turbos

On 25/11/2021 at 09:50, Titan said:

 

Most likely BR being short of money/time. ETH conversion of rolling stock had to be prioritised for the WCML and the Southern Region, for the electric and class 33 hauled services.  Then a/c stock was introduced, which necessitated ETH conversions of diesel locos for those services.  This meant that other services would have to remain steam heat until BR had the funds/time to convert more locos.  This would take us towards the end of the seventies, by which time much steam heat stock would be getting a bit elderly and some would be due for withdrawal over the next few years, so probably not worth upgrading, those last remaining into the early 1980's

Steam heating ‘officially’ ended on BR in 1987. AFAIK the last steam heated route was the Edinburgh to Dundee semi-fast service using vac braked Mk2s. 
Diesel locomotives with working steam heat boilers are very rare beasts these nowadays.

Brian.

Close up photo a curtain fitted to the Swindon IC Class 126 at Bo’ness.

Brian.

2 minutes ago, Regularity said:

Loading the bricks higher than the wagon side is easy, as long as you remember that bricks have three different dimensions for length, breadth and height: the latter two are not the same.

\

That nicely explains the raised ridge around the top layer of brinks on the single plank wagon.

I’m glad I posted this video here as it’s created a lot more wider discussion than on a purely LNWR discussion thread.

Those MR D299 do seem to appear everywhere, I must get round to building my Slaters kit!

Brian.

This video appeared on another site I’m a member of, I hope it hasn’t appeared here before, the pre-group wagon(s) of interest are from 8:40.

Brian.

https://www.ampthill.tv/playvideo.html?id=94&fbclid=IwAR3eZd3oo2SmzR3lPCLlZFnI0z2UhhIrzBpa1gesRaXH8i5pKFLCL8hqur0

Apologies for restarting this dormant topic.

The 17th and final ScotRail HST Inter7City  '5th' Trailer Second left Doncaster on Monday the 1st of November. This finally completes the delivery of the ScotRail HST vehicles. The first set of vehicles were delivered on the 17th August 2018, the delivery progress rate of this project has been at best glaciel, and then it slowed even more! There's still a long way to go before the '5th' trailers are all in traffic due to incomplete infrastructure projects, but this does mark the completion of the vehicle delivery part of the project ( other than arising warranty work).

Brian.

I’m definitely getting my pre ordered one, life is too short to get hacked off about wee details that I’ll no notice when it’s hauling my heavily rebuilt/bodged Triang coaches with tension lock couplings on incorrectly spaced rails on incorrectly spaced sleepers etc. I’m quite sure to my eyes it’ll look superb, but will I regret not upgrading to a sound version?

Brian.

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Further thought: when was steam heating introduced on the LNWR / WCJS? If the loco is in 1895 condition, it may pre-date.

According to Casserley and Millard in ‘A Register of WCJS’, LNWR train heating experiments started in 1894 and was adopted for newly constructed suburban carriages in 1897. All WCJS coaches were to be fitted with train heat from March 1900, I’d expect LNWR stock would’ve started to be retrofitted around that time as well. The LNWR finally dispensed with footwarmers in 1916.

Brian.

On 17/10/2021 at 01:20, Signaller69 said:

Hi Mark,

Brian went into more detail than I did on my wagons and hopefully he will be along to give further info. I found on my wagons the area it runs along was too tight without a good deal of fettling so I've not bothered up to now.

 

Basically the linkage was only on the one side and connected a brake operating linkage at the vac cylinders end to a similar linkage at the other end as there was no room for it elsewhere presumably.

 

This Paul Bartlett photo shows it quite well:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brtgraincovhop/h30ca39e2

 

The corresponding area on the other side carried the vacuum brake pipe around the hopper; other photos on Paul's site show this too.

 

Hope this helps. 

 

Martyn.

Hi Martyn and Mark,

On my Whisky Blue, I used a mixture of brass and plasticard to replicate the above solebar details with cast white metal brake cylinders. I had to remove some of the plastic (that shouldn’t be there anyway) between the side bars and lower hopper above the solebar. The angled links at either end of the linkage are from brass signal components. I used the Triang wagon for my wee project, all of the rtr Whisky Blues have faults.

Mark, PM me if you want more details so we don’t end up hijacking Martyn’s thread.

Martyn, I really like what you’re doing to the Hornby 25s!

Brian.

18 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

Just come across this photo

 

21T minerals at Mossend 1989 by John Dedman

 

anyone know what flow these were likely to be on please? Coal, coal slurry or scrap?

 

thanks

 

edit: just found another which suggests scrap metal.

 

any insights would be much appreciated still :-)

 

More 21T minerals by John Dedman

 

AFAIK in Scotland the MDV (and MDW as some had been air piped) that went to Mossend in the late 1980s were used on small flows of scrap metal for Ravenscraig, tripped to Mossend on Speedlink workings. 
Their 45MPH speed limit would cause timing issues if used on longer distance work.

One irregular scrap metal flow was from Fort William, mostly filled with the metal bindings from wood pulp.  

Apparently on one occasion at Fort William an MDW did get mistakenly used for timber, but otherwise they were supposed to only be used for scrap metal at this late stage of their career in Scotland.

Nice pics!

Brian.

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

So not realistic then? That's more of a "what if" scenario than modelling something that happened.

 

I don't even think the wagon is accurate as it came from a drawing in the Roche book and ISTR has errors.

 

 

Jason

It’s not perfect, but it’s not bad either, a  few wee additions can improve it quite easily. 
As the original no longer exists all you can go by are the few photos and drawings that survive. 
Picture of my model with the CR 1900 Goods Album photo.

Brian.

Personally I don’t think any of the Caledonian(esque) rtr rolling stock from the past will be good enough without some serious work done to it to look OK next to the forthcoming ‘812  Class’ release. Hopefully the Hattons ‘Genesis’ Caledonian coaches will look OK with an as built No.828 even if not exactly prototypical. All the later liveried versions have various choices of rtr rolling stock.

More damage to my wallet!

Brian.

4 hours ago, Wolseley said:

The sides of the Tri-ang Caledonian coaches are exceptionally accurate for ready to run models of their era - it is the roofs and the ends that leave a lot (to put it mildly) to be desired, due to Tri-ang economising by using existing products, in this case BR Mark I parts.  I'm pretty certain too that Tri-ang intended the coaches not to represent the Grampian stock, but rather the 57 foot 8 wheel coaches that 123 was seen hauling on rail tours in the 1960s.  If you are prepared to overlook the extra scale 8 feet in length, and the inaccurate ends and roof, a combination as above is a good representation of 123 as preserved in the 1960s.

It’s not just the roofs and ends that leave a lot to be desired, the underframe, bogies, vehicle height and no interior make for an underwhelming coach that neither looks like a Grampian or a 57 foot coach, even the bogie centres and are wrong for a Mk1. The sides and chassis are a good starting point for scratch building a Grampian coach, as I have done. 

The easiest and most realistic rake for the 00 gauge ‘812 Class’ is the Peco  Parkside (Ratio) LMS wooden bodied  bogie iron ore wagon. Although only one was built in the end, the Caley had originally ordered 100 and built the first 20 ‘812 Class’ with air brakes as they envisaged them hauling rakes of fully fitted bogie mineral wagons (they were well ahead of there time!). The official photo of the first built ‘812 Class’ has it coupled to the only wooden bodied bogie iron ore wagon.

Brian.

2 minutes ago, Als Yard said:

Lucky me was able to get "The Caledonian" train pack with the Caledonian single and coaches, guess I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but the coaches sold in ‘The Caledonian’ train pack are the Triang Mk1 with ‘Grampian(esque)’ sides with a better paint job than the original release. It’s doubtful that Caledonian ‘No123’ ever hauled a rake ‘Grampian’ coaches. Racing single wheelers and heavyweight 12 wheelers don’t really go together.
The so called ‘Caledonian 4 wheel coach’ is an S&DJR body on a crude brake van underframe.

At least Hattons Genesis coaches are honest in not claiming to be actual models of anything, just nice  ‘period coaches’ with excellently executed paintwork. They’ll look OK behind an ‘812 Class’.

A fitted express freight or a rake of 45’ Caledonian coaches would be the most realistic type of train for a Caledonian liveried ‘812 Class’.

Brian.

52 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

Would I be right in assuming that many Mk1s, 2s, 2As were vacuum braked, and that 2Bs, 2Cs, and all aircon Mark 2s were air braked?

Mk1s and Mk2s were built vacuum braked only, although many were later fitted with air brakes. Mk2As were built air braked only from new but a few had vacuum brakes fitted later. Mk2b onwards were air braked only.

I agree with Flood, as long as the coaches had the same type of brakes then any Mk could (and Mk1-3 did) work with any Mk. In theory a Mk5 could work with a pre-grouping coach!

Brian.

3 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

It’s an early Mk2c TSOT, with the toilet windows of similar design to the Mk2b TSO. Later MK2c TSOTs had a single pane toilet window more akin to a Mk2d, but not all.

The other differences are the roof vents, also there weren’t any Mk2b TSOT. 

Apparently the red stripe on CRM started to show through beneath the blue when it became very weather worn. I to have never seen CRM in its red stripe. Interesting pic!

Brian.

9 minutes ago, design8027 said:

Mmmmm, the MK2c. Scottish modellers could finally get that CK coach. On the subject of the MK2b TSO, could it be done as a TSOT or is MK2c TSO needed?

 

Stephen.

The roof of a Mk2c has a very different arrangement, a Mk2d style large cover at one end and and roe-vac or GM roof vents. The sides of the first half or so built had the same toilet window as the Mk2b, the second half had Mk2d style toilet windows. The Mk2c TSO(T)  used coaches with both types of toilet windows. An early style Mk2c TSO and  TSO(T) can be made from a Mk2b if you remodel the roof.

Brian.

9 minutes ago, Mark said:

The most obvious body side difference is the toilet window which is more like those used on Air cons.

 

Mark

Except for the Mk2c coaches that had the same toilet window as the Mk2b. It’s a complicated subject the Mk2c, the  most obvious difference is the roof, more like a Mk2d but with a few vents which were a mixture of types, just to add to the complexity. These are probably some of the reasons there’s never been a ready - to - run Mk2c.

Brian.
 

14 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

 

Hi Brian,

 

Sure. Here's some!

 

 

First vehicle is a Mk.2b TSO with ScotRail branding, second is a 2c TSO(T), rest are 2/2a47541 'The Queen Mother' 15.05 Aberdeen-Inverness, Keith 27.05.1990

 

 

First vehicle is a Mk.2b TSO with ScotRail branding, then a 2c BSO, a 2/2a TSO, then a 2c CK (half declassified from first class47617 University of Stirling at Wades Bridge, Dalwhinnie, on the 0644 Inverness-Glasgow. 27th April 1989

 

 

 

 

A couple of Mk.2c, a couple of 2/2a and a Mk.2b TSO at the rear:47578 1B34 1438 Inverness - Edinburgh on May 23, 1990

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

Thanks Fran!
 

Nice pics, definitely a Mk2b in each of these pictures, though mostly 2a and 2c. Sadly outside my modelling period but good to see nonetheless.

Brian.

6 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi everyone,

 

Scottish 2b TSO allocations
From 1988 P5: Polmadie x3
From 1989 P5: Polmadie x1, Craigentinny x2
From Spring 1990 P5: Inverness x1, Polmadie x2, Craigentinny x2
From Summer/Autumn 1990 P5: Inverness x2, Craigentinny x4
From Spring 1991 P5: Inverness x4, Craigentinny x1

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

As a few known typos crept into the P5 (as mentioned further up the thread), are there any photographs of a Mk2b on a normal service in Scotland?

Brian.

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

.....one in normal service in Scotland. ( No.5401 on the left.)

Perth : 28/8/88

No 5401 on the left is a Mk2a, the door is a big give away and also Mk2b are in the number range 5434 - 5497.

I guess Mk2b weren’t quite as rare in Scotland in the late 1980s, which was also around the time when I had the usual teenage loss of interest in railways, not helped by ‘Sprinterisation’ either.

Brian.

25 minutes ago, E100 said:

They look superb. Glad to see Accurascale is well on the way to challenging the larger manufactures with a range that's ever expanding. Really quite reasonable pricing too considering the features on offer. I love the DCC ready lighting with a simple wand solution. At the very least it should help to drive the other manufactures to do ever better.

 

That being said I for one am thankful that as a North Scottish modeler I don't need to get the wallet out for these. No doubt though this is only a taste of things to come over the next few years so will get budgeting for 2023/4.

The Mk2b was exceedingly rare north of the border, I never saw one in normal service in Scotland. Saves me another small fortune but I’m really happy Accurascale are doing these as it will hopefully lead on to some Mk2c coaches. The Mk2c requuires the attention to detail Accurascale does, they’d be a waste of time for the likes of Hornby.

Brian.

3 hours ago, Als Yard said:

Minor nitpick but I hope they update the as built 828 to include the right smoke box door handle, correct me if I'm wrong but every photo I have seen of 828 while it was still in its lite blue livery had a normal handle on it and not the circular one that the livery sample model has. I know its just the livery sample and it will change but still.

I’m fairly sure the the ‘812’ Class were all built with the round smoke box door handle, the official St. Rollox works portrait of lead locomotive No. 812 has the round handle.
No. 828 was part of the air braked first batch of 20 built at St. Rollox.
The picture you posted is No. 828 in a preserved  condition.

Brian.

10 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

If this modified 153 will not be running on its own but always with a 156 in some configuration, it is just a glorified BG.  So if it is going to be brought out by Hornby, should they keep the price down by not motorising it, or does it need the power so it can run on a hypothetical branch up Creag Meagaidh?

The ScotRail 153 will operate on its own, but only ECS, mostly between Glasgow QS and Eastfield. Most model DMUs are sold without passengers onboard so are out of the box ECS ready!

Brian.

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

 

I agree completely, and I reckon the wall to wall hype for days/weeks ahead of the games puts an insurmountable pressure on our players when having to take penalties. 

 

After all, the one against Denmark was saved initially and only scored due to intelligent follow-up and a rather fortunate rebound. 

 

I'm sure they practise a lot, but behind closed doors and with much reduced stress levels I bet the players have few problems beating the keeper. Therefore I reckon a significant percentage of the blame for missing must be put on the tv, newspaper, and online media commentators - who can't leave the subject alone if England progress in a competition. 

 

I don't want to be part of the 'plucky England went down fighting' nonsense. They were given the dream start to the game and blew it - for various reasons; many of which have been mentioned already in this thread so I won't repeat them. 

And don’t forget the laser pen aimed at Kasper Schmeichel, an utter disgrace and an embarrassment for England.

I’m my opinion the best team in the tournament won it, I was impressed by the Italians in every game I saw them in. Pierlinni was the player of the tournament for me.

There could be some major ramifications for the FA as some of England’s so called ‘fans’ let their nation down badly again.

Brian.