teeinox

I wish! The KLL4s are ancient history. They were steadily replaced as much as they could be because of their problems. But I travelled on the 1938 tube stock so often that the sound remains in my head! The nearest modern facsimilie I can think of would be a battery powered drill: but it still wouldn't be right: right tempo but too harsh. Anyway, glad you have got the sound of the line breakers included. That was truly part of their sound "signature". Regards, Teeinox

I wonder if the answer to this question depends on what sort of modeller one is? I suppose I am an inveterate tinkerer. I always feel a sense of dissatisfaction with a model, bought new, when there is absolutely nothing I can do/change/improve about it. It isn’t MINE, and I don’t get a thrill from simply buying an expensive, perfect artifact. But that isn’t an argument against detail. If I compare my super-detailed Hornby Stanier coaches against the Airfix/Dapol incarnations of yesteryear, the Hornby ones are the ones to have, game, set and match. But I bought them second-hand because I have a price ceiling. And fixing problems on them was part of the pleasure. I also bought the Hornby Hawksworths, new but at a discount. Again, beautiful coaches. But I also bought the Mainline/Replica Railways/Bachmann Collett “sunshine” coaches to run with them. Fundamentally they are a good model, reasonably near correct dimensions and decently finished. I had a lot of fun bringing them up to an acceptable standard. They will never be as good as the Hawksworths, but in my eyes they are good enough. So I am not sure that there is a clear answer to the question Darrel posed. What I am sure about is that for me there is price resistance. I have a ceiling on what I am prepared to pay, and I am happy to look for bargains or wait for the second-hand market before I buy. And I am happy to fix the super-details that may have dropped off in the course of time!

You can certainly accomplish all you have in mind in a week, and by train all the way. Looking at travel, we have managed to get from Brighton to Wuppertal in one (long) day. However, from Leamington Spa, that may not be so easy. The obvious means of transport is Eurostar. So, the journey becomes: Leamington Spa – London (Chiltern) London St Pancras – Brussels-Midi (Eurostar) Brussels Midi – Koln (Thalys or DB ICE) Koln – Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof: this is the main station, in Elberfeld, where the long-distance trains stop. The big issue you will have is timekeeping and cancellations which makes Leamington Spa to Wuppertal in one day a bit of a nail-biting stretch. You will probably know of Chiltern first-hand; just be careful. Eurostar is usually O.K. DB is not reliable. So you may want to consider breaking your journey. My recommendation is Liege in Belgium. It is easily reached from the U.K. in one day. It is on the Brussels – Cologne main line, and everything stops. It also has Belgian beer and a fine transport museum containing, among other things, an extraordinary three-axle double-ended trolleybus. Apart from the Schwebebahn, Wuppertal is not packed with interest. However, the next-door town of Solingen still has a trolleybus system. You connect with it at Vohwinkel Schwebebahn station or Vohwinkel DB station where it starts. Like Elberfeld, Solingen is a post-industrial town. There are the usual museums which one can take or leave. The hotel we used in Wuppertal is now called the “Flemings Express Hotel Wuppertal”, and is opposite the station. When we stayed there it had a different name, so it may have changed hands. Then it was good…. But now? Continuing North from Wuppertal is easy. There are ICE services to both Hamburg and Hannover, and one of them may call at Wolfsburg. Some people like Hamburg, others do not. But what it does have is a historic U-Bahn with interesting stations dating from the early 1900s and the 1920s. But there are many travel options other than those I have described. For planning your travel, I recommend: https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en It is in English and covers most of Europe. Happy travelling! teeinox

First time husband and I have been to Warley. Arrived about midday on Sunday, via the X1 from Coventry. Impossibly crowded. Got to be able to chat to the exhibitors, that’s a major part of the fun, once the crowds died down after about 13.30. Then I began to really enjoy it. Layout top of the pops: Diorno Marina and Cobbold’s Wharf: both atmospheric and exquisitely modelled. Top trade stand: Replica Railways for solving the problem of how to convert a maroon Collett "sunshine" coach into a crimson and cream one: replacement bodyshell for just £2.15! Top book stand: Pen and Sword’s for its mighty book: “Alfred Raworth's Electric Southern Railway”. Reduced from £40 to £25, but I only get my hands on it at Christmas. Top cliche: where there is a bridge over a railway, there has to be a model bus on the bridge! Difficult to find paints: took ages to find a pot of Railmatch BR loco green. But thank you Squires. And so back to Coventry. Courtesy of Avanti, on time, and we were even offered a cup of tea. Gosh!

Full of atmosphere, mediterranean colours, and fine catenary! Fabulous

Interesting question. I built a catalogue over lockdown, using Microsoft WORD. It’s simple, covering Manufacturer’s number and date of manufacture, prototype details, livery and running number. Here is a typical entry: 1 x Hornby R4235B (2009/10), Period III Standard 57' SK, Maroon, LMS Diag. 1899, No. M1883M, Built 1935 I pondered recording more technical details like couplings, but it all got rather too complicated, so I didn’t bother. And I don’t have any valuations because none of my stuff is worth very much. But it has been an eye-opener in assessing what I have got. I use it to focus on what I really want to keep. That led to getting rid of some items, but also buying other items to fill “holes”. And if I am tempted to buy something, I look at the catalogue and ask where it would fit in. If it doesn’t, I think twice! The net result is a shrinkage in numbers by about 10%, but a far more coherent collection.

Really sad news. The sort of components he sold enabled me to renovate and make realistic so much of my Underground stock. No other source. A great loss, and condolences to the family.

My other half was given a Plunger Princess when he was about 5 or 6 years old, in about 1952-3. We suspect that it was a second-hand purchase, investigations suggesting it was made in 1952. It never worked very well, and when he was about 12, he tried to convert its pickup arrangements to something better. The attempt was a sad failure, the result being that the plungers were lost and the locomotive has never run since. He is now approaching his 75th birthday. So I decided that I would try to get it running again to celebrate both his birthday and the locomotive’s “Platinum Jubilee”. We discussed the plan, and all that he asked was that I should preserve the locomotive in as original state as possible. The first step was to see whether the locomotive would run at all. Amazingly, using the sheer beef of a Hammant & Morgan Safety Minor controller, we managed to coax the motor back to life. However, the weak magnet means that it takes a lot of current to get moving, and that means it gets hot. So this locomotive will not be going far for very long. But, connected to wander leads, it ran steadily. The problem was how to source replacement plungers. Luckily, on eBay there was a partial chassis equipped with plungers for sale, which I bought. The donor chassis did not run as well as the original chassis, so its fate was to donate both its plungers and coupling rods. The remains went in the bits box. The plungers are not identical; one is flat, the other domed. Which is right? We don’t know; the locomotive has a Tri-ang X01 motor, so it could have had either. So it now has one of both! Only one piece of the original mid-blue wiring still existed. Unfortunately, it had been cut short, so all the wiring had to be replaced with black. Despite my trepidation, this soldering went well. But what showed up was just how erratic the plunger pick-up arrangement was. While on wander leads the motor ran briskly, but picking up from the track, it stuttered, with constant fouling of the plungers. We discussed what to do and decided that a tender equipped with pick-ups would help. Since the locomotive was to remain as close to its original state as possible, we decided to source a replacement tender chassis to equip with the pick-ups. This meant parting the tender body from the original chassis, which took some care because they had been glued together. Further fettling was required to ensure that in the future the body could be easily removed and replaced onto the chassis without destructive results. The replacement was a later R30 tender chassis. It was made from polystyrene, and better still, was unwarped. My assumption was that nothing much had changed and that the body would fit it without alteration. Wrong; I had to trim the chassis a fair bit so that the body would push-fit onto it. A firmer fit was not needed since the body would live on its original chassis except when the locomotive was run. The replacement had open axle boxes and plastic wheels. These needed to be replaced with metal wheels. The wheels and axles were easily extracted, but what to replace them with? They are small, under 12mm, and the ideal replacement turned out to be a pair of 11.5mm Jouef wheelsets with pinpoint bearings. They also had “pizza cutter” flanges, just right for the Series 3 track we have! The holes for the axles easily took shouldered brass bearings and the Jouef wheelsets fitted perfectly. As for the centre axle, that received a Lima wheelset which had a continental axle length. Therefore the fitting was loose which allowed play in the centre axle. Also, to improve pick-up efficiency, a small weight was glued onto the chassis. To mount the pick-ups, I built an oblong box out of plasticard to go into the underframe, and the pick-ups were screwed onto either side of this box. They pick up from both end wheelsets, but not from the centre one. Wires were soldered to each pick-up and holes bored to allow the wires to exit from the chassis either side of and at the same level as the tender coupling hook. The photo shows the arrangement. The wiring on the locomotive itself was trickier. The plungers were to remain to preserve authenticity and besides, they did occasionally pick up some current; every little helps! So the question was where would the wiring take-off point be, motor or plunger? The choice was the plunger because the wiring run was simpler and shorter. “Simpler” was a relative term because a constraint was that the wiring runs should not go through the body at any point. This was to ensure that the body could still be completely separated from the chassis. The mysterious history of the locomotive helped at this point. Sometime in the past, someone had bored 4 holes in the trailing truck; why we do not know. Two of these holes were ideal for threading the wires through from the plungers toward the cab. But, to keep the wiring separate from the body, I had to reluctantly alter the body by cutting away the bottom of the slot which houses the coupling drawbar. In practice this made no difference because the drawbar actually rests on the trailing truck. And it had a major advantage. The cellulose acetate body had shrunk so much that it was preventing the trailing truck from moving freely so that the locomotive could no longer navigate curves. Removing the bottom of the slot restored much of this movement. By the way, the plastic is remarkably hard to cut; it took chunks out of my Stanley knife blade! Here are the chassis and tender, as wired: The wiring tails were made a generous length so that they could curl up into the cab. This was deliberate. The connectors connect very firmly, and they require considerable force to disconnect. The generous amount of wiring allows connection/disconnection to take place with the tender uncoupled from the locomotive. This gives room for big fingers to do the work without inflicting trauma on either the wiring runs or the locomotive. The connectors were the smallest I could find, but they still look large. I was not too worried. I was not in the game of hiding the wiring and I wanted an arrangement that was robust. In practice, the length of the wiring tails means that the connectors are, to an extent, hidden in the cab. Here is how it all looks: So, did the tender pick-ups improve things? They most certainly did! Forward and reverse motion was revolutionised. And the locomotive is now capable of hauling two Tri-ang Pullman coaches! So there we are; a 70 year old “Princess Elizabeth” put back into working order for its “Platinum Jubilee”! And was the recipient pleased with his 75th birthday present? He was. “Amazing, just wonderful!” was his reaction! And here she is, hauling a train of Tri-ang pullmans: she can manage 2, maybe one more?

We went on Saturday to the Worthing exhibition instead. It was nearer. Just as well. Given Stagecoach’s chaotic route 700 bus service, I wondered if we would actually ever get back home to Brighton! Like Fareham, it was very quiet. Which was a real pity, because it was a fine exhibition. It was mainly of Worthing MRC layouts, which was great because they have some splendid layouts. Think Loftus Road and Arunvale. And Holly Bank Grove MPD, a visiting layout from Newhaven and District MRC was particularly atmospheric, too. Here is a photo of it: We got plenty of time to chat, and just for us, even a special run of a JA (Class 73 to some of you), with photo-opportunity in Arunvale station. Here she is, drawing in: I had vowed not to buy any more rolling stock, so I averted my eyes from what the traders had to offer. But there were lots of books for sale and I bought a couple of mighty volumes from Kim’s Bookshop of Chichester and Arundel. Clearly, a fine local bookshop with a good railway selection. It was a lovely local exhibition with local layouts and traders. And all for £5! Just hope they get more folks next year.

Fabulous video! Makes it all very clear, especially what colours when. Thank you.

Absolutely. Hope the renovation of this elderly model goes well.

You're a braver man than I! Hope you post a photo of the result. One of things I like about the maroon coaches is the gloss finish - it looks magnificent. But to my mind, the Western region chocolate and cream gloss do not look so good. Despite my addiction to early 1960s Western Region (thus my Warship locos), I only have one HD coach in chocolate and cream. So what finish do you have in mind for the crimson and cream?

Most of my second-hand purchases are rolling stock. During lockdown, I bought quite a lot, maybe more than I should, so I thought it might be entertaining to review some of the “Star” purchases! Four Hornby-Dublo Super Detail coaches for £30. This was from a dealer who clearly just wanted rid of them. I already had quite a number, but needed a few more maroon ones to form a complete early 1960s “Cornishman” set. The problems with these 60-year-old coaches are legion. The killer is the condition of the lithographed tinplate sides. If they are rusted, fading or badly scratched, there is not a thing you can do other than bin them. The vendor’s photos seemed to suggest they were reasonable, so, given the price, it was worth a punt. The collection consisted of two composites and two brake seconds. Two were boxed, all were on compensated bogies, and all the wheels were staggeringly filthy. One composite turned out to be as pristine as they come. The other composite had slight distortion in the sides, soon corrected, but a seriously damaged bogie and the chassis was a write off. One brake second had pristine bodywork, but a chassis with minor dents and paint chips. It also sported 3-rail wheels (!). All easily sorted, thanks to my ample Hornby-Dublo spares box. The other brake second had a seriously compromised body, but a reasonable chassis. So the body was binned and the chassis replaced the bad one on the composite. Result: 3 very decent coaches, and the missing box was sourced from Cooper Trains. So here is “Cockade” hauling these coaches, forming the winter portion of the Cornishman. With 2 composites, there is too much 1st Class in the consist, but maybe there were a lot of posh travellers that day going for a winter break at the Imperial Hotel, Torquay. I know the coaches are not scale length, but the depth of colour, flush windows and their shininess makes them look really good. The only problem is that few locomotives can haul the complete “Cornishman” set of 10 such heavy and stiff coaches. The Bachmann class 42s cannot without overheating, but my Lima Western Enterprise romps, or should I say, screams away. One Jouef CC 40100 TEE locomotive and four matching TEE-PBA coaches for £50 This was irresistible. The models are of the “Ile de France” TEE set which operated between Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam (thus “PBA”). When introduced in 1964, it was the last word in comfort and modernity with air-conditioning, lavish appointments, stainless steel exterior and with motive power capable of operating on 4 different electrification systems. As such it was iconic in symbolising European integration. Mind you, it was 1st Class only to keep out the riff-raff! I already had a tatty example of the locomotive along with 6 coaches. They were sold by Jouef in the U.K. as part of the Playcraft range. But Jouef only made the generator and open coaches, while the 10-coach rake featured no less than two restaurant cars AND a bar car (lavish catering was de-rigeur for the Eurocrats of the day!), and compartment coaches. My aim was to rebuild some of the open coaches into these missing types. The research took months. Most of the technical descriptions are Belgian because their technical input was considerable, and they were immensely proud of these trains. So I had a lot of fun understanding Belgian-French. I am still wondering about the “contemporary” artworks by leading Belgian artists that decorated the bulkheads of the open coaches. Who were these artists? I need to know! The condition of the coaches was poor, especially the bogies. But out of the 10 available, I ended up with 9 viable coaches. There is a French business that supplies replacement interiors, but since Brexit they do not post to the Royaume-Uni. So replacement interiors had to be built from scratch. The compartment coach, with its extraordinary corridor partition made entirely from glass, was so tricky that whereas I meant to do two, one was all I could manage. Interior colours were a problem since colour photographs are rare and textual descriptions vague. But my styling consultants suggested coffee and orange as suitable colours for the bar car, so here is its interior: Making the casual chairs for the bar area nearly drove me nuts, but representing the classic “sticking out” legs just had to be done to create that 1960s ambience! The two locomotives were combined into one, the body and motor of one being equipped with the chassis and pantographs of the other. The motor is pathetic. The locomotive cannot haul 9 coaches, but can manage 6 - just! Still, as the train goes round, I play Kraftwerk’s “Trans Europ Express” to accompany it, the perfect match! Here it is, hauling the Brussels-Amsterdam 4-coach portion: Three Wrenn United Dairies milk tank wagons at £8 each. I already had 3 of the original Hornby-Dublo ones. I bought them cheap years ago, but now they sell for a lot more than I am prepared to pay. But 3 is not enough for a milk train. Anyway, Elaines Trains was selling three of the Wrenn version for £8 each. Elaine, who is always very frank about condition, described them as “grubby”. And so they were. In the case of two, disassembly followed by cleaning revealed them as almost Persil white. A touch-up of the black paint chips and conversion to Hornby-Dublo couplings, and they were ready to go. Same process with the third, except it had been ”weathered” quite horribly. Still, it improved with cleaning to an acceptable appearance. So here they are, behind “Cockade”, with the “weathered” one leading. The fourth in the consist is a Hornby-Dublo one. As you can see from the photo, Cockade’s British Railways crests have now been restored with Realtec transfers. The next thing I need to do is to model the single tail-light which sits above the reporting number frame, but I haven’t yet thought how. I ought to add the top disc too, but it is so disfiguring, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

It was interesting listening to the sound files and trying to remember what the 1938 tube stock sounded like as I remember them in the early 60s. A few things struck me. One is I don’t understand why in the sound file, on starting, there is a representation of what seems to be a wheel-slip noise. I do not remember them slipping as a regular thing. Secondly, on starting, the first thing you heard was the double “clonk” of the two line breakers engaging before the motors started. It would be nice to have that; it was very distinctive. Finally, the compressors had a very distinctive sound. At that time, most trains were still equipped with the infamous KLL4 compressor, the 1938 tube stock’s Achilles heel. This was a rotary, not a reciprocating, device. It therefore had a constant, rather high-pitched sound which dropped slightly as the train got underway. The KLL4s ran most of the time since they were barely adequate to maintain pressure. They lived under all trailers and NDMs. But I guess to represent the sound of the compressor, one would need a separate sound file and speaker so it would not be practical?

One of my Warship class 42s dates from 1998, the other from 2004. They both run beautifully, but to preserve my investment, I felt it a good idea to stock up on essential spares such as cardan shafts and bogie frames. It was only after I had bought a few overpriced spares on eBay that I discovered the Bachmann spares site. Not everything for my 20 year old + locomotives is available, but still plenty of useful items. Far, far cheaper than eBay, and they are new parts, not “recovered”. Payment was simple and service quick!

Yes, I have been looking out for the BR emblems. Not seen any bargains online; I shall look around at an exhibition for them I think. But yes, they need to be, and will be, restored. Interesting what you say about the Bachmann 43s. I did my research on those, and really concluded that there were too many problems: the gearing and the electrical pickup arrangements, too. All solvable with DCC and a bit of soldering, but that is not where I am at. So I stick with the Class 42 and its bullet-proof motor. But since I have "Glory" as well, which I equipped with lights at one end, I am stocking up with selected spares for what are elderly locomotives. Bachmann sell a useful selection at well under eBay prices.

I have 15 locomotives, of which 11 were bought second-hand, 5 from major on-line vendors, 1 from a model shop long gone, 1 from an exhibition, and 4 from eBay. I have been happy with all my purchases, with one exception. That was the locomotive I bought at the exhibition. Carried away by impulse, I overpaid for something flawed: I should have walked away. So I now have some rules. First, I don’t buy on impulse; it has to be something I really want. Secondly, I do my research on the problems and issues; this site is great for that. Thirdly, I check prices. The eBay “sold” listing is a great guide. Whatever prices are being proposed, what they are actually sold for is a reality check to guide my bidding. And finally, “if in doubt, don’t”. Every time I have broken that one, I have paid the price. Besides locomotives, I have bought plenty of rolling stock on eBay. Sometimes I have bought pristine examples, but at a keen price because I knew what the going price was. And I am happy to buy wrecks, as long as the body and paintwork are in reasonable condition. I expect to do repairs; wheels to be replaced, replacement gangway connectors to be made, glazing to be sorted, and couplings to be replaced. But I have never had a write-off, and it can be a lot of fun: real modelling! So, Hattons happened to have a bargain sale, which featured “Eclipse”, a Bachmann Class 42 I coveted. It was on sale for a month or so at £70, with no takers. Not surprising for a locomotive dating from 1998, in a box describes as “fair”, and it not being photographed out of the box. But in the bargain sale, the price dropped to £52, and in reading the small print, the bodywork was described as “pristine”, though there was no mention of performance. So the question was whether to trust Hattons and take the risk. Given the price, I thought it worth a punt, and “Eclipse” was mine. Opening the box, what did I find? It was pristine, except the British Railways logo had been removed. Why? Who knows! At one end a front fairing had been fitted but not secured, the coupling consequently removed, and pipework added, badly. All this was soon sorted. However, one of the sprung buffers had been fixed in the retracted position. I haven’t been able to move it: I fear superglue at work. Given the age of the locomotive, before trial running, I took it apart and lubricated and greased all I could. Lucky I did. I was not the first to disassemble it. When a previous owner had done so, the wheels had been put back in a way that bent and distorted the current collectors. No problem: nifty work with tweezers restored them and all the greasy dust was removed, too. Result? The locomotive ran perfectly. I bought “Eclipse” because I wanted to convert it into one of the early Warships which started their careers with discs and a GWR-type three figure reporting number. There used to be a kit for this, but there doesn’t appear to be one now, and to buy just the reporting number frame with number transfers, plus a headboard for “The Mayflower” would have cost over £25. Therefore this had to be a DIY job. Creativity with Plasticard and Photoshop produced the frame, and my Heljan Class 28 yielded some spare discs. So the cost was just £2.50 for paint. She also had to be renamed and renumbered because “Eclipse” never had discs. The alternative to buying transfers for the numbers was to alter them by (a very steady) hand. “Eclipse” is D816. I decided that the “6” could be altered to “0”, so “Eclipse”, graced with Shawplan’s finest nameplates, became D810 “Cockade”. And here she is, ready to haul a string of ex-GWR coaches, for we have stepped back in time to 1959! I have grown rather fond of her in the way one does of a “rescue” dog. She is no longer a neglected bog-standard Bachmann Class 42. She now has a unique and special place in my collection. But I could only have contemplated doing this with a bargain second-hand purchase! So, for me, deffo second-hand! P.S. The Collett “sunshine” coach she is hauling was a rescue job, too!

Thank you for the splendid photo. I looked at the French Wikipedia site about BB22000 locomotives. This is what it had to say: "Du fait du retard de livraison des CC 92000 pour le tunnel sous la Manche, les BB 22399 à 22405 ont été équipées de la TVM 430 et adaptées pour la marche en unités multiples. Pendant 15 mois, elles ont tracté des trains de fret sous la Manche. Leur nez a alors revêtu une couleur jaune conformément au matériel circulant au Royaume-Uni, faisant surnommer les engins « yellow submachines », en référence à la chanson « Yellow Submarine » des Beatles. Les locomotives 22379, 22380, 22399, 22401, 22403 et 22405 étaient équipées de la signalisation en cabine et nommées TTU. Elles étaient en tête des unités motrices et nommées TTU (transmission tunnel UM). Les locomotives 22400, 22402 et 22404 n’étaient pas équipées de la signalisation et étaient nommées TU ; elles étaient toujours en seconde position de l’unité motrice." And my translation: I apologise for any mistakes I may have made: Because of the late delivery of the Class 92s for the channel Tunnel, BB22399 to 22405 were equipped with TVM 430 and adapted for multiple-unit working. They hauled freight trains through the Channel tunnel for 15 months. To conform with the regulations in the United Kingdom, their ends were painted yellow, giving rise to their nickname “yellow submachines”, after the Beatles song “Yellow Submarine”. Locomotives 22379, 22380, 22399, 22401, 22403 and 22405 were equipped with cab signalling and classified “TTU”, standing for “Transmission Tunnel UM”. [Translator's note: “UM” refers to their ability to operate as multiple units.] Locomotives 22400, 22402 and 22404 were not so equipped, and were classified “TU”; they always ran in the trailing position in the consist.

Are there any pictures existing of the SNCF BB22000 locomotives at Folkestone?

According to Pat Hammond's book, it is a model of an SNCF fourgon, and was made between 1963 and 1965. As I read it, it was to OO, not HO scale. It was commissioned by Tri-ang as part of a venture that was not proceeded with. It featured in the transcontinental (!) set RS44, and was sold solo. Altogether, 8000 of them were sold. Not really a plausible train-ferry vehicle.

Thank you for this fine suggestion. So my model railway consist could have at least a (slight) nod at reality? Fabulous! But were VIX vans seen at Dover on any significant scale? The choice of the Maidstone route reminds me of early trips on Eurostar: so often we seemed to get the route via Maidstone East on travelling from the Continent to the UK. And one time when travelling to Lille, hit the jackpot with via both the Catford Loop AND Maidstone East. Just felt the journey would never end as we crept along!

Indeed, what is required is a variety of continental vans in 4mm. I think what has come out in this discussion is that the overwhelming traffic at Dover was agricultural, carried in Transfesa, Interfrigo and Continental administration owned wagons. Looking at pictures of the period, the BR continental ferry van as modelled by Hornby is not to be seen. So I’m afraid the picture of the model train I published of a train consisting entirely of Hornby VIX continental ferry vans is, well, pretty much wrong. That doesn’t mean they didn’t appear at Dover, but it looks like they were not a common sight. Though I did find a photo of a rake of them being hauled into the Hither Green Continental Freight Depot. But it’s all a bit fishy. The “HA” locomotive is in unlined green, but the wagons are pristine with immaculate paintwork and yellow painted axle boxes. Looks like some sort of test run to me, perhaps after their construction at Ashford? The situation at Dover regarding these vans contrasts with that at Harwich, where arial photos show plenty of them, probably transporting industrial goods to the continent, as in the famous (or notorious) photo of sanitaryware being packed into one at Stoke-on-Trent for transport to Iraq. Moreover, some early photos of them (and, incidentally, the Railtech transfers) show them branded for the Harwich-Zeebrugge route only. So that leaves me in a bit of spot, with the choice of period alternatives in 4mm virtually non-existent! Hornby produced editions of their continental ferry van masquerading unconvincingly as Transfesa and Interfrigo vans. I do have a strange, horrible, and inexplicable desire for the Interfrigo version, but I resist! 4-wheel tank wagons certainly appeared at Dover, but, again, owned by foreign organisations. The nearest I can get to them is the Hornby Dublo Traffic Services Ltd tank wagon of which I have two. It looks like modeller’s licence is going to have to apply here, and I shall just have to stick with what I have got. So, here is the train reformed to include the Hornby Dublo tank wagons. Perhaps the train is on its way from Hither Green sidings to Dover Town Yard. I leave the choice of route (and therefore Hornby stick-on head-code for the “HA”) to you, dear reader. Via Tonbridge (5A), Maidstone East (5C), or Chatham (5D)? Which is it going to be?

I found a photograph of Hove sidings in 1966 which featured some (slightly) updated versions of the wagons shown in this article. So basically the same model was still going strong over 30 years later. Even more delightfully, it may have been hauled there by 20002, one of the precursors to the Class 71s! The Sealink transit times publication SED Freightman provided tells us that journeys from Dover or Zeebrugge to, say Naples, could take 6 days. If that were also true for the journey back to the U.K., these wagons must have been very well insulated for the ice to last that long. So either they were re-iced en-route, or there were express transits to cut down on the time taken. Can anyone shed any light on how the Interfrigo transits from Italy to Dunkerque and then to Dover were organised?

Do we know what were the refrigeration techniques used in Interfrigo and similar vans? There appear to be quite a number of refrigeration methods. Traditionally it was ice or dry ice. Then there is cooling achieved by the evaporation of liquid gas such as nitrogen. And there are what are termed machine-cooled vans. What that means in practice, I do not know. Marelli is an Italian company with wide interests in producing electrical equipment for refrigeration such as compressors and air conditioning equipment, but how they equipped this particular wagon, I do not know. There are also “Isothermic” wagons which have insulated wagon walls, but no refrigeration equipment at all installed: were any of the Interfrigo wagons like that? I did find a Wikipedia article on the subject. What it has to say may or may not be accurate, but here is a quote: “Compared with machine-cooled vans, ice-cooled wagons have the disadvantage of uneven temperature control, because the cooling effect is only achieved by air circulation. On the other hand, machine-cooled wagons are expensive to maintain and operate, but can be set to the desired temperature and maintained at that temperature throughout the entire journey. They are also better suited to transporting goods at deep-freeze temperatures of around −30 °C (−22 °F), whereas evaporators and ice-cooling are more suited to maintaining temperatures of around 0 °C (32 °F). …………Most refrigerated vans in Europe today are operated by Interfrigo. These wagons are easy to tell apart externally: white vans are normal refrigerated wagons, blue ones with white stripes along the side are machine-cooled refrigerator vans.” Did we see any of the blue coloured ones in the U.K.?

An interesting photo from Lyddrail in the light of the discussions about the timetable of onward services from Dover. The locomotive appears to have the headcode “BA” which is, I think, for a train destined for the London Midland Region, via Tonbridge and the West London London line. So, is this an incarnation of the “6M94 1652 via WIllesden, to Bescot conveyed traffic for BIFT, Ardwick, MIFT, Spekeland Road.” that Simon Lee has told us about? To nail that down, it would be helpful to know when the photo was taken. It must be after March 1968 because the locomotive bears a Class 71 number which, according to Simon Lilley’s book “Class 71/74 Locomotives”, became mandatory after that date. And it must be before September 1976 when the whole of the class was withdrawn. But an exact date would be nice. The train formation is interesting, too. First, an ordinary standard continental wagon, then a couple of refrigerated vans (Interfrigo?), followed by what might be a Transfesa (cannot be sure of the colour), and then some more refrigerated vans. So, how extensive was the refrigerated van traffic, and was Interfrigo the only player? teeinox