Pteremy

I think this endless teasing is a mortal sin. Shame on you.

I have seen recommendations for 'latex caulk' (gap sealant) rather than PVA glue, on the basis that it waterproof and more easily removable. Have not tried it myself yet but I am planning on doing so.

A quick update on the roof issue. I ordered the BR Grey 'Worcester' version early this week (in addition to my original preorder). This one has a noticeably smoother fitting roof and as a result the bowing is much less obvious. One of those things you only notice when looking for it. As for the original Yeovil (P.M) no surgery yet, but I did put some black tack over the central side magnets to see if I could increase the grip. It doesn't fix the issue completely but the bow is now no worse than the 'Worcester' example. So worth trying as an alternative to gluing.

So - if I understand correctly - lucky you. If the issues are a function of particular versions then, for the record, mine is a BR 'Yeovil (P.M)'

Interesting. I didn't have that - but in jiggling the roof into place I wasn't sure whether the magnets were acting as such or whether I was feeling a frictional contact between them. Thing is the roof itself is not bowed, so surely the bow must arise from a stress being created along the length of the roof? In your case it seems that the central magnets were strong enough to overcome that stress. I think that i will try thinning the 'ribs' underneath each end of the roof.

Mine has arrived. As well as the roof I have a slightly wonky footboard, but I am sure that will fettle back straighter. As for the roof mine was on the wrong way round when it arrived. In fitting it correctly the slight bend manifested itself. But I don't know whether the retaining magnets are at fault. TBH in doing the fitting it felt as if the roof was just a little too tight a fit. No doubt it will fettle right - I would prefer that to gluing.

My service vehicle (as opposed to Titfield star) is in the post. I am hoping for an effect like Stonehenge and the Summer Solstice - look through a window at the right angle with the sun/light in the right position and the interior will be lit up as if by a host of angels....

Ah yes. The reference to AA23 is on page is on page 480 - I was looking for some reference to conversions generally, in the end section detailing changes made to Toads after building. With a bit more time I have had a look at Larkins Acquired Wagons Vol 1. There was a much earlier Diagram - AA11 - which was provided with vacuum brakes, some of which survived until the mid 1950s. Larkin also provides the vehicle numbers of Diagram AA19, AA20 and AA23 Toads which were vacuum fitted by BR. Finally, some 'AA23's were built by BR after Nationalisation as Diagram 1/502 and Larkin identifies 3 that were subsequently vacuum fitted 'after 1956'.

I like to spread my money around, to encourage anyone who is clearly making a real effort to improve the quality and range of what is available to us. But equally over the years I have tried to reduce Rule 1 purchases to the absolute minimum. So my 2 Manors will be pretending to be 73xx Moguls until such time as someone, presumably Dapol, plugs that gap. And after that they will appear on 'specials'.

A few pages back there was a discussion about end plates/gangway protectors, and a nice photo of the end of a siphon was posted. Did we ever get more info about the date/location of the picture?

From a quick look at Atkins, Baird & Tourett I can't see any reference to conversions. But there was a specific diagram - AA21 - under which 100 Vacuum fitted vehicles were built in 1939/40, financed by the government at the outset of WWII (AB&T p478)

Did they ever provide an update anywhere on the corridor versions they intend to produce, since the reference in the original announcement?

I was thinking that Rapido seem to like the opportunity to provide variety rather than simplicity. Perhaps the availability of any preserved vans would influence the choice.

Possible the first issue is 9ft (1920s) or 10ft (1930s) wheelbase? It isn't my direct area of interest, but when I looked at LMS vans a few years ago it seemed that there was a family of 10ft vans starting with D1808 which evolved through the early 1930s.

So I have to be honest - i don't think that the crews have worked. Too 'furry' and too translucent. I would rather have paid twice as much for something that really worked. Please don't stop innovating - but do please admit that this are not quite right.

If there is a straightforward conversion hopefully someone will post it on here before long. But i have found the availability of Dapol spares a bit hit and miss - starts off with stocks of everything but gaps start to appear quickly.

Are the crews on double time (or similar) if they have to wait for their locomotives to arrive?

Have spent a couple of days researching the Bow End family of GWR corridor coaches. In doing so used the really excellent Great Western Railway Coaches website: http://www.penrhos.me.uk/c/index.html Then checked what it said about E140s and E145s and was astonished to see that 24 E145s were built with 7ft bogies and 26 with 9ft bogies. Which suggests to me that the distinguishing feature between the 2 diagrams was probably the design of the underframe - 2 truss rods rather than the 4 of the E140s?? The gift that keeps on giving!

Comments earlier in the thread suggest that a few made it into the 1960s but with a 9ft wheelbase they would not have lasted long (1964 is mentioned as a possible cutoff point). There is photographic evidence in the 4th volume of David Larkin's Acquired Wagon series.

For the record my brick loads arrived. I am not an expert on 3D printing but they appear to be rather low grade 3D prints, with as much striation as intended detail. So not very realistic - I will have to cover them with a Tarpaulin and use them as 'covered loads' in something else. Perhaps someone else will produce a better version.

It is the colour of the droplight window frames that are the difference between 'as built' and what I assume to be 1950s BR 'standard' (from the photos I have seen), not the lining. But if you can find photos of 'as built' frames persisting late into the 1950's I would be interested to see them.

An entirely separate point but I hope that there is a Modelu tie in to this - some figures to populate the excellent interior.

It is an excellent book. I seem to be in the grip of 'Titfield fever' - whilst waiting for the Rapido models to arrive (including the entirely unnecessary wagons) I have accumulated a Peco station kit, a WSS Dutch Barn kit and have an Oxford diecast steam roller in the post. If anything else is announced with a Titfield theme I may have to relinquish retirement and get a job.

I have a note saying that 80976 was allocated to Taunton when new 20/8/49 - but (annoyingly and unusually) I don't have a reference for that info. I am surprised that it still had a SYP in 1978 - I had assumed that it would have been FYP long before that. But then again I am surprised that it is still in WR chocolate and Cream at that time. Perhaps there will be a 'standard' 1950's version in a second batch.

There is a photo of 80976 with SYP, the livery being made, on the 'Taunton Trains' website (being towed by a Hymek). https://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/photos/gallery/class35/4 The date is April 1966. I don't know when the SYPs were applied or how long they lasted. I know of photos of unidentified Inspection saloons at East Anstey in April 1963, and Bideford in September 1964 which have yet to receive a SYP. I suspect a version in WR chocolate and cream without SYP (other than the 'as built' version also being made) would have covered a longer operational time span in the 1950s-early 1960s. But that hasn't deterred my preorder!