Mark Carne

The first two pictures of the loco and tender won't match your loco, or anybody else's, because it is a LNWR one repainted in Midland colours. The third picture shows exactly the tender that matches your loco body, but as you say, it won't be easy to stumble across.

Annie, your Bing loco body is in fact Märklin, it was a loco they made both before and after WW1, but without the rest of it, it would be more or less impossible to pin it down, other than to say, it has the later buffers. Cheers, Mark.

I would suggest speaking to Bruce Palmer if you want a carriage truck Kevin, he does a body for a repro Milbro example, just add axleguards, wheels, couplings, buffers, paint and transfers to taste! Would certainly look very effective. Mark.

The L1 wasn't replaced by the Schools, both appears in catalogues right through to the war.

Sorry for not replying sooner, I haven't got an address to hand right now, but they will have a stall at the Reading trade show this Saturday.

From what I know Kevin, I wouldn't trust theirin Hamilton Ellis translation of "Clockwork,Steam and Electric", apparently he really minced it up and the original author wasn't happy about it.

Bruce Palmer and John Davies list them in their range,amongst a number of items they took over from Blackberry Way.

Changing the station names to suit the stock that's running sounds very Greenlyish Kevin! I like it!

I understand from Paul that the "excitement" surrounding the different OO gauge versions of the Adams Radial tanks was a big factor in choosing to go with this, so maybe we can look forward to an H class and birdcage set in the future?

I've decided to get thoroughly carried away Nearholmer! Whether I get as carried away as I did with Pauls Terriers remains to be seen, but I think that the limiting factor as ever will be funds.

I believe over time the keyhole fillers for the sandboxes were moved down to the top of the sandbox, certainly that is the case with 47493.

A lot less than it used to be, I would say under £600, dependant on the quality of the repaint. You can pick up a good original for £1000, sometimes less, prices, thankfully, ain't what they used to be.

Emile Andre Shefer,that's all I'm saying! Mark

Apologies for the naff quality,but photos taken with my mobile phone,but this is one distinct possibility of what lurks inside the Bowen Cooke tank,complete with the "Patent automatic reversing switch",the other possibility is a large magnet type motor as made by Bing. Either way,after 100 plus years,the fact it can even move itself is a bonus! Most electric powered locos of this vintage are a dead loss as runners,all my gauge 1 locos of comparable vintage have been remotored in some way,usually by removing the original magnet and armature,and fitting a modern motor and gearbox inside the original frame. Cheers, Mark.

You do seem to have been unlucky Peter,I've got 4,and they were all in perfect condition. The only thing I can say is that I brought them from a reputable retailer whom I trust,in this instance,Kent Garden Railways at St Marys Cray. Despite of how the word of retail is generally going,I do find a good retailer with shop premises were you can inspect the goods to be worth their weight in gold. Alas though,rarer,it would seem,than any alleged precious metal. Cheers,Mark.

Nice stuff! Lowko track,ready made on battens was listed in the Bassett Lowke "Abridged illustrated catalogue" of August 1913,and the section "A",model railways catalogue of November 1913. And both make reference to "now laid on battens",just B/L not updating their catalogues like usual! Lowko track was also with a choice of Tin or Brass rail,but 3 rail was brass only. Cannot find any reference to cast frogs for Lowko track points,never seen one either,got quite a bit of gauge 1 lowko track sat here for yet another project I have in mind! And if anyone wants to see such items in action,come to the Train Collectors Society event in Leicester on Saturday 5th November,where a dual gauge 1/2 layout is being displayed! Trinity Methodist church halls,Narborough Road/Hallam Cresent,Leicester,LE3 2RD. 10am til 4pm,and possibly the best value 3 course Christmas lunch you will ever have!

In answer to your question Kevin,yes,I'm afraid to say it is my collection of Barritt items. And today was one of those days where I seemed to be chatting with someone most of the day,which wasn't unpleasant,but quite tiring,expected though,as hardly anyone else knows what it all is or anything about it. I figured it might well be one of your flying visit,and can understand your thoughts on hoping you would be unable to attend at all,as there is always so much to see. Cheers, Mark

Hi Kevin, Glad you enjoyed the display,but don't be so shy,come and chat! It was quite amusing listening to Lens reaction,even Allen was impressed,which is quite an achievement,given what he has seen and owned over the years! Cheers, Mark

Bing Table Railway locos and rolling stock will run on plain H/D 3rail track,but not through points or crossings. It will run very happily on Trix Twin bakerlite track and points,as the design engineer at Bing who designed the Table Railway system went on to design the original Trix Twin,so the wheel and track standards and track geometry are the same for all practical purposes,although,if running Table Railway items on a Trix Twin layout,you cannot run 2 trains on the same track. Cheers, Mark

I would guess that the "hammer" was in fact the coal pick,hung in the single line staff holder,there isn't much room on the footplate of a Terrier,anything that can be stowed outside the cab is a bonus! Cheers, Mark

Personally,I think the whole loco is Bonds. Cheers, Mark

That's an interesting old thing! It rang no bells in my head what so ever,until I got to the photos of the mechanism,then,WOW! The magnet is Bonds,initially sold by them for converting Bing table railway electric locos to DC operation,but also used by Bonds in their pre WW2 locos of their own manufacture,from the mid 1920s through to the war. Given that it also came with its original outside 3rd collector,my opinion is that it is pre WW2 Bonds. Cheers, Mark

Like those photos a lot Kevin,very nice! Especially the middle one,nice angle and close up too,very impressive. And on the old chestnut proportions of passenger liveried locos to everything else,I recall reading an article in a late 60s Model Railway News that gave the percentages on the LMS before WW2 as 0.9 maroon locos to every 9.1 black ones! Think it was written by Smokey Bourne,and was in an issue that had a "Tinplate Topics" article by Peter Gomm,so I'm bound to still have it. It gave all sorts of proportions of coaching stock,wagons,etc. I'll dig it out if anyone is suffering from insomnia! Cheers, Mark

Kevin, Aha! Well,it really is a small world within which most of us move,no problems with your detective work,very amusing actually. Don't be surprised if a 6' 4'' bloke with short grey hair and glasses comes up to you and says hi at some event in the near future! Cheers, Mark

Thank you Kevin,happy to contribute something useful after much lurking and reading! The LNER tank/tender loco is an Apollo variation,it is 18 volt electric,circa 1930,and the side tanks are to house the wound field mech,they were advertised in LNER and LMS livery,but no one I know has seen an LMS one,also a German market version in black with red lining,which makes a nice goods loco,if you have bizarre tastes in vintage trains as I do! BTW, the words Forge Farm Crossing ring loud and clear! Sounds as if we have an acquaintance in common,or have you missed your vocation in life as a detective? Cheers, Mark