chris45lsw

MRC Specials:- 4 Buildings 6 Locomotive Kits 7 Model Drawings Reference Book The 'Modelling' series didn't bear the MRC title but included, as well as 'BR Today' &'the LMSR' - 'BR 1948-1968' and 'the GWR' (any others?). The MRC Planbook series:- 1 Bulleid Coaches in 4mm Scale 2 BR Main Line Diesels in 4mm Scale 3 BR Electric Locos in 4mm Scale As well as these soft covers there was a series of hardback 'MRC Annuals' for several years - from memory something like 1979-1986 (?). Chris Knowles-Thomas

I shall ask Mike next time our paths cross if there's any possibility of his doing an EMU book - it would certainly be an improvement on a certain book we won't mention. At present Ian Allan was to have brought out his book on 'steam' stock other than Maunsell, Bulleid and Pull-Push. Fingers crossed it eventually appears under the Crecy imprint. Chris Knowles-Thomas

According to Mike King's drawing all eight compartments in the TCL had double sliding doors. Also, as built, there was a partition in the corridor separating the five 1st comp'ts from the three 3rd class. This was removed in the 1950s. The TCL remained 5 x 1st/3 x 3rd (later 2nd) to the end but the TC which was built as 5 x 1st/4 x 3rd ended up as 2 x 1st/7 x 3rd (2nd). Chris Knowles-Thomas

Hello Jack The tender of 932 'Blundells' was rebuilt to be self trimming like the Lord Nelson tenders in July 1938 when it gained the high sides. 932 was repainted black from malachite in Aug 1945 and regained malachite July 1948 (with BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tender side). Obviously after your period of interest but the tender was transferred to 30905 'Tonbridge' in Aug 1958. This was the only tender so altered by the SR, Repton's being done post preservation and is not quite the same. Presumably you've based yours on pics of 926? so on your model the high bit extends too far back and the transitions were more shapely on 932's version. Also I would say your high section is a tad to high as far as I can see. Great modelling as usual. Chris Knowles-Thomas

What's the distance between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town? Chris Knowles-Thomas

I once went on a railtour which visited Sheringham using an HST many years before the crossing was re-instated. It took quite a long time for everyone to detrain via the one coach which was in the platform! Chris Knowles-Thomas

Unfortunately none of the 1935 BCKs were formed in 2-sets with older stock. Nor were they B sets, and they were BTK + BCK (not two BCKs). In the Appendix to the Carriage Working Notice they variously bore the reference over the years - S, R or P. Six of the 1935 BCKs were in 2-sets with matching 1935 BTKs and when the BCKs were taken for Pull-Push sets they were replaced by older BCKs. Most of the 1935 BCKs were loose until some were formed in rather mixed long sets after the War, mainly for Southampton boat trains. And, of course, all became Pull-Push in 1959/60 except for four which remained unconverted including 6686 now on the Bluebell. There were some other 2-sets BTK/BCK formed pre War of all 1929 (ie Hornby) stock and Hornby have done the correctly numbered coaches for set 199 in green, ie 3736 & 6657, though they haven't applied set numbers. The 2-sets formed in 1948 and later, ie 22-31 were a mixed bunch but mostly had 1935 BTKs. With one exception, though, they all had older, 1925 ('low' window) or 1929 BCKs. The exception was set 22 which had both BTK & BCK of the 1935 variety. All this emphasises that there is not much point in Hornby doing the unconverted 1935 BCK unless they do the matching 1935 BTK, and ideally the 1935 TK which features in several long sets formed otherwise of older Maunsell stock.. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Yes a lovely little film. The station is Luckett and the coaches are 50ft 'gate' brake compos as converted from former steam rail-motors. They must be 6557 & 6558 which sometimes ran together; sometimes singly. They did not carry a set number but were described in CWNs as 'set A'. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Yes, it would be nice if Hornby produced the pre-pull push conversion version of the 1935 brake compo and it would make a useful 'loose' coach (diagram 2403). But it would be even more useful & versatile set wise if Hornby also produced the matching 1935 brake third to diagram 2113 and diag 2008 all third. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Hello Jack 1267 would be a third. On the SR, ultimately (after various changes), Thirds were numbered in the range 1-2500; Brake thirds 2501-4390; seconds and Brake Seconds 4391-4500; Composites 4501-6400; Brake composites 6401-7000; Firsts 7001-7700; Brake firsts 7701-7780; Saloons (including catering vehicles) 7781-8000. I don't think you needed to paint your droplight frames brown - Maunsell coaches repainted malachite green would have had green frames. Hornby are wrong in painting their post war liveried Maunsells with brown frames. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Yes, a stunning model. 2365, as it was then, had a moment of fame when it was attacked by a low flying German fighter bomber on Romney Marsh on 28 Nov 1942 which resulted in a burst boiler. The plane's wing tip caught the cab roof and crashed nearby. 2365 was, of course, repaired and fitted with a spare boiler, continuing in service until Dec 1952. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Hello Jack Your engine does have the correct frames (fitted by the SR in 1930) which were common to 3125 and 3520. 3488 was the odd one out because it retained its original frames. However in 1947 3520 had a Drummond boiler so you'd be better re-numbering it as 3125 which did have an Adams boiler from 1945 to 1954. The M7s which were painted malachite green by the SR were:- 242 Dec 1946 243 Aug 1947 676 Dec 1947 but, according to Peter Swift ('The Book of the M7 0-4-4Ts' / Irwell Press) 242 & 243 were not lined, unlike 676 and the BR repaints. Three more were done by BR, so they had 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' (Gill Sans) on the side tanks:- 30038 Aug 1948 30241 July 1948 30244 Sep 1948 All, as said before, all short frame locos. Love the quality of your modelling by the way! Chris Knowles-Thomas

I can supply Phoenix 8ft 6in Dean at £8.50 per pair plus postage. I have 12 pairs in stock at present but will be ordering more shortly. Chris Knowles-Thomas chriskthomas@waitrose.com 01636 892010

Yes, I should have said that the only SECR stock painted BR green on the mainland were some 10 compt seconds and some pull-push sets. Naturally the late surviving IoW fleet, of both SECR and LBSCR origin was BR green. The 54ft 1in SECR coaches which went to the island were, of course, quite drastically, rebuilt. Chris Knowles-Thomas

I believe the only SECR non-corridor coaches to carry BR green were some 10 compt seconds and some pull-push sets. LMR blue would, strictly, be incorrect for these coaches as the LMR examples were 54ft 1in stock. Chris Knowles-Thomas

The red livery examples are numbered as set 595 - BT 3428 / CL 5468 / BTL 3500. Presumably thatwil be carried into production. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Three of the Bluebell's birdcages - 3334, 3363 & 3582 (SR Nos) are all 50ft 1in coaches. Only 3410 is a 60ft 1in coach like the Bachmann models and is, indeed, the only survivor from the 60ft 1in 'trio C' sets. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Yes it is unfortunate that the official title of the 1949 red was crimson lake when, of course, it is completely different to LMS/MR crimson lake which, as said, returned in 1956 as BR 'maroon'. Yes it was J N Maskelyne, editor of the Model Railway News, who said in the July 1949 issue - "The colour on our new cover, however, is as near as we can get to the B. R. coach colour for steam trains. It is quite a handsome colour which I have seen variously described as crimson lake, scarlet and carmine; the last-named would seem to be correct, for the actual colour is not a true crimson lake and is nowhere near scarlet!" Chris Knowles-Thomas

An interesting point - when W13 came back to the mainland in 1949 it ran as 32677 still in Malachite green until it was repainted lined black in Autumn 1952. Chris Knowles-Thomas

I received my CK yesterday and it is missing its gangways both ends! I suggest other CK buyers make sure they check their purchase. There were no such problems with my TK, BTK & BCK received last month. Chris Knowles-Thomas

Some sets ended their days in Southern Railway green but it is believed none were ever repainted S. Region green. Chris Knowles-Thomas

As said before the 54ft 3-sets were maintained just as rigidly as the 60ft ones in the vast majority of cases. And the 54ft sets did not run on BR in original form (only on the IoW in rebuilt form). In both cases, as built, only the centre lavatory compo had a dynamo and battery boxes. The sets were intended to be indivisible and this saved the cost of two sets of electrical equipment per set. Of course it was a nuisance if a coach developed a defect - the whole set had to be withdrawn for repairs. When the sets started doing less 'fast' work the SR found that one set was inadequate for three coaches and from 1931 fitted an extra set. In the case of the 60ft sets the additional dynamo etc was fitted to the brake third - the lavatory brake thirds never had lighting equipment while in 3-sets. Chris Knowles-Thomas

There were 20 54ft birdcage sets (ie 60 coaches), SR Set Nos. 543-562, and, actually, most of them stayed as 3-car sets for all of their Mainland life so they are as 'limited' as the 60ft sets. More so as they are of little use to the BR period modeller - The 52 surviving coaches in capital stock were drastically rebuilt between 1947 and 1949 and transferred to the Isle of Wight. I don't believe that any featured on the K&ESR (until the preservation era). Incidentally if anyone is prepared to attack such expensive coaches, then it should be possible to model Pull-Push set 660 using the appropriate Bachmann coaches. Chris Knowles-Thomas

The leading coach is a Maunsell Restriction 1 (8ft 6in wide) 'Non-descript' (ie un-classed) open brake to diagram 2654. The rear one is harder to make out but I think it's a 'Continental', probably, a brake first either diagram 551 (R0, 8ft wide) or 552 (R1, 8ft 6in). Chris Knowles-Thomas

Yes, the 700 and Highland Barneys were dimensionally very similar and both had 7ft 6in + 9ft 0in wheelbase, while the wb of the Caley Standard Goods was only 3in (1mm in 4mm scale) shorter, ie 7ft 6in + 8ft 9in. All three classes had their boilers pitched at 7ft 3in. Chris Knowles-Thomas