Pteremy

Are we any closer to a 2nd run - or at least some O62's in 1950s livery/condition?

It has probably been mentioned before but I would have thought that some Grain Hoppers would be good. Bachmann have done at least one excellent BR version - but I am sure that an LMS version would be popular. Something for both mainline and private siding/industrial use. I think that most of the complexity would be in the basic tooling (but I may be wrong!).

Copied from my post in the KR Models Mica B thread I have managed to track down a couple of references from old RMweb threads. The first is a Mica B at St Erth in 1960. This is on page 113 of Welch's 'Western steam in Devon and Cornwall'. It isn't a close up shot but it is clear enough to see that it still has end roof vents, 2 handrails on the ends, the end steps (including the latterly added central one at the top) and is in a relatively clean white livery. In a different thread there is a suggestion that the St Ives Branch generated traffic for other types of refrigerated van, possibly fish. Update: there is an article in GW Journal 97 which says that during the 1950s two traders in St Ives sent fish away by rail. The article mentions a Bloater attached to the rear of a midday passenger train. But perhaps insulated vans were also used at other times, particularly as the Bloaters were withdrawn over the course of the decade.

Yes. The 'X' shaped bracing on the ends makes it a W1 or W5, as per the Cooper Craft kit.

Some years ago I tried to modify the Parkside kit to give it a post war appearance, with some of the louvres replaced in a haphazard fashion. But I couldn't get it to work. The main issue I had was scribing the edges of the 'replacement' planking to match the kit moulding - the filler was prone to flaking away from the plastic, giving an uneven edge. I tried a couple of different types of filler but the result was the same. I think I even bought a different product to try but the moment had passed. It will be interesting to see whether that sort of conversion will work better with the RTR version.

It has a bespoke blue-grey livery in the film and as far as i can see (from photographs) isn't even numbered let alone given a lettered use designation. (The recent Castens book does not record a vehicle number.)

Nice choice. Doesn't look as if they have included the gas piping on the roof, but maybe that is just the photograph.

So now we just need an accurate RTR Cattle Wagon?

True - but those are things you have to look for, whereas the presence or absence of a top feed is apparent from virtually every angle and viewing distance, much like the livery. Still, I am sure that Dapol will make a good job of the bodywork, in whatever variations they tackle.

Quite so - and the reason for my interest. On the Exe Valley Line photographic evidence suggests that in the final years 1440 had no top feed 1957-59 but had one by 1960-61 (when it was transferred to Gloucester); 1451 had a top feed 1957-59 but had lost it by 1962-63; 1471 had no top feed 1959-August 1961 but then had by one late 1961-63. Whereas 1466 had a top feed 1959-63.

As far as I can see although livery differences are specified for the different versions of 14xx there is no indication as to whether a particular version will have a top feed - there is just the general text 'top feed where appropriate', whatever that means. As someone interested in the BR versions for a particular timeframe (when some would have had top feeds and some not, whether black or green) I would need to know whether they will have top feeds or not before making a pre order.

Various GWR versions are covered by articles in Model Railway Journal numbers 24 and 25, with some follow up letters on the subject in 26. Many years ago I tried to understand the subsequent BR versions and was surprised to discover some slight variations between building lots let alone diagrams numbers.

Yes research is fun, whether on line or in books. But if a manufacturer is offering a range of liveries, some with quite subtle variations, I am sure they are doing so on the basis of their own detailed research, including photographic evidence. So why not share some of that information, including published source references, with us?? It is not as if they are giving away their own intellectual property. It evidences the efforts they are going to to achieve a high degree of accuracy. And it allows us to make better informed choices in our preorders.

Is it possible to have some approximate date ranges for the different lives? I can't be alone in being more generous with Rule 1 for wagons, because when modelling mixed freight trains and yards variety is everything. But I do like to stick to accurate time ranges. I am particularly interested in the Ice Blue vans. I read that this was introduced around 1964. But is there anything in the lettering/data panels etc that would fix either version to a later date (after summer 1965 in particular)?

Well it does distract the eye in what would otherwise be excellent photos.