jimwal

Further evidence of being a breakdown tool & packing van in photo 1 is the handbrake wheel midway below the solebar, also just visible in silhoette behind, what looks like the long diagonal box for heavy pieces of equpment. In photo 2 at the roof top can be seen edges of roof windows often added to these conversions for light. The original windows being panelled in solid and the interior lined with tounge & groove board. Mangapps Railway Museum has a coach that had been converted in exactly this style. However it is not this one as it retained an internal handbrake column. It is 1910 Doncaster built GNR brake first no 43178 believed to have been converted to breakdown use in the early fifties, renumbered DE320651 and at least for some time allocated to Frodingham. It is now back in use as a passenger vehicle. Regards Jim

Also well set up and adjusted sound. A excellent all round show enjoyed by three friends and myself. Plus good refreshments reasonably priced. I fit DCC for others but do not get involved with any of the settings unless requested to, then usually only the address. For some people DCC adds another dimension to the hobby, to tweak every 'configuration variable' to how they want it. Some of the sound decoders seem to have a cosiderable number of these. Add in smoke, various lighting functions and accsesory decoders, it can be very involved. DCC expands the hobby and can bring new people in, particularly younger generations, but it is still optional. My own layout is DC only, I have not the interest or finance to do my own. DCC has its own test track and controller. Seeing the 4MT loco further back on the thread with more smoke than any I've seen or fitted, might smoking locos be banned in public places?. Jim

Look good, but would like to have seen heavy type W irons (as on Hornby's newly announced coke hopper) on the 20ton verson rather than the identical chassis to the 14ton wagon. Bachmann's iron ore tipplers and hoppers need a similar upgrade to their chassis. It's good to see wagons now starting to get recognition from other than Bachmann who have generally served us well.

Bachmann have promised LMS porthole stock, first releases in crimson/cream. Jim

I traveled in LMS design BR built sleeping cars in the early 1970s. These were in blue/grey and in Euston to Liverpool and Manchester services. I have seen photos of LMS porthole BSKs in blue/grey, I believe these were the only other passenger carrying LMS type so treated. Examples of most post-war NPCCS received blue/grey, the notable exception being horseboxes due to rapid loss of traffic and early withdrawal. Jim

Hi everyone Just caught up on this topic, I thought it might be helpful to try and bring the info on these coaches together. As Coachman said they represent 'period II' lavatory brake third and composite, 25 of each built. They are basically accurate models as originally issued by Airfix. For some reason Dapol are calling these coaches 'Stanier suburbans', which may look superficially similar they are obviously not. This may dissuade another manufacturer from considering LMS suburban stock in general and which was far more common. Dapol have made the range look bigger by issuing three liveries in kit and r-t-r giving six catalouged variants. Perhaps we should be grateful for anything better than nothing. If the keen pricing means they sell well Dapol may consider redoing the ex Airfix corridor brake third and composite. These are Stanier coaches, but different versions to the Hornby models and what Bachmann are proposing. Personally I'd prefer to see r-t-r non corridor stock as kit building corridor vehicles particularly later stock means fewer door handles, stops and hinges to get lined up!. Regards Jim

Just to clarify my earlier posting. I believe the motor is ok, (unlike the initial release of the class 17) it seems to be the amount of grease Heljan have put in the mechanism. Too much and its like stirring treacle - slow and hard work!. So if we have a model full of grease it will travel slow no matter how much power is applied but it will draw more current. Some models seem to have about the right amount whilst a few have little or none at all, as I said - pot luck!. I would add that I've been doing loco repairs and kit chassis building on off since Hornby Dublo days for a local shop and club. So I have no desire to take a model apart if it runs well!. Ref the tail lamp item, I was a signalman for a number of years. Jim.

First, a comment on tail lamps. Until about the eighties it was a requirement for every train to carry a separate tail lamp to show to signalmen it was complete. I believe this is now only a requirement for trains unable to display high intensity lighting. Regarding the Heljan railbus, as others have said, an excellent looking model. Running seems a pot luck issue. My mate had one running round the club layout in each direction, from a crawl to a prototypical looking top speed for about 2 hours. My own, I tried a couple of days later with different results. From a good crawl it ran jerkily up to about half speed, in either direction. Further running didn't improve matters. I'd noticed the plates by the wheels and commented at the club that with the weight plus 2-axle drive it could earn its keep hauling a train!. Anyway the plates were removed and revealed a lot of thick grease amongst the gears. This was part of the problem with Heljan's class 17 'Clayton' loco causing it to run slow. So I cleaned out most of the grease, put it together but no better. Believing the grease may have got to the motor bearings, I set about gaining access to the motor. The instructions mention checking motor oiling without actually telling you how to get to it. It requires the removal of every screw you can see (all 17 I think!) plus light guides. This releases the upper body half, cast roof weight, interior, lower body half, cast upper chassis half and cast lower chassis. Between these last two is the motor held snugly in recesses in the castings by 2 'O' rings. Each end of the motor is a cone shaped flywheel running closely in similar shaped recesses in the chassis castings. Here lay the problem!, the copious grease was all around the flywheels and in what little clearance there was, preventing the motor reaching full speed. I cleaned it all up, put it together, ran it, and for a short while it seemed ok, then it started to slow down. Subsequent investigation revealed the damage had been done with the motor burning out. This, after discovery of the suppressor chokes in the 21 pin blanking plug having failed. Hope this of help to anyone else. Jim.