Caley Jim

They would be OK if it was a north-south line and they were kept with the glazed side to the west!! Jim

I suspect that that is what happened to the original E & G 4th class coaches. For those not in the know, the original coaches on the Edinburgh & Glasgow were: 1st class - Upholstered seats, glass in the windows. 2nd class - bare wooden seats, no glass. 3rd class - wooden seats, no roof. 4th class - no seats. It seems that even the quite well-to-do, including magistrates, preferred to travel in the lower classes of carriage in order to avail themselves of the cheaper prices!! I would venture to suggest that these would be mostly Edinburgh bankers and lawyers! Jim (running for cover!)

Having assembled the other items on the sheet which were for other people and still awaiting the pillars for the bridge, I decided to paint the lengths of fencing: Two coats of well thinned Humbrol gloss white. My intention was to give them a 'recently painted, but not yesterday' look. By thinning the paint they have come out with an almost satin finish. Jim

I've checked the couple of books I have which give some details of the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, but neither of them indicate when the 4th class coaches were done away with. They were still extant in September 1847 as one of the books quotes a newspaper article complaining about them, basically saying that the directors had more care for the moral welfare of their passengers, by not running trains on a Sunday, than they had for their physical welfare. The coaches were nicknamed 'Stanhopes', which was not only a corruption of 'Stan'-up' but also the name given to a type of light, two-wheeled, horse drawn carriage of the time. Jim

No need to be. I have a 2mm scale white metal kit-built one from many years ago, which is why it rang a bell with me. I had to look it up on the net to be sure, though! Jim

Well done Linny! Jim

This looks very much like a NBR Dia 59 covered goods van. Possibly a Wizard Models kit? I have a photocopy of a Ken Werrett drawing of a Rhymney Railway 8 ton goods wagon (sic) from p113 of the April 1976 RM which is pretty much identical to this. Length is 15'6" OH on a 9' WB. HTH Jim

But it's not Caledonian!!! Jim

But I didn't put 'late in the evening' in quotes, therefore I was identifying the time of day at which I had been typing! (and yes, I know I put it in quotes this time, before any s***t a**e points that out!) Jim

Typing late in the evening is obviously not my forté Jim

I have now found the article. It was at the MOD Defence Proof & Experimental Establishment at Shoeburyness that Geoff found the CR wagon by then numbered ARMY 80028 and being used to transport guns to the proving ranges. It was the 'C R' on the axleboxes which alerted him to its origins. 2 of these were requisitioned in 1914 and another 2 in 1915. The fitting of the 12 pounder gun and armour was undertaken at Crewe. The structure behind the gun contained two compartments, the forward one for ammunition for the 12 pounder and the rear one fitted with a Maxim machine-gun on either side, each with a 180° field of fire. It also had lockers for 5,000 rounds of machine-gun ammunition. At the time the article was written (1983) its historical significance had been recognised and it had been earmarked for preservation. From memory I think Geoff told me it was destined for the Museum of Arm Transport. Jim

There shouldn't be a problem at the major shows where they are held in exhibition centres or the like which have their own 24 hour security. Model Rail and the Perth Show spring readily to mind. Smaller local shows in local halls are perhaps more vulnerable. In this respect I would be concerned that others of that anti-social ilk might get the idea and try it in their area. I recall being at at least one exhibition where the hosting club provided a measure of security by some of their members staying in the hall overnight. Jim

Wait until next April 1st. Standard tasks for new apprentices on that date were to be sent to the stores for one of a) a bucket of steam, b) a long stand, or c) a tin of tartan paint! Jim

Aye, that's pretty much gorse, heather and bracken! Maybe with a touch of blaeberry thrown it! Jim

Back in the 1970's, while researching for his book on Railway Guns, the late Geoff Balfour found a wagon at a military site in the south of England (can't recall where) which he believed to be Caledonian and asked me for help in identifying it. It turned out to be a Dia 30 30Ton Heavy Weight Wagon, one of 5 built of which 4 were requisitioned by the army in 1914 and used as the gun wagons at either end of the trains shown in the photograph. As a result it was preserved and was on display at an army museum. I would need to look for the article he wrote for the HMRS Journal at the time to get more details. Jim

Dazzle would stick out like a sore thumb in the Oban area! Gorse, heather and bracken are what's needed for camouflage around there! Jim

We were in foreign parts from Sunday to Friday (Berwick!). Jim

While on holiday this week I started reading Jim Summers' excellent new book 'Operating The Caledonian Railway Vol 1'. In the section describing the work of a goods brakesman ( goods guard) there is this snipit on marshalling of goods trains: 'Protests arose from diligent brakesmen that high goods vans were needlessly marshalled in front of the brake van, depriving them of any view ahead; management went so far as to publish instructions to yard staff to desist from this marshalling whenever the traffic allowed'. The instruction itself suggests that open or flat wagons should be marshalled next to the brake van and that guards should report all cases when this is not adhered to. Did other companies have similar instructions? Not all CR brake vans had side lookouts but even with a lookout it cannot have been comfortable to sit looking sideways all the time, so a better and more comfortable view would be had through the end windows. Perhaps we should bear this in mind when assembling our goods trains. Jim

Re. H&S, I was on a visit to Cruachan power station recently. The guide told us that it took 6 years to build, but nowadays the RA would take 6 years! Jim

Cylinder drain chocks open to drive any water out of the cylinders. Standard practice. Jim

A piece of thin tissue paper soaked in green acrylic paint? Jim

And what does her ladyship have to say about that hierarchy? Which one will be in front, I ask myself? Jim

Wasn't their lettering 'CAM RLYS'?? That's more than 2 letters by my maths! Jim

That's a no brainer!! CR of course! Jim

There was an article in the HMRS journal some time ago which presented a very strong case for these being more 'trade marks'. Remember most railway company employees would be fairly literate as they had to be able to read the rule book and, in the case of guards, station and yard staff, record wagon numbers, contents, etc. Similar marks were used before the days of railways by traders to identify their own sacks, tea chests, crates, barrels, etc. Jim