chris45lsw

9ft pressed steel bogies: apart from Hornby (not sure if they are readily available) or Bachmann which are offered as spares they are offered by MJT (part of Dart Castings) and Southern Railways Group in various combinations (sales@srg.org). Chris KT

No, Fredo! But if you want to change one digit the following 3069x engines had late crests. 30694/95 and 97 had forward facing crests both sides. 30690/96/98 and 99 had left facing crests each side. Chris KT

Not relevant to rural Herefordshire but we used to see whole trains of Italian wagons at Wimbledon in the early '60s, delivering imported motor scooters. Chris KT

I don't believe Diagram 120s varied in length - they were 32ft over body / 19ft wb. But there were three near identical diagrams built on recovered pre-Group underframes which were shorter, ie:- D.170 31ft 8.25ins / 19ft 6in wb D.176 31ft 11.5in / 19ft 6in wb D.177 30ft 10.5in / 19ft 6.5in wb Items like axle boxes/springs etc were naturally different to the 'standard' D.120 variety. Chris KT

Only the 4 compartment Ironclad BTKs were handed. The 6 compartment BTKs and BCKs, and their pull-push derivatives all had left hand corridors. My set has Dart Castings (ex MJT) aluminium roofs which fit the Phoenix ends almost perfectly, Chris KT

Going back a bit the wheelbase of a LC&DR T class is 7' 4" + 7' 8" which is the same as a Midland 1F 0-6-0T so the Bachmann model might make a suitable donor. The continuity between LC&DR and SE&CR loco design is down to the fact that the LC&DR's chief draughtsman, Robert Surtees, became Wainwright's chief draughtsman. Basically Surtees designed Wainwright's engines and Wainwright made them look pretty! Chris KT

Although primarily GWR he also built a beautiful SE&CR "Continental" boat train for a customer which appeared in the MRC. Chris KT

Yes, the 247 Developments sides are no longer available. Chris KT

I know of at least one modeller who builds his Ironclads by overlaying the sides on the carcasses of Dapol LMS 57ft coach bodies. And, this is sacrilege, but at a pinch with half closed eyes you could pass the LMS 9ft wb bogies off as Warner 9ft wb 'VS' (single frame) bogies which these coaches had. Normally the Southern Railways Group/Phoenix could supply the correct 'VS' bogies (as well as double framed 'Dreadnoughts') and the requisite ends etc but we are out of stock and the ill health retirement of our caster has coincided with the Pandemic so it is difficult at present to make the long round trip to recover our moulds and attempt to make new arrangements but it is hoped to do so as soon as possible. In the meantime the only castings I can supply are the Pull-Push end + the duckets with droplights cut into them. I also have the plain duckets for the other end but not the matching ends! Incidentally my own set has 247 Developments etched sides, Phoenix aluminium floor and solebars, Phoenix cast ends and bogies, and a Comet roof! Chris KT

Many congratulations, Paul, on your move to pastures new. Chris Knowles-Thomas

I'm afraid they're the same as they ever were, Simon. So need changing. Chris KT

I think Goulding's rendition of the SE&CR bodied "3 Subs" is probably one of his two biggest bloomers (the second, in my view, is the 6 Pul trailer third). All the SE&CR bodied suburban electric stock had the Wolverton (L&NWR) style panelling which was the SER/SE&CR norm until the 1909 Birdcage 3-sets. Chris KT

Basically Maunsell 4-6-0s were not permitted to cross Meldon Viaduct so Meldon Quarry was as far as an S15 could normally go. This restriction was only breached during WW2 in 1944. On 16/6/44 N 1833 went off the road at Halwill ending up in the Beaworthy Road. Two attempts to drag it back to the rails using an S15, USA S160 2-8-0 and an N failed but a third try using Two King Arthurs (inc 453 "King Arthur") and three Ns succeeded. Special dispensation was granted to allow the 4-6-0s and 2-8-0 to cross the viaduct. Chris KT

I don't think the SR would have built any all new suburban electric units if it could have been avoided - it had always intended to use the bodies of redundant steam stock. But without the buffer of 55 new build units (26 W. Section and 29 E. Section) in 1925 there would have been difficulty maintaining the existing services as batches of steam stock were withdrawn for conversion. Anyway the departmental unit in the original photo is converted from two of the 1925 new build E. Section units. These were original "3 SUBs" (incidentally the SR never used this term) 1496-1524. When they were augmented to 4 SUB from Spring 1945 with Bulleid trailers they became 4 Subs 4326-4354. I'm a bit confused as to whether you want this type or one of the assorted conversions of pre-grouping stock - or both! If you'd have a LSWR conversion but as lengthened to 62ft by the SR Worsley Works has already done a version in 3mm and I'm sure he'd shrink it to 2mm if asked. Chris KT

I've only just found this thread which I'm now following with great enjoyment. The Bostwick gates are available from the Southern Railways Group, sales@srg.org.uk. £2 per pair plus post, £1.50 (assuming small quantity), ref SR90. Chris KT

Thanks, Tony, yes a bit; confirms what I suspected. I have tried car cans for crimson in the past but probably a bit garish. Still I'm glad my query prompted some lovely pictures of carriages! Chris KT

Tony I see you use rattle cans where you can to paint coaching stock - do you have suitable matches for crimson and cream? Thanks Chris KT

When I toured the SR Western Section for a week in 1961 (£6.50 Rail Rover for the week) as a schoolboy I got a holiday job at Joe Lyons Corner House in Tooting to finance the trip. I started at £4.75 per week rising to £5.25 by the time I finished. Our first night's B&B in Weymouth was 16/6 (82.5p) which was more than I had budgeted for and I feared we wouldn't last the week! However succeeding nights (Exeter, Wadebridge, Torrington and Tavistock) were somewhat less - I think Wadebridge was the cheapest at 11/6 (57.5p). Chris KT ,

I was in the West Country in Aug & Sep 1961 with a S. Region Rail Rover - £6 10s (or £6.50 in today's money) for 7 days! My notes tell me that I saw 84021 on Exmouth Junction shed (on Wed 31/8/61); 84020 in Crediton goods yard (on Thurs 31/8/61); and 84022 at Tipton St Johns working the Sidmouth branch with 2-set 108 (on Sat 2/9/61). I missed 84023! I see that according to Longworth they all went to the LM Region during September 1961. Chris KT

LSWR panelled corridor stock is a bit of a minefield - there were seven diagrams of BTK, mainly 56ft but one was 57ft and six diags of CK, the majority 54ft but one was 52ft and one 56ft. The 3-sets extant in Winter 1949/50 were (SR diagram in brackets):- 340 3144 (140) 5120 (282) 3169 (134) 341 3133 (131) 5075 (277) 3137 (131) 343 3100 (131) 5086 (278) 3142 (140) 348 3166 (134) 5123 (282) 3177 (134) 349 3104 (130) 5080 (277) 3163 (134) 406 3159 (140) 5115 (282) 3168 (134) 421 3173 (134) 5081 (277) 3176 (134) The diagrams in these sets were:- BTK (RHK = right hand corridor / LHK = left hand) 130 56ft RHK 131 56ft LHK 134 57ft RHK 140 56ft RHK sliding doors to luggage comp't CK 277 54ft 1113333 278 54ft 3311133 282 54ft 1111333 Chris KT

I've come rather late to this topic but if the Jidenco kit is too wide possibly the profile intended for 8ft 6in wide stock might fit? Chris KT

Yes I'd buy some of these in Coras Iompair Eireann green livery. Chris Knowles-Thomas

It was a pleasure to meet one of my 'heroes' yesterday, Tony, and I took no offence, either personally or on behalf of the Wish List Poll. I fully appreciate that an eminent and capable builder like yourself has no need to vote for anything rtr! Though to help normal mortals who, for example, might aspire to a Thompson Pacific you could vote for them and boost the numbers. Yes it's sad that a rtr model deprives a kit manufacturer of sales though, in this case, I would hope that Wills/SEF amortised their investment long ago. Of course those kits that have been sold will, naturally, have been bought by those who can build it (or think they can!), or can afford to pay someone else to do it. This is a small percentage of modellers so the availability of a rtr model does make that prototype accessible to the greater majority. It is stating the obvious, I imagine, that a year after the Dapol/RailsLocomotion models are released, the number of rtr D locos will no doubt vastly outnumber kit built examples in circulation. If the greater choice of rtr these days deters manufacturers from venturing into new prototypes that is another matter. Hopefully they can try to guess more effectively what the rtr boys are likely NOT to produce, though that's perhaps getting harder. There's certainly a vast choice of prototypes not yet made, not only locos but even more so carriages. I stress this is my posting and not on behalf of the Poll Team. Regards Chris Knowles-Thomas

Ds had slide valves and a coupled wb of 9ft. Es were 9ft 6in with Drivers 6ft 6iin instead of 6ft 8in - not really relevant in 4mm.

This is a bit off the wall but interest in Irish railways seems to be on the up. And CIE in Ireland was using 6-wheelers in revenue service well into the 1950s. But I don't suppose there's much chance of them being offered n CIE's two-tone green! Chris KT