snowy1051

Here is a shot of the Bachmann PP fitted Ivatt 2MTT. Compared to the shot of 41224 above, in removal of the PP gear it appears that the steam pipe arrangement has been altered too.

many thanks to Yardman for the pictures. Any dates and locations please? I se that 41285 still has the early BR crest. Thanks, Gordon.

Hello, I came across a Mike Roach photo of 41224 working a passenger train at Cole on the S & D in 1965. Now, 41224 was originally fitted with PP gear, the picture shows no such equipment, except a hole in the front buffer beam. I realise that by 1965 all PP trains had ceased, so any idea when the PP equipment may have been removed. I can only surmise that it may well have happened at the locos last works visit. I have 2 of these locos on my layout working PP trains, but if I "move" the date I operate at from early 50's to early 60's should I do the same?? Must credit Mike Roach with the picture.

I have just taken apart an old Mainline chocolate and cream B set prior to repainting it maroon, ala early 50's. I would like to know please, what colour was the upholstery and the partition above the seat backs. Also, were the coach ends black? Again, also was the roof grey and the guards compartment floor that sort of lightish brown? Many thanks for any info.

My sincere thanks to all who have responded to my query. Very happily I am one of those railway modellers who just enjoys running trains with a reasonable amount of accuracy. I am ex footplate so know a little of how trains were run when trains were trains. (Steam in the 50's and 60's). My skill level is "representation" and I am very happy with that, I can take an old wagon chassis and produce a quite reasonable representation of whatever I want it to be. Or make a building that looks alike a building, albeit bereft of finer details. I don't ballast my track as I tend to move sidings around to increase operational interest. |I don't like ballasting anyway. I enjoy going to exhibitions to admire other peoples work. I am purely analogue too, that is due to being a one man, 2 controller, band, tho' in reality DCC is far too expensive for me, as are new locos. Even though I own a soldering iron, I am pretty useless at it. Don't have the knack! But most of my electrical connections are soldered and hidden, only I know what they look like! but they work. I thoroughly enjoy my hobby. Fortuitously very few people have visited my train room, as here in Southern Alberta my nearest 00 gauge layout is in Calgary somewhere, 2 hours north of me. The club here is HO and N and they have absolutely superb layouts. The HO one is all DCC and massive. I shall have a go at improving the running of my ancient 2251, fingers crossed. Tho' I have had it pull 20 wagons of various pedigrees. Thanks again to all who have contributed to my post. I always enjoy reading the varied points of view and ideas put forward here. Super stuff. Cheers, Gordon.

Hello, I recently purchased an old Mainline 2251 0-6-0. It's a nice looking locomotive, but sometimes reluctant to move. When I first experienced this problem with it, I thought, hum, the nudge will do it, but no, the nudge doesn't work. What it takes to get it to move is downward pressure, I push down gently on the safety valve cover and hey presto, she moves. Could some kind person explain just why a downward press and not a nudge works please? I do not know a lot about Mainline locos, so any info will be greatly appreciated and acted on. Thank you. ps, any idea how old it is please?

Hello, I've just seen 2 old Tri-ang locos advertised for sale as DCC compatible (but no socket), they are the R251 3F and the R59 3MTT. Is this correct please? Many thanks.

Hello, I recently purchased a second hand Hornby Jinty, running number 47480, not sure what the Hornby R number is as underneath the body it says R052-010 and on the chassis it states R052-0560. I thought it was either the R261 or R302. Anyway, it runs nicely but it has a very noticeable "growl". is there any way I can reduce this please? Incidentally, when it runs off one of my controllers on to the second controller the note of the growl differs considerably. Would this be something to do with my controllers. One is a Railpower 1300 Throttle Control, the other is a Bachmann Speed Control from the Midland Marvel train set. I live in Alberta, hence the Railpower Throttle Control, where most things electric are 120 volts, Many thanks in advance for any help or tips.

Many thanks to uax6 and Melmerby for their info. All is now good, running the correct way. Thanks. Gordon.

I have just received a used Hornby R302 Jinty from the UK (I'm in Canada) and find that it runs opposite to my controllers and the other 20 locos I have. Apparently it was Zero 1 chip fitted which has been removed and now wired conventionally (?) Maybe this has something to do with the opposite running? Once I have fitted the required vac bags and PP gear, I shall have all 5 PP fitted Jintys, so would like to double head occasionally. I would greatly appreciate any advice re getting this loco to run the same way as my others. Many thanks, Snowy.

Hello, I am at the moment numbering yet another old Jinty and would like to do something a little different. I am certain I have seen a picture of a newly out shopped Jinty with the numbers on the tank sides. I believe the loco was shopped at Darlington, (could be wrong) so the numbers would be larger than Derby, Crewe etc., Would be oh so grateful if someone could confirm this please. Many thanks.

Hello, I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but all I would like to know is what tail load could the ex GWR railcars pull in BR days and was there a greater allowance for the parcels only version compared to the passenger railcars? Many thanks.

My totally 100% Tri ang Pull push train. I remember being interested in an article (was it Mr. Essery) in a Railway Modeller from about 1960 where it demonstrated how to convert a Tri ang brake third into a drive trailer. So I had a go and I still run the train. You may be able to see the solid wheels on the loco, that still runs very nicely. It's a shame Hornby didn't add PP gear to their R302, 47480, as that was one of the 5 Jintys so fitted. Being an ex Midland man, Saltley, I had intended to model Brynamman, but doubted my sanity if restricted to 0-6-0 tankies!

Talking of length of trains for propelling, see this interesting photo.

Couple of interesting points emerge from the April/May posting. Length of PP trains was mentioned in a comment. In Bradford Bartons London Midland Steam in the Midlands there is a nice shot of 41220 pushing 4 coaches on a special service on the occasion of the Boy Scouts Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Park in 1957. 41220 was working a New Street to Wolverhampton (via Walsall) train. Nice shot of the detail of front end of Drive Trailer. Nearholmer (yes, you were talking amongst yourselves I'm afraid. Due to annoying circumstances, I was not able to respond to your and Compound2632 fascinating comments, thank you) mentions the GWR having an increased level of vacuum, yes, their locomotives created 25 inches, which was a bit of a bind when changing engines from GW to anyone else's locos especially at places like Oxford and Bristol Temple Meads, where the wheel tapper or shunter would walk down the train pulling the strings on the vacuum cylinders, 24 of 'em on a 12 coach train. That begs further questions- Were BR Standard locos when sent new to ex GW sheds, did their vacuum systems create 25"? another thing, albeit small, new Standards sent to ex GW sheds had GW style lampbrackets, that is they faced 90 degrees different to everybody else's locos. So when reallocated, the lamp brackets had to be corrected! I am a little surprised that in the days of "standardisation", early 50's, that these little things, (GW practices) were not simply done away with. Just a thought! Gordon.

Thank you all for the very useful info. I have never worked with brass and at my stage of life do not intend to start now. Also being where I am, most 00 gauge items have to be imported. I have spent many hours trying to get the improved chassis working, it just runs in fits and starts, very frustrating! I do believe there is a problem with the rear axle and rear R driving wheel, but do not have the inclination or skills to remove them, so the engine sits, much to my annoyance, in my display cabinet. As an aside, I have finished the engine in a livery it never carried, early BRITISH RAILWAYS black and numbered as the loco that was being modified after the Ashton under Hill fatal derailment, 42000. I did this because I like Flatirons, always wanted one, and my layout is set in about 1950. Gordon. ps, I will indeed scrap this old tri-ang chassis and go for new(er).

I recently acquired an aged Tri ang 0-6-0 chassis, well, not that old, it has the mark 3 tension lock couplings. but it appears to have an oddity I have yet to fathom. All it is, is frames and wheels. no motor, wires or rods. I found a pair of coupling rods that matched my other Tri ang chassis, fitted them and all the chassis did was move about 2 or 3 millimeters!! So I took one off and the chassis ran freely, replaced the rod and it again stopped after that miniscule distance. What did I do wrong?? the rods are the right way up, the right leads the left by almost a quarter of a turn and left & right appear correct. I had earmarked this chassis for a Wills Flatiron I have that, even tho' it has Romford wheels on its own Tri-ang chassis and looks nice, it just doesn't run very well at all. (I am very tempted to sell it). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A really BIG thank you to all that replied to my original posting of April 28th, you are a great bunch of gents. Many, many thanks, the info and pictures were most excellent. I do apologise for not responding earlier. I now have a new laptop and a little time I can actually call my own. Snowy1051.

Hello. I have a couple of spare Tri-ang jinty bodys and would like to convert one to an ex War department loco. One that saw service in France. Could someone please recommend a good source of research. One detail I would like to know is were they vacuum fitted? Looking at photographs of Jintys I note that several in the (4)76xx series were steam braked only. Thank you for any info.

Hello, I am curious as to how the vacuum operated pull push gear works. I have added PP gear to three of my Jintys and a Coal tank including the extra vacuum bags. When adding these I wondered just how the system works. I can understand the braking application, similar I suspect to the valve in a guards brake van. But just how did the driver in the drive trailer work the regulator on the locomotive footplate? Also, I believe the Jintys were right hand drive and guess that the PP gear was added to the left side for space reasons, I note that the Coal Tanks with PP gear had their hardware on the right hand side, Thank you for any info.

Hello, can some kind person please tell me when was the actual wagon represented by the Hornby R023 grain wagon was first produced. My layout is early 50's and I guess that the R023 will not fit in, even if I paint it grey. Many thanks.

Hello, can some kind person please tell me when was the actual wagon represented by the Hornby R023 grain wagon was first produced. My layout is early 50's and I guess that the R023 will not fit in, even if I paint it grey. Many thanks.

Hello. It looks as tho' soon that I shall have to choose between one of two Bachmann L&Y 2-4-2 tank locos. My question is:- is the later loco 31-169 (50705) mechanically superior to the slightly earlier 31-166 (50636)? And will either of these run on my purely analogue layout? I am leaning towards 50705 on a purely personal basis. Firstly, I like palindromes; and secondly in John Boynton's excellent book "Rails Around Walsall" there are photos of 50705 working passenger trains consisting of pre-group six wheelers on NCB metals when on loan from Warrington to The Cannock Chase Colliery system in 1952. You see, there is a precedent for everything! I lived near to Cannock Chase for 40 years before we emigrated to HO gauge country. Which is part of the reason for my query, as reselling 00 gauge items over here can be very frustrating. Finally, I already have one of these locos, a whitemetal/ brass chassis kit built by that excellent loco builder, Alan Tregenna of Birmingham (like me, ex Saltley), here I am curious as to the visual effect when comparing a plastic RTR loco to that of a well built kit. I seem to think that the difference may well be quite apparent. Many thanks in advance to any info that may be forthcoming.

My sincere thanks to all that have responded to this thread. Excellent info. There certainly is a lot to say about such small locomotives. great stuff.

Hello, as my 00 gauge layout is based somewhere on the Worcestershire/ Warwickshire border I am contemplating adding a Terrier to my loco stud. There were two on the Edge Hill Light Railway circa 1920ish to when it closed and rumour has it that Stratford shed occasionally pressed one into service when they were short of engines and used then on the Stratford to Broom Junction run. As the Hornby/Dapol locos are so small and I've seen one advertised with the "scalextric" motor I now do not know what to expect if I purchase one. I would like advice please on which may be the best one to purchase (2nd hand) and do the motors last? Many thanks for any info re these pretty little engines.