FarrMan

A Happy New Year and happy modelling to all rob and all on this forum. Lloyd

That's not proper snow - the branches are still horizontal! A Happy New Year and successful modelling to sainty and all the helpful folk on this forum. Lloyd

And a Happy New Year and productive modelling from me to Gilbert and all the other experts in their own fields on this forum. Lloyd

As one to whom GWR is their favourite railway, I do appreciate this comment. In the same spirit that all railway modellers look the same? Lloyd

I will echo what Bucoops has said. I used to tell my students that I would not knock marks off for bad spelling, because I could not be sure that it was bad spelling! I did get some interesting mis(?)spellings, including 'If you want to work on the Rook' (he meant roof). I suggested that he should be a vet instead of a civil engineer! (For that, I have just had to correct spelling of 'suggested'! I think my favourite one was not a mis-spelling, but unfortunate choice of wording. 'If you plan to put the new road through the old battlefield, you will have to consult historic bodies'. Having said all that, may I in turn wish Tony and all the (better put in others before Tony takes it the wrong way) knowledgeable and helpful contributors to this thread (i.e. everyone except me) a very Happy New Year, and productive modelling in the next 12 months. Lloyd

What a wealth of information there is on this thread! Very many thanks to all who have taken time to respond to my initial query, three pages ago now. I had never noticed that coal and mineral wagons did not have side doors going full height, though looking at Atkins et al on GWR wagons, I can see it now. The different densities of the cargoes are also useful to know. Though loading is given by weight, it is usually judged by volume (i.e. is the wagon full to the top), and therefore more dense cargoes such as minerals would need to be smaller for the equivalent load. Thanks again for all the info, and for Tony letting us use his thread for what interests him least! Lloyd

Very many thanks for the very informative contributions re wagons. One query though. Can someone tell me the difference between an general merchandise open wagon and a mineral wagon, and is a coal wagon the same as a mineral wagon? Thanks in anticipation. Lloyd

Even the white of the frost is away from here now. As in the past one of my responsibilities was road maintenance, including gritting and ploughing, the thought of snow no longer excites me. When you are trying to keep roads passable with 16 feet of snow, it loses some of it's novelty. That was in an area where it had been known to snow in August. Later I lived elsewhere, no longer responsible for such things thankfully, but where the main road in (the only road in at that time) was once blocked by snow in June. Both were in the UK. Lloyd

Thanks for this useful guide, Bill. I would add A History of GWR Goods Wagons by Atkins et al, and for inspiration on how to load wagons (and occasionally how NOT to load wagons!), Freight Wagons and loads in service on the Great Western Railway and British Rail, Western Region by J H Russell If it is any use to you, Mark (or anyone else), I am in the process of producing a number of spreadsheets of GWR wagons in number order. It is very much a work in progress, but if it would be of any help, PM me and I will send you the current version. I am doing the same for coaching stock, concentrating on NPCCS (i.e 'Brown Vehicles') first. Lloyd

The effort to get them, which increases my gratefulness includes, or better is increased by, the photoshopping and focus problems. Lloyd

I find all the views good and nostalgia inducing, but as I spent more time on the down side of Spittal Bridge than anywhere else, that has to be my favourite, but I understand your reluctance to perform the necessary contortions. The thought of the effort that you have made to get them increases the gratefulness at the result. As has been said by others, many thanks for the regular fix for our addiction to PN, and best wishes for the new year (we do not keep christmas ourselves).

That's the sort of thing that I would do! Lloyd

Go to the bottom of that sheet, and select the range that you want. They are in separate pages for 1-9999, 10000-19999, 20000-29999, 30000-39999 and 40000-49999. The other two documents are similarly divided. Lloyd

Thanks Mr Rob. I will attach the first section, numbers 1 to 49999. There are a lot of details that I can still fill in, e.g. some lengths, widths, etc., as it is a work in (slow) progress, but at least it is a start. Any information and/or advice greatly welcomed - PM me with it. I have been through the wagon diagrams list in Atkins et al, History of GWR Goods Wagons, and the HMRS book on Iron Minks, and the GBV and Shunter's truck allocations on GWR.org, but my library is a bit limited. GWR Wagons 0-49999.xlsx

I have been preparing a list of GWR wagons in numerical order from what information that I have to hand. The habit of giving odd vacated numbers to new wagons means that quite a lot will be missing, but I hope it will be of use to others as well as me. The low numbers appear to have quite a few duplicate numbers at the same time, which I find confusing. I suspect some will be from the various coaching stock number systems, which I am also working on for NPCCS, but I do not know which. Would Mr GWRrob allow me to put it up here for the experts on this site to help me, please? Lloyd

I think our exiled Cornish friend is saying that realistic means it looks right, though may not be, whereas authentic means that it is right, though may not look it. Lloyd

No. Just rather confused. I am glad I am not a psychiatrist. Lloyd

I am not aware of any shenanigans at a doctor's surgery on the isle of Lewis recently? I do not think that they are still trying to get the railways planned 100 years or so ago? Lloyd

Several years ago, I had a strange dream. I was cleaning my teeth with a cut throat razor, when I realized that something was wrong - I had not used any toothpaste. No wonder my students thought me totally mad. Lloyd

Can you give me details, please? Lloyd

Should have gone to the valleys, then, not Devon! Lloyd

I have some old Peco points and point motors, unused for 30-35 years, and they are rather stiff. I have some (equally) old Electroclean and Electrolube. Is there any problem using them on the points and motors to try to free them, or is there another method that I can use? Also if I have to buy new point motors, what is recommended these days? Any help greatly appreciated. Lloyd

Credit to them as well, but it must be the way you showed them how. i would love to take you up on your invitation to visit you some time ago, but family circumstances make it difficult just now. Lloyd

That could be taken from Crescent Bridge, though may need a step ladder. Lovely reminiscence, though. Thanks. Lloyd

What lovely models. They must be a credit to their tutor. Lloyd