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Highly recommended Andy if you can still find a copy, it will be £30 well spent, full of useful information and lots of great images (quite a few on the WHL.) First published 2020. .... and yes ... that's a BSOT on the front cover ! ... oh, sorry ... wrong thread LoL !

Info from Pip Dunn's book of the 37/4s :- 37423 first carried two-tone grey unbranded from Feb '88 before receiving R/f Metals decals and 'Sir Murray Morrison' name in May of the same year. It didn't go into the IC Mainline livery until Sept '89. Regards, Ian.

Maybe the date of Dec 24th has something to do with the lack of casualties ? Very, very lucky for BR then, as the report says, it was a sleeping car that bore the brunt of the impact, usually there were 2 of them on the Fort William portion, both at this end of the train in GQS so that they would be at the 'station' end of the platform at FW, maybe the time of year meant that there was only one on this occaision and no travellers on Christmas Eve ? Anyway, thanks @keefer for the info, I may look into this further on one of the West Highland Line threads as I'm conscious of 'drifting' away from Class 40s. Regards, Ian.

Presumably there were people asleep in the sleeper carriages but there's no mention of any casualties ?

I've never heard of black squirrels before ! Learn something new everyday.

I received mine last Saturday but only had chance to have a quick look at them whilst still in the box. Having read the comments on here regarding the possible drag issue and also picking up on the lighting queries (I didn't even realise that this was included) I thought that I would take my 4 coach set down to the Leeds MRS to try on their new Code 40 layout. On getting them out of the box a crowd immediately gathered and all agreed how good they looked. There was an obvious drag on them as I freewheeled them up and down the track, some more than others and sometimes freer in one direction than the other but once coupled together the Farish 47 that somebody had summoned didn't have any problems in hauling the short rake around the layout. One coach uncoupled twice at the same spot but this was decided to have been down to a known track issue which also strangely derailed the loco on one of the many laps it did. I was a little worried about lighting being included in the package as the limited experience I've had of Bachmann cab lighting has not been favourable but I have to say that the light in these coaches impressed me greatly as it is quite subtle and complemented the rake very nicely. All in all I'm very pleased with them and my only regret is that I didn't order a longer rake as the Fort William portion now seems to be longer than just 4 coaches when I saw it last year. Anyway, well done Revolution for these and as has already been said, I also wouldn't have known how to build these for myself, so many thanks, I may try and add some more if possible. Regards, Ian.

Hello Robert, I'd have thought that the starting point would be a 5 'passenger' windowed BCK and not a 4 windowed BSK. Looking from the brake end of a BCK, RH side - medium window 1, double doors and medium window 2 are good .... but .... the 2nd set of double doors and medium window 3 need removing .... the rest of the windows on this side are correct for a BSO(T). Looking again from the brake end of the BCK, LH side - Medium window 1, double doors and medium window 2 are correct ... but .... the 2nd set of double doors and 'blank' section need removing. The 5 passenger windows are correct but another medium window needs cutting into the 'blank' section at the passenger end of the coach, the final door is good. The two sections that have been removed can now be swapped around except that another medium window needs cutting into the 'blank' section that will now be fitted into the RH side. The arched rainstrip needs removing, as will the yellow first class line before any BSOT liveries are applied. A complete new interior would need creating .... although I've noted from the '00' gauge chaps that the counter area is barely visible through the windows in 4mm. Whether this can all be done without too much 'unweatherable' damage to the coach paintwork is debatable, certainly a sharp knife and some accurate cutting method will be needed. I know that Andy Gibb has done this conversion into a standard BSO on his Kensington Olympia thread with reasonable success .... but it's not for the faint hearted ! I've bought an extra 2 BCKs for this project but it's not on the 'to do' list just yet ... I need a layout first ! My hope is that Farish get there (along with a BFK) before I have to. Hope this helps. Regards, Ian.

Please forgive me for this Rob but as I work my way through Stuart McKay's Flickr Galleries (and the new photographer leads I find) I came across this 1983 photo which I think 'defines' why I love the WHL so much and why I enjoy your great work and this thread which brightens my day whenever I read it. Photo by Pete Robins, 12/7/1983 .... a Tuesday (apparently !) Regards, Ian.

Hello Jerry, I've just had a look back through this thread and wondered if you would be able to reinstate the photos that you originally posted on p.1 as it looks like they were lost in the 'crash,' please, if you remember when you get back from your jollies. Thanks in advance, Regards, Ian.

Quick check of my WHL loco list reveals 31 different Blue liveried Tops era Class 25s that I have seen photographic evidence of either in books, mags or Flickr like photosites, strangely there is only one (unknown) Green liveried example but at least it's heading to Mallaig. Oban seems to have been the most common destination for them but as @young37215 shows some did get further North on occaisions. Hope this helps with the purchases ! LoL.

.... and a little further South at Garelochhead for all those who have ordered the new model of 25083 it was captured by David Russon on 25/6/79 on the 12.55 Glasgow to Oban. Photo David Russon.

If it's any consolation Rob mine arrived on the last morning of my 2 week holiday as I prepared to go back for night shifts followed by a quick turnaround for what has now become 4 day shifts (16 hrs including travelling time) so it will be at least next Weds before I can thoroughly delve in. I shan't give you any more spoilers but I don't think that you'll be disappointed though ! Regards, Ian.

From what I can see in the Glen Batten photo there is loose coal at ground level in a sleeper built stockade whilst all the bagged coal is up on a coaling stage which as you say is at about flatbed truck loading level. The Midgpee photo which is harder to see into reveals a higher stack of bagged coal with a ladder going from ground level up to near the top of the stack, which must have been a bit hairy carrying a bag of coal up and down, there's also possibly the bottom rungs of a white steel step / small ladder at the front corner of the stage and in between the two there is what looks like an old fireplace surround that has been discarded along with other pieces of rubbish and hardware. Hope this helps. Regards, Ian.

Whilst I aware of Princess (and the 08) the picture is new to me (of Princess) and I don't recall ever seeing the L&Y loco photo either, do you know where it can be viewed please Dave ? Regards, Ian.

Postman's just brought the 'book of the century' !!!!! Happy days are here. ( ..... and we have an answer to the 37108 front door question .... Nov 1981 - Jan 1982 at Doncaster Works.)

..... Whereas this 1980 train at Mallaig looks potentially like TSO, TSO, TSO, BFK, RMB, TSO ! Photo by Jerry Spilett, 29/7/80

With the intention of modelling the West Highland Line I bought, err, rather a lot of Farish Class 37s over the last 18 months or so and wasn't going to bother with the reps special Engs Grey version but having seen one or two photos of locos in this livery it rather grew on me, so I relented and got one last week from York. I have to say it looks rather good in my opinion. I'd already got the 08 in this livery but to use as a base for a rather special livery ... but looking at your pictures I may be tempted to leave it alone. A lovely piece of work James that I've only recently discovered. Regards, Ian.

The weathering, particularly of the underframe and bogies, has certainly brought the loco to life, it looks very purposefull, great stuff ! Regards, Ian.

Morning Rob, The photo that you posted of 37108 at Tyndrum has answered another question regarding one of Midgpee's photos of an unrecorded 37 at FW .... note the sticker on the the left hand headcode box light. It gives a date as a pointer for 37108 having still got it's front doors. Photo by Midgpee, Feb16 1981. (Front doors certainly plated over by 5/2/82 according to a photo on the Class37.co.uk website but no notes regarding works visits so perhaps it was an Eastfield mod ?) (NB- End door mods carried out during classified work at Doncaster Nov 1981 - Jan 1982.

This view by Glen Batten answers my question regarding the coal stage at Crianlarich. Photo by Glen Batten, June 1980.

Whilst on the subject of Midges (or even Midgets !) I have just come across this 1981 photo by Midgpee showing the old tea room at Crianlarich Upper. There's a lot to interest in this photo but particularly the stack of domestic coal which is possibly stacked on top of a stage of sleepers, what do you think ? Possibly another scenic detail to rival the dumped fish box pile at Mallaig that Rob and Andy have managed to achieve. Photo by Midgpee, 1981. Regards, Ian.

I came across this 1986 photo the other day which I can't see in any of the other Flickr BSOT galleries, possibly 9016 with red on white Micro Buffet window legend and by the lead carriage I would presume has worked up with the sleeper stock. Photo by Stephen Burdett 13/6/86.

There was a comment on another thread a while back regarding Open carriages possibly having replaced Corridor carriages on the WHL from the mid 1980s but I came across this 1986 photo the other day which I thought was interesting showing an all Mk1 BFK, SK, BSK, SK, TSO formation at large on the Mallaig section behind 37424. Photo by Stephen Burdett 13/6/86.

Just for interest there are some nice Gavin Morrison photos in this months Backtrack (Sept '23) centre spread taken in early April 1988 on the Mallaig line. 3 of them show the same 4 coach train formation of all Mk.2a BFK, TSO, BSO, BFK which very strangely seem to change roof colouring even on the out and back photos. The main culprits being theFW end BSO and the BFK which are a lightish grey in 2 photos but the same dark grey as the other 2 coaches in the photo of the return journey ?? Would light reflection from the Lochs make that much difference ? The other centre spread photo depicts a wonderful 2 coach formation on the 14.10 service with a dark grey roofed Mk.1 BSOT and a very light grey roofed TSO, presumably having arrived at FW along with the sleeper stock. Regards, Ian.

As seen in the backgound of Rob's photo of 37112 at Crianlarich higher up the page.