Chuffed 1

But is it? Perhaps in variety but not in volume. The sales today are a fraction of what they were in the 1960’s.

But how much of a ‘mass market’ is there nowadays? The days of mainstream model railways are long gone. And, if I know all about Rapido ( and Accurascale and Hattons and Dapol and Rails) you can bet your bottom dollar Simon Koehler knows ten times as much. It’s his job. He has form in this game.

TBH, I’ve felt for some time that Hornby’s has lost their way since Mr Kohler’s return. The H class, the Lord Nelson’s, the GWR coaching stock and others had me making them the manufacturer of choice. But even leaving aside the Terrier, the 66, the Prairie and the four and six-wheeled coaches, I found the new stock either uninspiring or too modern. I also notice a sloppy ness in their numbers chosen, as I noted on the coaches thread. But this takes the biscuit. And so pointless, it’s picking fights on all and sundry like some drunk in a family pub. The irony of it all, is that whilst Hornby has been roaming around picking fights, other, newer manufacturers are commissioning more accurate models of a better quality at a lower price. The trade doesn’t need this sort of behaviour and I definitely won’t endorse it by buying any Hornby product until Simon Koehler finally leaves.

Good point, well made!

The one coach that I want - the rebuilt Maunsell composite dining saloon is a) in Southern branding, which it probably only carried for eighteen months, being rebuilt in 1947, and b) is numbered 7844 - withdrawn in 1954 due to accident damage, so I can’t just rub off the southern! For some reason Hornby seem to have a habit of producing stock with a limited livery life - H class 31265 and Lord Rodney spring to mind. Still, most people aren’t as obsessive about date verisimilitude as me!

It seems to me that much of this offering is weighted towards the collector, rather than the operator. Maybe that’s where the money is now. Agree that types more useful to operators ought to be included, and that there does seem to be a cold shoulder to the Southern and the Western left for other manufacturers. Wonder who will produce a Hawksworth County, a Maunsell W class or a new rebuilt Royal Scot? Is there a recently-tooled Johnson 3F out there at the moment? Perhaps the H class 31278 with P-P and flat bunker? We can but dream.

Yes. But those interested in the subject will still read it!

You’d have thought so. Maybe there weren’t enough of them and it was easier to batch fit the ‘standard’ 12 ton van with different (softer?) buffers? FWIW, my grandad’s mill was New Northfleet in Kent, always the most up-to-date kit. When he took over in ‘44 he replaced the works shunter with a Peckett as he considered them the best for factory/gradient work. In turn the Peckett was replaced by a Diesel Sentinel as soon as they came out.

In relation to the above comments, why some virtually standard vans were solely for the use of margarine, my grandfather, who managed the paper mill that had the Stork parchment contract told me this; ” Margarine, in the early days, was distributed to grocers in large tubs. Inevitably these tubs - which unlike butter didn’t need chilling - were stored next to all manner of things, of which paraffin was the most pungent and possibly also a de- emulsifier. Inevitably the margarine went ‘off’ and became little more than expensive grease. Therefore, after the war it was prepacked at the factory in parchment with strict instructions that it should be kept away from industrial products to avoid taste contamination.” So there were designated vans, until the produce carriage was lost to road. I would imagine the buffers were of a progressive design to prevent the contents ‘squidging’ in transit. Certainly they were the only clue years later, that they had carried margarine.

Nearly five years late, but from the Mk1 Supplement it would appear that from late summer 1961 ways of strengthening both ends and drop doors were being actively investigated with three of the ER allocated vehicles (33,46 and 54) being docked for repairs. This proved successful and from a year later any horseboxes requiring repairs had stiffening bars added.

Didn’t all-round livery occur after Eastleigh’s introduction of the airless spray process? Mid-sixties onward?

Any idea when the next H class appears? We could do with 31278, this had the unique combination of flat sided bunker, late crest and motor fitted. It was also one of the last five in service, lasting until October ‘62.

I don’t know if it’s already been mentioned but every noon for a week now there’s a 37-371 Bachmann Presflo for sale…. Except it’s not, it’s an Airfix body on a Triang chassis. I’ve told the vendor but he’s still listing it…

Not entirely the case, actually. The fruit was generally imported green and was sent to specialist ripening rooms before being sent to the wholesale markets. Steam heating and speed (in ‘summer’ when southern steam heating hoses were usually removed for refurbishment) were both critical in ensuring that the fruit environment didn’t fall below 7 degrees centigrade when blackening would occur. The ships would not be refrigerated for just this reason. The fruit would be released when pale yellow for sale and distribution. It was then up to the greengrocer to sell them before they over-ripened! Unfortunately banana rooms and knowledge of banana handling have gone the way of the big wholesale markets, which is why over ripe bananas and pre-blackened green fruits now proliferate.

I shouldn’t worry too much about your choc’n’cream coaches if you model post 1961. By 1962 they had cascaded to cross-country services to places like Ross and Cheltenham-Kingham. Similarly, Ross and Fairford saw blood and custard Collets too.

Wasn’t Acocks Green accessed from the road bridge, hence no need for a footbridge? Apologies if already commented, but the Metro at Oxford’s B set is clearly labelled Fairford Branch.

Bit perplexed on these liveries. Firstly, there is no evidence Lyn was painted black, as Baldwins stipulated dark green (a standard Baldwin colour, I believe). Secondly, the maroon roof on the first repaint version. What evidence is there for this? Finally the ‘bandit effect’ of the black mask on the cab sides around the window. Again, what evidence is there for this, especially in the post January 1929 final livery? Every photograph I’ve seen post 1922 shows a single colour across the cab sides. Why would the Southern in particular change a standard livery for one loco? None of this appears to be borne out by ‘The L&B Measured & Drawn’. Mystifying.

The current Lyn is not the same as the January 1929 livery the original Lyn carried to scrapping, as mentioned earlier. There was no ‘post-1932’ livery on the original. It was repainted in standard Southern 1929 livery as per the aforementioned Precision Paints data.

Ermm not quite. Bananas were never chilled as they blacken below +6 degrees, which is why the vans were steam heated. Ditto delays to the transport, particularly in winter. The fruit was first taken to special ripening rooms and depending on how green they were could spend up to 36 hours in the rooms before they were boxed and sent to the wholesale market traders. My first job in Birmingham Wholesale Markets was working for the former ‘Banana King’ Rob Pryke, hence I was fully indoctrinated in looking after the fruit. The Banana Rooms were beneath Moor Street station and the wagons came down in a lift. As to spiders in the stock, yes, I got a pal some casual work in the rooms in 1980 or so and on his first day found a vicious bird eating spider! Snakes also occasionally turned up too. Having frequently eaten perfectly ripe bananas still warm from the rooms, I can’t eat cold bananas! Unfortunately today bananas don’t get ripened properly and green bananas may have been chilled or left out in the cold so they blacken before they ripen. Tesco’s bananas are good but other supermarkets are a lottery. Not all ‘progress’ is real progress.

Regarding Dapol’s rendition of BR Loco Green (it’s actually not Brunswick Green) I recall having a Triang Albert Hall for a present in 1966, just after they were first released. I was struck at the time how realistic the green was, a sort of dull darker green, unlike Hornby’s Bristol Castle. This of course was only twelve months or so since I’d seen the last in steam and there were still scrap lines with the odd ex-GW loco in. Like Hornby’s 1950’s version of blood and custard and Triang maroon, I’ve always found contemporary model liveries more authentic than more recent renditions. Except, of course, the aforementioned Castle!

Have just reordered one, Comet LMS bogies and opted to replace the ventilators though some examples were similar to Lima’s version. For the buffers I replaced them with ex-Hornby Gresley buffer beam assembly cut off one of the spare under frames bought from Hornby spares, and going spare. These give sprung half-moon buffers close to the prototype and really transform the ends. Just remember to cut off the gangway buffer stubs. Roger

Bought some Elite close couplings about two weeks ago, received them three days after the order and they fitted perfectly. They couple closely together and would be perfect for my fixed Southern sets, with Kadees on each end. All set to buy a hundred to equip my passenger stock, when I did the maths. 10 Hunt Elite will cost me £11.95. Shopping around, I can get 8 Kadees (2x2packets) for the same price. Now whilst Hunt Elites are visually less obtrusive, the Kadees would allow hands-off shunting and inside sets, wouldn’t be that visually intrusive. So with only 25% extra for the same money, why buy Hunt Elites? That being said, I will almost certainly equip my Mk1’s with the Elite Cranked, but stay with Kadee elsewhere. To reiterate, Hunt Elites are a lovely product, just not the complete game changer for me. edit: cheapest Kadee #18 now £7.00, free postage!

Blimey! According to Parkin just 230 Mk1s were painted crimson/cream. 230 coaches in 160 weeks doesn’t seem a lot? Roger

Forgot to mention, BR(S) still had crimson non-corridor coaches running in 1961 - ‘Southern Vans & Coaches In Colour’ shows Long 10s 1098 & 1069 as running that year, the latter withdrawn in October ‘61 still in crimson. 1098 was repainted into green before withdrawal in December ‘62.

Rule 1(a): There’s a prototype for everything!