dcordingley

Many thanks Colin - I'll look out for it. David

A question, if I may, to Tony W or any other contributors here about 4mm scale footplate crews. I have dutifully lamped up all of my 50+ steam locos (mostly Lanarkshire Models, with some slightly over-scale Springside), but have thus far not embarked on the exercise of fitting loco crews. I'd appreciate any thoughts on suitable sources; the ModelU figures look good, but the expense of manning my entire fleet looks rather daunting. Any advice warmly welcomed... David C.

I'd like to add my thanks to all the team for the meticulous work on this. Slightly tongue-in-cheek, i couldn't see any reference to Class AM1/TOPS 301 - the Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham electrics - in the poll. I've voted for these in the past (probably under "miscellaneous other" or similar), but unless they're included under the "LNWR Oerlikon electrics" category they seem to have slipped through the net this year. Not that I imagine they would ever attract much interest, as a very niche prototype. However, as someone who grew up with these trains I've decided to get cracking and am currently in the process of building my own 4mm version. I don't recall ever seeing any such models - ever! David

Do you have any further info on the book which includes material on the Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham electrics? I ask because I'm currently building a 4mm scale model of one of the 1950s/60s 3-car sets; assembling good photos is a challenge, and as for drawings.... David

There is picture of the Fell diesel in "A North Lancashire Railway Album", heading north through Hest Bank on what is described as a test train to Carlisle - date April 1955. I suspect this was a one-off working, as I haven't come across any other photographic records of it over Shap. On the same page there is a photo of 10203 on the up Royal Scot in 1958, so it looks as though the Bulleid was a regular over Shap for at least a couple of years. I think the slightly less powerful 10201 and 10202 also worked over Shap around this time, but always in multiple. 1957/58 was a bit before my trainspotting days in Lancaster, but I do remember seeing 10203 on more menial duties at the southern end of the WCML in the early 1960s. Look forward to seeing Hills of the North at Peterborough! David

Railway photography is a very broad church, and I think we should be wary of binary interpretations, viz 3/4 front views versus art. I have room for every interpretation in between within my modest library, and I enjoy them all. At the artistic end of the spectrum I'd point to the work of George Heiron and Ben Ashworth (sublime portraits of railways in the rural landscape), but I'm also grateful for the more traditional photography which provides us - and particularly we modellers - with such a wealth of technical detail. But my point was essentially about captioning, which I think can be done in a sympathetic and measured way: see, for example the simple captions in Colin's earlier books which I mentioned, and in Heiron's and Ashworth's work. Captions don't have to cover all the bases, but when done well I think they complement - rather than detract from - the images. For the authentic Tate Britain experience, of course, you can simply choose to ignore them.... David

Super book and excellent photography, as always - but I do wish that more extensive captions were on offer. Decline of Steam was similarly cursory in this regard, but Colin's other books - I also have Steam Finale North and Each a Glimpse - were much more informative. I'm generally a fan of extended captions (a la BRILL magazine, for example), but I recognise that, decades on, much contextual info relating to individual images may not survive. And it cuts both ways. I recently acquired a copy of a new publication, British Railways in Unseen Colour, which is a wonderful collection of RE Vincent's colour photos from the 50s and early 60s. However, the extensive captioning by the author, Kevin Robertson, in a laudable attempt to provide context, displays some real howlers. Errors in monthly magazines in the railway press can be - and usually are - corrected via subsequent letters to the editor, but unfortunately errors in railway books tend to become "fossilised" in print. David

I checked 65234's allocation history in my copy of Hugh Longworth's excellent 2014 book ("BR Steam Locomotives Complete Allocations History 1948-1968". (This is, incidentally, an excellent reference book and a fascinating read - thoroughly recommended!). The listings also suggest that 65234 was at Bathgate from nationalisation until September 1964, and thereafter at St Margaret's until withdrawal in 1967. David

Over thirty years ago I travelled overland back to the UK from Hong Kong, using the Trans-Siberian Express between Beijing and Moscow. Once the train crossed the China/Mongolia border (where, in the middle of the night, all the coach bogies were swapped to accommodate the broader Russian gauge) the train operated strictly on Moscow time, notwithstanding the fact that over the next few days it traversed four or five time zones before arrival in Moscow. Trips to the dining car three times a day were always something of an adventure - you were never quite sure whether you were going to be served dinner, lunch or breakfast, as local time never corresponded to train (and therefore meal) time. Still, as this was the Soviet era, it didn't really matter, as I don't recall there being much variety in the cuisine on offer. Borscht and bread seemed to figure quite prominently for most meals...... A geographer friend of mine, who is something of an original thinker, once advocated a single time zone across the world, say GMT/UTC. Depending on longitude, each country would then set regular working hours in GMT/UTC. In the UK we'd have 0800-1600, as at present, but in the Far East your working day might run from, say, 0000 - 0800. We'd all share a common time no matter where we are in the world. Interesting idea, but I'm not convinced that coping with differential working-day times would be any more convenient than having to be aware of geographical time zones. I think we'd all get confused about quite which day it was, too! David C.

Very much enjoying your thread, Tom - Cwm Prysor just oozes atmosphere, and your attention to detail is fascinating. You may already know this (and I may have missed any references earlier in the thread), but there is an advertisement in the latest "Steam World" magazine for a new publication: "The Bala Branch", by Martin F Williams and Derek J Lowe, Lightmoor Press. Not sure it's actually available at the moment or pending, but looks like it will be a useful reference for you. Apologies if this is old news! David C.

My Bulleid arrived towards the end of last week, so I've spent the weekend customising it to represent its condition on the WCML circa 1958. The most important change has been to repaint the ludicrously lurid roof, which is now in standard BR diesel roof grey. I've adjusted the discs to denote haulage of a Class A/1 passenger train at one end, and added the earlier type of "Royal Scot" headboard consistent with photographic evidence from the period. (The loco lacks a top centre lamp bracket, but a dab of superglue fastens the headboard in the appropriate position.) The other end displays a Class B/2 headcode denoting an ordinary passenger train - the prototype was frequently seen at the southern end of the WCML on these duties in its latter days. The loco is an excellent runner out of the box, and it has now completed a few hours of running in. Very pleased with it! David

Hi Malcolm. If it helps, I inserted the blade of a craft knife behind the middle of the nameplate and gently levered it until the ends of the nameplate popped off the body - the nameplate seems to be glued on small "pips" at each end. Pretty much destroyed the original nameplate, but that wasn't a big issue. The new nameplate covers any minor damage to the body. It's odd that Hornby should make removal so difficult, though, particularly as they include an improved version in the box. David

Hi John. The headboard is a Sankey Scenics product. They are well printed on thin card, which I glue to equally thin plasticard to provide a bit more rigidity, and then cut around carefully with nail scissors and sharp craft knife. After filing carefully to final shape I attach them to a lamp iron on the loco with a drop of superglue. Sankey do a range of different named trains - coach boards as well as headboards - but I generally don't use the former, as my carriage rakes have to double-up for various trains - both named and unnamed - on my small representation of the WCML. I should add that I have no connection with Sankey other than as a satisfied customer! The headboards look good on diesels, too.... David

My "City of Birmingham" arrived on Monday and has now been through the shops - some rather fiddly fittings attached, tender re-coaled to reveal the coal pusher, toning down of copperwork, XP lamps and "Caledonian" headboard fitted. She now joins my other Coronations - BR/LMR red-liveried earlier Hornby models which still, I think, bear reasonable scrutiny and run very well. I've attached a few images of 46235 on shed and ready for the road. I think she very much looks the part. A couple of observations: - As a DC operator I have no interest in TTS and was expecting to have to fit a blanking plug to replace the existing decoder. However, no blanking plug was supplied and 46235 runs perfectly fine under DC just as she is, albeit a little slow to respond to the DC voltage on starting up sometimes - The front bogie is a little less forgiving of uneven trackwork than those on the earlier models, and a little PW work was required on my layout to resolve occasional derailing issues. Fitting the rather flimsy cylinder drain cocks constrains the radius which the loco can negotiate, but my 3' minimum radius seems OK - Replacing the pre-fitted nameplates (without the crest) was a little difficult - mine were glued a little too well and did not pop out easily. However, with care I managed to prise them off and the alternative nameplates supplied look much better. So all in all, well done Hornby. I wonder if we'll ever get a Princess to the same standard? David

I've used them fairly extensively in fiddle yards and - in one case - in a scenic section where, as in your case, under-baseboard framing has militated against fitting regular point motors mounted beneath. I have found that they work well so long as you adjust the position carefully (even a minor misalignment can compromise operation) and ensure they are rigidly fixed to the baseboard. They also work well with curved points. One benefit is in the quieter operation, although there is obviously a trade-off in terms of appearance. David

Just measured up the BR upper quadrant home signal arm I acquired 20 years ago from Collectors' Corner at Euston. Length 41.75" and width 10.25", so this corresponds closely to the first of Garry's images. I presume, therefore, this is a standard BR arm. Looks as though the Dublo dimensions were pretty much dead scale.... David

Coming a bit late to this thread, and whilst not wanting to re-ignite the Hornby Dublo vs Triang debate I think that, looking back, it's interesting to speculate how different parties became adherents of each brand. There were certainly undertones of socio-economic class involved (very 1950s!), and bridging the brand divide wasn't easy - 2 rail/3 rail and couplings militated against integrating the two systems. On a slightly different but related note, I think it is very interesting that - almost half a century after Hornby Dublo and Triang disappeared from the scene - one or two HD production items have still not been matched (let alone surpassed) in terms of quality. I run a sizeable HD set-up, which is both reliable and lots of fun, but I also have a 4mm scale "proper" model railway. On the latter I use modified HD electric semaphore signals, which are near scale and very robust. I operate them using HD passing contact (red) and 2-way (green) switches, which have proved so much more reliable than the flimsy Eckon switches I tried initially. A few images to show the results...

Interesting to read these reminiscences, many of which I share. I started subscribing to RM in October 1963 (I'd just started secondary school) and have subsequently accumulated umpteen volumes, mostly bound, stretching up to the late 1990s - at which point I ran out of space and stopped. Whilst the 1960s editions have a certain charm (the Berrow branch was one of my favourites; wonder if Mac Pyrke is still an active modeller?), and I occasionally leaf through them as a nostalgia exercise. However, I think the 70s, 80s and 90s were a bit of a fallow period magazine-wise. Much of the photography was of pretty mediocre quality, generally low contrast monochrome, and consisted mainly of "helicopter" views of layouts. I've made a couple of attempts to dispose of my magazine collection for notional prices, but there has been little or no interest. Most people have simply advised me to throw them in a skip, which seems a bit of a pity. Shameless plug, therefore - anyone who'd like a fairly complete set of RMs from this period please PM me for details. No charge, but you'd need to collect from West Sussex! Over the last ten or fifteen years the quality of magazines - and of the modelling they cover - has vastly improved. The RTR scene is truly impressive, and whilst some may regret the loss of the build-it-yourself-culture I think that one consequence has been the emergence of much more convincing model railways in the wider sense. David C.

Liked your Deltic shots, Gilbert, and I was interested to read your comments about prototype Deltic liveries. I think (others will no doubt confirm or dispute!) that in its earlier incarnation proving its worth on the WCML Deltic was pointed in a darker shade of blue. When it moved to the ECML (1957/58-ish?) it ran in a lighter shade of blue. I run one of the first NRM/Bachmann editions of Deltic on my model quarter-mile stretch of the WCML; this is in the darker blue, so I think I've got the right livery. I believe the more recent NRM release has the lighter shade - can anyone confirm? Photos of Deltic in action on the WCML are rather harder to come by than on the ECML. And, of course, given the notorious difficulty of differentiating between shades of colour in early colour transparencies it's hard to produce convincing photographic evidence of precisely what the reality was. Even more so when most photos are in black and white, of course! David Cordingley

Interesting to learn that telegrams still survive in the UK - I think I read recently that a functioning telegraph system still clings on in India. I have quite fond memories of the only two telegrams I've ever received, in very different parts of the world, as they both announced job offers. I think telegrams are perhaps more associated with the bearing of bad news. When I joined the British Council 25 years ago and departed for foreign climes, the standard method of long-distance communication overseas was telex; e-mail only came in the early 1990s. "Telex-ese" and "telegram-ese" were very similar in vocabulary and syntax, the idea being to minimise transmission costs by reducing the character-count. I'm often struck by the resemblance to today's "text-speak" (or perhaps that should be "txt-spk"!). Plus ca change.... David

Mick - long time observer here (I prefer this term to lurker!), but your account of your travels has prompted me to dig out some of my slides of 40 years ago, when I was back-packing through the High Andes by bus and rail. The narrow gauge line from Cuzco down the Urubamba Valley to Aguas Calientes was steam-worked in those days (4-6-0s and 2-8-2s). You may recognise some of the locations, including the mixed gauge track through the streets of Cuzco and the spirals above the town. Apologies for the picture quality - need a better scanner! Incidentally, my recollection of my travels is living off something like £1 a day for accommodation and food. However, the former was pretty basic - hot water was an extra charge in many "pensiones". Your own accommodation sounds rather more up-market - enjoy! David C.