Barry W

Thank you for your insight seraphim it has been most helpful. I think maybe a loco from the earlier DMEA pool may be more versatile for my needs.

Guzzler, funnily enough I found that photo of 31420 last night and it certainly helps to illustrate the duties of the Intercity maintenance pool. Rob D2, It does seem that the loco's within the various pools strayed less from there dedicated use as sectorisation progressed.

Hello guzzle and thank you for your response. I will take a look at the website linked to try and learn a bit more. I have done a fair bit a searching based on the first two mainline liveried class 31's allocated to the DMEA pool, but most photos show them on passenger revenue service despite being in the D&MEE pool. Would it be normal practice for loco's to be seconded for non pool allocated duties? You are right about the CEJB code, it is a typo in my 1992 loco book. Barry

Hello, In trying to determine which loco to choose as a future project I was wondering if anyone could shed any light on the typical duties for locos allocated to the following sector pools:- DMEA M&EE loco CEJN BRB central services engineering IHRB Intercity fleet maintenance The number of locos in each pool was quite limited, did they carry out very specific tasks or operate in a small area? Any help would be appreciated. Cheers Barry

Blueeighties, do you have any photos taken after the front rain strip was painted blue? I spent some time comparing photos last night and the strip between the top edge of the windscreen seal and bottom of the rain strip seems a tad too narrow, the gap should be a slightly bigger. The cad drawing seems to show a better width between the two. I dont know if Heljan are beyond the point of alteration, but I would really like to see a more defined windscreen seal and the cab door window size fixed before it hit the shelves. Ben, you mentioned a while back that the mesh on the radiator was a compromise of fineness and strength, does that mean a finer, albeit weaker material is available to you? Barry

Congratulations Ben, this is looking really good so far. I would agree that the door window needs to extend up and down to match the height of the cab window. The rounded corners on the top edge of the door are too large making it a bit gappy and causing the door to seem shorter than it is. There should be a rivetted plate to the right of the footstep covering the groove running along the lower edge where it meets the cab/body join. Loving the radiator detail, the new mesh is a great improvement, I hope the detail is still visible through it after painting. If I had a wish at this stage it would be a nicely detailed modified exhaust port, Brian Daniels has a great shot in his class 25 album. I think I need to start clearing my credit card in preparation for their release! When do you start work on the 25/1's?

I found a moment to compare the CAD images with some photos and I would say it looks pretty good so far. I would question if the cab door window needs to extend up a little more, it is very difficult to judge from photos so might just be my eyes! Also I wondeŕ if the exhaust grille needs to be a touch more pronounced? Barry

Ben, you will excuse my skeptism, but I have followed the progress of others trying to produce replacement cabs for the Bachmann version and whilst the CAD drawings always looked good the resulting 3d prints were often far from good. Initially the posted images do look pretty good, although I haven't been able to scrutinise them in detail yet, the first samples will give a much better indication of how close you have managed to get. Barry

I would hope Heljan takes on board feedback from the O gauge version and tweaks the OO design accordingly, a flawed model now would deserve box shifter 'bargin' status!

I was really quite surprised by this announcement, but given Heljan have the artwork from the 7mm version, probably shouldn't be. As others have mentioned getting the shape and look right will be key, I sincerely hope it is spot on and does well for them. Bachmann and Hornby have neglected their 25s for some time now and I would welcome a genuine alternative to save me lots of cutting and shutting. Fingers crossed! Barry

Hi Simon, it is good to see progress on the class 25 cabs as I too am still in the market for some and this version looks promising, it will be interesting to see it painted. Will there be a 25/1 with plated nose doors to follow? It would be nice to have a consistent look between the two variations. Cheers Barry

Hello Simon, I have been keeping an eye on this thread for some time to monitor the progress of your class 25 cab replacements, only to find they are now on hold! Whilst I understand where you are coming from, I still think there will be demand for the cabs as I'm sure I am not the only one who cannot afford to replace six type two's with the RE/SLW model (and to be honest with the excellent running properties of the Bachmann and penbit bogies purchased, wouldn't want to) but, at the same time is still looking to improve the look of the model. For what it's worth the most recent revision looks very promising and I was eager to discover how much the casting was going to cost, so any chance of revisiting the cabs? Cheers Barry

Thank you gents for adding to this thread, I'm amazed at the wealth of information that keeps being added. Roy, thank you for your recollections, I do enjoy reading about peoples memories of the area and traffic that used to be present, it serves to validate and identify traffic flows of the time. Scott B, lovely photo, though an odd starting destination for a traffic flow to Aylesbury, based on your comment I presume this is the same train with more typical motive power...https://www.flickr.com/photos/actonwellsjunction/10361060184/in/photolist-gMz9dG-dyDsZP-968jan-dyejd4-qHtpzg-4ax5Gc-uFkGbW-9N486h-dh7pbC-cxEKkj-ctUXXJ-as8CkJ-dnVHDU-7uVwzs-8dfPC7-hVvh8v-4aB7QS-6FVji1-6wneyM-dyjyaA-vmUhhw-vn2D6T-gSVmaY-FKdbH-dw6u3J-ctSce5-qExPGA-rBkThm-fyquos-tg5MQy-9xaRG5-yhNqkf-sDWesH-ebnGYL-rcNgzR-dh7rsG-bCJZxd-uGCNBe-3ZZnkk-ccduhJ-4ax51c-4ax5Y2-4ax5Pt-ccduE3-bUReTp-5BBMno-ccdutm-bURf3g-xRL4iK-oucoxW Rob, I too love that photo of the trip freight, there is another interesting photo, I believe also on Tony's site of a 25 shunting what appears to a similar train with some CCTs for good measure, possibly just split from a rake of coal for Chinnor at the other end of Risborough sidings.

Hello WBF, I too could be very interested in the FGA/FFA flats you are working on, do you think the Colin Craig sprung bogies would be compatible?

Hi Justin, on the subject of coach bogies, are the BR B4 bogies likely to be in the next batch for release? Barry

What a great post willhayfield, thank you for your recollections. That photo of the 25 on the oil tankers is brilliant and I think you are correct with your thinking on when it ran. I have just read some recollections about the same diagram, albeit with a 47 on Leighton Logs and it states there it was a winter turn and on demand. I recently purchased a book called Shunter Duties from 1985 and it lists Aylesbury as an LMR parcels stabling point, do you recall much actual stabling of parcels stock during your visits? With regards to progress on my layout, two house moves in quick sucession have put paid to that until now, plus seeing the excellent Aylesbury Town layout from the Risborough club taking shape makes me think a slightly different location might be wise.

Thank you everyone for your input, all interesting and useful information. I found this the other day, a 47 on parcels apparently headed for Aylesbury, now I know 47s were never regular visitors and was wondering if the 47 would have worked through to Aylesbury itself or maybe swapped at Bletchley for a 25? http://www.theironroad.net/DieselElectricLocomotives/Class-47/Class47-British-Rail/16222493_LtKZz3#!i=1923143717&k=8vT3pgr&lb=1&s=A Also found this one a while back, a 25 and 31 on what looks to me like an engineers train, at least I presume MCVs were in engineers use in '84. http://www.railpixtc.co.uk/80sArchive/1980-1984/1984/18463852_pvQgjz#!i=1424458341&k=9sdFHDs&lb=1&s=A Barry

Thank you rob D2 for the heads up, some very helpful and interesting photos on that site, the view of the coal depot particularly so. David, I will have to try and get along to the open day and see how progress goes on your Aylesbury layout.

Thank you for a timely bump gents! For those with an interest, the following photos (plus other interesting shots from Aylesbury) recently appeared on flickr... At last! A photo of a 45 on bins at Aylesbury...http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepgreen2009/8124411146/in/photostream/ Would I be right in thinking BG's and a brace of blue GUV's at the north end? http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepgreen2009/8124393491/in/photostream/ An uncommon vantage point for this resting "rat" http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepgreen2009/8124412102/in/photostream/ It still surprises me how many photos are out there of Aylesbury, given that it was somewhat a railway backwater. Barry

Ah, I see, fair enough moving swiftly on. dave freight, excellent information indeed. Do you have any photos from the CCD? The only photos I have seen are the two below of the 04. http://railphotoprints.zenfolio.com/p142024154/h31766A0E#h31766a0e http://www.heritageshunters.co.uk/Pictures/D2324/160285D2324AylesburyCoalConcentrationDepot.jpg I don't suppose you would know how the depot was laid out? The map view on old-maps.co.uk doesn't help much, it shows three sidings,but gives no indication of what they were used for. Did the BR locos ever venture onto the PO sidings or was the shunting of the hoppers and tanks purely down to the 04? Well done Fat Contoller too, great educated guess on the use of the polybulk! So before I start a new thread, does anyone know what an Armstrong bogie tank or 4 wheel wine tank look like? Paging Mr. Bartlett...

Thank you Egg' box some great views there. The last photo in particular is a very interesting view, I had not realized the post on that signal was concrete. Does anyone know if the red brick building behind the engineers truck in the last photo is railway related?

Doesn't time fly, I thought it time to breath some life back into this thread, having done much searching I have found some more interesting photos of freight traffic in Aylesbury. First up, mention was made of SPV's at Aylesbury, well check this lot out! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=351637938200347&set=a.239454046085404.63681.228802603817215&type=1&relevant_count=1 And as suggested it would appear the SPV's were Bletchley bound, this photo taken at Verney Junction shows a 47 and SPV's. http://www.traintesting.com/images/SPVs_at_verney_junction_19-7-74.jpg This photo from Derby Sulzers shows a 25 shunting its train, however it is the CCT in the goods shed that intrigues me. Does anyone know if the goods shed was used for loading/unloading of printed matter? http://www.derbysulzers.com/25032aylesbury84.jpg In this photo the Aylesbury bound wine tanks can be seen being shunted on the far left, also in the consist are some CCT's, I'm guessing then that the odd van was included in the coal/wine trip. http://www.railpixtc.co.uk/80sArchive/1980-1984/1982/18463953_zmDCNB#!i=1424541299&k=Qb7T5NW&lb=1&s=A And finally, my favourite and not strictly freight traffic, a 25 trundling through the station with a train of sealions...awesome! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=383239148373559&set=a.235623896468419.63053.228802603817215&type=3&theater Barry

Hi all, Fat Controller that is a very interesting suggestion about the patent fuel in the polybulk and given the receiving facilities around Aylesbury the most likely explanation. The facebook photos are from Ron Adams who also has a Flickr album featuring lots of great shots of the bay side of the station, he also pointed me to the Aylesbury Remembered page on Facebook as featured above which also has some really interesting photos. There is one photo of an A4 kettle passing the signal box with a Ford Motor Co. building in the background, around about where Bulston's Siding was, is this where the Ford parts were unloaded? Rob, the spur you mention was to serve the Broom & Wade site that stretched down Hughendon Road, I would guess that it was installed, or at least used the most during WWII when the factory was used to produce tanks. The space issue you mention is a real problem, whilst I have recently gained a loft space, I don't think it will house a fair representation of Aylesbury. Maybe Monks Risborough or Calvert disused are a better bet! Still, I am looking forward to inspecting the R&D's Aylesbury Town at Risex next month.

Happy new year all, back with a new year bump. Thank you all for your helpful replies, and yes Colin that photo you have of the 33 on tankers would be of interest thanks. So I have been wondering which direction did the Hazells and magazines traffic take, I presume it was London bound? Not being familiar with railway practice, would the wine tanks and coal wagons have been shunted down to the reception sidings separately or in one trip. Any takers on the destination of the polybulk, surely it must be the 'wine factory'? Lastly...for now, where would any engineers wagons have come from, I gather Aylesbury was allocated to the LMS and as such LMS wagon types would be the order of the day? cheers Barry

I have been ferreting around the web some more and have found some interesting photos, which pose some further questions. This one is the celebrity 08 shunting a 33, I am guessing the crompton was on the coal train? http://www.flickr.com/photos/beerdave1745/6312661560/sizes/l/in/photostream/ This one is very intriguing, as suggested previously the freight would appear to have been dropped at Risborough... but where is the polybulk heading??? http://www.railpixtc.co.uk/keyword/aylesbury#1426045197_twg5gmW This one is for Nidge, I presume the Paddington papers train... http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5842695320/sizes/l/in/photostream/ And finally a view of the sidings that the wine concentrate is bound for, the coal siding being behind the photographer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5812713647/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Colin, thank you for your photos, very useful indeed.