BR Class 03 with Match Truck

[Clive Mortimore]

The Eastern Region ex conflat runners for 204hp shunters had air pipes (but not brakes) added when the locos were fitted with air brakes, did the WR conflat have a set of air pipes?

[HillsideDepot]

Good thought, Clive, but the Bristol 03s didn't get dual brakes (I don't think the Landore ones did either), so its not that. 

 

I'm coming round to the thought that perhaps by 1980 it was less easy to 'just acquire' a suitable spare low vac fitted wagon to pair with the 03s and so a specific vehicle was designated.

 

That though doesn't answer the point that the Station Master raises that for some reason, and at an unknown time, a lone 03 became unacceptable on running lines in the Temple Meads area. There is a picture on the Face Book group 'Rail Thing - Bristol Temple Meads' which shows D2121 running through platform 3 without a match truck at its bonnet end, but anything it might be coupled to at the cab end is hidden by a maroon, small yellow panel, Western. The photo is undated, but a comment suggests that it is no later than 1971, based on the livery of the 1000. Oh, for a time machine! 

[Clive Mortimore]

Good thought, Clive, ....... much edited...... The photo is undated, but a comment suggests that it is no later than 1971, based on the livery of the 1000. Oh, for a time machine! 

 

Langley's do one, scroll down nine photos http://www.langleymodels.co.uk/acatalog/HO_OO_Artitec_Kits_Painted.html

[The Stationmaster]

Good thought, Clive, but the Bristol 03s didn't get dual brakes (I don't think the Landore ones did either), so its not that. 

 

I'm coming round to the thought that perhaps by 1980 it was less easy to 'just acquire' a suitable spare low vac fitted wagon to pair with the 03s and so a specific vehicle was designated.

 

That though doesn't answer the point that the Station Master raises that for some reason, and at an unknown time, a lone 03 became unacceptable on running lines in the Temple Meads area. There is a picture on the Face Book group 'Rail Thing - Bristol Temple Meads' which shows D2121 running through platform 3 without a match truck at its bonnet end, but anything it might be coupled to at the cab end is hidden by a maroon, small yellow panel, Western. The photo is undated, but a comment suggests that it is no later than 1971, based on the livery of the 1000. Oh, for a time machine! 

 

I have now found a bit more on this, and it is even more interesting, in the 1969 Bristol Appendix and the 1960 edition.  The latter was published at a time when there were no restrictions at all on the operation of 204hp diesels shunters relating to track circuits and they were no listed in the Regional Appendix as 'not to be relied on to operate track circuits'.

 

However the 1960/69 Instruction is far more embracing as it applies to all diesel shunting locos and required them, when working singly, to be coupled to a fully vacuum brake fitted vehice with the vacuum brake coupled to the locomotive - which also had to be double manned.  In the 1969 Instruction the attached vehicle was required to be hauled 'whenever possible' and it was required to carry a tail lamp (in 1960) but this had changed to 'the necessary lamps' in 1969.

 

The attached vehicle was required if the locomotive was to pass over any portion of the lines controlled by Bristol East and Bristol West signalboxes, but the 1969 Instruction was amplified to add that 'Diesel shunting locomotives travelling between depots in the Bristol area may convey the vehicle for the complete journey'.

[HillsideDepot]

Thank you Mike for digging deeper on this one, as you say, even more interesting.

[Passed Driver]

Hi Steve. Thank you . Very helpful for extra pick ups, but, I recently purchased a Hornby A1x Terrier and I was under the impression that it was DCC ready? I contacted the retailer, because the receipt had described the Loco as DCC ready. Obviously the wires had got crossed somewhere along the line. Would it be possible to fit a Decoder and a speaker "out of view" underneath somehow? and I am concerned about the wire breaking at the coupling. The speaker may be too much to hope for??? then a Decoder only would be okay.

All the best. Kevin

[orford]

I did something similar with my little Bachmann shunter but took it a stage further and actually installed pick-ups (together with a fair bit of weight) to the match truck, with a permanently wired connection to the sound-fitted loco - which totally transformed DCC performance, enabling the loco to run at a crawl (or less). 

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

As this thread seems to have resurected itself, (terriers excepted!), and I have got my pics on the computer, I thought I'd chuck these in.

 

03089/31252. Scarborough. 17.8.82.

 

03170. Newcastle. 10.7.77.

 

Mike.

[47164]

I took inspiration from the runner used at ilford depot, by adding a couple of sections of rusted/weathered rail on top of the wagon...suits me fine given the ad-hoc nature of these wagons.

[Norm81]

I did something similar with my little Bachmann shunter but took it a stage further and actually installed pick-ups (together with a fair bit of weight) to the match truck, with a permanently wired connection to the sound-fitted loco - which totally transformed DCC performance, enabling the loco to run at a crawl (or less).

 

My blue 03371 is the same, sound fitted with pickups on a permanently wired match truck. The additional pickups and wheelbase do make a difference.

[11B]

And with electric lights on the truck.....

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/2358653011/in/album-72157624412501090/

 

Now that would be something different

 

Ian

[keefer]

As this thread seems to have resurected itself, (terriers excepted!), and I have got my pics on the computer, I thought I'd chuck these in.

 

1-MW-1141.jpg

03089/31252. Scarborough. 17.8.82.

 

 

Mike.

An interesting detail on this one, in that the extra air piping fitted just goes straight across the top, with one either side of the coupling hook - so the brake/main reservoir cock must be reversed on the other end.

Most ones I've noticed before have both cocks on the same side of the coupling and the pipes across the top cross over so they're the same at each end

[Fat Controller]

As this thread seems to have resurected itself, (terriers excepted!), and I have got my pics on the computer, I thought I'd chuck these in.

 

1-MW-1141.jpg

03089/31252. Scarborough. 17.8.82.

 

1-MSP - 510 - 03170.jpg

03170. Newcastle. 10.7.77.

 

Mike.

The first wagon is a Demountable Tank chassis, rather than a Conflat; it would be 'interesting' to model, as very little of the brake gear etc is hidden.

The second is a Conflat L, some of which had low sides, and some of which had none. They're the Conflat that Triang modelled many years ago, with three grey containers. Sadly, the Triang model was too short, and the containers underscale.