Pteremy

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 But perhaps insulated vans were also used at other times, particularly as the Bloaters were withdrawn over the course of the decade.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.

is it an illusion - or have you finally fixed the wonky railing on the embankment?

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. There is also a reference to a Flickr photograph showing Mica Bs in a freight with BR built meat vans passing Aintree station en route to Bankfield Goods Yard. This is dated to 1957. Try as might I have not managed to track the actual photograph down.

'What goes with what' is one of the first steps most people take in developing model railways as a hobby, after the simple pleasure of watching something (anything) go round and round has waned. Hornby are doing a good job in getting new products to market, particularly alongside the bluetooth DCC push. But it is difficult to see any coherence in the timing of releases, particularly if you want to attract established modellers. TBH there is more coherence to the expanding Era 1 00 range, where existing regional/era preferences may not be a significant deterrent to developing a sideline interest and, perhaps of relevance, there is unlikely to be any competition.

Thanks for the update - sounds like I should get mine sometime during April.

Although being lunar based the New Year celebration only lasted from the New Moon on 10th February 2024 to the following Full Moon, which was 24th February. But it is certainly a big hiatus every year.

Do you have the same postcode as the church? If you take SATNAV as an example there are clearly some people who overlook the blindingly obvious preferring to believe what the information on their 'device' is telling them.

Hopefully there will be another 'despatch update' soon.

Yes, I can see that now. I think I was fooled by an optical illusion, an apparent 'step' at the base of the yellow dot, which is just where the panel is kept cleaner, around the letters and numbers. Indeed, looking at pictures of the real thing it looks as if the shape of spurious panel is intended to 'represent' this feature, which seems to persist even when vans were subsequently in Departmental service - e.g. p25 of Gamble's British Railway Vans v2 in the Cheona series

The faux luggage is a great idea. Adaptable to other contexts - like DMUs

As I am here.....has anymore been said recently about the delivery of the Crump coach? It seems to be a completely different timeline to the railway items.

12 of the sound functions on the Titfield version are extracts from the soundtrack of the film

With excellent Banana vans appearing from Accurascale and Rapido recently I thought I would have a go at a couple of Dapol/Red Panda conversions, for added variety. Am I right in thinking that you did not attempt removal of the spurious body side panels? Instead you seem to have camouflaged them by adding the large chalk board that these van had, plus it looks like you have scored a line to represent the correct pattern corner support?