David_Belcher

The namings didn't get completed until well into 1965 IIRC? David

HD policy seems to have been to always have different running numbers/names for 2R & 3R versions. The EMU motor coach and the AL1 electric (3R by special factory order only though) appear to be the sole exceptions? David

I see you've remembered the Gresley bogies, which I think all of the 1st-gen 25kV suburban EMUs* had...except for the ones (306) which were actually an LNER design!! David *Clactons don't count. BR had bigger plans for that design at one time, such as Euston-Birmingham-Wolverhampton/Walsall semi-fasts.

Weirdly these used a 58ft underframe, not the standard LMS 57ft. IIRC they also had a pretty unique livery when they first appeared, being lined out in the usual LMS black/straw way...but painted green not maroon! David

(I'd also forgotten that very similar units to the London District sets worked on Merseyside until the mid-60s, so that's another possibility). David

Great work there. The Mk1 suburbans lend themselves to a few non-SR MU designs IIRC - 504, 305, 307 (with flat cab ends) & 308 also? David

Ingenious! On this theme, Farish/Airfix LMS suburban stock could easily be hacked about to give MSJ&A or London District 3-car suburban sets? David

Not the clearest photo going but the footplate now has a chassis slot; rear of the chassis block altered to accept a Scotsman trailing truck. Getting there!! David

I read that to myself in an Alan Partridge "I'm not driving a Mini Metro"* voice. David *"No, no, it's different. It's called a Class 23 now" "They've rebadged it you fool!"

Here's one I made earlier (well it is Blue Peter - couldn't resist)... Where things are at so far: GBL body disassembled ready for the footplate section to have a big slot cut in it. Wire handrails added to loco & tender. Comet metal buffers replaced the wonky GBL plastic ones. Tender chassis still needs doing, likewise the Princess chassis (now with correct open-spoked wheels) needs some hacking at the rear to accept a Scotsman trailing bogie (with correct wheels added; it had disc ones which an A2 shouldn't). Cylinders (9F) are lurking in the pic, valve gear out of shot in the bits box along with cab interior, crew figures and brass safety valves in lieu of the crude plastic GBL efforts. Also, the GBL cab doesn't seem to have the distinctive A2 "lean in" (it shows up well in 'The Last Steam Locomotives of British Railways' by Ransome Wallis) that the Trix one captured well? David

Progress! Iolanthe is looking nearly but not quite done whilst the 12 wheel brake is trying on its bogies for size (Hornby with a couple of earlier pattern Hornby pivot points chopped up and bodged on). Needs truss rodding though. Both have gangways, and look better for having Keen Systems buffers. David

They did a 5-plank open too, I have a couple of these redone in BR grey plus metal wheels. There was also the twin vent van which was based on the standard SR design but (unlike the trusty Ratio kit) with the wrong roof profile. The single vent van in the and wasn't a bad match for certain LNER types IIRC. David

Wasn't the green one referred to as Class 3 and the two-tone one as Class 5 (note Class not Type) in some Meccano communications? Implying that the green one was nearly but not quite a 37 (I'd imagine a Dublo chassis in the Triang body would make a better 37 than with the original Rovex A1A bogies)? David

Yup, just a line drawing of a proposal, I think. Possibly Brian Haresnape's book? David

The best short-cut to a home-made Baby Deltic using vintage bits is a Triang 37 body chopped about to fit the Dublo 20 chassis. Real life ended up aping the model world as that's effectively what they're doing at Barrow Hill... David

Wasn't there a proposal to fit at least one unrebuilt loco with outside Walschaerts in the early/mid 50s due to ongoing issues with chain drive and oil baths? I forget where I saw this but couldn't 100% swear to it without a literature reference. David

Non-corridor compo and a cafeteria car (the predecessor to the RMB idea) IIRC - I built both and probably have some pics of the Blood & Custard cafeteria one somewhere; I used a Tri-ang RMB roof (with the requisite fans/vents) and a home-made seating unit for added detail. I probably should have kept it with hindsight... David

The GF cars are a close match for some of the ones that wound up painted maroon (unlined?? - I'm sure Ben Alder will know) as ScR catering cars on the West Highland and ex-HR lines too. David

Coincidentally, I was doing a bit more work on my new acquisitions last night after some paints arrived in the post. Iolanthe just needs the roof detail and glazing sorting plus a bit of brass paint on door handles etc. Spruced up the cream panels which makes a difference, the original GF cream looks a bit pallid compared with Humbrol, not quite enough yellow? Plus the factory-second brake car finally has some cream panels and looks more like a Pullman now! David

Were there reliability/tooling issues with that version of the Triang turntable? I always preferred it to the later one with the the manual crank handle disguised as a water crane, which never looked as realistic. David

Exactly what I thought...the guy with the shovel is similar to the figure in either the Merit platelayers or coalmen & scales sets? David

The ones in Iolanthe are staying, but the brake and the other parlour car seem to be factory seconds and never had any to begin with. MJT is usually a good bet for fiddly coach bits though. David

It's about all some of the wonky ones are good for!!

On the subject of extra detail for coaches, can anyone help with suggestions for 4mm table lamps? Thanks, David

Just a bit of a bump here - does anyone know of a good source for replacement (non-working) Pullman table lamps? Plastic instead of brass would be absolutely fine. The ones sold for Hornby Pullmans look a bit steep for how few you get in a bag. Thanks in advance. David