Keith Turbutt

..... and here's a few photos

Hi Richard, Great to see you yesterday and to see what you've achieved. I've made this short video on Youtube - a first for me!! It's taken me all morning so I hope it's worth it. Cheers Keith

Yes, all of those please! Keith

Hi Leander, Thanks for the update on Scotland Street. Good to know it's still going. Thanks for the photo, just as I remembered it although It looks like it's been updated it to the 'blue period'. How many finished former exhibition layouts have had such a long life? Keith

Richard, I look forward to seeing (some/most of?) them running here next Monday afternoon - and the Barnums. Bring suitable locos too. Keith

Hi Tony, Apologies if Scotland Street wasn't one of yours or WMRC's. It was certainly a long while ago - probably in late 70s or 80s. Anyway, here is a plan taken from Disused Railway Stations - hope I'm not infringing copyright. It would still make a good subject today. Plenty of shunting opportunities while trains run by on mainline.

One example of main line trains on a short exhibition layout, although not ECML, is (was?) Sydney Gardens, a prototype location on the approaches to Bath. The baseboards were set quite high for eye level viewing of the trains passing by. Another short layout that comes to mind Tony is Scotland Street. I think this was a Wolverhampton club layout (?) where the goods yard was at the front and the running lines at the back. How long ago was that? Keith

Hi again, There is a photo of 61756 in July 1962 at Doncaster, after withdrawal, on Rail-Online https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p454466722 The loco looks complete without the extra pipes that stationary boilers usually have. The shed plate could be 34A - it doesn't look like 40E. If the loco did any work before becoming a stationary boiler this may be recorded in the RCTS Railway Observer as I should have thought it would have been an unusual event worthy of reporting. Maybe somebody with copies of this period could check.

Hi, The Motive Power Miscellany/Eastern Region/GN Line section of Trains Illustrated April 1961 notes 61756 on Kings X shed on 5th February. At the end of the same section of TI in August 1962 it is noted that the last K2 61756 has ended its career as a stationary boiler at Kings Cross shed.

Hi Richard, The Barnums look great and well worth all the effort that you have put in over he months. I look forward to seeing them run round the track on a Monday night, whenever that might be - complete with bogies. Well done! How about one of these to haul the train? (see below-copied from Tony's blog - hope he doesn't mind!) Cheers Keith

Yes, Clive. Unfortunately we're in unprecedented times. It was only with great reluctance that it was decided to cancel Monday night. As Jim said, RichadH had stopped going to the Belfast for that volunteering role. This was because his wife, Pat has Asthma and he didn't want to put her at risk. On the positive side we at least have a hobby to occupy us while this is going on. Cheers Keith PS Apologies to RicharI for high jacking his blog.

Hi Tony, Thought I would join in on this thread. The RCTS 'Green Bible' Vol 3C deals with the D16s. On page 32 it mentions that the D16/2 rebuilds to D16/3 retained their decorative valences. Apparently this was because there were no modifications to the footplating and distinguished them from the earlier D15 rebuilds to D16/3 which had this valancing removed. The exception, and there is always one (!), was Royal Claud 8783 which lost its decorative valancing following repairs due to an accident. 36 D16/2s were dealt with in this way. Pages 53 - 55 summarise the D14, D15 & D16 Classes and indicates those D16/3s that retained the decorative valancing. I have amongst my (too many) unbuilt kits a Mallard D16/3 and was wondering whether a shortcut would be to build the body and use a Hornby chassis (or is it a mechanism?) but I'm not sure it would fit. However I think I know what your answer would be! Looking forward to arranging our 'annual' visit to LB later in the year. Regards Keith

FWIW the umber shade on the Bachmann Mk1 Pullmans is far lighter than the Southern Pride ones (I completed a rake just as the Bacchy ones were announced!), so it does make you wonder what the right answer really is. Hi John, Quite right, the Hornby and Bachmann umbers don't match either. Very annoying as you need to use Hornby brakes with Bachmann Mk1 Pullmans unless you are running a later period when I believe standard Mk1 brakes were used. Repainting for me is not an option with all that delicate lining. One solution is to use Precision Labels overlays. They do the umber for Pullmans. You have the choice of overlays for the Bachmann Pullmans to match the Hornby umber but you can also choose overlays for the Hornby brakes to match the Bachmann. I preferred to match the Hornby umber which I think is closer to the actual colour - at least that's how I remember it. You can choose any car number/name - they don't even need to be authentic names! The link I used is "www.precisionlabels.com/sl20.html" for the Pullman overlays. I found their service very quick. Keith