium DMU body shell, tinned the aluminium with the ali solder and used lowmelt to bond to that. Took a bit of effort but the joint has lasted twenty years. Arthur

The latest (June) Backtrack magazine has a colour centre spread on Jubilees in B.R. days. Â One photo, at Low Gill, Westmoreland, shows a very clear Karrier based personnel carrier in the background. Â Clearly I cannot post it but check it out if of interest.

 Theme One - Van der Graaf GeneratorÂ

The conical slurry tower to the right.

Something like this perhaps? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=9294 Arthur

Matt, from memory the Model Power gasometer is of the traditional type, not the later waterless type. They were usually painted either pale grey or pale green but often had a sheen of oily rust on them. An example in the link below and try googling 'gasometer photo' and 'gas holder photo' Arthur http://www.google.co...ved=0CAYQ9QEwAA

If you mean these they were later than the austerities and were a RSH design. http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/SpaUgly_04.htm Arthur

SNAP!!

I rang about 30 minutes ago to place an order for the standard version and spoke to a helpful chap who said that they had a systems problem and could only process orders for the Platinum Edition but not the standard and that they'd ring back. They just have and I've been asked to call back tomorrow afternoon to place the order as they've still a system glitch, something to do with the pricing. ? Very likely related to the problem Garry had with the confirmation email. Arthur

? Interesting that Decembers Model Rail (138) announces 'Another New Sentinel'. ? CSP Model Engineering is to produce an etched kit in 4mm of one of the 200hp Sentinels as used by the LMS and BR at Radstock on the S&D. Expected early next year, RRP ? ??110.00. ? The announcement is accompanied by one of those multi coloured, three dimensional, CAD drawings. Walsworth House Models are to market a 7mm version. Prototype photo at: ? ? ? http://en.wikipedia....S&DJR_Sentinels Arthur

Joseph Merrick a.k.a. The Elephant Man......

Those Whifflet Sentinels are pretty neat looking, I did initially think ? :icon_idea: ? of a scratchbuilt body on a Model Rail chassis. ? Sadly the two types of chassis solebars look quite different. Still, I'll be up for a BR black one too! Arthur

As far as I am aware the British Steel Corporation bought ? 23 of the class from B.R. in 1968 and all were for service on the internal lines delivering ironstone from the local quarries to Corby steelworks in Northamptonshire. The nature of this usage was more main line in nature for which they were ideal. ? However, they were large locomotives, even by steelworks standards, with a long wheelbase and not well suited to shunting in the confines of a works.? None of the B.S.C locomotives ever saw service at Scottish works. ?

Different type of Sentinel at Whifflets, http://www.srpssteam.com/locos/Sentinels.htm Arthur

Astra - The Weirding

James, Not yet found the magazine article but, for what they're worth, I have found the following: The LMS & LNER in Manchester ? R.E Rose ? ? Ian Allan ? 1987 ? ? undated plan of both stations Rail Centres: Manchester ? ? Stanley Hall? ? Ian Allan ? 1995 ? full signaling plan of Exchange & West Victoria ? circa 1930 Liverpool & Manchester:? LNWR Lines ? Bob Pixton ? Kestrel 2006 ? undated plan of Exchange Liverpool & Manchester: ? L & Y Lines ? ? ? Bob Pixton ? Kestrel ? 2008 ? 1928 plan of Victoria? I'll try and find the magazine article. Arthur

There was a more recent article, in British Railways Illustrated I think, which had a track plan. I'll have a look at the weekend and see if I can find the issue details. I'm sure somewhere I have a track plan in one publication or another. Arthur