Combe Martin

Yes, in BR days a tanker from any of the fleets could wander, whether many did or not is another matter, but certainly tankers from all of the ex big 4 could go anywhere. I'm not qualified to comment on how much of the Unigate fleet when used on the WR was ex GWR as I wasnt there, though it dosnt sound unreasonable, but I can say that of the ex-GWR/BR fleet (BR built tankers were the GWR design) about 70% were Unigate and about 30% Express Dairies. With the ex-LMS fleet the proportions were almost the same. What I've been getting at when referring to (for example) an ex GWR vehicle is that you could produce just one ex-GWR/BR underframe and fit it with several different Unigate 'tank tops' and several different diagram Express Dairy 'tank tops', though these all look very similar.

So sounds like an excuse not to do one. I did suggest that to avoid duplication someone could announce that they were going to do a tanker on one particular companies underframe without saying which tanker, they could even say they were going to do a particular dairies tanker, for example they could announce they were doing a Unigate tanker on an ex GW underframe. That would still leave about 19 diagrams they could pick from. That would leave about 8 diagrams that someone else could pick from of an Express Dairy tanker on an ex GW underframe. Then of course someone else could announce a tanker on a ex LMS underframe, or even an ex SR one (though there were less of them).

Yes, this was an attempt to widen the request/discussion to several manufacturers. A while back I put a topic about this on the Hornby thread hoping that the other manufacturers would also read it as there isn't a general 'wish list' place 'from anyone' on here, but that gradually faded. There is only the official 'wishlist' organised by Brian and his Poll Team, but that dosnt provide a forum for background/discussion and 'reasons why' from the 'punters'. Lots of the manufacturers have a 'what do you want from XYZ' topic where everyone puts their 'oar' in but there's no common place. It was prompted this morning by Bachmann's latest announcement of what they're producing in the coming months, and reading through it, and theres a lot ... well nothing there. I had hoped that Bachmann would 'pickup the challenge', afterall they're well established in the UK now and must have plenty of expert contacts, but nothing yet. All someone has to do is announce that 'we're going to produce milk tanks on a, for example an LMS chassis. The chassis are the same, its just what's above them that's different. They don't need to identify which diagram, there's plenty. If any one else was inclined to also do a milk tank that lets them decide on doing a GW/BR chassis one, or even a Southern or LNER one, and so avoid potential duplication..

Mmmm ... the only problem with the Southern ones is that compared to the 'big two' there were a 'fraction' of them, and even fewer of the LNER ones.

Come on Hornby ... How about some accurate Milk Tankers ! No competition (yet ?), its not that difficult. Do two chassis, one the ex GWR/BR version, the other the ex LMS one. On the ex GWR/BR put 6 tank supports, and put 4 on the ex LMS. Unigate/United Dairies Cow & Gate used 'half tank straps', Express Dairies used full wrap round straps. Then tank ladders/'climbing frames/platforms' in different positions. There's plenty of preserved ones to look at, just be careful you don't do a hybrid used in later life for something not milk. They're easy enough to spot, eg a tank from an ex LMS (4 supports) on a GWR underframe (6 supports), and besides, the current owners usually know whether theirs is original or a 'hotch potch'. And beware of preservation era bogus liveries ! And ... there is a much greater Milk Tanker expert on here too. I'm sure you know who you could consult !

How about some accurate Milk Tankers Rapido ! No competition, its not that difficult. Do two chassis, one the ex GWR/BR version, the other the ex LMS one. On the ex GWR/BR put 6 tank supports, and put 4 on the ex LMS. Unigate/United Dairies Cow & Gate used 'half tank straps', Express Dairies used full wrap round straps. Then tank ladders/'climbing frames/platforms' in different positions. There's plenty of preserved ones to look at, just be careful you don't do a hybrid used in later life for something not milk. They're easy enough to spot, eg a tank from an ex LMS (4 supports) on a GWR underframe (6 supports), and besides, the current owners usually know whether theirs is original or a 'hotch potch'. And beware of preservation era bogus liveries ! And ... there is a much greater Milk Tanker expert on here too. I'm sure they know who they could consult !

How about some accurate Milk Tankers Accurascale ! No competition, its not that difficult. Do two chassis, one the ex GWR/BR version, the other the ex LMS one. On the ex GWR/BR put 6 tank supports, and put 4 on the ex LMS. Unigate/United Dairies Cow & Gate used 'half tank straps', Express Dairies used full wrap round straps. Then tank ladders/'climbing frames/platforms' in different positions. There's plenty of preserved ones to look at, just be careful you don't do a hybrid used in later life for something not milk. They're easy enough to spot, eg a tank from an ex LMS (4 supports) on a GWR underframe (6 supports), and besides, the current owners usually know whether theirs is original or a 'hotch potch'. And beware of preservation era bogus liveries ! And ... there is a much greater Milk Tanker expert on here too. I'm sure they know who they could consult !

How about some accurate Milk Tankers Bachmann ! No competition, its not that difficult. Do two chassis, one the ex GWR/BR version, the other the ex LMS one. On the ex GWR/BR put 6 tank supports, and put 4 on the ex LMS. Unigate/United Dairies Cow & Gate used 'half tank straps', Express Dairies used full wrap round straps. Then tank ladders/'climbing frames/platforms' in different positions. There's plenty of preserved ones to look at, just be careful you don't do a hybrid used in later life for something not milk. They're easy enough to spot, eg a tank from an ex LMS (4 supports) on a GWR underframe (6 supports), and besides, the current owners usually know whether theirs is original or a 'hotch potch'. And beware of preservation era bogus liveries ! And ... there is a much greater Milk Tanker expert on here too. I'm sure they know who they could consult !

Many thanks for this advice, I've done it now and your instructions worked perfectly, in fact very easy and quick. It was one of those jobs that in the past I'd been dreading because I'd always got the impression that it was a nightmare to do. Not so. Peter.

Many thanks for this, and as it happens I have got a Maunsell coach that I need to get the body off. The 2 coaches I had with a jamming coupling mechanism I managed to fix by pushing and wiggling it and on both it freed itself Ok and I've been running them for over an hour without any more problem. However I've got a coach that I took into Hornby (I live only about 2 miles away) with misted up windows and they took it in to replace them. They posted it back and when I looked at the coach I realised the gentleman who did the work had put the interior back in the wrong way round. The corridor side was against the compartment side windows. In his note sent back with it he said he was glad he didnt have that to do often, it wasnt the getting it apart but he had a 'h..l of a job' getting the old windows off to replace them, so I wasnt surprised he had a bit of a 'c..k up' there, and thought that well I'm sure I can sort that out. So I was going to ask about how do I get the coach apart because its not obvious. All this happened a few years ago, but its just come to a head now because Ive moved house to get a bigger railway room, and Ive just finished with building the extra baseboards, track laying and wiring and fitting all the point motors in the station area (not the fiddle yard though yet, the point motors that is). So I've been unpacking all the stock and test running it and have just come to this. The gentleman who repaired it is unfortunately no longer with us they tell me. And I don't mean he just left/retired or was sacked.

I've got a split chassis Bachmann Ivatt tank loco, had it since pre 2010, and I fitted it with a Digitrax DN135 which is a small hardwire decoder (from memory about 1 cm square), I also fitted this decoder to a Bachmann 46xx pannier tank and a Bachmann Jinty tank both of which were non DCC ready and at the time I wasnt sure whether I'd get my usual hardwire decoder (ZTC255 which isnt big like a Lenz Standard) in them. In the Ivatt I put the decoder in the bunker (I cut out the moulded coal and replaced that with a lid covered in real coal, it was easier when refitting the body to the chassis. I'm in the process of building a new layout in a new house and I've just dug it out (it hasnt run since pre 2016) but I fired it up and it ran straight away without any problem. I've never found the need to use 'stayalive', I've always had the impression that its more needed if you fit sound which I don't do because I'm Steam only (Somerset & Dorset in the 60's). I can give you the CV values I used if it'll help.

Oh, as easy as that. Presumably there's no chance of something snapping then. Many thanks.

Its probably on here somewhere, but I cant find it. I need to remove the bogies from a couple of Hornby Maunsell coaches to sort out a coupling mechanism that's jamming. How do I do it ?

I've finally got my 3F out from its packing and storage, it had'nt run since 2016 at the latest but I oiled it 'just in case', then ran it in for an hour both ways (I'm not sure if I did this properly when I bought it, it was a long while ago) and now on the new layout it runs beautifully with the Bachmann decoder and the settings I've quoted above. Thinking about it now, I rang up Bachmann about those decoder CVs because I couldn't get it to run well enough (compared to a ZTC258 or Lenz Standard ), I felt a Bachmann decoder in a Bachmann loco should work well, and these were what they gave me. (it must have been about this because it's the only Bachmann decoder I've got). You could try ringing Bachmann as yours is a different decoder to mine, after all, their decoder in their loco !

Yes, what I really need are some goods yard pictures from the early 60s, but I havnt found any in all the dozens and dozens (and its a lot) of picture books that I've got. The best I find is a view of the station from the up line side of the bridge with the goods yard in the background and obscured by the vans in the siding behind the down platform. All the S&Ds Colletts were based at Templecombe, and apart from one or two exceptions most only lasted about a year to 1.5 years before withdrawl, some less, so they were knackered before they arrived !! Some of the the 32xx locos lasted the longest, 3210 4 years, 3215 2.5 years, and 3216 3 years, and they started there in April 1960

Another great picture that I've not seen before and expanding on details that arn't usually visible. Eg the dirt ? bank on the right and the barrow crossing. Not sure about what looks like a hedge (trimmed ?) on the left, would that have been there in 1961 ?

Hello again, sorry for the late reply, but no, I havnt built up any brass tender kit, in fact I havnt built a brass kit of anything except a Roxey Mouldings basic bogie frame onto which I had to glue white metal sides. I've been tempted (but only tempted) to buy a 2nd hand Hornby Dublo/Wren ex-Dorchester type Rebodied tender top (a bit ironic because they wern't fitted to Dorchester) so that I could make 34046 Braunton which was on the S&D a lot. But as part of that I'd have to respray the whole loco to match the new tender because it (the tender) would need extra detailing and painting and I dont fancy doing that. I was hoping that Hornby would 'tool up' the rebodied tender so that they could do it and a few other WCs but as they've now produced un-rebuilt Braunton I think its unlikely that they'll do a rebuilt one. Still. I've got enough on my plate building the new layout without doing that. 'Bailey Gate' in the Somerset & Dorset section if anyone's interested. Peter.

The book 'Sabotaged & Defeated .. A Final Glimpse .. Part 2' by Jeffery Grayer, has on page 109 two pictures containing the chimneys ... one in 1969 showing 2 chimneys and the other in 1970 showing just one, so, assuming the dates are correct (and the caption said the track was removed from BG by July 1970 but its still present in the 1970 picture), then its safe to assume the picture without the second chimney was dated before July 1970, so the chimney disappeared sometime between 1969 and mid 1970 ...If that makes sense ?

The map is completely inadequate. it dosnt show at all where the bus stop is, and there isnt anywhere marked as Great Stoke !

Mmmm ... that's an idea, I'll just need some tapered bits of rail.

Yes, I see what you mean, but my problem is I've already laid and wired the track and fitted point motors, I've used the 'new' Peco Bullhead and Peco don't make trap points which means I'd have to make my own, which I've never done before (I didnt want to start learning how to make my own points, I've already got enough to do) or I could buy another point and cut it in half maybe ? but then I'd still have to find room for another point motor and I've had a lot of problem siting these because it seems that (sods law) virtually everywhere a point is located has a piece of baseboard framing right underneath it so I've had to put loads of point motors on top of the baseboard. I've used loads of the (fairly) new Peco slimline 'low level' motors (they work very well and are much quieter than a PL10) and had to devise my own method of attaching them to the points tie bar and laid them away from the point where I can hide them under a building or piece of scenery, and as this is down the far end of the yard just before the curves round to the fiddle yard (the scenic break is going to be about 12 inches further on) I decided I could ignore it.

Yes, it looks like there's something there, but what ?, I think I'm going to have to ignore it as I cant tell what there was there and I hav'nt laid any other trap points. My confusion comes from the article published in Nov 2020 Railway Modeller about The Bailey Gate project of the Blandford Club (which I cut out and saved) that has a picture of the track they'd already laid and which seems to show a point in this position. Mind, they have made another track layout error so this may be one too. This project has gone very quiet for some while, their website shows nothing about BG now (I'm sure there were pictures a while back), but loads of pictures of Spetisbury.

Its amazing how a picture of an obscure detail is of real use to someone ie me ! I assume the first 2 photos were taken on the same day, the 2nd of them has some porters trolleys in it so I'm guessing its before closure, but do you have a date ?, there's plenty of undergrowth on the siding but the grass adjacent to the platform tarmac is short. But, great pictures of the buffer stop, if we can call it so. The 3rd photo, the one of the buffer stop at the end of the long siding is good enough to see its a rail built one, probably just like the 2 at the end of the 2 goods yard sidings. The 4th photo, the colour one of the creamery shows lots of lovely detail, but what's the date ? From all that short green grass it looks before closure but there's no tankers or goods vans !, and I've just noticed ... the chimney that was nearest to the goods yard entrance has disappeared !, there were 2 now there's only 1, so is it post closure ? The last photo showing the Creamery loop/loading bank siding, well it looks like there's maybe a point at the far end leading to a 'catch siding, if I can call it that, or is there just a catch point leading to some sort of buffing 'lump'. I never realised this existed as its out of range in all the published pictures I've seen, and the loop siding isnt on any of the maps either, its too new and they're all too old. As you say, it dosn't look like a buffer stop ! Your drawings are most helpful as just working from photos is much more difficult. Any more that you can finish/do will be much appreciated.

Hello again Phil, many thanks for the offer, but I've got some spare ZTC255 hardwire decoders already. I find them excellent (sockets too that I've never used). I've wired plenty of non DCC locos in the past, just not in the last few years. Yes, the scrolls, I've only moved them once before (on Combe Martin) but I can remember how I did it, I think. Cabside numbers, I've done about 20 in the past but not for a few years, still, I can remember how to do them. Interesting that you've needed to add lead weight to a WC. My Combe Martin has no problem with 8 Mk1s (which was the S&Ds maximum over the Mendips without double heading, I havnt tried it on the new layout with more yet, but there isn't really room in the fiddle yard for a much longer train when I'm running a timetable, but, and as an experiment, rebuild Ottery St Mary belts around with 13 on. Peter.

Hello yes, and based on that Flickr picture I've ordered and received red ones from Fox. All I've got to do now is fit them, move the scrolls up the sides, and renumber it with cabside number transfers and fit the smokebox number plate ! Oh, and hard wire a decoder in (Weymouth is a Wilton era loco, no socket).