A Nod To Brent - a friendly thread, filled with frivolity, cream teas and pasties. Longing for the happy days in the South Hams 1947.

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

By the way, I've just realised our Ordnance Survey had no problems finding the Bishop's House in 1904 (as shown on the old 25-inch map). Handily placed for the old Wiveliscombe GWR station. Perhaps they asked some old locals where it was when they got off the train at the station?

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.04065&lon=-3.30794&layers=168&b=1

 

Change at Taunton for connections to Brent.

 

 

 

Mail apparatus? Token exchange equipment would be my guess.

[Siberian Snooper]

On 22/03/2021 at 15:16, Siberian Snooper said:

 

Every time I go to RailWells, I have look for the bishop, so far I have been unsuccessful. Roll on the next show.

 

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Have you tried looking in Wiveliscombe?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-56373242

 

 

No I haven't, do they have an exhibition there, so I can check it out?

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

11 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Mail apparatus? Token exchange equipment would be my guess.

 

Could be, it seems to exist at other places on the old GWR Taunton - Barnstaple line as well. For example, here at East Anstey, roughly in the middle of what looks like the passing loop. Where would token exchange equipment normally be positioned?

 

[The Fatadder]

The early 1900s map of Brent on the NLS site also marks mail apparatus just east of Brent  

[Oldddudders]

Not my field at all, but while Brent, being on a very important main line, might indeed have mail apparatus to enable service by non-stop trains, my understanding of Taunton - Barnstaple is that it was rather less time-conscious. I am inclined to imagine this was Whitaker's apparatus, conveniently opposite the signalbox, and avoiding the signalman having to dodge round the back of one train to pass the token to another? 

[Siberian Snooper]

I would agree with Olddudders, I don't think that TPO's with pick up apparatus would operate on the Barnstaple line. I have the Middleton Press book on the Barnstaple line and I don't recall any mention of TPO's.

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

I concur with my learned colleagues.

 

I've just remembered something else from that 1900s era, it was an account of Trans-Atlantic steamers arriving in Plymouth, and the race between Southern and GWR to get passengers to London. Which sometimes went wrong - see Salisbury Rail Crash 1906.

 

But even more important than the passengers, and given higher priority, was the mail. Put on a train ahead of the passengers, to race through the night to London (via GWR). Picking up more mail from the Mail Apparatus on the main line, like at Brent?

[chrisf]

I'm not at all sure that Ocean Mails trains were equipped with pickup apparatus.  The up and down overnight postals were though.

 

Chris 

[gwrrob]

Also on my wagon wants list is some Bachmann 16ton minerals as shewn here behind 1608 near Teignmouth. Is the second from the left a slope sided type ? These look rather clean from some of the later examples I've seen modelled. You Tube is full of weathering demo videos for these models.

 

[Dunsignalling]

That is indeed a slope-sided 16-tonner, B.R diagram 1/100, originated by Charles Roberts, though the earliest ones were only rated at 14t.

 

Depending on the date of the photo, some of the standard diagram 1/108 wagons might have been relatively new. Construction continued until late in the 1950s and it took about 5 years for their appearance to be come seriously decrepit. You mentioned one of your scenes representing 1957 so I would limit the number of truly horrible ones. Those only really became the norm in the 1960s.

 

John

Edited March 28, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[gwrrob]

47 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Depending on the date of the photo,

 

July 1959 John.

[Mulgabill]

2 hours ago, gwrrob said:

Also on my wagon wants list is some Bachmann 16ton minerals as shewn here behind 1608 near Teignmouth. Is the second from the left a slope sided type ? These look rather clean from some of the later examples I've seen modelled. You Tube is full of weathering demo videos for these models.

 

 

Good of the photographer to not catch the bunker in frame, lest he

cause any future upset.

 

TONY

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, gwrrob said:

 

July 1959 John.

The two nearest the van both have the load and number markings on a single patch, usually applied during overhauls/repaints. From the look of them, probably within the preceding couple of years and thus pretty respectable.

 

The other two have the tonnage and number on separate patches, more usual from new. One is noticeably darker than the other, but that may not (all) be dirt or rust; the grey paint could vary depending on where and when it was applied.

 

In both cases, I place some stress on usual/usually.

 

I'd consider that to be a fairly typical selection for domestic/gasworks coal traffic on rural routes at that era. Wagons in block train circuits serving heavy users (power stations, steelworks etc.) had a much harder life and would have deteriorated faster.

 

John

Edited March 28, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[gwrrob]

6 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

The other two have the tonnage and number on separate patches, more usual from new. One is noticeably darker than the other, but that may not (all) be dirt or rust; the grey paint could vary depending on where and when it was applied.

 

 

I thought the darker wagon was in bauxite and not grey.

[Dunsignalling]

8 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

I thought the darker wagon was in bauxite and not grey.

I thought so at first, but those usually (again!) had the markings applied direct to the body colour, without black patches.

 

It also has bottom discharge doors, so can't be fitted.

 

John

Edited March 28, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Ribird]

I believe some interest is to be had here if Rapido makes these separate releases outside the initial Titfield Thunderbolt releases. 

 

No. W68740, GWR Diagram AA20 ‘Toad’ brakevan

'Dan’s House’, aka GWR ‘Loriot Y’ No. 41989 with fictitious Victorian coach body

'The Buffet Car', aka Great Eastern Railway Diagram 603 coach No. 8. --> AKA a W&U Tramway bogie car.

 

Of course, hopefully the Loriot Y is not permanently modeled with the coach body attached. I know Hornby Toad is an AA15. But I do not know what diagrams the Oxford Rail and Bachmann ones are of the top of my head.

 

Rails and Kernow are now stockist of Rapido products, including the previously announced 15xx, 16" Hunslet, and GWR gunpowder van. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Ribird

[The Fatadder]

Kernow did mention on their Facebook post about the release that there would be versions of the stock in the normal Rapido range, so presumably that includes the Toad and the Loriot.

 

Though given if I recall correctly the only differences between an AA15 and AA20 are the springs and foot boards, I suspect it will be far cheaper to just buy a Hornby one and some castings and do some modelling than buy a Rapido AA20.  The Loriot could be interesting though, especially as its different to the Cambrian one.

[brianusa]

Heritage Rail mentions that Brent station may be coming back on the main line!  Not an April Fool unless HR owns up

     Brian.

[Siberian Snooper]

10 hours ago, brianusa said:

Heritage Rail mentions that Brent station may be coming back on the main line!  Not an April Fool unless HR owns up

     Brian.

 

Hi Brian

 

It has been mentioned on the news along with the reopening of the Okehampton line.

 

 

[Oldddudders]

I do fear that much of the data collected to support these positive demand assessments may simply be invalidated by the changes in life-patterns that follow Covid. Working From Home is one we all recognise, but others may emerge.

[brushman47544]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

I do fear that much of the data collected to support these positive demand assessments may simply be invalidated by the changes in life-patterns that follow Covid. Working From Home is one we all recognise, but others may emerge.

Indeed, but other than a likely reduction in regular commuting I would like to think that demand for domestic leisure travel will increase once normality returns. If more people work from home away from larger towns and cities, perhaps only commuting a couple of days a week, those distances will increase. Coupled with environmental measures against car use in those towns and cities, hopefully there will be an increase in demand for better public transport connectivity including rail improvements and reopening.

 

Already many years ago when I last worked in London some colleagues commuted into London from places like the Cotswolds once a week. They were happy to do so by train and did not even consider driving. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by brushman47544

[Mike_Walker]

2 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said:

 

Hi Brian

 

It has been mentioned on the news along with the reopening of the Okehampton line.

 

 

I'm not sure how viable this would be.  There are questions being asked as to the viability of the Okehampton line.  Brent's main role was, of course, as the junction for Kingsbridge.  It never served a large community of its own and that hasn't grown appreciably since.  Would it act as a railhead for surrounding communities?  Doubtful, surely they already go to Totnes which has a better service than Ivybridge which would be the pattern for Brent if it were to reopen.

[gwrrob]

A 53xx class mogul 5391 heads west with a mixed freight comprising of mostly vans of various regions.

 

[toboldlygo]

21 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

A 53xx class mogul 5391 heads west with a mixed freight comprising of mostly vans of various regions.

 

 

Once upon a time on  the old workbench & spray booth..

[gwrrob]

1 hour ago, toboldlygo said:

 

on  the old workbench 

 

On mine this week were this pair of Bachmann 16 ton mineral wagons as recommended to me by @Dunsignalling and given some weathering treatment of my own even though the one on the left had some factory weathering as bought. A bit of variation as I bought one with and one without discharge doors.