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1970’s loco and freight


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!00 lines Doctor Abbotswood.

 

I must start calling them Presflos.

 

Mike.

 

 I don't know! - Mr. Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!

 

I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

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I must start calling them Presflos.

 

Hee hee

 

That would have been much easier at skool.... I must not go trainspotting during school time would not have been so bad...

 

Phil

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Strathwood Publishing do some good books on the era too (1970ish being my preferred modelling era), their "70's Spotting Days" Regional volumes (in full colour) are on special offer at the moment:

 

https://www.strathwood.co.uk/diesel-electric-titles

 

Usual disclaimer, no connection other than a happy purchaser!

If these are are the books I think I looked at some time ago, they will tell you a great deal about what locomotives looked like but the square root of nothing about train formations or railway operation.

 

They seem to consist entirely of 3/4 views of locomotives standing at or approaching platform ends.  

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If these are are the books I think I looked at some time ago, they will tell you a great deal about what locomotives looked like but the square root of nothing about train formations or railway operation.

 

...

 

I have found Paul Shannon's "Rail Freight Since 1968" series quite useful for this kind of information, though they do tend to leave me wanting more. They seem to be mostly out of print now, but worth picking up second hand if they can be found at a sensible price.

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Thanks for the replies,

Well I will run trains of about 6-7 mk2’s but it’s the slight variation I’m looking for so mixing the rakes up a bit wether it be an odd mk1 in the rake.

Sam

The Mk2 sets were as far as I can remember always mixed with Mk1s as there were no Mk2 catering vehicles, sleeping cars or full brakes.  Which Mk2 can run with which other Mk2 is complicated as some were Vacuum, some Air and some Dual braked,   The train does need to be either Vacuum or Air baked.  Some Mk1s were dual braked it is quite complicated but there are some Ian Allen ABC books which list which coaches were Air Braked and which had Electric train heating and whicch had air con. It was a great period of (Non) standardisation.

An otherwise all Mk2 set with a Mk1 restaurant car on prestige services is my recollection of the 1970s,  Long rakes of Mk1s on other services, I think the WCML started using Mk1 Full brakes when Mk3s came in in the era before DVTs.     I don't mix my Airfix Mk2Ds and Hornby Mk2a/b as the Ds were air con and the a/b not, but I run Mk1 buffet, sleeper and full brakes with either set.   

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Some ideas of train formations can be gleaned from 'Freight-Train Formations' by David Ratcliffe. Sadly, all too many people concentrated on the loco at the front, and were seemingly unaware of the rarities that might have been behind it.

The sort of things I remember from my teenage years in South West Wales (1968-73) were:-

power station coal trains composed of a wide selection of 21t 'flat-bottomed' minerals, from BR, three of the 'Big 4, and even ex-private-owners. There was even a freshly-painted ex-LNER one, lettered 'LOCO COAL', three years after the end of stem.

seasonal trains of animal-feed or fertiliser, formed of a wide selection of pre-Nationalisation and (more unusually at the beginning of the period) BR vans.

steel trains, with each works seemingly using different types.

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Again, many thanks to all the replies, however I am in need of further assistance, I’m struggling to find a suitable brake van for any freight pulled in the period topic, I’ve got a Hornby g.w toad brake in grey but think this is to early, I’ve seen a Hornby BR 20 brake in red but this seems to modern, again I’ve seen many in different liveries all stating BR brake but these have just left me confused so some rm web community input would be much appreciated.

Kind regards

Sam

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Again, many thanks to all the replies, however I am in need of further assistance, I’m struggling to find a suitable brake van for any freight pulled in the period topic, I’ve got a Hornby g.w toad brake in grey but think this is to early, I’ve seen a Hornby BR 20 brake in red but this seems to modern, again I’ve seen many in different liveries all stating BR brake but these have just left me confused so some rm web community input would be much appreciated.

Kind regards

Sam

The two main types of van in revenue traffic were the ex-LMS Stanier one and the BR 20t one. Both are, or have been, available R-T-R.

Stanier type - Hornby R6801

BR Standard- not shown in current Hornby range, but doubtless it'll be reissued sooner or later.

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Thank you all, very quick that one!!

Thanks for the link Phil, also I’ve watch probably all of your YouTube videos on abbotswood now which has helped a great deal with train configurations.

Thanks again

 

I have also been working on my layout Walcot West which I’ve been writing about in a blog surprisingly called Walcot West so please check it out and any feedback/comments/thoughts would be hugely appreciated

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Try Ebay for a set of Ian Allan combined volume and Shed Allocation books for your chosen year. The combined volume is usuful as it shows by way of "P" style mark next to the loco if its airbraked, and the shed allocation book will give you an idea as to whether a loco may turn up in your chosen locale. The WR even in '74 still had several vacuum only cl 47's for example, cl 25's had appeared as the various hydraulics disappeared and around 40 of the class 50's were now WR residents. Green diesels would still be in evidence, at least one WR named 47 got to a very scruffy condition before the call to Crewe and a handfull of Ebbw junc 37's lasted long enough to get TOP's numbers on dirty green paint.The books can be picked up for not much, IE theres currently a 4 book set '59, '72 '75 and '77 buy now £20 free p&p for the shed allocations and a 1975 combined volume at £1.90 no bids less than 2days to go. Another vote for Bradford Barton, cheap off Ebay too. Maroon on coaching stock had all but disappeared except under some very heavy dirt(to the point of invisible) on parcels stock. I wouldn't worry about coal traffic other than 16ton minerals,Heljan tank wagon oil for traffic is a good choice for your era as there was one WR branch (name escapes me) which received shortish trains on a regular basis.

Regarding coaches and brakes, be aware that a Bachmann MK2A has an airbrake underframe and MK2S has a vacuum underframe. The "S" branding is a Bachmann invention refering to BR's original MK2 build, catering vehicles tended to be dual braked and dual heat but not always. With BG and catering vehicles modellers licence applies, unless you are going down the serious underframe rebuild route.

Edited by w124bob
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.

 

The early 1970s was a seriously depressing time to be a railway enthusiast. [Edit typo Gonk]

Sweeping statement! I wasn't around at the time, but I look at photos of this period and love it! For me it is the most fascinating period in railway history. Blue diesels (and some green ones!) but with steam age infrastructure. Plenty of traditional freight and loco hauled passenger services still in operation. I must admit I am drawn to the seedy, neglected and run down but it is a fascinating period for me. It is made all the more so due to there being relatively few photographs around - interest clearly waned following the end of steam, echoing Mr Broad's viewpoint.

 

I may be in the minority but I think the early '70s offers a fantastic period for modelling. As noted above, it is the wonderful mix of first generation diesels and victorian steam age infrastructure (buildings, facilities, signalling, even traffic flows) which appeals to me.

 

No doubt a very personal thing and i will be in the minority! I think it was also swayed by devouring a couple of my Dad's Bradford Barton photo albums as a teenager about diesels on the eastern region in the 1970s. Those Bradford Barton books (there a few 'in close up' and 'in focus' maybe?) are well worth a look if you can. They offer an excellent overview of the railway scene at that time and really would help with getting the setting right.

 

Horses for courses but, after all, it would be a boring world if we were all the same..........

 

PS - you have a wonderful space for a layout there!

Edited by south_tyne
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Sweeping statement! I wasn't around at the time, but I look at photos of this period and love it! For me it is the most fascinating period in railway history. Blue diesels (and some green ones!) but with steam age infrastructure.

 

 

 

And even the very occasional red one!

 

Phil

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