Simon Bendall

59003 now updated with Colas logos to reflect its long term hire hire. http://www.flickr.com/photos/153712773@N08/53660413141/

In preservation, 421415 has vandal protection boards fitted over the windows, which are finished in the body colour. These were on when surveyed by Hornby. Join the dots 🙄

The centre window was a droplight on all the LMS built saloons, you occasionally see a photo of one with it open. From the photos Heljan has released, they are using the same tooling to cover two different LMS diagrams and the BR one, meaning there are compromises in the door and window layout on some.

18006 has arrived at Crewe Basford Hall today for use by Freightliner https://www.linkedin.com/posts/beacon-rail-leasing_today-we-delivered-one-of-our-class-18-locomotives-activity-7183499460142845952-hfpP

Its Sentinel 10111 of 1963, rebuilt by Hunslet Barclay in 1997.

The Class 59/2s were deployed on the Port Talbot-Llanwern iron ore workings between February and August 1999 after the hire of the Mendip examples ceased. They were all in EWS by this time. They subsequently returned on Mendip aggregate workings to Machen in later years. 59204 did visit South Wales in National Power livery for its naming at Aberthaw in November 1996, complete with a full set of hoppers.

Any idea if 18003 is still at Scunthorpe please? Some suggestion it may have already departed back to Wolverton.

An image of the full Skate formation https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/9562425026/

It would be 13563, which was the other regular Mk.2d FK alongside 13575 and remained in blue/grey. My pic from c7/92.

This was Intercity charter unit stock for the Orcadian and Highlander, which included Mk.1 Pullman kitchen car 335. The others were 1672, 3045, 3096, 3098, 3100 and 17025. http://www.flickr.com/photos/145367983@N08/49676831082 Locos trapped to the north of the collapse were initially 37414/15/16/17/19/21 and a reported 16 coaches. 156446/57/74/77/78 were moved north by road in March/April 1989, 37414/19 returned at the same time. 37415/16/17/21 returned to Inverness in October and were replaced by 37418/19/20. The charter stock, 6300 and other coaches also moved south at this point.

Its part of the side extensions to accommodate Warriors.

A check through wagon groups has no active sighting of the BR-built (flat floor) FNAs after 2016, the last of the Procor build (sloped floor) went in 2019 and were scrapped during 2020.

DB999505 was another saloon, same as DB999501-504. It was written off in an accident around 1967.

Saloon 6300 was painted for the 1988 season, the Mk.2s for the 1989 season. Last year was 1994 by which time the green/cream stock was being mixed with Regional Railways examples with ScotRail branding.

This was done some years ago when the Caledonian Sleepers were diverted via Manchester, 67 each end to power half the set and jumpers not connected in the middle.

DB999504 only carried Mainline blue for about four months hence the lack of images. A pic appears in issue 253 of MLI Plus, which I think is the same one from Railway Mag at the time.

Five 156s transferred from ScotRail to Northern in December 2018, the other was 156449. They were all in Barbie and were repainted into Northern white/blue during 2020/21. Don't think Northern has ever received any Saltire-liveried 156s, just 158s and 170s.

To illustrate the point, both tins used were BR blue. Issue was said to be due to poor mixing of one.

Has the move to Warcop occurred yet please?

325 has been in the set since August 2020 after 3182 was badly damaged by an electrical fire.

From what I recall of the ex traffic spares stock for 50026, there was a red one, yellow one and the one that went back in, yellow with red tips, so take your pick.

At least one of the EWS 73s had a roof spot as well, can't remember whether 73128 or 73131 but do have a pic.

Hattons do both types as spares https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/1000399/1000588/1000655/0/heljan_oo_gauge_1_76_scale_wheel_sets_bogies_trucks/prodlist

Has made the BBC website citing record attendance https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-67115361

Volume 10 in the Modelling BR series will shortly be available, this one covering Diesel Depots and other related subjects, such as stabling points. This looks at the development of maintenance facilities since the 1960s, setting out the different approaches taken by the regions and how this influenced their layouts and operation through to today. Also covered are fuelling points and the many ancillary structures found on depots that contribute towards creating a convincing layout. The 116 pages are copiously illustrated to give inspiration as well as featuring modelling projects and layout ideas. As ever, thanks are due to those who contributed, including Terry Bendall, Nick Gurney, Ian Manderson, James Makin, Clive Mortimore and David Ratcliffe. On sale date is 5th October and it can be pre-ordered now from the Key Publishing website Sample pages below