31A

Just now, davidw said:

If they've done heavy duty bogies then perhaps catering stock is on the cards.

Although I think they would have had 8' 6" w.b. bogies?  I think the 8ft wb Heavy Duty type was confined to BGs?

Just now, davidw said:

Oh looks good. Were they lined at the top?

Haven't looked at any pictures of real ones to check, but I think it's one of those things that was sometimes done and sometimes not.

It seems to have been unusual for ex LNER coaches to carry the upper lining, but some did have it.  The Bachmann models of passenger carrying ones in maroon that I have got haven't got it.  I think manufacturers usually copy pictures of the real thing for livery details, so quite possibly they've copied one which did have it.

Funnily enough I was watching The Thirty Nine Steps film (with Kenneth More) on Talking Pictures TV the other night, where he is getting in and out of coaches at Edinburgh and on the Forth Bridge and at one point it was very clearly an ex LNER coach in maroon with the upper lining, which struck me at the time as being odd!

1 hour ago, harriermate said:

My thought was to place a scalpel blade behind the brass bearing strip and bend it inwards slightly so that the axles have less lateral play.

I think that's what I would do if they were mine, but it does seem strange that they seem to have been supplied with wheels that don't fit, so I wonder whether they're not the original wheels for some reason?  I'm not that familiar with Roco wheels myself, perhaps others may have some ideas...?

Picked up my Full Brake this morning, following a phone call from Monk Bar Models.

A beautiful model, as to be expected - it really puts the old version to shame.  Good to see (but only to be expected!) that they've given it different bogies to the passenger coaches, having modelled the 8ft wheelbase "Heavy Duty" type (with deeper frames).

As mentioned above, it is the 34-362A version, running number E19E from the ECML allocation; the 34-362 model had not yet been received by Monk Bar.

31 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

That will conclude the postings on here for about a couple of weeks, but I'll return with images on the July 2006 Polish trip, based in Wroclaw, after that short break.

Thank you for posting all these; fascinating stuff!  I thought I did quite well for European travel earlier this century, but I'm quite jealous of the places you got to!  Looking forward to the next lot, as and when....

13 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

Good job it's not electrified on the third rail system.

The signals seem to be 'black'!

Might these help?

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/tools/sm8/

12 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

They've arrived apparently as I've just received an email from Bachmann announcing that.

Andrew

Thanks for the heads up Andrew, I'll expect a call from Monk Bar Models sometime soon then!

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Their big problem is that while increased frequency was intended to handle the total numbers on the core section of route between Reading and Birmingham that doesn't meet the peak demand - either pre-Covid or now.

I don't have much experience of the Reading-Birmingham section but would add to that the Birmingham-Derby-Sheffield-Leeds part of the XC route.  The scrums and bun fights over that section (seemingly almost any time of day) puts me off travelling from York to Birmingham, especially as there aren't so many of the "faster" ones via Doncaster any more (roughly two hourly, formerly hourly).  In contrast if I happen to go north from York on one they are usually much more comfortable.  Although I rarely do as I (back on topic!) much prefer an LNER Azuma if doing that kind of journey.

1 hour ago, mullie said:

I too have photos of Siphons on the M&GN.

 

Is that A Bachmann Thompson full brake, I have one in blue and am not sure how good a model it is? Mine is in BR blue so might be worth revamping?

 

Martyn

11 minutes ago, great northern said:

No, its a kit built one that Steve @31A built for me a few months ago. Definitely superior to the Bachmann one.

In fact not a Thompson one but a steel panelled Gresley type BG - note for example the domed roof ends.  Another difference is that there is a Guard's ducket, but it is on the side which isn't visible in the picture.

Bachmann are actually bringing out a completely retooled Thompson BG which will no doubt be streets ahead of the current, dated, model.

5 hours ago, russ p said:

Has the loco ran past the red?

3 hours ago, DaveF said:

It does appear to have gone past the red signal but I cannot remember the details of the signals at Darlington as to whether there is another signal further along.

The signal might have reverted after the loco passed it?  Or could just be the effects of a zoom lens?

I've always thought mine was a bit fast, so out of interest I went and timed it.  It takes about 42 seconds to turn through 180 degrees.  It's driven by a home made gearbox using Meccano gears and a 9v motor from an old reel-to-reel tape recorder.  It's supposed to represent a vacuum driven turntable although I haven't got around to making the vacuum bits (or the handrails).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI53GOhwJZM

Does this help at all (from 0:30 secs approx); it doesn't look like a constant rate of revolution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnBrKC5BFdI

That looks like a brilliant trip Graham - not AT ALL jealous!  Interesting that you got a 'proper' train on the Albula; I've never done the restaurant car but would love to!

1 hour ago, great northern said:

I just find it too bland, but your opinion would be welcome.

The real sky is like that sometimes, but I think I prefer the one in the first picture, with the clouds.

5 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I imagine they'd be impossible to remove in future, should ever the need arise if the thread is deformed. 

 

Thanks Tony.  My "method" goes back to the days before cyanos and thread locks were available, or at least not available to me. and I got fed up with the crankpins unwinding themselves when I thought I'd screwed them in tightly.  I didn't anticipate a situation where I'd have to remove them, and neither do I think I've ever needed to! 

15 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

One thing I've encountered (though not on my own models) is Romford crankpins working loose over time, resulting in locos jamming up as the pins unscrew. 

The engineers on here probably aren't going to like this, but after I've screwed the crankpins in tightly I turn the wheel over and put the crankpin between the jaws of a vice, then hit the back of the crankpin with a centre punch!  I aim to hit it slightly off centre which deforms the thread and stops it unscrewing....

There was some stuff about this on Facebook groups including from the man behind the Mangapps railway, and apparently various interested bodies had looked into saving it but came up against insurmountable difficulties.

Mostly due to the proximity to a live railway with live overhead wires.  I think it was said that it would have needed a possession and partial dismantling of the overheads to crane it out.

Apparently there were obstacles to getting it out by road on the side of the station where it was (overhead line structures in the way I think, not being too familiar with Shenfield station by road myself I’m not in a position to say).

There had been a proposal years ago to get it out on wheel skates to Chelmsford low level yard for taking by road from there, and that would have meant finding a long enough gap in traffic, but apparently the price wanted by EWS as it then was was the killer.

The general consensus seemed to be that it was now too far gone to justify the effort, especially as there are other Sharks on heritage railways already anyway. 

Not a large town, but Gobowen station had a coal yard that was served until relatively recently using air braked hopper wagons; I’m not sure when it actually finished.

2 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Yes, that's clear with the hand lever. The one in the earlier photo didn't appear to have a lever (unless it's lying flat on the ground), hence my question.

I don't know to be honest but I was under the impression that they used the same sign regardless whether or not there was a hand lever; such signs seemed to be quite normal at catch points on the GN lineside at one time!

17 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

I seem to remember on the GN some such signs were actually lettered "SWITCH".

 

This one was by the flat crossing at Retford.  You can see the hand point lever to hold it closed for movements in the wrong direction.

4 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

S for switch or spring?

I seem to remember on the GN some such signs were actually lettered "SWITCH".

20 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

Are they catch points, or are they expansion joints on an early installation of Long-Welded Rail?

I think they are Catch Points, as they have the sign next to them to indicate that they are.