Wickham Green too

Don't forget the HMRS - like all such organisations - is a group of individuals ( I nearly said 'bunch of amateurs' - but that would be extremely unfair ) who would be answering your request in - what should be - their spare time ......... at this difficult time they might actually have more time to spare .... but they might be receiving more enquiries too ! They'd always look on your request more favourably, of course, if you joined the Society.

Not very convincing for the M25 tho' with only five (?) cars in sight.

Indeed - BR even built a batch of Mk1 Open Seconds when everything we think of as Open Seconds were Open Thirds ! .............. not sure whether there were three classes on Harwich 'Continental' trains ?

No, unless you have an LMS coach which has managed to get to 1954 without a repaint, you'll not see any 3s on doors ........................... there would have been a few 2s on stock running to the continental ferry ports - but not to the Irish Sea ones.

The connection at Highbridge was somewhat convoluted, I believe.

Didn't know they habitually stood on their heads .................................. isn't it the Aussies who are upside down ?

....... and the ticket machines aren't a lot of help when they're not programmed to recognise smart cards : If you turn up at an unmanned station, wanting to go beyond your smart card validity, you can't simply slot your card into the ticket machine - or swipe it - to get the excess to your destination ....... no choice but to pay on the train or on arrival ( whatever the earliest opportunity ).

The 'mystery' loco seems to have larger wheels or a lower running plate so has tiny splashers - which "Sir Berkeley" doesn't have !

Those buffers would have been common to many other contemporary early diesel & late steam classes so there should be plenty of other drawings to confirm 22 1/2''.

And if everywhere else is like London the Government taxpayer will be picking up the bill and insisting on massive price hikes once this thing is over ...... oops getting political again !

That reminds me of some dodgy signage that passed through my scanner the other day : -

.......... while nicely painting / distressing / weathering the goods van next to it - but leaving the roofs of BOTH in grey plastic !

Wasn't dessert sand colour only applied to 12-wheeled locomotives ?

Obviously an investment rather than a family home .............

Further to your research, I've had a look through my Southern sources and can find no evidence of ANY non-gangwayed S.R. passenger-carrying vehicles being fitted with through lighting controls ( with the possible exception of a few ex LSWR coaches : but NOT the late '30s Maunsell rebuilds ). The only S.R. NPCS to be through-wired seem to be the gangwayed luggage vans.

Having checked Parkin, YES, Mk1 non-gangwayed stock DID have external switches as well as jumpers ( did one control override the other ? ) ........ as must have all non-gangwayed passenger-carrying stock since the introduction of the RCH standard ( whenever ). Provision for the marshalling of non-through-wired NPCS within a passenger train seems to be covered by the General Appendices* ( assuming all passenger-carrying vehicles were through-wired ) : "In cases where there is no through lighting control and Train Ticket Collectors are not travelling on the train, arrangements must be made for the lights to be turned on before leaving starting point or last stopping point, when such trains have to pass through tunnels, and turned off at the first stopping point after passing through the tunnels." ( * Railway Clearing House, 1st October 1960 ) .................. and please note, current day modellers - traditional passenger trains were only lit when necessary, not all day an' everyday as they are nowadays !

I think you've got your railways mixed up : Caramel and Cream was Gods - allegedly - Wonderful Railway. Overall maroon livery was introduced in 1956 so anything in front line use should have got a coat by 1960 ........ most of the twelve wheelers lasted a few years after that so it's unlikely many retained 'Blood and Custard' .......... except for those complying with Rule 1.

It may not just be covid that could cause delays ....... but we're not allowed to discuss politics on here.

Begs the question, of course, when did standard become standard ? The LMS Coaches books are far better illustrated than Harris and show some non-gangwayed passenger carriages with BOTH RCH jumpers AND individual lighting controls on the ends - so the matter must have been in flux at the time ( 1927-30ish ).

My video recorder's almost as rude - when I turn off the power it says P-OFF .........

.............. which will either be on BOTH ends of a vehicle or on NEITHER ! As a self-contained non-passenger carrying vehicle the onboard lighting is for the guard's use alone and through controls to the rest of the train - which would often be carrying only parcels - might not have been fitted. When I built my Chivers kit a few years ago I had your conundrum : photos in Michael Harris' Gresley Coaches book ( Mallard Books version ) seems to show that provision was made for through lighting control on these vans - but no jumper cables were fitted ........... but a contemporary 51' bogie van appears to have no provision at all : Mr.Chivers may have been hedging his bets !

I can't comment on the veracity of Golding's Mk1 drawings - but some of his Southern efforts certainly contain major errors. ( I've no idea what HIS sources were.)

According to the David & Charles 1973 'Gresley's Coaches "This compound-bolster bogie of 8 ft 6 in. wheelbase was developed by Gresley during 1908 with Spencer, Moulton & Co from their prototypes.". Spencer, Moulton & Co may have co-operated with either Metropolitan C.& W. or Cammell Laird at some time too - but I think Gresley's bogie was principally Gresley's.

It's always good not to have any UK Level Crossing Stupidity to talk about ........................ or am I tempting fate by saying that ??!?

Indeed - County Down.