Godfrey Glyn

A question: was the application of SYPs and FYPs systematic by class or was it random across the different classes?

I've just done a very quick gander through 4 of my colour books which have photographs of Southern EMUs and the last full green end I found was dated as 1966. The first small yellow panel I could find was in 1964 (though in The Southern Since 1948 by G Freeman Allen there is photo on page 22 of two units with SYPs at Gatwick Airport which claims to be at the station's opening in 1958). Certainly I found a 2BIL with SYP in 1969 and one with a FYP in 1968. It would appear that some EMUs were still around in 1970 with SYPs. Hardly scientific but gives a general view of the time span.

Godfrey

Congratulations to Dave and everybody involved in the design and production of this magnificent model, a thing of beauty is a joy for ever!

Godfrey

Charlie, Great model! You must, should be delighted that all your hard work has paid off so handsomely! Really looking forward to the 143s!

Godfrey

I did my degree at Portsmouth and in 67-68 we had several lectures in a temporary classroom next to the line leading down to the harbour. I have to admit that I often found invertebrate zoology rather dull and used to watch the 2BILs and other EMUs coming out of Portsmouth and Southsea station. It was that time when they were being repainted from green into blue and they were generally so dirty that at an acute angle you couldn't easily distinguish between blue and green ones in mixed formations until they got quite close and broad on to the classroom. Got the degree but not the numbers!

Godfrey

Many thanks Dave for posting these, its looking good and I anticipate it costing me a small fortune! Just a few photographs that support the views expressed by Starscream and Meld regarding the conspicuous cables on the bogies, the height of cables on the front of the loco and the small running board at the front of the bogies that is attached to the body. I hope they are of some use. Many thanks for posting the developments, Godfrey

I don't think the CAD is wrong for Calbourne as she is now. It may not be the kit that was attached when they were actually in service.

Godfrey

Another photo spot. Terry Gough in his 'The Southern West of Salisbury' identifies set 603 in three photographs ( Plates 45-47) taken at Seaton Junction, Colyton and next to the Axe but no date is given.

Godfrey

Allocations changed each year. See Graham 'Muz' posts above.

 

JE

They certainly did. In Mike King's excellent book 'Southern Pull-Push Stock on page 147 there are two photographs of Set 616. The first was taken at Seaton Junction on 19 April 1963 and the second at Wareham on 18 September 1964 by which time it was being used as a conventional hauled stock after the withdrawal of the M7s. He also states that 616 was one of the very few sets to receive the yellow first class cantrail marking. It will be interesting to see whether Hornby produce it in that livery.

Godfrey

If there had been a 30005 it would have been a T1 not an M7, so this numbering seems unlikely (no. 5 was withdrawn in January 1950 so would have been 30005 if renumbered, although Bradley doesn't record any T1s as receiving BR numbers). Hornby have stated that the loose M7 will be 30029 in their recent newsletter, and I appreciate they often have a change of heart before the actual models appear, but I hope they don't number it 30005!

 

JE

JE You are quite right, my mistake I should have said 30055. If I had looked at the back of the Coach Pack (R4534) I would have seen a representation of a 30055 as R3159. I cannot find R3159 in the 2012 catalogue and on their website Hornby certainly has R3159 illustrated as 30029 so there would appear to be some confusion. Sorry to have provided additional confusion. I gather that they are only producing a very small number of them, so if anyone wants one you will need to get an order in with your usual supplier.

Godfrey

Graham

I presume that at sometime in the future we might see some of the Diagram 2403 1935/36 Brake Composites from Hornby - I seem to remember that they were the ones the Southern Region used to convert to pull-push sets. Given their skill at producing Maunsell coaches Hornby must do a 2-Bil sometime soon (hope upon hope).

Godfrey

You wait for ages and then two come along together! Picked up my two sets ( one train pack and one coach pack) this morning from Bob at Alton. I understand that the special edition M7 is to be 30005 and not 30029 which is the one in the train pack. Big hole in the wallet but they are absolutely superb. Congratulations to Hornby! Now why didn't they do the VEP to the same standard?

Godfrey

I couldn't possibly say!

OK I give in, it's real (12 inches to the foot)! Portsmouth Harbour station, a view from the Spinnaker Tower. Unfortunately I didn't notice it until just before it went out so it was a rushed shot. The pictures I took of the coaches look even more like models to me!

I particularly like the way they modelled the bales of paper.

Godfrey

Great news indeed!

Godfrey

A model of small town station with a train shed would be great. Chard Central comes to mind and as it still exists is easily surveyed. Happy to help!

Godfrey

Good to see 'Steam' getting a bit of a boost (my D1000 has been on order since the day their flyer landed on my doormat well before Christmas) because their efforts in this area are, I think, very worthy of support. Yes you will pay more but the 'surplus' goes into their funds for the museum and you will find their level of customer service on the 'specials' is exemplary with good advice regarding production/delivery delays - I almost felt that Geoff Davies was becoming 'family & friends' with all his calls about the delays and date changes for the 'Castle'.

Just spoken to Geoff at Steam to order D1000.What a really nice man, a real pleasure to do business with him.

Godfrey

A front view, sorry can't get the hang of how to load two photos in one post!

Godfrey

I don't know if this helps with the curve

Godfrey.

Just incase people hadn't realised, spares for the VEP are now available.

 

Have just received an order from abbiegails. 1 pack of 'Wheel set for drive unit vep' (X6310) and 2 packs of 'coach bogie vep r2947' (X6323)

 

I've tinkered around with the trailer bogies so thought i'd buy a few spare ones and plan is to have no traction tyres on the motor coach. Interestingly the axles have one traction tyre on each set as opposed to my VEP that has both tyres on one axle.

 

Price wise the axles were £3.50 for the pair and the trailer bogies were about £1.50 for a pair of them which I decided was worth a punt.

 

Other spares are listed on their website.

I sent my lumpy NSE version back to Hornby. The arrangement of the traction tyres has been changed to a diagonal arrangement and it is now a good runner. I didn't mark the carriage before sending it back so I don't know if they changed the bogie or the whole carriage, it certainly came back very quickly. Back at the end of October I spoke to Simon Kohler at the NRM and he seemed to indicate that it would be easy for them to change the solid compartment moulding. Maybe they will slip them in later, they seem to have a very different policy to Bachmann. I recall that the smoke box door of the original Merchant Navies was corrected and then became available (but only if you were in the know), and the pullman bogies were also changed without much publicity. I sent all mine back to Hornby for replacement, it must have kept their engineer busy for days! My experience of dealing with the public would suggest that when you, or your organisation, make a mistake, put your hands up as soon as possible and try and put it right. Hornby seem to find that difficult. Its a great pity.

Godfrey

Wonderful, wonderful news! Cannot possibly have only one set!!

Godfrey

Well My VEP has finally been consigned to the shelf today.. after a string of faults ever since I bought the damn thing I am fed up with having my running sessions interrupted by niggly stupid faults which are a clear sign of bad assembly. I have had no less than 7 wires come adrift on the unit varying from wires to the power bogie to lighting wires on the overly cumbersome couplings. I've had it with this "pig in a poke" thing and if Hornby withdraw it from their range I can only see it as an improvememt!

I have bought one of each version released so far - I still need to make 'pencil trick' permanent on the BR blue version. My Network South East version did not run well and I simply took it back to Bob at Alton. He sent it back via his Hornby rep and yesterday it arrived back at the shop. Repaired no problem, as iL Dottore says ' Simples'.

Godfrey

Is that an opportunity for a Smaller Supplier to make a few £? There are clearly a large number of VEPs about as anticipation was so high, so making a conversion kit of some sort could be worthwhile. Build a better mousetrap & the world etc etc

Maybe Hornby should just talk to (the other) Godfrey at Replica Railways, his Die-cast Chassis is superb. If they are serious about developing top quality multiple units it would be the way to go, and could be financially beneficial to both parties.

Godfrey

Just to add a bit more grist to the discussion I attach a photo that I took at the last Open Day at Eastleigh. There is no doubt that painting the window frames silver significantly changes the appearance. I actually don't think the appearance of the jumper leads is too far out on the model, the size of the shoes are more difficult to assess but they are quite 'light' on the actual 4VEP.

Godfrey

It's never possible to make absolute statements when comparing a photo of a model and the real thing but looking at Ceptic's beautifully annotated photo of the 3-CEP it would appear that Hornby's VEP does have some differences - the vestibule door and the lower levels of the driver's side and front windows are fairly obvious. I'm afraid I am not brave enough to take a saw to it yet but simply running a pencil around the gangway join makes it look a bit better to me.

Godfrey

Picked up the new brake from Alton on Thursday. Have been trying out the macro lens and so some pictures as requested.

Godfrey