shipbadger

When first produced the supplied press studs were a good fit and there were no problems. It would seem over the years the supply of press studs has had to be changed and the quality control of their manufacture has allowed the tolerances to become sloppy. I have bought replacements in the past (from Woolworths) or resorted to filing. At present I am busy converting all of my single torsion bar bogies using the kits supplied by Palatine Models (palatinemodels.co.uk) which solves the problems caused by the press studs and sometimes failure of the soldered joint after being in service for a while. Tony Comber

No stock in Lydney or Chepstow either today. Filling station is doing well out of me. Yes I know I could have it on subscription but I like to support the news agent. Once we had three in Lydney, now it's just the one. Tony Comber

Possibly only marginally helpful, but there was a VHS video called Southern Suburban Cab Ride. This was five different journeys by emu filmed from the cab, including all the sounds along the way. My copy says it's CV4 but no indication of who produced it. I've no idea if it was transferred to DVD at some stage but a search for the title on the internet may produce something. Tony Comber

The top picture features on the left a Bedford TK. Looking at the size of the wheels this may have been intended for drivers without a HGV licence who could drive up to 3 tons unladen at that time. The middle photo is of the rear of a Ford Anglia van. The last is of an Austin/Morris Commercial LD van with a coachbuilt body. On the other side of the road is a Ford Cortina, possibly a 'Super' model Can't see enough of the other vehicles for a positive ID Tony Comber

Couldn't agree more. I was a student there for four years in the early 70's and a regular user of buses and trains but I found it quite hard to pick out once familiar landmarks. To put it in to context; in those days it was still possible to see much of the former trolleybus infrastructure on lamp posts and buildings. Keep meaning to come back up and have a ride on the trams so will follow this thread with interest. Thanks to the OP for posting. Tony Comber

Having been involved in the painting of brake vans on a heritage railway I spent a long time looking for the answers to this question. In the end I concluded that in the early fifties at least works were using up whatever brown paints they had for the lower panels. This would make sense especially for those works who previously had turned out wagons for a company with a predominantly brown livery for wagons. When we did the Queen Mary brake we used a colour called Ginger Glow 2 from the Dulux mixing machine we seemed to match traces of paint we found when cleaning down. Tony Comber

There you go, one of Hobbs Bros Unimogs. They've had several over the years. Gloucestershire has many narrow lanes and even developed a 'mini' fire engine based on a US pick up at one point. Tony Comber

Interesting question. I suppose a lot depends on the access available. If you can get a milk lorry in to the yard you could presumably get a four wheel tanker in. Where I live in Gloucestershire at least two firms offer delivery by 4x4 tankers (Unimogs). Back in the sixties I presume something ex-armed forces would be used. I have seen, I think from over the border in Herefordshire a Land Rover with a tank and slogans on the side offering deliveries to almost anywhere. Road Transport Images do a 1200 gallon tank which could be mounted on a suitable (Bedford/Ford) four wheeler chassis. Tony Comber

I hate to say this, but those tail lights don't look quite right. https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrIRljIYZ1ayXYAjSd3Bwx.?p=Austin+A60+rear&fr=yhs-blp-default&fr2=piv-web&hspart=blp&hsimp=yhs-default&type=hmp_102_774_0#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.simoncars.co.uk%2Fado9%2Fslides%2FAustin%2520A60%2520Cambridge%25201963%2520rear.jpg&action=click Sorry about the long URL and I can't do that thing that shortens them. Some versions of the Farina did have more prominent tail lights, the Wolsely for example but most ended in a line with the bottom of the swage line along the side (the double chrome strip for Austins and a single one for Morris's) Not convinced by the green one, thought that was for the 1100 hundred range. My own series 6 Oxford was smoke grey (looked a pale blue) with an old english white roof. Again Morris's got a different coloured roof whilst Austins had the coloured side stripe. Sorry to be a nit picker, I'll duck down now :-) ps I really admire your efforts with this project.

Not seen this mentioned yet. I've used a low melt glue gun to fix plaster castings to ply and there have been no problems taking the layout to 28 shows. I've also fixed them to the expanded polystyrene (scrap packaging) scenery sub base in the same way. The glue gun will come in handy for lots of other scenic work. The key thing for scenic work is that it is of the low melt type, these usually have glue sticks which are oval in section. 'Normal' glue guns have round section ones. Craft shops like Hobbycraft sell them as they are deemed safer for children to use. They are simple in design so are also comparatively cheap. Tony Comber

Completed my Luke Towan type static grass machine last night. The ion generator was a non-branded item bought from ebay but apart from that the rest was the same as Luke describes. I made up three screens for the front as I need to cover fibres from 2-10 mm. One used a sieve but the other two used stainless mesh from China via ebay. Had to be cut using a slitting disc in a mini drill (and eye protection). The bits that fly off are very hot. To make them interchangeable each screen has a spade terminal pop riveted to it and the wire from the ion generator terminates in a female connector (also known as Lucar connectors). Had a trial run and am well pleased, especially with the long fibres. I now have plastic bottles, a fly swat machine and now the new one. I shan't be getting rid of any as they all will have their uses. One thing that struck me with the new machine was that normally I pass the end of a vacuum cleaner nozzle over the fibres at a height to pull any upward that need encouragement. Didn't need to do that with the trial I did last night. Tony Comber

PhilJ W that's a site I hadn't come across before and I suspect is a good way of 'wasting' lots of time. I've already checked on some of my previous vehicles and discovered they are now rarities. No names but some should have been made rarities when they were contemporary. Thank goodness iffy brakes, wipers and lights are now things of the past, at least if vehicles have been maintained. Or is that the things that gave them 'character' :-) Tony Comber

Is that a Moscvitch (spelling?) I see in the car park at Bangor? Surely a car now extinct in the UK. Came with a huge tool kit as service stations were few and far between in the USSR. Tony Comber

Interesting, all those Bedford TKs and one Ford D series amongst them. The cars look like a Vivas so not quite an entire train of GM products. Perhaps the trucks are on the way to a bodybuilder rather than a dealer. Were Ford making the D series at Langley (Slough) at this time? Can anyone identify the actual location, is this a view after loading or awaiting unloading? Tony Comber

Wasn't the Bedford with the Hawson 'Easy Access' body available through Bedford dealers? As Noddy vans have been mentioned Gloucester BRS had one of the comparatively rare Bedford versions. At first when I saw it I thought some wag in the depot had put a Bedford badge on a BMC truck. Tony Comber

Thank you for the responses. Yellow then if I decide to finish it as a BR vehicle otherwise any colour I like for a 'civilian'. I remember the greyish colour scheme being announced, accompanied by the 'flying crate' symbol I think. Never saw one, even on my trips into London. It must have fallen out of favour very quickly. Tony Comber

Hi all, Over the last few evenings I've started to clean up the bodies of several resin kits from Road Transport Images. Amongst these is a Commer walk-thru van. I'm familiar with these vans in the yellow and blue'white colour schemes they operated in for BR in the second part of the sixities. My question is; as the prototype was launched during the period when crimson/cream was still the colour for BR road vehicles did BR have any of these vans during that period or did they not buy until the yellow colour scheme had been launched? Tony Comber

To come back to the plans for Parkend goods yard and sidings. Priority at the moment centres around drainage and replacing rotten sleepers. The S&T department are also steadily working their way around connecting everything up to the signal box. The ex-Midland railway three plank wagon we have been working on in the yard at Norchard is scheduled to be taken to Parkend for display. There are longer term plans for a seven plank wagon in Parkend colliery colours, but that needs the body reconstructing first. The Shark is also supposed to be 'homed' at Parkend when not in use. I understand that the PW dept. have identified the components neccesary to reconnect the sidings. Nice to see the Queen Mary looking good in the photos, but it doesn't pay to look too closely, expecially at the roof. As always more time money and labour is required. Tony Comber

The shop has re-opened and shut again! Tony Comber

Hi all, Firstly I didn't respond to the question about the last loco at Ross as I'm no expert on these matters :-( I can tell you that the wagon underframe with the red oxide paint in the photos above is a Midland Railway 3 plank open originally dating from 1896. Originally on a wooden underframe at some point it gained a steel one. It also has brakes that can only be operated from one side. The single sided operation of the brakes would have banned it from the main line in the 20's. The reason that it has these unusual features is that at some stage early in the last century it became an internal user at Sharpness Docks. Like Trigger's broom much patching and replacement has taken place over the years. The grounded body next to it is a MR 8 ton van. Tony Comber

There is a free car park beside the old registrars office. Down the road beside The Swan and the boarded up motorcycle clothing shop, past Mills & Walkers garage and straight over as if going to the football club. It's the road that is almost straight ahead if you are returning from the Norchard where I suspect you normally turn right to head out of town. It's accessed by a one way road so on leaving you'll come out a different way emerging beside Motorworld and Stuff. It's a short walk back to Lydney Town from here. Must admit I thought there was still some parking by the station but haven't looked since McCarthy & Stone put up the retirement flats so it may have changed. You could also park in the Park and walk back from there. Just go up the road beside the fire station, access is just after the road swings round to the right. I much appreciate your photos so hope this helps. Tony Comber

I know the owner, and yes it's a replica. He has an interest in railways as well as trucks and wanted one in BR colours. He has a number of other vehicles which are in authentic colours. Tony Comber

Ooh! I'm in a picture :-) In the second photo if you look to the right, beyond the signal by the crossing gate and in front of the green GUV (the C&W Dept Mess/Stores) are two persons clad in Hi Vis eating their lunch. I'm the one on the right. We'd been emptying the five plank wagon which is usually our (the Wagoneers) store so that it can be used for a photo charter next Wednesday. I'm not sure of the timings but I think it is before and after the normal timetabled trains. Keep up the good work, the photos are superb. Tony Comber

As far as I know the Sapper had some work done on it and is on short term loan. I think it may even have done it's last runs last weekend. I've been laid low by the current heavy cold and didn't go to the railway on Wednesday so I'm not sure. Taking my now elderly father to hospital this week so be a while before I'm busy at the Norchard again. Current job is a repaint of the Queen Mary brake from its SR livery to BR bauxite. Inside the cabin is done and as the weather has picked up we can go outside. Unlike some of the larger heritage railways we have no cover for this type of job so we work 'between the showers'. Tony Comber