BMacdermott

Hello everyone A small clarification of one of my earlier postings... I was under the impression that some GN Quad Arts were transferred to the NER. In fact - according to Railway Observer March 1958 - it was actually some GE Quad Arts. Brian

Hello 31A Copy of my yesterday posting below. Brian ________ Hello NXEA I'm fairly certain that Railway Observer gives details of sets that had been transferred north subsequent to the introduction of DMUs in London - but I can't find it at present! However, whilst looking, I found the item below in the September 1958 issue: At about 7.30pm on Tuesday 5 August, a 9F 2-10-0 was noted passing over Welwyn Viaduct with a 24-coach empty stock train - three 8-car Quad Art sets being returned to London after being used on Nottingham-Skegness day excursions during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Brian

Hello Rob My 47xx is in a similar state! Brian

Hello again to Garethp8873 I have just heard that LNER drawings appear in an LNER Society Journal that prove that the couplers between two sets could not be used independently for 'service trains'. So, they only ran as 8-coach trains in service to the best of my knowledge, research and understanding. (Noting that the NNR set has had its inner end adapted.) Brian

Hello again Chris I don't wish to appear to doubt your word, but I always try to get to 'the facts' when questions such as this arise. And I do fully appreciate that 'local practices' did abound. However, I have been informed as below (with grateful thanks to Stephen Pearce of Robert Carrolls' BRCS Group): There is a reproduction of the LNER drawing of the close coupling arrangement between the two half sets in the LNER Society Journal 79 (Autumn 2019) in an article about articulated coaches on the LNER. The drawing shows that the drawbar of each coach had a forked end with holes through the forked pieces - there was no conventional draw hook on either coach. Pins passed though the holes in each of the forked end pieces and through the single link which coupled the two coaches together. The drawing gives the distance between the headstocks of the adjacent coaches as 1ft 6.5inches. The article also includes good side on photographs of each vehicle in the set, including showing the coupling between each half, in which the very short buffers can be seen. I am not a member of the LNER Society so do not have a copy. I am pretty convinced that the HMRS article author assumed that a Quad Art was four coaches. If we had the relevant Guard's Journal, it would help. Brian

Hello NXEA Not that I am aware of. Brian

Hello NXEA I'm fairly certain that Railway Observer gives details of sets that had been transferred north subsequent to the introduction of DMUs in London - but I can't find it at present! However, whilst looking, I found the item below in the September 1958 issue: At about 7.30pm on Tuesday 5 August, a 9F 2-10-0 was noted passing over Welwyn Viaduct with a 24-coach empty stock train - three 8-car Quad Art sets being returned to London after being used on Nottingham-Skegness day excursions during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Brian

Hello Garethp8873 Not wishing to go 'off topic' from Rob's thread but - for the sake of 'completeness' - a chap on the Wright Writes thread (chris p bacon) is saying that he has knowledge of a set being split (into a 4-set) to work the 4.06pm Hitchin to Sandy and return. I am looking into that, but am sceptical. The sets were not designed to run in service singly and the big question is...why would a set be split for this journey even if it were 'operationally within the rules'? The CWN booked it for a 'full' 8-set. I have just spoken with a railwayman friend who worked at King's Cross and Dunstable with the Quads and he has no knowledge of them ever working 'split'. And he has asked many of his contemporaries. The truth is out there! (As they say on The X Files!🙂) Brian

Hello Chris Interesting - but I remain to be convinced. I have just spoken with a friend who was involved with the sets at Kings Cross and he knows of no splitting. As far as we know, the 'inner end' buffing gear wouldn't facilitate running 'a service train'. And, as far as we know, the NNR set has had to be specially adapted to run as a four. It would be good if someone knows who 'LA Smith' is (the article author). We could then request to see the actual Guard's Journal entry. Brian

Hello Michael They ran to Doncaster for servicing and were sometimes 'shipped out' of London on summer weekends for seaside excursion work. Although eight coaches sounds like 'a long train', it equates to about five long underframe Mk1 non-gangwayeds. Brian

Hello Bucoops The GE Quads were definitely designed to run as 'a single 4-set' (with strengtheners as needed). Brian

Hello Chris The 00 Poll Team did much research on the GN Quad Arts. We found no evidence of any being run as a 'half set' (ie four coaches). One eminent GN line historian believes that a 4-set did once run, but only as an emergency and not in a 'service train'. The sets were designed to run as 'pairs'. Brian

Hello everyone Many congratulations to Ellis Clark Trains on this bold and welcome venture. The GN Quad Arts have been right at the top of LNER Coaches in The 00 Wishlist Polls since 2013. They went into The Top 50 in 2018, staying there for 2019 also. The Poll didn't run in 2020 and 2021 but, in 2022, they missed The Top 50 by only a handful of votes (and, it has to be said, The Poll content had been radically amended possibly changing 'the dynamics'). The GN Quad Arts were designed to run as two slightly different sets together and Ellis Clark are to be applauded for their approach. (The GE Quad Arts were very different and were designed to run as a 4-set with additional coaches if needed). Taking my Poll Team hat off for a moment and speaking 'personally', I have just ordered the eight coaches that form Set No.85. The Quad Arts have been on my long-term plan for many years, and I am delighted that Ellis Clark will be producing them. I am intrigued with how these sets will 'look close-coupled' on the straight but still negotiate Radius 2 curves. The bogies are stated to be sprung and - looking at the 'upside down photo' above - it seems that Ellis Clark may have come up with an innovative solution. Perhaps Ellis Clark could comment or show some videos in due course? Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team and where stated from myself)

Hello Garethp8873 Be aware that GN Quad Arts were designed to run as two pairs of slightly different four coach sets. The 00 Poll Team found no evidence of any having run 'singly' (as a 4-set) other than on a non-service train in an emergency. The M&GN Society Quad Art at the North Norfolk Railway has been 'specially adapted'. The GE Quad Arts were designed as 4-car sets and ran as such. Brian

Agreed Rob. As I have noted on relevant threads, the GN Quads have been High Polling or Top 50 in The 00 Wishlist Polls for many years. There are plenty of 'deserving' GWR coach types so fingers crossed!. Brian

Hello Dunsignalling ...or more diverse (depending on one's viewpoint).🙂 Brian

Hello Polybear Indeed! The GN Quad Arts have been right at the top of LNER Coaches in The 00 Wishlist Polls since 2013. They went into The Top 50 in 2018, staying there for 2019 also. The Poll didn't run in 2020 and 2021 but, in 2022, they missed The Top 50 by only a handful of votes (and, it has to be said, The Poll content had been radically amended possibly changing 'the dynamics'). Taking my Poll Team hat off for a moment and speaking 'personally', I have just ordered the eight coaches that form Set No.85. They will sit nicely on my layout when running in 'Hitchin mode'.🙂 I will be interested to see how they cope with Radius 2 curves. Brian

Hello everyone Many congratulations to Ellis Clark Trains on this bold and welcome venture. The GN Quad Arts have been right at the top of LNER Coaches in The 00 Wishlist Polls since 2013. They went into The Top 50 in 2018, staying there for 2019 also. The Poll didn't run in 2020 and 2021 but, in 2022, they missed The Top 50 by only a handful of votes (and, it has to be said, The Poll content had been radically amended possibly changing 'the dynamics'). Don't forget that GN Quad Arts were designed to run as two slightly different sets together and Ellis Clark are to be applauded for their sets. The GE Quad Arts were very different and were designed to run as a 4-set (with additional coaches if needed). Taking my Poll Team hat off for a moment and speaking 'personally', I have just ordered the eight coaches that form Set No.85. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Hello everyone Some results of The Quirky Poll for you and Rapido... 2019 The top two items were Stephenson's Rocket (now made) and Ivor. 2020 The top two items were Titfield Thunderbolt and Bellerophon (both now made or announced). Ivor was High Polling. 2021 The top two items were B17 Streamlined (now announced) and Ivor. My own personal view (albeit that I am not in 'the model trade') is that Ivor would form the foundation of many great models that would build up into a fine layout. Figures of Dai Station, Jones the Steam etc would complement model dragons, mine buildings, Ivor's shed etc. Brian

Hello John Agreed but the point I am making is that the facing points were there for valid operational reasons - not simply such as a randomly positioned 2-wagon coal siding. Brian

Hello Skinnylinny The Angel station (London) has been rebuilt as that platform did give the HSE apoplexy.🙂 My comment was directed at 'wildly narrow' island platforms on 'main line' layouts, where train speeds would be very high. And, adding to the point made my Happy Hippo, my 'gripe' was with exhibition layouts where there has been little or no attention to real detail and the modeller puts - such as - a 2-wagon coal siding off a main line facing point. There are, no doubt, plenty of examples of 'sidings off main line facing points' - Exeter Central carriage sidings being one. Brian

Hello again Island platforms that are so narrow as to give the Health & Safety Executive apoplexy and platform end ramps so steep that they make the north face of the Eiger look easy.🙂 Brian (PS I appreciate that many do not have the luxury of reasonable space, but if your platforms are wafer thin and end ramps almost vertical, then you are possibly trying to get a quart into a pint pot. Rule 1 always applies and people do as they wish with their railways - it's just that I don't like seeing such things as have been alluded to at exhibitions.)

Hello Andy Nor branch line 14xx locos with Autocoach running at 150mph or facing points off a main line into a siding.🙂 Brian

Hello Tony and everyone You may recall that I appealed for information as to where I might buy a replacement chimney for the one that had gone missing without trace from my Hornby J15. The problem was soon resolved with help from contributors here. Guess what...the missing chimney has now turned up! Although I searched widely, moving boxes etc, it didn't come to light as it had lodged in a small roll of recycling bin bags that were under my layout and dropped out when I went to get a new one! Such is life! It raises a point... Although I am not 'an activist eco warrior', I do try my best to recycle what I can. My railway room has an ordinary waste bin as well as one for recycling. Does anyone else? Brian

Hello everyone Forgive me if I don't trawl through all the previous posts. I have just been speaking with some friends who have many of the same locos as me. Some of theirs have rot whereas none of mine do. Mine are always in my railway room in my house which is always heated when cold weather demands. Does the rot affect those which have been stored 'cold' such as in lofts, garages etc? Brian