stovepipe

It's certainly something of a shock, and that to someone familar with seeing a rat at Neasden South Jn in later times. Not so far from the Cricklewood - Acton line, so perhaps it wasn't quite as unusual as all that. I do wonder what the trip working was though - possibly a Croxley tip, or maybe a works delivery to an LT depot?

I've received mine, thankfully safe and sound from MRD (in a nice big box with bubble cushion packaging). I think the problem is that unless the bogie is properly aligned it doesn't sit down in the space designed for it, meaning when the clamshell is closed up, the stresses are placed on the deflectors. A heavy bump from the right (wrong) direction could be the point when they break off.

And another one. D5386 passing under the Batchworth Lane bridge near Northwood with an up train of oil tankers 17 Feb 63

Another one on the 3rd rail. D5408 at Clapham Jct in 1964

Just one end (the B-end) for a few months in 1983, sorted out at the next Works visit in November.

They look good, and I think I will be getting a 3-car set. With delivery slated as between Jan and Dec 2023, there's between 12 and 24 months to save up...!

The Milnthorpe service might have something to do with the construction of the M6, there’s was a large contracting base near there. It presumably was conveying some kind of petrochemicals, which could have been for the a tarmac plant, or perhaps fuel for the construction plant. The Carnforth ~ Penrith section opened towards the end of 1970 after 2~3 years of work.

19/09/1960, according to online sources.

There’s a pretty comprehensive article here. https://www.bloodandcustard.com/BR-CoachingSetsOkehamptonCarCarrier.html

Remember when you were little, devouring the Triang/Hornby catalgoue, putting optimistic marks next to all the things you wanted? In reality, only a tiny fraction of it was ever received. Watch the comments on a live stream, and it's clear many participating are pretty young, and his channel, I suggests, serves a similar purpose as the Hornby catalogue - wish fulfullment. Shall I get this or that, the pleasure of weighing up what to spend your money on. Some adults are the same when getting a new car - and for some the choosing is the best part of all.

Yes inded, I quite like the Sam's Trains channel, and clearly he is going for a younger audience and tapping into their enthusiasm to try things out, presumably exactly as some of the sour pusses on RMWeb did, if they can remember that far back to their childhood. I know I tried all sorts of things out back then. He often states that he buys all his models, and has never, as far as I've seen, received a review example. This seems to be the modus operandi of some other YT channels - with usually a glowing review as a result. Pointless. Those are the channels to be avoided in my book, and it's no surprise to me, they have a handful of the views and subscriptions of the carpet kid.

Don't think we've have had these before. I like this era.

Nothing since the summer update on 3 Aug. In that update, a further update on the Highland 24s ‘in a few weeks’ was mentioned. I guess we are still in that time frame!

Not come across a date, but they don’t seem to be at all common by 1983. Maybe they were concentrated on specific flows, rather than dispersed randomly? There were 9,400 built to the first body style in about 12 years. I don’t suppose all were converted, but maybe 500 to 1000 a year might be a reasonable guess? Any not done by March 1984, probably got scrapped, rather than rebodied.

I don’t suppose anyone surveyed these at the time you are interested in, but the HAA designation came in 1974 as the wagons were added to TOPS, and then in 1979 the railfreight red livery began to be applied. Bearing in mind the last 1,500 weren’t built until 1980, and a further 2,500 were built after 1974, out of a total of almost 11,000, you can get a rough idea of potential splits. Also there were more rebodied examples as time went on, with the later style, without cross member bracing, being standard from 1977 on. New builds were to this style too. Presumably rebodied vehicles got the current livery.

Yes, the standard photo for proving that AL6 were NOT delivered in electric blue.

The ones withdrawn in green were GSYP D7002/3/5/6/8/21/24/54/60 GFYE D7013/14/20/25

It wasn't common, but some did, such as 7054 in GSYP, and 7092 in GFYE

Sadly, it's not particularly straightforward. There have been several iterations of the scale length Mk3, with clear windows, tinted windows and tinted windows with lighting, released before and since the new HST was released in 2008. Most are Hornby tooling, but some have Lima origins - one or both of the buffet and the TGS types I think. Have a look through the model rail database, look for runs of coaches starting R4157, R4366, R4444, R4594, R4633 for B&G, and R4294, R4314, R4631 and R4851 for IC. Good luck finding any for sale though!

So apart from D5513, all had been re-engined at the same time as the arrows were applied.

Thanks for doing that. I don't know what to say really - 'meh' will have to do.

Hmm, until the lights are powered up.... I don't suppose you fancy testing them for the pbaying crowd Still waiting for TMC to confirm they have stock...

Scanning through the 1968 ROs, the DE workings mentioned are from Branston on the ER to Exeter, a class 6 working from Bristol W.D. (?) or Stoke Gifford, a Class 7 from Manvers Main, and a class 6 from Severn Tunnel Jn, all to Riverside Yard. WR allocated Brush type 4s seem to be employed on the Burngullow - Sittingbourne clayliners, and on the Par - Park Royal freightliner. By April 1968 DE passenger workings start to be reported, including D65xx locos from Brighton. The car carrier trains to Newton Abbot from LMR, ER and ScR have been DE Type 4 hauled on the WR since the previous year. Incidently, there are a number of reports of D63xx locos working passenger, often double-heading in lieu of the rostered loco, or because of failures earlier in the day. The normal branch line work seems to go unreported.

The 1968 editions of the Railway Observer record new DE sightings at Exeter every month, a few Peaks and several 47s. Not got the 1967 issues but visits must have started sometime that year.