CKPR

Brampton Town station is on the long list of places I'd like to model one day...

Which in turn are similar to the Beyer-Peacock engines bought by the M&CR (passim). I've previously mused on the utility (I won't say viability) of kits for the more common generic 0-6-0 designs of Sharp Stewart, Kitsons, Beyer-Peacock et al for us pre-group types.

A quick heads up in the case of the Cambrian and the various lines in West Cumberland, as in both cases the relevant societies (Welsh Railway Records Group and the Cumbrian Railways Association) have already collated a lot of information about PO wagon workings in the pre- and post-group eras in these areas of the countries.

Even older than 'Derwent' I know but there was an really informative article on the engineering of 'Puffing Billy' in Model Railways in 1978-79 (i.e. back in the days when model railway magazines were more than glorified toy train catalogues...)

If you can find or borrow one, the old Rivarossi "bourbonaise" 0-6-0 makes a passable S&DR 'long boiler' (article by David Lloyd in the RM back in 1967-68 IIRC).

I'm currently building the old Prototype Models kit of Chalford station and was wondering whether there any etched brass or lasercut windows that would be suitable as replacements for the printed clear plastic ones supplied with the kit. Chalford was a standard GWR design so I'm hoping that Swindon's usual approach standardisation might come to my rescue here.

Just for the record, High Level have pretty much single-handedly made fine-scale locomotive building achievable for us mere mortals - thanks Chris !

An Edwardian sub-surface vessel of His Majesty's fleet - what could possibly go wrong ?!

Talking of KHAC, I don't think I've revealed my soi-distant claim to an old Anglo-Irish title.It's nothing, I won't mention it again...

Back in the real world, rather than our pleasant pre-group arcadia, the newly formed LMS wielded a proto-Beeching Axe in West Cumberland quite soon after the Grouping, removing many and often all passenger services from the former WC&ER and C&WJR lines and the M&CR Mealsgate branch as well as closing the M&CR Derwent branch and would probably have withdrawn more services and abandoned more lines but for the onset of the war and the policy of 'shadow factories' and the dispersal of industry out of range of the Luftwaffe. Needless to say, talking of alternate histories, in my miniature make believe pre-grouping world, the Great War does not happen.

That'll be me then, interested in the railways of West Cumberland c.1908-12 and West Cumbria c.1973-77 !

The Ratio MR suburban comp makes a very passable M&CR tri-compo with very little work bar new flat ends and new lamp tops.

There was an S scale drawing of the steeple cab in 'Model Railways' in the mid-1970s (1975 or 76 IIRC) and also a rather basic Skinley print, which as luck would have it, I gave away at the weekend.

Thank you - the Moresby hopper is part of a rake of four, all of which are lettered on the other side for the C&WJR as they used the same design, and are built to plans in an early edition of MRJ. The LNWR hopper, which forms part of a rake of five, was built nearly 30 years ago to a Ross Pochin drawing in Beale's "Modelling the old-time railways" and I didn't know much about the history of the prototype when I made them. Since then, there was a series of articles in the CRA's "Cumbrian Railways" on the LNWR's West Cumberland wagon fleet that did furnish more details and I'll see if I can find the copies in question. I have subsequently made most of the other LNWR wagons from those articles but they are easily the dullest and least interesting wagons ever built !

Just some re-posts for now - various West Cumberland pre-group wagons in 4mm / EM:

Well, you and me both as I really enjoyed school (state grammar then comprehensive 6th Form ) in the 1970s and early 1980s - having an inspirational physics teacher who had had a hand in inventing laser technology certainly helped !

Yes, you're right as I meant to infer that 'Minories' is the other exception to the general lack of prototypicality in CJF's track plans. That and the recurring 'Tregunna' design, which is pretty obviously St. Ives.

Exactly !

There are several 'Deane fiddle yard' designs in CJF's "60 plans for small railways" (currently 20p from Hereford Model Centre or your local swopmeet) and, interestingly, they tend to be the more prototypical of CJF's designs ('Minories' excepted). If your RMs go back that far, check out Maurice Deanes' classic Culm Valley layout in January or February 1952.

Damn, now I'm going to have to watch ALL of these Tri-ang-tastic videos !

Bought the current RM yesterday for the journey home from Birmingham to Ludlow via Hereford (if only the line via Tenbury Wells was still open...) and was pleasantly surprised at so much pre-grouping content. There was a reprint and update of W.D.Stewart's article on Smellie's GSWR 4-4-0 (still no mention of his stint on the M&CR) and a really nice LBSCR layout based on the old but effective 'Deane fiddle yard' design and using mostly r-t-r track and stock with excellent scenics. It included a photo of the layout treated to look like an Edwardian sepia print in a very convincing manner. All this and the pre-group stock from Hornby - SECR coaches, NBR C class (yes, I know it's really a J36), etc.

It's a bit of an affection on my part, but when I'm building an etched kit or scratch-building in metal, I try to avoid using plastic to represent wood unless it's necessary for insulation. Hence, my engines have wooden footplates, etched rolling stock has wooden floors. It's not exactly going to solve our plastic and oil addictions but it is rather satisfying.

Was the invisible green of the Cambrian different from the invisible green of the Hull & Barnsley ?

You're right, I seem to have wandered into the dubious realm of critical knowledge pedantic relativism, otherwise known as CKPR.