jwealleans

My F-i-L lives not far away and used to call in occasionally. There's nothing left at all there now, apparently. I hope whatever was left when they finally closed was saved.

Worth having a look at AMF87 to see if there's anything worth pursuing? His prices can be a bit eyewatering but I'm told the kits are pretty good. The very existence of the kits suggests that drawings and/or photographs exist. Has anyone tried the SNCF Society? I obtained some decent drawings from a magazine article when I was building a French ferry van a couple of years ago. This is a bit late for what you want, but may be of use to someone: this is at Langeais in the Loire Valley and was photographed in 2009.

They're a nice little vehicle which is probably why they've attracted the kit makers. I have four - one D & S in BR Crimson, one in lined teak and two Roger Chivers in lined teak. I have another unbuilt Chivers kit which one day will be built as a D 170 or 171, the builds using ex-GN carriage underframes. Isinglass Models also do a 4mm and larger scales kit which I have never built and Comet also offer a part kit, I believe. One day I'll also get around to building something with the Kirk sides I bought to cut down into one of these but now, I suppose, can be built in all their 51' splendour.

Rattled through this tonight - not much to report, Dan's kits generally go together very well and this one certainly did. Roof fitting tomorrow - that may be more of a challenge.

Thank you, Market. I've had a quick look at the photograph you mention and I think you may well be right. I'm told that the through coach to Whitby which was carried at one time by the Scarborough Flyer was one of these. I think this design of carriage was one of the best looking ever. I was talking to Mr Scottiedog of this parish yesterday after the rain put paid to my garden chores. Quite opportune as I had taken the chance of some free time to make a start on another build for him. First, though, I hadn't realised that I hadn't posted this since it was completed and primed. It's been awaiting delivery for some weeks. I had to be a bit brutal with the roof to get it to fit, but it did comply eventually. So yesterday afternoon was spent working on this: Passenger brake van with additional shelving - is that the least controversial way to describe it? Whatever, they're an attractive and popular vehicle and the kit goes together (as you can see) very well and in fairly short order. Another evening or two detailing should see this one complete.

That seems to be quite a common feature of WTTs - someone else asked a similar question about a prewar one not so long ago. Hopefully someone who knows will answer, but if I can speculate: the path is reserved for a seasonal or otherwise irregular traffic, stays in the WTT to ensure it isn't given to another train and thus is open for Q traffic if required?

Bit of a lengthy silence from me - holidays, catching up after holidays and a bit of a loss of motivation all played a part. I have some exciting projects lined up, though, so hopefully we'll all have something to look at soon. I have been tinkering with this and that - we're taking Thurston to the Ely show this year (next weekend, in fact) for what will probably be the last time. That usually means some weathering, repairs and catching up before I set off south and this trip will be no exception. I've been waiting to take some sunlit shots as I was especially keen to see how this looked in natural light: No prizes for guessing I've been studying Mr Foster's technique with this one. Even outside it's come up much redder than it looks to the eye, but through the camera I can see one or two places to tone down and others to beef up a bit. The black wash all but disappeared when I rubbed it back again, but this is a much darker colour than garter blue and you can see on the cabside numbers, for example, that it is there. The heavy weathering on the tender side is an attempt to conceal the fact that the Hornby black lining came off when the weathering wash was rubbed back. Your comments are welcomed. These are also for this weekend: The GC brake has come up quite well. The guard is a Monty's crossing keeper who's been promoted. The two fruit vans and the GW van were unpainted (but with transfers) in the stock box at the last show and so I offered to refinish them. I'm not sure what kits any of them are but they've scrubbed up (or down) nicely. These are finished and will be test run at Ormesby on Monday: The clerestory is still in progress although the end is in sight. The combination of Graeme's roof and the Kirk sides has made the cantrail a bit heavier than it probably ought to be but once varnished I don't think it'll look shockingly out of proportion. I also didn't notice the extra passenger when taking the shot.

Are you coming down to us, Alan? Look forward to seeing you there.

Based on the picture about a quarter of the way down the page here. I haven't had one in my hand but it looked like a fairly near miss using a standard RCH body: the ironwork is slightly different, there are through air pipes, the buffers are nothing like RCH standard, but it would make a hell of a good start. I used a Slaters kit for mine. Note that the MR one is correct in that part, if not all, of the lettering should be red. There are illustrations in the book you recommended me some time ago showing the ROD livery and there are proper drawings in the NRM collection. I can think of GC and Midland types used by the ROD and illustrated in wagon books I have but there must be many more. I'd be that almost all would need scratchbuilding, though.

I was in the French National Railway Museum at Mulhouse less than a month ago and their WW1 rolling stock consists of a single Warflat, built by Leeds Forge and parked in such a dark and crowded corner that I couldn't even photograph it. As 1ngram has said there's quite a bit of information on hospital trains from the UK and on the ferry vans used in the latter stages of the war (which is my own interest) but not a lot else and almost no photographs from France. I've seen pictures of the ROD ferry wagons lined up at Southampton for shipping to Belgium but they were from 1921. The NRM have drawings of the modifications made to these by the SBAFB but you're looking at scratchbuilding if you want any. Beamish has an LNWR pattern van marked up for the ROD and available as a kit from David Geen, but I don't know whether it would be pre or post WW 1. There are also odd references in works on UK companies (Tatlow, LNER Wagons Vol .1 has an illustration of an open wagon built by the GC for the ROD, for example) but nothing all in one place.

Almost all, if not all, the ex-ROD vans which went to the constituent LNER companies were used as brake vans and the side doors sealed up. The NER had road vans which were basically longer goods vans and worked specific diagrams. They went into general goods traffic after Grouping, way too late for Mikkel. I'd have suggested that unless required for a specific traffic these vans would have stayed very much on home lines.

I'm afraid I can't recall the text on the maker's plate other than that it was made in the US, I think dated 1918 and the builder's name was vaguely familiar. I'll ask the guy we went with, one of his mates is heavily into this kind of thing and might well know. There was no-one with it and no information when we went round - mind you it was bitterly cold and they might have gone to find some shelter.

While in France on holiday recently we went to an autojumble at Vagney (88). Some more exotic metal than we're used to in this country: This is France. There has to be at least one DS. It's the Law. There were a lot of Panhards there, might have been a club outing. If I'd stayed in France I'd probably have ended up owning a 4CV, I love them. I think this is a Lancia. Put me in mind of an MG Magnette. Clearly a Citroen, forget the model (unless it's a TA variant). There were a lot of Swiss cars there. This is a 202. Just 3 away from a hot hatch. There seemed to be a separate US/UK parking area, unless they'd all come together. If you'd asked me before we went I'd have said the below was the worst car ever built (I hate them) But then I was reminded of this - if it qualifies as a car: From the ridiculous to the impressive - WW 1 transport with 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steering. I did photograph the maker's plate but it wasn't legible, if someone could remind me what it is?

I have both the Campling books, Tony and they only cover a selection of the diagrams, much as Harris does in his blue and white volume. Not the comprehensive coverage one might hope for. I suspect the only place they might be found would be the NERA diagram booklets, assuming they cover that range of LNER coaches.

Isn't that second coach an RTO rather than RTP, Tony? Unless it's no longer available there isn't an RTP in the MJT range. I know, I've been looking for one for Grantham. Are there any comprehensive published sources for the end vestibule diagrams which Harris didn't cover in his Standard Gresley Carriages book?

I think Jon Hall has a copy of that - Stefan Carstens has contributed a number of useful articles to British magazines as well.

Hell, why not. It's been on nearly every other thread on here.

Have you found Morgan's turntable on the LNER forum here? Rather him than me.

Graeme King did some of these in February 2011 and covered them in his workbench thread on the LNER forum. Pictures have been taken down after an Imageshack issue but I'm sure if you ask nicely (he's on here as gr.king)then some might be forthcoming. If you can get a view of Peter Tatlow's LNER Wagons Volume 2 there's all the information you could need.

It belongs to the Hall, Tom.

Tom, follow the link above to my WB thread and I illustrated the etch there.

Gilbert, if you fancy a little project, Gary at 247 does the fire iron rack for the Austerity tender. It breaks up the 'slab sided' plain look of the thing and gives you the opportunity to vary the weathering a little. I think it was Larry who put me on to it when he fitted one to one of his. Thumbs up for some freight action as well.

I have a feeling you're right, Tony - the curve of the Bachmann footplate didn't match the SEF cabside and I had to fill a small gap along the bottom of the cab sides once I'd got it sitting square. If I think on I'll have a look at the loco next Monday evening and try to jog my memory. Afterthought - by the simple expedient of reading my own workbench thread (starting at page 12) I can see that I did indeed have to fill a gap left by the mismatch of the two curves.

Much like this, Tony, done at the same time as your article in BRM on a very similar conversion. I don't seem to have a picture of it completed, but it became LNER 53 of York shed and hauls the fish train on the Pilmoor layout at Ormesby Hall. I positioned the cab right back on the frames and filled in the gap at the firebox end (and straightened the roof). The tender top is Dave Alexander and uses the Bachmann chassis. Converted to RHD and with Spencer Moulton buffers from Kean Maygib. I have designs on doing a GN one as well, again after seeing one of yours.

Ah, a shadow of its former self... Still, you can never have too much of this sort of thing. Carry on, Gilbert.