The Pilotman

Thanks. I shall have to go back and get it then.

Quick question; what were the split head code 40s selling for before they sold out? I saw a new one in a shop today but didn’t buy it as the price seemed too good to be true.

C7500 is interesting; I’ve never seen a picture of a Railfreight grey 56 with the BR logo in the middle and an offset nameplate. It was normally the other way around. A one-off perhaps?

And in that picture, it looks like it’s bearing a Cuneo pigeon as well.

Another inspired choice from Revolution! I’m sure I’ll find room in the PW sidings for some of these. And how appropriate that a “Wee Nicky” should be announced at ModelRail Scotland!

Try www.hondawanderer.com Martin Loader's site has loads of pictures taken at Oxford.

500 pages! Will you be celebrating today, Dave?

Love the Princes Street Garden vid. I stood on the bridge there for a little while one day last year but nothing anywhere near as interesting as that passed underneath.

Seems like it's true, and running already. See post #110 onwards: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115519-revolution-delivers-uks-first-ever-crowd-funded-rtr-models/page-5

Thanks Jeremy. I thought that I might have missed another Dapol commission (like the Dutch 50015).

And at least one ScotRail BG got to Penzance.

Where from, please?

Same with the Mk2Fs; RRP will be £42.95 but Hattons will be knocking them out for £36.51 according to an email from them today. When I preordered them x years ago, the price shown was £17.81!!!

Just found this while rummaging in the loft. It's the very first Weekly Engineering Notice to be published for the Reading Area after Railtrack took over control of the infrastructure, almost 24 years ago. We always referred to these as "R-notices". I kept it because it included the week-long possession for stage 2A of the Didcot area resignalling which saw Reading PSB relinquish control of the Didcot area to Swindon B IECC. I'm sure I have the yellow traincrew notice as well somewhere.

June 23rd 1994. 47843, working 1O90 the 1100 Glasgow to Brighton, caught fire whilst braking for the Reading stop. The fire service attended quickly as the train came to a stand next to the cattle pen sidings just west of Reading station and only about 200 yards from the Caversham Road fire station. There was a spare 47/8 at Reading and so once the fire was out, the Brighton driver (standing at the door of the rescue loco), who was booked to take the train forward, drove the spare loco onto the failed train. It was then dragged into the station where 47843 was detached and dumped in a siding. The train continued to Brighton about two hours late. This picture, which appeared in The Reading Chronicle, shows the firemen just preparing to leave whilst the railway staff discuss getting the train on the move again.

Mermaid ballast wagons?

Every now and then David you post a picture that stands head and shoulders above the rest. C843 is such a picture; absolutely dripping with atmosphere. A really lovely shot. Thanks and all the best for 2018.

I wasn’t going to pitch in on this thread but I’ve been ill since Christmas Day and thinking about what I would pre-order if it were announced has cheered me up a bit so what the hell, here goes... Class 25/3 (as others have mentioned) Tamworth Castle in two tone green perhaps? BGs in NSE and all over blue “Newspaper” variants (ditto) GUVs in blue/grey and Intercity with Motorail branding (ditto) One of the GWR150 green 47s (highly unlikely, I’d have thought) 37350 in BR green (no chance) Skinhead Class 31 (one of the Old Oak Common locos: 31117 or 31121 would be ideal) OTAs in Railfreight red (again, I’m not the only one hoping for these) Middle coach for the Class 108 DMU (as mentioned by others) Mk1 TPO storage coaches (comes quite high in the almost annual wish list poll) Any sort of wagon with a crane which would suit engineers or breakdown trains (the sort of thing most layouts could accommodate) It worked, I feel a bit better now

Does nobody call them “Jaffas” anymore?

Andy, The clay hoods ran until February 1988, after which they were replaced with the CDA hoppers. These were used on the local workings in Devon & Cornwall. The other 4 wheelers (with the flat covers) used on the workings to Stoke and Scotland were phased out in 1982 and replaced by the PBA type, some lovely models of which you already own. Can’t help with the fish vans, sorry.

In the 1980s and 90s the Reading PSB controlled section of SIMBIDS from Foxhall Junction (Didcot West) towards Swindon had speeds of 125mph in the normal direction and 80 or 85mph on the bi-directional. As far as I recall, the only occasion that required cautioning drivers before using the bi-directional facility was if you were going to send a down train on the up line and an up train on the down line (so they would pass each other on the wrong side) but I never saw that done and can’t really think of any good reason why anyone would need to do that.

And I used it a fair few times once it had been installed

And did he go off to the woods every time he needed to, you know...

About twenty odd years ago, I walked the Kennet and Avon from Bradford-on-Avon to Reading over two days. It’s about 75 miles and although the section from Bradford to Pewsey is lacking in railway presence, it passes through some nice countryside and does have the flight of locks at Devizes.

French Air Traffic Controllers and pilots do speak English; just not to each other over and in their own country. This also happens in Russia, and to a much lesser extent, Spain and Italy. It’s not an ideal situation but it’s unlikely to change anytime soon and so it is accepted as an extra “risk” when operating into French airports. Anyway, enough thread creep; back to the subject in hand.