DavidB

Brian Haresnape's British Rail Fleet Survey No.1 (Early prototype and pilot scheme diesel electrics) has a high level photo of 10203 in Tring Cutting. The loco has a clean roof showing the twin transverse exhaust cut outs as portrayed by the Kernow model. The preceding page has a photo of 10201 at Exeter Central, also with a clean roof and no indication of any kind of transverse exhaust cut outs - it's a lower angle shot, but it's clear that 10203 had a different arrangement. David

Wow - this is SO clever. Loving the way the build is progressing. David

Captain Howey (the railway's founder) would have LOVED that! Not only was he a very early adopter of internal combustion rail traction in the UK, but his love of speed is well documented. Famed for closing the line to the public on occasions so that he and his friends could race locomotives along the double track (replicated today rather more sedately and safely with official parallel runs), he was also once recorded covering the 8.5 miles between New Romney and Hythe on a custom-made motor bike in 8.5 minutes, inclusive of 5 ungated level crossings - so he must have topped 70 mph on rails just 15 inches apart. Nerves of steel like that would surely have had no hesitation in dropping a 15 inch gauge HST into notch 5 and seeing just how fast it could go. I absolutely love that railway - I hope you do too Jason. And if you can find a way to make a Rapido model of a Greenly Pacific......... David

I think it was slightly different in my home town of Oxford, where COMS was the main purchaser of the 13'5" version of VRs, as well as my beloved Northern Counties bodied Fleetlines to the same height. For bus purposes, Oxford was split in two by the low Botley Road bridge at the railway station, with the decker fleet clearly divided into tall vehicles numbered in the 900 series that couldn't fit under the bridge and shorter buses numbered in the 200s, 300s and 400s that could fit. Subject to being shot down by Brush Veteran, who knows more about this than anyone, the 1970s and 1980s fleetlists all show the 900s as 'highbridge' and the rest either as 'lowbridge' or 'low height'. The different upper gangway positions are indicated in the fleetlists by codes H (central, presumably shorthand for the OS description) and L (offset sunken). Either way, I'm loving the photos in this thread - thanks Coach and all (and Brush Veteran: No 727 is absolutely gorgeous - looks so at home outside Morrell's!). David

Very nice indeed - what with Coachmann Larry's cracking old bus photos, Rapido Jason's new Brummie bus (complete with tasty-looking moquette) and now your lovely horse-drawn model, this is all getting very enjoyable for those of us who like a bit of classy road transport every now and again! David

I remember unexpectedly seeing 47628 in grass green at Paddington - for some reason I'd been expecting the much-heralded repaints to be turned out in 1960s two tone green. I can't remember whether it was on its first or second repaint at the time, but photos hadn't appeared in the magazines before I saw it. Either way, it looked very odd and disappointing. I also remember an article soon afterwards suggesting that Crewe had sent someone to the local DIY store to buy the paint, which was why the original finish was not quite what WR management was expecting to receive (I have no idea whether the story was true). David

Very nice work indeed - must have been the mother of all cut-and-shut jobs, and you've got a first class (groan) finish on them too. Seriously impressive. David

Very nice - thanks for sharing! David

Great to have you back - you've been missed! Loving the rolling stock - how did you make the Mk2 BSO with the wider passenger window spacings? It looks like it must have been a real labour of love. David

Wasn't there also a photo in Railway Modeller showing a great white shark that had just happened to swim into the harbour at Llareggub during an exhibition? From memory, the shark had been very neatly shaped to fit between Dave and Shirley's sculpted waves and looked perfectly at home in Wales.

As was I - but in a slightly different sense, as I was still 2 months off being born, but my Mum and Dad went down to Tilehurst station to pay their respects as 34051 passed through on the way to Handborough. With one side of the family having lived through the bombing of Coventry and the other having seen the glow of the city burning from as far away as Oxford, I spent my early childhood in no doubt whatsoever about the importance of Churchill's role in WW2 (and that of the Americans for sending so many men to fight alongside us). It was 20+ years after the war had ended, but their memories were very powerful and made a huge impression on me at the time.

Slightly off-thread, but do you have any photos of them Steve? I used to love seeing how people adapted the Peco product - I remember an impressive layout in RM based on Mallaig that had several Black 5 conversions, while I converted my own many years ago into one of the SR-based Standard 5s with the large BR1F tender. Looking forward very much to seeing Nick's build. David

That's interesting - the handful of GW LTV drivers that I've spoken to about the 387s have been very enthusiastic, with one describing them as "amazing trains to drive" - although this is presumably in comparison to the 365's diesel cousins rather than other electric units. I was also very interested to overhear some passengers this morning when services were delayed and they were offered a direct choice from Didcot of an HST to Reading and London from platform 4 and 2 x 387s for Reading and London from platform 3. The passengers who chose the 387 were being very derogatory about the people who chose to travel on "the tatty old" HST rather than the "lovely new" 387s.

The effortless way that 5043 ran most of the way from Bristol to Paddington at a steady 78-80mph with the one-off recreation of the Up Bristolian proved Ian's point to me in style. After arrival at Paddington, Tyseley's Bob Meanley noted that the remarkably low consumption of coal and water showed this was a loco on top form doing exactly what it was designed to do. My only regret was that the Earl couldn't be fully unleashed on the day to recreate the high speeds it became famous for on The Bristolian back in the 1950s. It was clearly capable of going a great deal faster, although Bob Meanley has interestingly been very clear about his own lack of enthusiasm for higher permitted speeds for steam. David

As someone who lives in the Vale, I can confirm that you are spot on. With the huge Valley Park development between Didcot and Harwell, plus "North Hendred" and the equally large Charlton development east of Wantage, together with infills in Harwell, Grove, Abingdon, Steventon and Drayton, there will be many thousands of new homes available at the east end of the Vale over the next few years. The current multi-decking of the Foxhall car park at Didcot and various road improvements are being implemented to make it all work. For those of us who grew up in the area and can remember nothing but farmland between the villages that Roye England sought to capture in miniature at Pendon, the prospect of the future giant suburb is a tad alarming. But from a railway perspective, it's reassuring to know that GW and NR are planning ahead for the future mass influx. David

Yes, but it’s Oxford Line services rather than Bristol/S Wales services. It appears to be because the occupation of platforms 3,4 and 5 has increased with the need to terminate local trains from both the North and the East following the loss of most through relief line services. So for example my previous regular 17:21 from Reading to Didcot now runs fast to Oxford. It’s been replaced by a 17:05 387 Service that runs non stop, covers the distance in 12 mins and usually has less than 50 people on the 8 cars, because it’s timed too early for most returning commuters.

Apologies if it's already been noted and I've missed it, but 800s have started running on the UM through Didcot non-stop with pantographs raised. Does this mean that the wires are now live west of Didcot (even if not very far, due to the small issue of Steventon)?

Looks as if things are still taking time to settle down in the London Division - this morning there were six 387s on Reading depot at 07:30, against a quoted requirement of 40/41 in service, and westbound 800s were leaving Reading on diesel power again. HST formations are looking very ragged too, with the loss of sets to Scotland. Can't be easy for the GWR staff at the moment.

Which is of course exactly the same binary driving that caused the radiator issues with the HSTs in the mid-80s, with coolant top-ups required en route in high summer. What goes around, comes around.

Presumably this will remain the case long-term for the Oxford/Cotswold Line 800 services using the Didcot avoider. I hadn't clocked that they are now in regular service north of Didcot - I was surprised to see one pull into Oxford bound for Great Malvern early on Tuesday morning. It would be good to know how they are performing on diesel power through the Cotswolds. Has anyone sampled one of them in day-to-day service? David

We were definitely on electric power from the platform at Didcot this morning, with speed rising to 116mph through Cholsey (earlier in the thread I reported 90mph through Cholsey on diesel power). Interestingly we then didn't exceed 120mph all the way to Reading, so the 8,000hp under the electric bonnet of a 2x5 set is clearly capable of bettering this morning's good performance if needed. After a shaky start, the performance geek in me is starting to warm to these rather sterile machines, although I still think the humble 387 gives the 800 a run for its money in a number of areas - it would be interesting to know the comparative costs for the two different products to understand which one is better value for money (I think I may be able to guess the answer).

Wow. Just Wow. That is fabulous.

A much more positive experience to report this morning - the 06.59 from Didcot arrived and departed 7 mins late, but was 1 min early into Paddington in just 37 minutes for the 53 miles, inclusive of the Reading stop. The late presentation at Didcot East, Reading and Airport Junction didn't cause any issues (for once - how often does that happen?), and we had some subdued running through Southall, all suggesting that even faster times should be possible in future. That's more like it. David

I completely agree. Going slightly off-topic, are the 387s fitted with GW ATP? After years of absolute adherence (in my experience) to speed limits on the Western, some of my recent trips on semi-fast 387s have been unexpectedly exuberant (e.g. 113mph easily maintained between West Drayton and Slough on the Down Main). Or does ATP only apply to line speeds (125 in this case) and not to lower limits applied to specific types of traction (e.g. 110 for the 387s)? Either way, they are impressive performers.

Beautiful - just how I remember them. Seriously classy work Shane (as always). David