Merfyn Jones

Saw one yesterday in Colwyn Bay and you realise how rare they now are.

Not a lot I can add, these things served us well for some years. There were hundreds of them all round the country. Last one I saw in use with I think EWS in 2002, next to our Jarvis van. 14 years old by then, not a bad life.

Yes, tried one tonight at our club. Some wagons did hit some of the chairs, but the Class 66 was OK.

Like the backscene, looks like the kind of day most of us were there Larry.

I agree with Bernard on the date, from photos in my collection, it would appear that N registered (1974-5) vans were the first to appear in that livery. Don't forget the parcels vans all had roller shutter rear doors if you're doing a Oxford conversion.

Yes, they look better and work fine. Be sure to fettle them to allow them to slide allowing vertical movement otherwise you may find bogies lifting off the track.

And still got all those prints you gave me, very useful now. Keep in the dry.

Not forgetting the gap when the Cambrian freight finished until Maentwrog Road opened. The time when Blaenau yard was used and the vans grew in size !

B R had problems on sharp curves with their Buckeyes. We had a carriage shed where a long set was split to two roads and you did not dare leave the end of a set on the approach curve.

None on those Stoke-Llandudno-Blaenau workings. However some of those Mk1 TSOs worked odd specials some years later, c1994 The charter, all dining set was often seen to Llandudno & Blaenau in 1989

Looks like Chester Cathederal.

The survivors have had air brakes fitted for some years now. Probably since BR sold them.

Looks like the sort of thing Renault may have made

I have done it with the new Peco bullhead as follows. Remove the inner half of the Peco chair about one in 3 sleepers. Thread C&L chairs along a length of bullhead rail to sleeper spacing (aprox) A little of the chair needs removing to get the guage set correctly. The problem then cane in fixing the chairs to the sleepers. Mek didn't work, or Plas Weld, or super glue. But I found a new style stuff in the hardware shop consists of a drop of glue where the chair goes, followed by shining a blue light from the accompanying torch for about 5 seconds. Seems to work well. Sorry, only photo I have showing it.

I started work at 07.00 and often the trip would be outside our office ready to go. If I missed it , would see it back at the Junction in the afternoon before going home. Sorry Peter, no class 40s, they only seemed to do Penmaenmawr then.

Here it is, only fair to share with you Nick, as Larry's collection has been immense help with my layout too.

Hi Larry, would you mind me scaning the print and posting it for Nick ?

Just found one of your prints in my collection, of those many rejects that you gave me many years ago. It is 31201 at Betws on 4/6/87 with the up train of 2 vans. My record shows it on the second but the print has clearly the fourth. I had forgotten the 31s arrived so early, a full 2years before they saw any passenger work on the line.

But not on the same day !

Going back to the Leyland Boxer van. The BT cab you need is one they describe as a Terrier but is a Boxer if you put it on bigger wheels as they did in error

Compared with most of the above, Conwy is huge, at least 4 coaches.

Nothing to add to that Nick.

We are at the moment replacing all our Code 100 FB, on our club layout with Peco bullhead. However there are 2 single slips on the layout and when the first of the points arrived I made a replacement for one of the slips so as to form a crossover in the main line. This was a no frills copy of the Peco original using copper clad and bullhead rail. No cosmetic chairs as I was hoping it would be a temporary option. Not the easiest of jobs due to the short nature of the Peco product. So upon reading here of the future production of slips etc. I have given a second one a miss for now and will plain line the other one until I can buy one to match. It's not a much used crossover anyway and the prototype was taken out for that reason. So plenty of further track to change, by which time the slips may be about, please.

Reminds me Robert of Bunny asking me to collect some from Penrhyn, to save him having to go on the bus. He and Martin at the time were not drivers. An interesting visit to the works.

One of very few I have not seen of yours Larry, 3 P way gangs and one from the S&T maybe (Sherpa van) . The 2 Permaquip trolleys were based at Llanrwst and Gaerwen and were in use when the major spot re-sleepering was being done c1993-4