BenL

Thanks Jonathan. Working with etched components is not my strong point! I was under the impression that there were c.15K unfitted LNER 6 plank opens with wood underframes and a 10ft wheelbase but I may well have mis-read my copy of the relevant volume of Tatlow - I'm afraid I'm away from my books and can't check.

Thanks very much Jonathan, I had seen that great idea on your excellent topic pages and thought it might be something even I could just about manage in order to get the fitted version. However, it's the unfitted version I'm especially after, although I guess the same approach could be used as long as the necessary components could be sourced (shorter buffers, central Vs, longer brake lever and a set of single brakes?).

And I could very much do with some of the LNER 10ft wheelbase 6 plank open wagons - as far as I know the ABS kit was the only way to produce a model of these very numerous wagons (aside from kit-bashing/scratch-building). But the whole ABS wagon range is full of tempting offerings and it will great to see it back on the market, including the packs of components like brake gear, buffers etc.

Many thanks Brian, Robin and team. I'd like to vote for 10, please - I have one kit-built J12 but need another for my layout set in 1947 Cornwall. In that year, there were from memory two down services from Paddington to Penzance that each had a first sleeper attached through the Duchy, and a Penzance to Paddington return which carried them both back out of Cornwall. Sadly no slips though, as far as I'm aware, which is a shame as they are generally attractive and interesting vehicles. Thanks again, Ben

Another last minute vote in the latest poll, for which huge thanks as always Brian, Robin and team. I'd like to vote for the following, please: 2, 3, 6 For 7, I'd like to vote for the H25 For 8, I'd like to vote for the H57 For 9, I'd like to vote for the H33 - this is not to suggest it's in any way a better option than the H25 proposed, but if one were made in postwar GWR condition, I'd definitely buy one. I do wonder if it might be possible for a manufacturer to tool up for both the H25 and H33, and if they did, I would very likely buy one of each. Thanks again poll team!

Huge thanks Brian, Robin and team for another great poll. I'd like to vote for the following, please: 1,6,9,10,11

Stunning shots John, and beautifully framed and posed as always. Reminds me of tales of the Fowey auto racing Down mainline trains out of Lostwithiel!

It's a definite 1 from me too - it's a very clever and compelling case and I'd be absolutely delighted to have the possibility of buying at least one of each. Indeed, a Toplight corridor third and Toplight brake third are my two most-needed items of stock, and I'd easily find a home for a Toplight composite and K22 to keep them company! Huge thanks to Brian, Robin and the team for coming up with this ingenious proposal. All the best, Ben

Nice wagon

Huge thanks to Brian, Robin and team for another engaging poll, and sorry to have missed voting for the previous one. For the current poll, I'd like to vote for 1-7 inclusive, plus 10 and 11. For 13, I'd like to add a vote for The Fatadder's excellent suggestion of the Metcam side tippers. Thanks again, Ben

And me - 1947 to be precise!

And me - 1947 to be precise!

Thanks again Brian, Robin and team. I'd like to vote for 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10. For 11, I'd buy any GWR container at an affordable price but I'd be particularly keen on any of the meat carrying varieties. For 12, it would have to be the O13 china clay wagon. All the best, Ben

Hi Brian, Robin and team, Many thanks for another poll of temptation! My votes are for 1-6 inclusive, plus 8. My focused vote is for 6. All the best, Ben

Dear Brian and poll team, I'd like to vote for L18, L21, L22 and L23. Huge thanks for all your great work on this! Cheers, Ben

My choices are: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 My focused choices of PBV are: 3, 4, 7 My focused choice of Monster is: 9 Huge thanks to the team for keeping this going!

Thanks for flagging the Dapol Manor samples Robin. I'm interested in 7814 and maybe you are also given that she was one of the five Bristol-based Manor's in 1947, the furthest West any were shedded at that time. So it's a bit annoying that the 'G W R' is still placed centrally rather than offset to the rear of the tender so that the 'W' is not sitting on top of the central vertical line of rivets. It may be that Dapol are ultimately planning to produce 7814 with a flush sided tender, in which case the centrally placed 'G W R' would be correct as there would be no rivet heads to avoid. But if they're aiming to produce her with a riveted tender, the 'G W R' should be offset to avoid the rivet heads. It also looks like another new take on GWR loco green - I can't quite decide if it works or not; it looks a little flat but that may not be unprototypical.

Looking good from a quick glance, although on 7814, the 'G W R' branding should be offset to the rear of the tender so that the 'W' is not sitting on the vertical line of rivets (unless 7814 is ultimately destined to be produced with a flush sided tender, in which case the 'G W R' should indeed be central to the tender side as shown in the sample).

My choices are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 My focused choice is: 4 Huge thanks to Brian, Rob, John, Chris and Ian for making this happen!

I'm away from my books at the moment but my memory suggests this photo might be in David Jenkinson's book 'The Big Four in Colour'.

Many thanks for your thoughts and reassurance on the safety valve covers Miss Prism. It's the 'G W R' liveried 5150 I'm focused on, and I understood she was outshopped with a tall safety valve cover. But as you say, EPs don't always have the correct combination of details. However, given it's presumably a decoration sample, I hope they've noted the incorrect positioning of the route disc (should be above the number plate not on the side shutters on 5150 in 'G W R' livery).

I think you might be on to something there Miss Prism - something indeed does not look right. What do you make of the safety valve covers - they in particular don't look quite right to me, maybe a lack of curvature on the sides? They've got the route disc in the wrong place on 5150 and I believe it should have a tall safety valve cover - at least I understand she was built with one. I really want Dapol to get this right as I need a large prairie with the livery and detail combination 5150 should have! The improvements suggested over the Mogul are at least encouraging and suggest a listening mindset.

I didn't realise that - I thought all or most of the batch of 1947-built Modified Halls came out lined and with Hawksworth tenders but I'm away from my books so can't check.

Looking good! I also need some PO lettering of this sort - I did email one transfer company with an enquiry but got no response; please let us know if you have any luck!

Yes Mark (altho pls see provisos below), the Ratio kit covers the following diagrams: LMS D1891/1897/1978/2039 (that's according to the instructions and this useful blog post on LMS vans, albeit from a BR perspective: https://windcutter.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/the-lms-van/ ) All of these diagrams came in both unfitted and fitted varieties - for the fitted versions, you need to use the LMS bits in the Parkside PA16 underframe kit (which also includes BR bits). According to the aforementioned blog and a post by Castle on his RMWeb 'Little Didcot' thread, this underframe fits pretty nicely under the Ratio body. In terms of D2039 specifically, it might be worth noting that Essery LMS Wagons Vol 1 says that some vans in two of the number series allocated to D2039 were actually built to D2088 (the principal difference being that these had wooden rather than corrugated steel ends, meaning that the Ratio body wouldn't work for these). But if you're after a D2039 with the corrugated steel ends then the Ratio kit is your friend - the only noticeable detail variations I can see that might be worth bearing in mind are the roof rainstrip (they are offset in the Ratio kit but full-length in the photos of D2039 in LMS condition in Essery or central in the photos of BR condition in Essery) and the fact that some D2039 had 2 piece corrugated ends (as in the Ratio kit) while others had 3 piece. Hope I've understood all of that right and it's of some help! Please feel free to message me if you want a copy of any of the details or photos from Essery.