Ian Hargrave

13 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

I went on a shed bash in 1963 and a couple of visits to Bristol, just to see Midland stuff. I have a really carp pic somewhere of two of their Jubs on a D,H Train for the North. Might have been a Summer Devonian?

Barrow Road was amazing , but I got chucked out before I made the Roundhouse as I did not know of the Gasworks end 'entrance'. St P's Marsh was huge and I didn't dare try entering Bath Road due to the 'reputation' it had. 

There is a P4 Model of it on here somewhere (Blog); it's absolutely superb modelling.

Happy days yet again.

 By the summer of 1961 on The Northbound Devonian was an 82A ( new diesel depot ) Sulzer Type 4 from an allocation of D32 -D41 .Southbound Devonian was one from a Holbeck allocation ,returning north on the 7:25 pm Bristol-Newcastle mail. But dieselisation also saw the appearance of unusual steam working over those years,such as Scots,Rebuilt Patriots and B1’s. The d/h Jubilee you saw was probably a relief/extra.There was also the factor of poor reliability of the rush of new diesel deliveries. The winter of 62/63  ( and we are currently  having our usual whinge about cold weather HAH ! )  saw the provision of a steam loco to provide steam heat coupled inside the Type 4 ( er,Class 45 to the uninitiated)  on occasion. Barrow Road was easily observed from the bridge btw. Sorry,I’m off topic 

28 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Holbeck like their three, but I can never remember if they suggested they were better on the flat or on the grades? I never knowingly saw one working anywhere.

Phil

Barrow Road  22 A while still a Midland shed had an allocation too.They were used frequently on turns to New Street,Derby and the North.,alongside their conventional Black 5’s such as 45274 wrecked in the fatal Sutton Coldfield accident ( but subsequently repaired and latterly modelled by Hornby ) and the longstanding allocation of Jubilees . 

On 30/11/2023 at 20:35, Wheatley said:

Most of the whizzy spinny Caprotti bits were in between the frames. The last two were built with them on the outside (as per DoG) where the fitters could actually get at them. 

And apparently the best regarded of the bunch.44686 &44687 I believe,despite what Mike Stationmaster comments on their ungainly appearance.Chester 6A locos for a while.

1 hour ago, Miss Prism said:

Counties? Yuk, noisy things shaking themselves to bits. They looked sorta ok with their original chimneys, but after that...

 

I witnessed the last hurrah of the Counties on e summer Saturday at North Road in 1959….even had a run up from Liskeard on a Falmouth-Paddington turn  13/14 on. Didn’t come off there but went on over the banks (can’t remember if with a pilot)  .That was one of a number of the class at work with prodigious loads . The Warships  were conspicuous by their absence. Without the much improved 10XX on that day…and others…the WR would have struggled . Ugly ? Maybe but handsome is as handsome does. 

Back to wagons and a change maybe of scene. I’ve been trying fruitlessly for any current reference to the new EFE SR Diagram 1410 10T covered wagon. So I’ll make a plug for it here and express my opinion that it’s a lovely model on a par with the quality that we’re getting from Rapido & Accurascale.

27 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Yea, Express Dairies. I shall have to have a Banana Train going West (35016 as Loco) and a Milk/Ambrosia Cream Train (34100 as Loco ... close as I could get) going East at Seaton Junction. 

I've already left.

Phil  

For “accuracy “ maybe 34102 ,which IIRC is where the Ambrosia creamery was situated  ?  Interesting play on words here. “ Bananas going West “ to “Going bananas in Westerly direction “ .But with Southern power….hmmm.. 

37 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Only thing I can contribute Ian is that the B5 Caprotti had hardly and whizzy bits around the Rods and only a mini sort od Eccentric on the Right side, but plenty of chunky and Gorilla Cylinders and boxy bits. 71XXX had much more complex whizzy bits around the Rods on both side IIRC and wasn't as ugly up front?

All this Technical description guff can be found in my Schoolboy Book of Technical Descriptions of Loco Valve Gear; 1/3d at the Corner Shop.

Personally I think the Hornby Rods are too shiny and look a bit 1950s, princess Elizabeth. However that's easy to deal with too.

Apart from that, if the Hornby promotional sales CGI pic I posted above is anything to go by, then the Comet kit is now dead in the water as it looks good to me (and I built a Comet one years ago and painted it because it was only Black).

Sincerely, Phil

Thanks Phil . The sample illustrated also concerns me re: the rods,which is why I’ve raised the matter, But this ( hopefully) is an EP. So we shall see.

Can we please…for a while at any rate….now switch off the lamps and address what’s IMHO the more important issue for this particular model and consider the representation of the valve gear and motion itself. Hornby has done Caprotti previously with 71000 .What of this Black 5 on that score and what are the cognoscenti opinions of what’s seen thus far ?

By coincidence,I’ve just been leafing  through my newly acquired copy of South Wales Railway Gallery ( Stuart DavIes,Pen & Sword 2022 ) bought on the recommendation of CK of Brent Parish. There is a photo in it of a Geest banana train ( unloaded at Barry Docks ) from Cadoxton to Crewe,taken in 1963 by John Hodge at Cadoxton hauled by Jubilee ( yes ,you read it right ) 45651.It’s a long train of vans.:in fact a Shovell load of bananas all apparently steam heated to aid yellowing/ ripening . So to replicate that will require significant investment. Excuse the pun but I’m just entering into the spirit of this exchange. The book is a must for all GW/WR enthusiasts. 

On 13/10/2023 at 19:47, Captain Kernow said:

I came across this book by accident, when looking through the Pen & Sword website for... books on Welsh railways! It was actually published a year ago, in October 2022.

 

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/South-Wales-Railways-Gallery-Hardback/p/22080

 

It's by my old boss Stuart Davies, who also co-authored a couple of Pen & Sword books on the Tondu Valleys, together with John Hodge (who has written numerous other books on specific lines of railway in and near Wales).

 

I immediately ordered it and was not disappointed. I would certainly not dismiss it as 'just another photo album'. There are many photos that I hadn't seen before (the description of the book does mention that some photos haven't been published before), with a mix of (predominantly) black & white, together with some colour views.

 

It literally does what the title suggests and gives a wonderful spread of photos of the Valleys and railways west thereof, from the pre-Grouping era up to British Railways. Given that Stuart Davies was a career railwayman, the captions are well written and informative as well.

 

The format is the same as that of the existing books on various Welsh Valley railway routes and this album will sit very well with them on the bookshelf.

 

Thoroughly recommended.

 

 

This Valley’s boy wholeheartedly endorses your recommendation. Wonderfully evocative of my childhood and youth.

1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

Apparently some organisation known as 'Argyle' lost in some ball-kicking exercise last night....

 

Perhaps time to drown your sorrows with a nice cup of herbal tea?

 

Ah,that’s in Scotland isn’t it.So maybe a dash of malt in that tea  ?

On 25/11/2023 at 21:08, cctransuk said:

 

Now, that is far, far more like it!

 

Next time, specify daylight lighting for your hotel room.

 

CJI.

You must be joking.These days the average hotel bedroom has the minimal possible lighting. ….except for the bathroom.

23 minutes ago, 5Dublo2 said:

I think that will look good ... but you will need to get clever with the couplings as the tender has NEM363 (restrictive installation) coupling mounts and not NEM362 (pocket/receptacle) coupling mounts and the Chaldrons come with some NEM362 compatible magnetic couplings

Many thanks for the warning,duly noted.Thus far,a Hornby Peckett,a Rapido Hunslet and a Planet Victory have each managed my Chaldrons with West Hill NEM mounted couplings without any difficulty. So that’s disappointing news.

On 21/11/2023 at 19:50, 298 said:

 

I did wonder what to do with a Lion, should I get one-apart from to run on a Woodhead route layout. Then I had the idea of Titfield Thunderbolt in a 1980s dystopia, with Lion hauling a mouldy caravan on a Lowmac with a burnt out Shark behind...

 

 

ESU, isn't it? 50 quid for a sound decoder that I could put in a broad gauge loco (another layout pipedream) seems like a bargain.

Just an idea that’s going through my mind. How about Lion with some Accurascale Chaldrons ?

28 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

A stunning diorama indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicely featured also on YouTube. My thanks to all who have made their videoed material available .I couldn’t go,so it’s the next best thing.

27 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

Thanks to @Steve Purves I got to handle the panniers today. So much to look forward to with these. My crap photos don't do them justice,

 

 

 

 

 

 

l’ll take a shed load 👏

16 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Although I'm not doubting your statement for a moment, I would be really interested in knowing more about instances of Welsh shredded locos working in the Forest.

 

 

Thanks. 

Which bits ?🤭

Thanks Jenny for your YouTube video of it just released.

18 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

I see one there that I have blocked! He does enjoy getting 'involved'. Saying no more.

Phil 

I should say that one post ( at least ) has been removed. There has been some personal stuff flying around.Not nice.

To return to matters GW ,my pair of Toads arrived,shortly after a delivery of the colourful film prop W&U tramcar and an EFE  SR 10T covered van. Adding a 14XX ( Hattons/DJM) from stock,apart from substituting the van for the film’s cattle wagon,I have put together the first ( wrecked by Pearce & Crump ) Titfield train. Well it’s a film so I can maybe deviate a little. The little buffet car is simply gorgeous and the now three vehicles and the loco make a train of character. Thanks to Simon ( Not Jeremy) for the inspiration.

6 hours ago, gwrrob said:

I've just heard on the grapevine that duplication has struck again with KR Models announcing the 2-10-0 WD Austerity class.

The thread which was started by Jenny Kirk this morning has now been locked due to the aggravation it has generated. It does not make good reading and honestly doesn’t reflect well on certain forum members I regret to say.

2 hours ago, TomScrut said:

So the CC model of 78022 has finally been officially announced, which is good news.

 

https://uk.Hornby.com/products/k-and-wvr-preserved-standard-2mt-2-6-0-78022-era-11-club-exclusive-r3837

 

However, will the orders placed for it in 2021 be fulfilled?

 

Also, for some reason the Hornby website doesn't think I am am member (renewed in October, shows in memberships but also showes the expired one. If I wanted to order another it wouldn't let me at the moment) so hopefully that doesn't mean I miss out.

 

I have emailed Hornby to find out either way.

See mine and another post above. 

2 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

 

Won't make any difference as the home team poked off for the weekend on Friday.

As maybe. But I’ve just attempted to access the Collectors Club online which quickly developed into an excursion into thin air. 

31 minutes ago, A Murphy said:

Got mine this am, thanks Ian👍

One of the very few genuine bargains on offer this weekend. I ordered both GW and BR variants. Hattons Sale is remarkable.But they’re not going to the NEC nor for that matter are Rails. And I too have opted out. Rail travel will be rammed as it’s a pre Xmas weekend. Driving isn’t an option although my journey would be relatively straightforward but with M42 traffic and the hassle and cost of parking,it’s not a prospect to be relished.To cap it all,I can’t in any case drive as last Saturday I fell over on the outside step and now my wrist is in a splint as something is broken/cracked. Happy days. If you’re going then enjoy all

Thank you Julie for the biscuits,the good wishes….much appreciated…..and of course for Granville .