Adam

Huh? Since they were all withdrawn from BR service by c. 1970 and the only one I know of to work in Scotland (before preservation) was at Grangemouth (Wikipedia, for what it's worth has details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_14 ), are you sure you're not mistaken? Plenty of industrial designs had a similar centre cab layout. Adam

Oh I don't know, byt the standards of most of the diesels in that book, they're positively sparkling! It is the same loco and livery as the first link I located (which was D2774, wks no. 28027) but with some touch-ups with red oxide primer: http://preservedshunters.co.uk/psh_zoom.php?img=0955001981018&PSHsession=946291554f6fbc5abc0aefa6fa59dbe0 Can't help with the works numbers however. Adam

Something a bit different - a Fordson Major shunting tractor at Kyle of Lochalsh, note the half paint job! http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/3287/ Edit: and something similar, but a bit younger, from Great Yarmouth: http://www.flickr.com/photos/81671100@N00/3485867962/ Adam

In passing, looking for something else altogether, I came across this shot of D2749. Note the back and white edging to the buffer beam - nice NB touch that. http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/3062/ There's another shot of D2774 in the second volume of Industrial Railways in Colour: South Wales (Michael Poulter), p. 46 in the same sky blue as in the web link. Adam

I haven't much intention of modelling many of these, but here's another, rear view of several engineering dept. vehicles in olive green at Norwich, courtesy of John Turner's photo collection. Further identification welcome but I think, from left: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/53amodels/picture/D2032-NR-0870.jpg A pair of Bedford CA vans, two, possibly more FG type personnel carriers, then the rather fine signal, probably another FG and then another, unidentifiable (to me at any rate) lorry with a tail board and roller shutter (rather than the cupboard doors of the others). Note the yellow stripes below the doors, the British Rail lettering and the yellow stripes below the rear doors of each vehicle. Thanks to Andy for locating the URL for the Chris Hodge photo... Adam

Definitely an LMS design, apparently not recorded as part of the VCT survey however. Like these: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=5627 http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=4639 Adam

True enough - D2774 is illustrated as it left service (ok, dumped), by the NCB - think there's another photo of it in this 'livery' (but in better nick) in the Booth book. A bona fide part of its working life. Shunters tend not to have too much done to them however (beyond possibly being piped for vacuum brake), in preservation as they are very rarely expected to haul passengers. I agree, the rail blue is a bit odd... Adam

Reliveried, but still green (a sort of bluish mid green) with diagonal stripes running top right to bottom left as to face it on the radiator front (in the same green) but not the sides. I'll double check as regards lettering detail, date and so on when I get home. It also clearly had another, later repaint because when it entered preservation it looked like this: http://preservedshunters.co.uk/psh_zoom.php?img=0955001981018&PSHsession=946291554f6fbc5abc0aefa6fa59dbe0 More photos of D2774 here: http://preservedshunters.co.uk/psh_shunter.php?class=101&loco=D2774 and of the other preserved example here: http://preservedshunters.co.uk/psh_shunter.php?class=101&loco=D2767 Adam

D2774 was at Celynen South Colliery in S. Wales and there is a good broadside shot of it in Irwell Press's 'Industrial Railways in Colour: South Wales", p. 54. Unusually for that sort of colour album there are lots of excellent views of industrial diesels as well as the usual decrepit (and otherwise) steam. Adam

I've encountered a few more from the ever interesting Chris Hodge photo collection - but unfortunately can't link to them directly: http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/pagecma/truckphotos.htm If you go to 'The Latest 500' and have a look at the first two selections from Coventry and from Holborn, there's a couple of interesting bit's and bobs- an Austin Loadstar tractor unit and a Karrier Bantam (note how small it is) both in the Yellow BR livery with 'flying crate' branding. Adam Adam

The only modelling I have actually managed to do in the last few weeks comes in the form of completing and priming this Austin box van. The light wasn't really up to work in progress shots, not that a touch of filling and rubbing down makes impressive viewing! It does reveal my approach to priming/run down/undercoat however. With resin kits this is quite important as however good the castings are, the odd pinhole bubble is all but inevitable, so after a (very) thorough wash, a thin coat of grey acrylic primer, which when allowed to dry showed where the filler was wanted. A small amount of Squadron green putty rubbed down and then another thin coat of Games Workshop white primer - the different colour is important as you can see when you rub down between coats, another light rub down where it was needed an a third coat of white to thoroughly cover and act as an undercoat for the cream. When I've sourced that, I'll be able to do some more to it... The cab is only positioned for photography btw, while the chassis has had a coat first of matt black spray and then the wheel hubs and fuel tank picked out in Humbrol satin black. Adam Adam

I think that's fair CK (an oversize hook to a better shape than Smiths would be the ideal solution for me I think). I do find that Smiths screw links can and do fall apart (particularly when marshalled towards the front of heavy trains. When this happens at exhibitions - on a big EM tailchaser in my case - leaving half a train behind is far worse than even the most cack-handed uncoupling operation or the auto-coupling shuffle (been there, done all of those...*). For three-links proper I make my own links - Tinned copper wire of c. 0.5mm diameter wrapped round a brass former. The links are overscale by about 10% or so. For those of you familiar with Smiths that's noticeably bigger and of course, cheaper. If it helps, the trick with Masokits flexibility, I've found, is to drill the holes out to 0.8 mm - giving lots of clearance on a 0.53mm pin and to blacken rather than paint. Blackening the centres durng construction rather than trying to be clever with a soldering iron also helps, but I put 'em together in batches! Adam * I've seen several (small) P4 and one or two S7 layouts using Jacksons very successfully, I think they've a lot to recommend them but have found them a bit of a pig when I've used them in O finescale - too much slop in the track/wheel standards I think.

Yep, I think the price is something like ??3.50 per etch (7 pairs of couplings), though you'll need to source the pins elsewhere (Eileen's, as noted above). Whether three links are for you or not is a question only you can answer. I use them because dad always has, so I've never really looked into the alternatives, so can't comment on any of them I'm afraid. Adam

A tip: blacken the centre section of the coupling prior to soldering the pins. Much easier than mucking around with bits of foil, etc. Perhaps these (externally hosted) images will help. They aren't the best of the coupling because that wasn't what I was trying to photgraph! Adam

Thanks, that explains it, and is very useful to know for modelling purposes. The building behind seems frustratingly familiar, but railway architecture has that effect. Since the remainder of the photos in the collection feature Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, somewhere in one of those counties would seem logical, though goodness alone knows where. Adam EDIT: Link now corrected

It depends what you mean by 'working'. Exactoscle do indeed produce a screw coupling that works in the same way as the real thing, that is, you can adjust the tension and so on, but unless your eyesight is A1, and you are very patient it's a bit too much of a fiddle for my liking in everyday use. The Hornby spares people can also supply them I think, if you only want the coupling there for cosmetic purposes. They look good but are almost no use at all for hauling a train (not enough play between the link and the hook. If you intend to use it as a functional coupling, then the best compromise between ease of use, durability and appearance I've found is the Masokits one: http://www.scalefour.org/masokits/ Self-assembly (from an etch) but very durable and no worse to use than any other type of three-link coupling. Others like Smiths, the old PC etched type (can these still be had?) and even the old Romford types (good for S scale) are available, and I've tried these but mostly got fed up with reassembling them/having them fail in service. Adam

Impressive, and if you've ever tried that particular Cambrian kit, modifying the W irons (a work of moments), is very much the lesser of two evils. This isn't to fault the Cambrian kit especially; the prototype is far from simple and it's taken 20 years - at least - for anyone else to have a second go. Not something I actually need, but it has the temptation factor undoubtedly. Adam

I was just surprised to see such a new vehicle shifting freight at a station where goods facilities had been withdrawn in 1963! Or indeed that far from head office. Here's another from somewhere on the WR (not sure where, the picture has no caption). http://www.busmuseum.org.uk/potm/jle10d.JPG Adam

Thanks Merfyn, as I said, a bit out of period for me, even if it is one I can actually (just) remember. This is a bit more like it: http://freepages.nostalgia.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cyberheritage/oldy47.jpg It appears (much to my surprise) that in the background of this shot is a Scammell Townsman of all things. A bit out of character for west Cornwall I would have thought... Adam

As a means of continuing the hardy perennial personnel carrier topic, while looking for something else the other day, I turned up the following links which may be of interest to those whose interests lie with these things. All a bit out of my modelling era, but never mind... First, assorted (mostly the same Dodge I think) at Redbridge, near Southampton: http://railwayphotos.../p56506336.html http://railwayphotos.../p56321461.html http://markfew.fotop.../p42781569.html http://nevardmedia2....t/p8670275.html http://railwayphotos.../p55231340.html There seems to be a Leyland of some description in here as well. Again at Redbridge, something different: http://nevardmedia2..../p11650273.html (Odd bodied TK) http://nevardmedia2..../p10900698.html (TK again, rear view) http://graham1740.fo.../p29235182.html And finally. Joy of joys, a Morris Marina (I'd forgotten what these looked like...) http://gordon-fuller.../p47083370.html Adam

Heh heh, that'll teach me for trying to proof read (I kid you not) and type on a forum at the same time... I can't say I'd have spell-checked, but I might have noticed the typo' and edited accordingly! I don't know about too detailed (have you seen the underframe of my 73?), I can't see anything that looks especially vulnerable or over-complicated, but I know I can build a 9' wb wagon that stays on the track and looks the part and I know what bits will do the job, and dad's known Adrian Sawin for years so I'm familiar with the bits and have always used 'em. The 12' possibilities sound very good, I'll look forward to them. Adam Adam

The appearance of these is very good, the best etched representation of push rod brakegear I've seen (includuing Dave Bradwell) and I like the design touches very much, and yes, I would certainly use the levers, guides, etc. as they're very much more convincing than Masokits for example. Do you perhaps mean dogmatic (over the top) rather than pedantic (unnecessarily precise)? I'm a pragmatic kind of modeller however, and the detail is excellent, and is clearly designed with swift construction in mind (which is great), but the Bachmann brakegear is fine and with kit builds, ABS bits, when fettled up with new safety loops and etched levers are very quick and look just as good, particularly in the company of 30 or so others running round a layout.* I would also observe that you don't need to spring every buffer to make a difference to train performance, but having some does help. Do an RCH or similar 12' underframe to the same standard and you've got a sale. Or three. Adam * From various bits of film I've seen, short wheelbase mineral wagons didn't run all that smoothly in any case. Coaches and bogie stock are a different matter, and there the effort made to have a rake run smoothly is worth it every time.

The instructions look excellent, as does the chassis overall, a very fine piece of work. I can't see that I'd have any trouble with them. One small point, which is really one of detail. The Bachmann version of these wagons do have the flange (ferrule if you will) on the end of the buffer guide casing, and you only lose this if you want to spring your buffers and thus remove the heads. Not everyone springs their buffers. While I'm unlikely to be buying a chassis - springing a 9' wb chassis is one of those things where life might be too short most of the time (and in EM this isn't essential ) - I have been very impressed with the design work. Adam

Just out of curiosity, what is this statement based on (barring the table in the book)? TE as found with a quick browse of the 'net shows Clans and rebuilts (too heavy for the S&D I think) as roughly equivilent, but unrebuilts as 31,046lbs. I don't see how this equates to an extra 20 tons on the drawbar myself. As another aside, I've always understood the 2P to be a fairly typical Midland (as opposed to LMS) loco' i.e. underpowered if mechanically rugged but inefficient relative to other, more or less comparable machines (say, Maunsell's L1s), with huge wheels: not really the kind of thing the S&D really wanted at all! Adam

Yes, I'd noticed that - I've retrieved much of the thread, but won't have time to edit it for a week or three. Who knows, things may have stabilised by then! Adam