M.I.B

Thanks Steve - PM on its way. I would return the favour but I don't have anything younger than 1949 when the old world ended........

Does anyone do bulk supply of figures suitable for footplate crew? I need about a dozen sets of driver and fireman. I have used the Dapol Lineside gang a little too often - wondered if anyone else made something suitable? Is there perhaps an Airfix 1:72 set full of suitable figures perhaps? Thanks.

My direct copy and pastes just wouldn't work. Screen shot worked. Thanks.

I am excellent on the theory and execution in 12":1' scale , but the execution in OO will certainly be a challenge, and certainly won't reach the lofty quality set by John.

Fully agree John.

A merry Christmas to all who frequent NC. The man-flu has improved but not enough to go back out and put my 40 new fence posts in. So I have managed to do some modelling for a change - more to follow. I hope you all have a lurgy free Festive Season. Regards from the Far East - the land of the 94XXs and the 97XXs........

Happy Christmas John. Thank you for all of the inspiration. Hope the laptop sort out goes OK. Regards from the Far East (of the GW Empire of course)

Part 2: Unfortunately I am not able to get to my reference books, but if anyone wants to PM me with updates (including reference please) I will make the necessary alterations. I won't remove the incorrect listed allocations - they need to be kept in the list for completeness. Thank you.

Here is the info I have so far (in two chunks). I have made an amalgamation of all current listings to produce a timeline. I have not removed those listings which are dubious/lack credibility - this is for the sake of completeness. If photographic evidence comes up and disproves this table, I will amend as required. "to" date is based on the allocation of a different tender, or a formal recorded removal/re-issue elsewhere

I will give that a go. Thanks.

Does anyone know how to inset a table (Word or Excel) into a post? it's the easiest way of displaying a sequence of information in one of my posts. There must be a way as I am sure that I have seen others with tablular info. Or is it easier to print it and take a photo to insert instead? Thanks in advance.

And good wishes in return from the other end of the line at North Cranford.

ENGINES STOP HERE CK STOPS HERE

Nowt wrong with some League - Sheffield's premier synth pop legends............

Thank you John. Just keeping on recharging the batteries and blowing my nose.......

Robin, John, Correct - chained individually. same rules apply: cross the chains, attach low on the carrier and mid height on the load. "Double loading" was the job that nobody wanted: much more difficult to chain down. More crawling around with heavy oily chains in the rain...... back to the Cold-n-Flu and tissues.

I have a week off work and lots of modelling planned.............and I get hit by the flu/lurgey that is travelling through the UK. Hope you all avoid it or got over it quickly. Most people have had this for 2-3 weeks............

I'm still very jealous of your building construction skills.. That looks great. Thanks for explaining rather than saying "look what I made" with a finished version.

Given up with this - it was too difficult to alter. Instead a maroon Hornby Hall is on it's way and the Bachmann will become Salisbury's 6966 Witchypoo Hall. Simple conversion: outshopped in lined green so it's just coal, crew and plates from Modelmaster.

The 6950 range of batch 340 Halls were black from new and had no cab side windows from new - the apertures were there but a filler sheet was rivetted in place. Not the same as the oil burners and some in WW2 which had sliding shutters fitted. Then add more confusion because some pre-war lined green named halls went to Swindon, came out black, with rivetted over side windows..... Maindy Hall (Lady of Legend) was one such example. Love Swindon's standardisation..........

I wish it had been a tank engine, with a rake of compartment coaches, all warm and cosy from the steam heating, with nice firm but plump seats. A few Servicemen headed home for early Christmas leave with a card school going off in one compartment. Ladies in hats coming back from Town with laden bags. A couple of menacing looking Teds in black suits and beautiful waistcoats, grooming their quiffs in the dark window reflections. Off to a Palais de Dance in Clacton.

I was stood on the platform tonight waiting for the connector train down the branch line where I alight. I got a later train home and while I waited for the 1854 to pull in there was a rumble and I could feel weight and speed..... Quite excitedly I crossed the platform in time to see the Up Containers smashing past at a huge rate of knots through the station on the central mainline track. It wasn't steam and it wasn't even a big diesel of my childhood, but it was still exciting to see a fast freight thundering through and off into the night. A really great feeling. I watched until I could see the flashing red lamp no more, and then the 1854 crept in...... Season's greetings.

Brilliant work John. I wouldn't worry about "Tools Entrenching" - I have seen them removed and also left fitted. A great piece of work and no shame in using the Fowler. You have set the standard with that rake and loads for certain.

The tanks got made, if at all, at time the weedkiller train was put together. I have seen photos of one weedkiller train where the coal bunker was left empty and the tenders were just using their original water tanks to dilute the chemicals which were stored in a seperate tank wagon.

GW Oil burner tenders were standard tenders with a tank and fill pipe added. Some were top fill and others were filled through a valve just below sole bar level. These tanks seem way too big for oil burner tanks. Plus the GW oil burner experiments were done and dusted and conversions back to coal were done before BR days. These seem to be weedkiller train tenders: three linked together and filled with water used to dilute nasty chemicals which were in an old fuel tank wagon. The end tender had in later days, an old cab roof fitted, under which the operator (s) could shelter a little. Stick a brake van at each end and you have a weedkiller train.