dibber25

For a while 68222 (when in BR early crest livery) had one white* and one 'body-coloured' at the firebox end - see the cover of 'The Wisbech & Upwell Tramway' Gadsden, Whetmath and Stafford-Baker, Town & Country Press. It's a little book, only available secondhand. My copy still has its Cherry Hinton Library sticker in the front and seems to have last been borrowed in July 1992. I studied these locos in as much depth as one can through the 4 or 5 books that have been produced on the W&U. I reckon those wooden window frames probably rotted and were almost certainly mistreated as they were forever open to cool the cabs. It looks very much as if Wisbech depot's carpenter made them up and they could have been either bare wood, white paint or possibly the pink wood primer that was prevalent at the time. No genuine colour photo of a 'J70' has come to light so far, as far as I know, so it's a guessing game. The 'new' frames were also plain square-cut timber, whereas the original frames had chamfered edges and a shaped top. (CJL)

Yes, that's the best choice in the circumstances. I sympathise with those who have large collections and no intention of going DCC - I'm one of them. I run my British-outline on a Gaugemaster analog controller that' s best part of 20 years old and it's fine with the modern motors as well as the old. During the lock-down its been used to test review models - including the 94XX and our 16XXs - and they've been fine. I have DCC on my North American layout because I had a far smaller commitment in locos that I couldn't easily fit with decoders. Even so, I have one or two special models that I detailed and repainted, that I can no longer run. (I also have vinyl records - with a cheap modern player and VHS tapes which are now useless but which I don't like to throw away!) (CJL)

They are due to leave China on a ship departing on Monday 14th December. i don't have its name. (CJL)

Was that the one that had one white window frame on one end? (CJL)

As a general principle, manufacturers move forward with technology, sometimes by choice and other times because they are obliged to. We don't expect our 2020 Ford Kuga to come with the engine of a Model T. Manufacturers were obliged to move to engines which used unleaded fuel. They are currently being gradually forced to move away from internal combustion engines. In model railways we had the X05, XT60, Hornby-Dublo's version of a Ringfield motor then Lima and Hornby's, and so on. The hobby is moving increasingly towards digital control systems and in the process of moving forward, feedback controllers and electronic track cleaners are becoming 'old' technology. I've found in recent years that manufacturers have an expectation that we will upgrade/modernise our control systems to match their state-of-the-art models. I still have the H&M controller that was used at Model Railway Constructor to test review models in the early 1960s. I have another more recent H&M that's probably a mere 40 years old. I don't use them to power anything other than accessories. We might prefer VHS tapes or vinyl records but it means we can't watch DVDs or download music. It's a hard fact, but the same is happening with model locomotives. If we don't switch to modern control systems then we won't be able to run modern locomotives - but we do have the choice. (CJL)

I must have mailed this to Andy, moderator, simultaneously with nick wood's post. I have just learned of the death, yesterday, of David Hyde a long-time acquaintance and friend. He died of cancer in Salisbury hospital. David was, for some years a leading light at Pendon, he had an exceptional knowledge of matters Great Western, and he and I shared a passion for the MSWJR and for the Savernake area. Indeed, I had the pleasure of a conducted tour of the railway remains at Savernake back in the 1960s with David and his friend T.B. Sands, who wrote the Oakwood book on the MSWJR, in David's Morris Minor. Embarrassingly, I ended the day by being extremely car-sick! David helped me over the years with numerous articles on GWR - particularly rolling stock. He was responsible for some 4mm scale models of Queen Victoria's Royal Train going to the NRM. David and I worked a deal between the executors of the builder and the NRM to ensure that they stayed in the UK. An incredibly mild-mannered gentleman, one would never have guessed that he had been a career 'cop' serving in the Flying Squad and, I believe, he retired after being injured on duty. I had not seen him for several years, other than, in passing, at the Warley exhibition and we last corresponded over some pictures of Hellandbridge on the Wenford branch that he gave me. The hobby has lost another good and immensely knowledgable friend. (Chris Leigh)

We should be very wary of driving away yet more of the uniqueness of our nation and our Royal family. The Royal Train is a useful tool for the work of the Royal family. And, of course, the fact that social media makes it so easy to breach security is actually a bad thing thing, not a benefit. The Grove and Deepdene have been a British institution since the Second World War. We already abandoned the Royal Yacht, there were groans when a new car was required and the penny-pinchers have been trying to ditch the Royal train for the past three decades at least. They'll succeed eventually, of course, but hopefully not in my lifetime. (CJL)

But on which they couldn't work, sleep or be secure, all of which they can on the Royal Train. You get what you pay for. (CJL)

While the Gunpowder van has obvious appeal, I can't help thinking that the similar-looking Iron Mink would be a potentially better seller. Some really interesting liveries including departmental, too. In the 1960s when the old half-timbered station was still there, I photographed one in the yard at Kidderminster standing roughly where the SVR now has its booking office. (CJL)

I have a vague feeling I've seen one photograph - possibly one of the commercial collections such as Colour-Rail. (CJL)

No doubt these were what was photographed behind a D63xx on the branch at Speen and Boxford by David Canning (?) who, I think, was a WR signalman. I still have the pictures. The train consists of groups of three shock opens separated by pairs of vans. I once - as a teenager - went walkabout round the yard at Welford Park and took a couple of photos, not knowing what it was. I wish I had investigated a lot further. I even bought some shock opens and a blue Class 22 with which to model the train but it has never got any further. None of which has any relevance to Rapido gunpowder vans, for which I apologise. (CJL)

I have a feeling that, during the Barmouth bridge repairs when locos were prohibited, gunpowder vans were worked to Penrhyndeudraeth by a Class 128 parcels car. That would be a train worth modelling! (CJL)

I see Richard F's influence here. At Model Rail we looked very closely at the 15XX after the USA 0-6-0T but went for the J70 instead, mainly because the 15XX was too much like the USA. It's a good choice. (CJL)

You can't please all the people..... On the one hand some folk complain that the hobby is too expensive. On the other, you get folk contemplating spending £130 to get a a die-cast loco body.! (CJL)

Model Rail was launched in 1997 when I was given a 96pp blank magazine and asked what modellers would want to see in it. It was initially a one-off, then quarterly, bi-monthly and - in mid-1999 monthly, going to its current 13 issues per year several years later. I was Editor until 2008, then Ben Jones (who is now with Heljan) and for the past six years (I think) Richard Foster. Throughout that time the magazine has followed its successful formula and I'm sure that, with George at the helm it will continue to do so and you'll still find the same mix of helpful articles. Magazines assume a life of their own, all of us who are lucky enough to be Editors are really just the custodians for a while. (CJL)

Richard's a very private guy and I'm sure he'll let people know where is in due course. He's still very much working within the model railway hobby. (CJL)

The J70 uses a coreless motor. It should not be used with a feedback controller. The ends just unclip. (CJL)

No, sorry, we don't carry any component spares. The green shade(s) replicate those used by BR not preservation. (CJL)

I have the model upstairs on my layout. Wouldn't normally investigate such things but now I know it's there I'll take a look. Haven't we WR modellers done well recently - Hornby Prairie, Bachmann 94XX, Model Rail 16XX, Dapol Mogul, and for the diesel fans, Dapol and Bachmann 121s, Bachmann 117 plus Heljan railcars and 18000 can't be too far off. Plus I've heard rumours of at least one new 4-6-0. (CJL)

The change of Editor is announced in the December issue. Richard continues to work within the model railway hobby. (CJL)

We're very careful about these things. A lot of original drawings were used, too. (CJL)

From memory - and it's a long time, two models and two Editors ago - the first USA we scanned was at the Worth Valley. There was something of a hiatus when it was realised that the KWVR bunker didn't match either the original or the SR conversion. CADs had to be re-done and I believe the Kent & East Sussex Railway locomotive was eventually used as the basis of the model. Deciding which ones you can't tool for is always the most difficult part of each project. (CJL)

Would probably have made more sense to just use a two-car unit on the branch. I winder if the economy of only operating one car ever covered the conversion/construction cost? Though, no doubt, the use of an already partly built unit would have minimised the construction cost. Begs the question, "Was the Ballater battery car also converted at the same time under similar arrangements?" (CJL)

I'm looking for some 'HO' scale All Terrain Vehicles or something I can convert, but can find only one European plastic model as a fire service vehicle. Does anyone know of something 3D printed or perhaps an obscure North American kit that I could convert to something like these:

I've never investigated the story of the two Derby Lightweight singles, although I have done a couple of conversions in the past. It always looked to me as if they had been last minute adaptations of a two-car unit. (CJL)