Loconuts

Not an Electric Traction Tramway but the offices of the Wantage Tramway Company still exist half way down Mill Street. Sorry no photo but the building is easily found due to the stone plaque on the fascia facing Mill Street. Loconuts

It was done a bit tongue in cheek and not as a political statement by UKIP. Loconuts

I think I can answer this strange problem you have, are you sitting comfortably? Mr Chinese factory worker wants a higher standard of living and therefore puts in for a pay rise. Mr Factory owner covers his extra costs by charging nice Mr Bachmann and nice Mr Hornby more for their products and this results in nice Mr Bachmann and nice Mr Hornby charging their consumers more for their models. So instead of being able to purchase 10 of the latest locos from nice Mr Bachmann you can only purchase 7 or 8. Thereby Mr Consumer puts in for a pay rise from his employer to cover his cost of living. Mr Chinese worker sees our standard of living increase so he puts in for another wage rise and round we go again, simples. Loconuts

It is the Russians who we have to watch with flights over Bournemouth and Cornwall and a warship in the channel. The odds on safe arrival looks slim and there is Adrian. Loconuts

I have just spent the day reacquainting myself with Peter Dennys Buckingham book. Not much in there about Leighton Buzzard except a good photo of the layout in it partially folded form. He said he exhibited it in that form with a fiddle yard and whether the fiddle yard/loco shed boards got built he does not say. Which version did he exhibit at the MRJ show at Central Hall in the 80's? As to the sizes of the boards I stand corrected as I had to rely on memory as my articles from the RM disappeared some years ago. the photo in the book does clearly show the goods shed on the platform head shunt, it was my layout with it on the other road, the reason for that was after two exhibitions I intended to add another fiddle yard/scenic pair of boards for exhibition use turning the station into a through station for added interest. Overall it was an interesting project which did not cost much to produce and as I was saving to get married and buy a house I did not have the cash to throw around on Model Railways. This was where Peter Denny was a pioneer, building a superb railway using junk just laying around the house plus he set a build standard from the start and did not deviate from it, thats why everything looks as though it was built at the same time. No I have no photos of my layout as I did not poses a decent camera with a close up lens. Cameras were expensive in those days and I think my wife to be would have something to say about spending money on a camera and not the house. At the beginning of this topic a layout was mentioned, 'Winton'. Yes it was LNER with the fastest train in the World running on it. It also had a rather annoying commentary running with it, especially if you had to sit through an exhibition listening to it, a bit like DCC sound today. The private layout was built by the late John Pomeroy from the Oxford MRC. Where are the pioneers of the hobby today or the inspiring layouts, surfing the internet for the next boat to arrive in from China with another lot of goodies. Loconuts

This is correct as far as early Buckingham is concerned, however I believe that there is confusion as to what Leighton Buzzard Mk1 was like. It was a simple layout with a run round with spurs coming off from each cross over. The goods shed was on one of the end spurs, the other spur was used for the running round and cattle dock. The crossover towards the fiddle yard had a spur off as a carriage siding and the loco shed was on a spur that came off the main line towards the fiddle yard. The layout was 10 feet long including the fiddle yard, on 4 x 2ft 6in x 1ft wide boards hinged in pairs to fold up for transportation. The hinges were mounted on blocks to allow clearance for the scenery. The building of this was done as a project in the RM over a period of monthly issues. How do I know this, well I used this plan and construction for a exhibition layout and built it as a GWR branch terminus with the addition of a bay platform. Loconuts

Like the sign which pops up out the roof, difficult to do? Loconuts

You could look at the Abingdon Branch, the Abingdon bunk was hauled by a 14xx. Loconuts

What a disappointment and a missed golden opportunity. Alright for collectors of PO wagons though I think those liveries have been done before, either by Slaters or Powsides on wagon bodies that are more correct than the one Oxford Rail propose producing. There are hardly any common carrier wagons on the market and hundreds of prototypes, not so colourful as PO wagons but were seen all over the system and many survived through many livery changes. Oxford Rail could just produce these for years without making anything else. A chance for Oxford Rail to plough a new furrow not previously ploughed by anyone else missed.

I thought the Royal Navy quoted for the demolition work.

PO wagons may be pretty with their various liveries but their range is limited from owners home base to colliery and back. Railway company wagons were common user and could be found all over the national system. So Southern or GWR wagons could be found up in Scotland etc. So a Southern Railway open would have more appeal to all 4 regions and BR modellers and not just to the Southern modellers. Many years ago the Model Railway Constructor did a series on keeping the balance which was very enlightening. Look any photographs of goods yards taken between the wars, you will not see many home company wagons, nearly all the wagons shown are from foreign lines. You want your wagon stock to be earning revenue and therefore carrying goods far and wide, not sitting around in your goods yards. So you percentage of wagon stock should consist of, if say you are modeling the GWR should consist of a higher number of say LMS wagons, a lesser number of LNER wagons and Southern Wagons. The number of GWR wagons would fall below those other 3 companies stock. Loconuts

But an Adams Radial does tie them to the Southern Range, what better way to proceed than to produce Southern stock to go with it. Loconuts

Plenty good models of 7 Plank RCH PO Wagons about, Bachmann produce a very nice model of one which has been out a number of years. How about a SR 8 Plank wagon on a useful 10 Foot underframe which can be used for other wagons of the same era. They could scan the very good and correct ABS kit, at least they would not make as many errors as have been offered to modelers by other manufacturers just lately. Loconuts

It was from the Midlands and The Black Country the dark side came from with Heavy Metal Music, not the Thames Valley. So I think that would be the LMS guys and not the GWR ones. Being a GWR man was better than being one of the softy Southern lot, Joke. Loconuts

Yes it is quite sad but things change, I used the book to build Leighton Buzzard Mk1 as a 4mm GWR exhibition layout which was fun to operate. A brilliant layout for someone to enter the exhibition scene or to progress from RTR to a specialised field. It does not cost much to build, holds 4 to 5 complete trains and allows time to build stock. Could also be built as a British Narrow Gauge layout. My favorite book is the Wild Swan 'Wantage Tramway' as our first house was along the route and at the time there were plenty of relics still standing although the line had been lifted. That is not for sale. The Buckingham Branch does not translate across the pond and is of no use to the American scene. Loconuts

I have a well thumbed copy of the Peco publication of the Buckingham Layout which is amongst a number of books I intend to sell as they are no longer any use to me. If anyone wants it and can make a decent offer it is theirs. Loconuts

Now you are talking Mr Jones, good old fashion research into a prototype not done before. Best of luck and good luck to the restoration team. To all you snipers I know nothing about Holdens designs for the GER, always thought Holden was a Aussie car manufacturer!!!!!!!!! (joke) Loconuts

Up until 10 years ago you are on the button, mainly there was no RTR around in my scale unless you commissioned someone to build it. I buy RTR now but they are quality items and American. I then alter them to conform to how the loco looked in the 1930-40 period. But to say that bespoke RTR is not possible is a bit wrong, there is a American company just doing that, but they are not cheap. As to your second point, you restorers spent hours and hours restoring a loco and then hang a Thomas the Tank Engine face on the front, joking. But as an engineer it is not always possible to restore it exactly as it was, example Castles never ran with air brakes under the GWR. The 18 century replica of a RN Frigate (Grand Turk) has a engine in it, so compromises have to be made. Keep up the good work with your restoration. Wrong with your last comment Phil, I am not criticising any RTR model, the O2 looks fine to me and to a standard which will satisfy the majority of 4mm modelers. If I was doing Southern in 4mm scale I expect I would buy one. The Bachmann City of Truro blew my mind away, my son has one of those. I was just pointing out the dangers of scanning to Dave Jones that leaves one open to criticism from the purist. I am not that serious and do enjoy a laugh. Loconuts

Yes Phil I do take my Model Railroad seriously, as I want to produce an accurate portrayal of what I am modeling, there are many of us out there and we have gone beyond the Thomas the Tank Engine stage. Ryde-on time you should try reading the correspondence instead of just scanning it. First of all I have not criticised the model and secondly I have not inferred someone of being a liar. I am just trying to scotch some rumours I heard which if got out of hand could hurt Kernow, similar things are going on the Hornby site at the moment and to be honest are getting out of hand. Andy should pull the plug on that topic before a backlash comes from Hornby. I agree with you Dave, it was a superb model of the preserved loco and that is what the NRM wanted, however a very pleasant evening discussing the model over a pint of beer with Martin Finney, its short comings were pointed out. He has done a shed load of research into the City class for his own kit and details of the changes and the date they were done are reported in the O S Nock books on GWR 4-4-0's. Best of luck with the O2 Loconuts

Thank you Dave for your honest reply, I asked the question due to some rumours I heard at a model railway meeting recently. I have no interest in the O2, not my scene even though I live in that part of the world. Please do not read something sinister or controversial into this. (Adrian/Andy spat) As to the Hattons thing, well the truth is I forgot as my attention was diverted to the redecoration of the bathroom by SWMBO who decided that was more important. I also now feel that it is not important now as it appears Hattons have a Railway Enthusiast on board and seems to be coming up with some good ideas. I am not against a 14xx but my beef is the scanning of preserved locos to the detriment of other classes. Case in point was the Bachmann City of Truro, this was scanned from the present day loco, great as it was the first outside framed RTR model of a GWR prototype, but it was wrong and could only be run in the preserved period and not in its revenue period. To do that would take a major rebuild of the model to back date it. Many modelers are quite happy to run it but that distorts history for future generations. A funny story regarding the 517 class was that many years ago I built one in 4mm scale from the Mallard etched kit, I took it to the club and the numbers of modelers that came up to me that night and said that the cab was wrong for a 14xx. But that was in the days prior to the Russell books coming out. Loconuts

HI Graham All through the development of the two locos they have been in equal development and even the video of the pre-production model running on the layout was the Mainland version, also both versions were shown in their pre-production form. What went wrong with the Mainland version dragging behind as I thought it was acceptable to proceed with according to the Kernow site? When is it due for release then? Loconuts

Very nice samples, but where is the Mainland one? Loconuts

I agree Craig that it would be a difficult model to satisfy all tastes, however a long wheeled based loco with outside frames on the trailing axle in its final rebuilt state would satisfy many peoples taste. They were more common on GWR branches than the newer 48xx/58xx's with these replacing the 517's towards the end of the GWR. No the reason I mentioned this as a model is I believe the trade is giving a distorted picture to British Railway History by only producing examples of preserved locos. Case in question being the Bachmann Dukedog, only a few produced for use in the 1930's on the old Cambrian Railway, although we did see one working around Oxford. However they ignored the more numerous Dukes which lasted quite late and served all over the system. Bird series Bulldogs, last until BR (Seagull) There is a wealth of pre-nationalise non- preserved locos out there which would be good sellers. Over to you Dave and Hattons. Loconuts

I know what their reply will be, whats a 517? the fact that the 14xx was just a modernised 517 people seem to over look it. It is funny that the Airfix model came out in 1978 as that was the year I was commissioned to build a 7mm scale 517 (Fair Rosamund in 1920's condition) for Mike Little, the present owner of 1450. Scratch built right down to the cab fittings. I was also commissioned by several customers to build the successful Malcolm Mitchell 7mm scale kit of the 517 when it appeared so that might answer your question on whether it will sell. To be honest small GWR Locos sell well, look at the Wills Small Metro and the various Pannier Tank kits that have been produced over the years. The Wills Small Metro sold like hot cakes when it first came out and you were lucky to get your hands on one. I know this is a commission for you on behalf of Hattons but the RTR trade just seem to be regenerating the same models, is that because they are preserved and can be scanned and less research needs to be done on the prototype? As for producing well selling models of locos that lasted into BR days, you have been commissioned to do the GWR Steam Railmotor, long gone before WWII but it will sell well as it is ideal for small branch lines, I have built 4 on commission in 7mm scale. Sorry for being controversial, but just wanted to point out there is a wealth of other locos waiting to be modelled out there. Loconuts

Why oh why are you doing the 14xx yet again, why not the more common 517 which had a longer life and lots of variations. True they did not run into BR, but they did run late in GWR. But with the various rebuilds it would be a best selling and long lasting model. You could even include the only GWR Named Tank Engine ' Fair Rosamund'. Loconuts