AJCT

Yes, and here's a shot of one lurking in Hawick shed - https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/35/9/ - some 3 months after the shed officially closed. I used this as justification for acquiring one of the GSYP Bachmann sets.... Alasdair

I went yesterday, by train from Edinburgh, then by Metro. I'd have to agree with PenrithBeacon about the outdoor catering - comfort food perhaps, but not in line with today's healthy eating messages. Fortunately it was sunny when I lunched, but not ideal if it had been raining. That apart, it was well worth the trip, particularly with Leeman Road, Fence Houses, Blackgill and the wonderful South Pelaw (which got my vote). Would definitely attend again, but might bring my sandwiches next time.... Alasdair

A drawing of a "Palbrick A" by E.B.Trotter was published in Plans Page of the Model Railways Constructor for August 1958. The accompanying photo showed an ex-works example with the running number, tare etc and "Return to.." branding painted on the removable side panels. Presumably that idea didn't last long...! Alasdair

A very quick look through shedbooks and BR Database http://www.brdatabase.info/index.php can be summarised thus ... Class 25: D7611 - 7623 (the batch built with tablet-catcher recesses) were allocated new to 65A Eastfield over the period Apr-Sept 1966 Class 37: D6837 - 6859 were re-allocated from South Wales to 64B Haymarket and 66A Polmadie during Aug-Sept 1966 Class 47: D1968 - 1976 were allocated new to 64B Haymarket in Oct-Nov 1965 HTH. Alasdair

What's the origin/diagram of the (ex-LMS?) restaurant car in the "Thames-Clyde" formation in this clip ? Alasdair

Not really, no. As I understand it, fitted vehicles like fish vans or NPCS attached to the back of passenger trains and braked to the engine were known as "tail traffic". A proper mixed train might have a mix of fitted and unfitted stock behind the passenger coaches with a goods brake at the rear - examples can be seen in published pics of trains on the Dornoch or Killin branches. HTH Alasdair

I'm looking forward to seeing how you do the ladders. Mine still have the Airfix ones ! Fascinating thread - lots of inspiration. Alasdair

............We look forward to seeing you there. Cheers Paul Willis Scalefour Society Deputy Chairman Train tickets were booked some time ago... looking forward to it. Alasdair

Yes, the "Scotland's Railways" anthology (Anderson/Stephenson tribute, Ian Allan 2010) and also "On Highland Lines" (Robert Robotham, Ian Allan 2000) both support my recollection... assuming the caption dates are correct, of course. Alasdair

Here's my Heljan 26 with the Class 47 ploughs - as you can see it's in GSYP with black ploughs. IIRC from my Inverness days yellow ploughs didn't appear until about 1972, ie well into the Corporate Blue era, but maybe some-one can confirm. There is a pic published somewhere of a GSYP 26 leaving Pitlochry in 1965 with what are claimed to be yellow ploughs but I contend the colour is due to brake-dust/road-dirt... getting a bit OT here perhaps. Alasdair

Following this thread with interest, as I lived in Inverness from 1970-77 and Type 2s of Classes 24 and 26 were very much the staple fare in them days. I'd agree with tractor_37260 about the snowploughs: the ones I used on my Highland Lines 26 were from the Heljan Class 47 and certainly look more like the business, anyway. Might be able to get spares from Howes of Oxford? Alasdair

What a wonderful pic, and not just for the horseboxes - that's a marvellously modellable collection of bothies and sheds. As I've said on another thread, it's the edges and corners of pics which can provide so much interesting detail and information. Perhaps the Teris on here can advise if this is where other livestock wagons were loaded/unloaded, not just horseboxes? Alasdair

Oh dear… this all looks alarmingly familiar. Or to put it another way, I’m relieved to find I’m not the only one! But in my loft I do at least have a double-track continuous circuit (though little else) to let stuff run, and very therapeutic it is too. I’ll be following this with interest as I can see the lure of the S&D – I have a few Ivo Peters books and videos. However, I didn’t seriously contemplate modelling it myself, despite the appeal of 9Fs working passenger trains over steeply graded single lines…. Good luck ! Alasdair

Despite my previous form in this area (ref post #23) I wouldn't claim to be an expert - but IIRC the Kyle and Avie 60' pits had recesses (as shown in 45609's pic at post #7) to enable access to the table ends, presumably to enable maintenance of the locking bolt mechanism. Alasdair

Thanks for that... I did wonder if that might be so ! Many years ago I was involved with the Strathspey Railway's project to recover the 60' turntable from Kyle of Lochalsh for use at Aviemore, and when it was installed LMS Black 5 No.5025 fitted the turntable but with not a lot to spare. I'm interested in the LRM 50' table because I think that's what I need for "Newton Duns", but fitted with extended rails - ref post #243 at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/46665-the-waverley-routes-cathedrals-of-power/page-10 Alasdair

Impressive. But how did you get a Black 5 to fit onto a 50' turntable ? Alasdair

Selby on the ECML, yes ? Alasdair

A quick rummage through the unbuilt kits in my attic turns up stuff which I too must have had for 25-plus years – the oldest looks like an unopened Parkside (actually “Panther Plastics”) PC10 LMS 3-plank open priced 85p, which probably dates from around 1980. Then there’s a couple of MTK DMU kits – a Swindon Cross-country Inverness-Aberdeen set (Class 120) and a Cravens 2-car set (Class 105) – which IIRC were bought from the M G Sharp stand at Glasgow ModelRail in March 1977. The Swindon set is part-built (so disqualified for this topic) but the Cravens kit is unstarted - essentially because it turned out that the aluminium bodyshells are wrong, possibly meant for a Derby set (Class 108) ! Then there’s a Nu-Cast D41 kit which may have been bought around the same time, though my records are inconclusive on this…. Alasdair

There's a snippet of info at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/35647-waverley-passenger-train-formations-and-diagrams/page-2, post #46. Alasdair

A challenge for the cognoscenti: a friend is trying to identify the “real thing” of the model pictured, which is 00 gauge (4mm scale) and appears to be hand built from brass and whitemetal. Suggestions so far are a machine which transported skips loaded with ballast, or the end vehicle on an early type of long-weld rail train from the 1960s – the cab structure is reminiscent of the Clayton Type 1 (Class 17). Any ideas ? Alasdair

Probably the Park Royal type, if this is anything to go by - https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/26/125/ - subject of the Airfix/Dapol kit and RTR by Heljan in 4mm. But rather too early and thus a bit OT for this layout ! Alasdair

This sort of info is of interest to me too, although the period I’m modelling may be a little later than yours – late 1950s to early/mid 1960s. The original Sc allocation of BR Mk.1 stock is listed in the Keith Parkin HMRS/Pendragon book and its supplement, and there’s some Sc allocation info for Gresley stock in Michael Harris’ “LNER Standard Gresley Carriages” (Mallard Books 1998). As for Waverley-Route-specific numbers… most of what I’ve found has been gleaned from the edges of pics published on RailScot and elsewhere, eg - https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/31/637/ https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/35/872/ https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/55/994/ Hope this gives you one or two pointers. Alasdair

Finally does anyone know of a book covering the line? You could look for "The Birth and Death of a Highland Railway" by Duncan Kennedy, eg - https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781899863112/Birth-Death-Highland-Railway-Ballachulish-1899863117/plp - I don't have it myself so can't comment on the extent of its coverage of Appin. Have you tried the Caledonian Railway Association - http://www.crassoc.org.uk/web/index.php HTH Alasdair

IIRC around 1970 5343 was distinguishable from other 26s in having the yellow cab end paint carried right up to the rainstrips and this is as portrayed here. Another feature is that latterly most if not all 26s had the large cab front windows fitted using rubber grommets (like the 27s had from new) and this also served to alter their appearance - compare some of the pics in https://6lda.wordpress.com/test-history/26043d5343/ Alasdair

It's on that fabulously evocative LP "The Railway to Riccarton", Side 2 Band 1: the sleeve notes say the location is Stobs station and the train had been stopped by signals at Acreknowe - Stobs Camp box, presumably - and the locos are said to be 60840 and 78047. Side 1 Band 1 has "The Waverley" hauled by 60043 Brown Jack being banked out of Hawick by 65330. Alasdair