Mike_Walker

Like Chris, The British Columbia Railway was another passion which I visited frequently. To start here are a couple of visitors to the line. MPEX 9902 was a rare MK5000C built by Morrison Knudsen with a 5000hp Caterpillar engine as an attempt to break the dominance of EMD and GE in the North American locomotive market. It is seen at North Vancouver on 30 April 1998 whilst being evaluated by BC Rail. No orders were forthcoming either here or anywhere else and the prototypes were sold to the Utah Railway. The last thing you'd expect to find in BC Rail's North Vancouver yard! BR Pacer 142049 was sent to Western Canada at the time of Expo '86 and was actually used on a brief demonstration passenger service on the Southern Railway of British Columbia, the former British Columbia Electric, in the lower Fraser Valley. 6 June 1986. Mike

Here are some more including some shots from the front of the RDCs on 19 September 1979. RDC 9064 restarts after making a special stop at the Hayward Road crossing north of Duncan to let off two visiting British railfans visiting the logging museum. We had intended alighting at Duncan but when the crew found out they told us it was a long walk so offered to stop at the closest point and pick us up on the way back! Personal service. The Arbutus Canyon bridge at mp 14.9, 425' long, 220' high. About to enter the only tunnel on the island at mp 15.6 near Malahat. It was only 145' long so the engineer delighted in crawling through so that passengers thought it was longer than it really was! E&N last spike cairn at Cliffside BC mp 25. Driven by Sir John A MacDonald on 13 August1886. Not as impressive or well cared for as the one at Craigellachie but still worthy of note. Quite a crowd awaits the Dayliner at the Cowichan flag stop. Those were the days. South of Duncan the former CN line on the island, closed many years previously, crossed the E&N on this trestle. For many years CP loaded traffic to/from the island at the Waterfront Yard in Vancouver. Here cars are being loaded (or unloaded - I can't remember which) onto the 'Carrier Princess' on 13 October 1981 although I think this might have been heading for Alaska - perhaps someone could confirm. Fast forward to 2 June 1986 and we find SW8 6701 sitting outside the Victoria roundhouse. By then things were very obviously in decline compared to seven years earlier. Mention has been made of the logging operation at Woss Camp. After a long drive the length of the island I was informed nothing was operating that day (3 June 1986) so I had to make do with this dynamic-brake equipped SW1200 sitting in the yard. Finally an E&N locomotive! As one last throw of the dice, CP set up a separate business unit to operate the island reviving the Esquimalt & Nanaimo name. GP38 3004, and possibly one other - I can't remember, was painted in this attractive livery but is seen here in Coquitlam yard on 10 July 2002. I'm not sure if this was on its way to the island or after returning following the spinning off of the E&N. The slight weathering would suggest the latter. Late news! I've just found a pic in my collection of 3005 taken at Mission City a couple days earlier also in E&N green but with the yellow overpainted in a lighter green and contemporary CP lettering applied. So there were at least two and it was after the CP E&N operation ended. Ah, memories! Mike

All this coverage of Vancouver Island has made me nostalgic and sent me delving into my own collection. First, back on 15 September 1979 we find CP Rail Budd RDC1s 9064 and 9067 at the Victoria terminal which at that time was near the roundhouse. Here's the Johnson Street drawbridges - there were two side by side, one for rail which looked better maintained back then, and one for road. Downtown Victoria is the other side. At this time trains only ventured across very occasionally to serve some industries but during the 1980s the passenger service was extended to a new station just beyond the bridge. A general view of the Victoria roundhouse after the RDCs had gone "on shed" later the same day. Plenty of modelling inspiration here! A closer view of the roundhouse and its turntable. The three passenger cars are part of the BC Museum's exhibition train which was visiting the island, The motive power visible comprises a pair of GP9s and 6621, a MLW S11. One of the Geeps, immaculate 8822, was moved out of the roundhouse and posed on the turntable for the British visitors by resident CP mechanic and railfan Ken Perry. At that time there were at least four Geeps on the island and next day 8487 and 8499 are seen arriving at Victoria with the freight from "up north". 8499 and 8487 running round their train before heading to the roundhouse. Ken Perry refills the sand boxes on 8487 from the classic sand tower.

That's one aspect but there is also a large amount of signalling equipment located along the trackbed of the former p1 which would be complex and expensive to move. It was therefore easier and cheaper to reconfigure the former p2 as described above.

Would be about right as you can see the work on the new P&R and preparatory works for the platform realignment at St Erth. GWR do their own route videos for training in HD.

Lelant Saltings has been superseded by a new, larger P&R facility at St Erth, few trains call there now.

On the GWR the convention was to number from the Down side but, as with all such "rules", there were/are exceptions such as Bristol Temple Meads.

To say nothing of Lac Megantic, Quebec probably the worst of its type.

If you watch the Telegraph video above you'll see 60062 and the front part of the train some way ahead. It is reported the driver uncoupled and drew the front part of the train clear - brave man indeed! 66004 dragged the rear portion clear uncoupled by the fire service under instruction from railway staff it seems. There is a trailing crossover where most of the wagons seem to have come off which may or may not be relevant.

Thanks to all for such interesting replies. Mike

I found this photo on the web. Would I be right in thinking the two coaches are W3755W and W3756W which are D62 'City' Brake Thirds now preserved at Didcot? The GWS website says they survived by virtue of being converted for use by miners by stripping out the interiors 1957 and fitting propane gas lighting in 1960. It would appear most of the doors have been sealed but it also appears to have an Autotrailer-style gong and additional window added in the brake end - does this indicate push-pull fitting? The somewhat leaky Pannier is noted as 9786 but the location isn't given. Could it be on the Glyncorrwg Branch? The presence of battery boxes underneath and no gas tanks would suggest sometime between 1957-1960. Mike

Except that the US "Tier 4" emissions standards are as tough as the latest European which is why production of the GM 2-stroke engines ceased some time ago. Presumably the 710s for the 69s will be reconditioned units recovered from scrapped North American locos or other sources - 12-710 engines in locomotives were somewhat thin on the ground most were 16 cylinder lumps.

Many if not all of the EMD F Series B units were equipped with "hostler controls" mounted inside next to one of the access doors. Additionally, many of the F3B and F7Bs so equipped had a hinged "porthole" next the controls which could be opened to look out. This can be seen as the centre window of the B unit here which is a F7B rebuilt to resemble a F3B. Here it can be seen in its more usual position as the last porthole next to the door. This VIA ex-CN F9B appears not to have hostler controls, at least not the opening window although one or both might have been removed when the unit was upgraded. In addition to E and F series B units, EMD constructed some "Cow & Calf" pairings of switchers designated the TR (Transfer) series such as this somewhat battered Belt Railway of Chicago TR4B. These combinations are similar to BR's Class 13s and should not be confused with the engineless "Slugs" created by some railroads from standard switchers. As mentioned the British Columbia Railway received eight custom-built M420Bs from Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in 1975 numbered 681-688. These did indeed have remote control gear allowing them to work in the mid-train position without a separate control car, hence the RCL (Remote Control Locomotive) prefix. They also had hostler controls inside the door where the cab would have been. Other "modern" B units were supplied to both Burlington Northern and Santa Fe before the BNSF merger. Burlington Northern received 101 B30-7AB units (4000-4100) from General Electric in 1982. Santa Fe had the last B units built, 23 GP60Bs from EMD in 1991 as part of its "Super Fleet" numbered 325 to 347. Finally, a handful of second-generation SD units were rebuilt without cabs following wreck damage. An example is BNSF 7505 , a rebuilt SD45. Note that in addition to removing the cab, the dynamic brakes were moved to a position where the cab/nose used to be. This helped increase their efficiency by moving them away from the hot prime-mover. This was also the reason the d/b's were moved in the SD50s and subsequent EMD models. This former Norfolk Southern SD40 was converted to a B unit by CP by removing the seats and control stand and plating over the windows. Several units, including CP's own SD40-2s were modified in this way to save upgrading the cabs to meet changing regulations. Hope this is useful. Mike

Are these of any help? OOC 45 ton Rapier steam crane TDW16 (built 1947) assisting in the clear up at Ruscombe on 18 Nov 1973.

Too much to hope they might produce Isle of Wight versions in the future?

I was under the impression that lined out black 5700/8750s were confined to OOC for Paddington ECS work although they did escape to other parts of the London Division from time to time.

I think it was the emergency brake valve that was painted red located to the right of the handbrake (see pic). From memory, wasn't the GWR type ATC attached to a panel to the right of the driving seat just inside the door from the saloon? IIRC this was basically the same as that on steam locos and was cancelled by a leaver on its side. The push button on the desk came with AWS - the units were dual fitted for some time.

There is a 1 in 105 falling gradient from JT6 towards Chalfont & Latimer. However, to reset the tripcock on a Chiltern 165 you press the "uncouple" button which has a protective flip-up cover and will only activate with both the PBC and direction selector in the neutral or off positions. It is therefore extremely unlikely the train restarted itself. Like others, I can think of several possible scenarios causing this incident but whilst we now know what happened we must await the RAIB report to find why and who did/did not contact who. This was an initial press release by the RAIB an therefore has to be brief (vague) in what it says.

Having just taken delivery of the excellent Bachmann Bubblecar (it had the dislodged axles on delivery too BTW) I've been reading through the 117 and 121 thread and noticed that in the early part of that there was an interesting discussion on some of the non-standard formations that appeared on the WR London Division in the late eighties and early nineties. Having lived within earshot the Bourne End to Marlow section for the past 63 years I'm familiar with the various combinations used on that line. As I hadn't joined the forum back then I thought it better to start a new thread here rather hijack the Bachmann thread. Following dieselisation of the 'Marlow Donkey' in July 1962 the use of Pressed Steel single units with or without the matching trailers were universal with 3-car 117s appearing at peak times and regatta weekends. The first interlopers appeared in May 1970 when three Park Royal two car units arrived at Reading for the branches and were regular performers on the Marlow branch for the next two years. Here's W50414 with W56168 in the old bay platform at Bourne End on 21 May 1970 soon after they arrived. Sorry about the quality - it was taken on a Box Brownie, W50413 and W56169 arriving at Bourne End from Maidenhead on 20 May 1972. They were withdrawn not long after with the Bubblecars returning. The next change came about when initially some 2-car Metro-Cammell sets (DMBS+DTCL) arrived. Set L202 comprising 51225 and 54372 at Bourne End on 28 March 1989. Mention was made in the Bachmann thread of the unique 53155. Here it is with Class 121 DTS 54287 forming set L206 on 3 May 1989. Having started life as started life as a standard DMBS it later received a first class compartment although I'm not sure when. The small fleet of BRCW Class 104 power-twin units allocated to OOC primarily for the Gospel Oak-Barking services did escape onto the Thames Valley branches from time to time as exemplified by a very smart looking L701 comprising 53437 and 53479 at Bourne End on 20 April 1989 with a Bristol VR in the short-lived Bee Line livery in the background. Another hybrid combination: Class 116 DMBS 53083, which had been allocated to the London Division for many years and formed into various Class 117 sets, with Class 121 DTS 56289 forming set L210 at Bourne End on the evening of 2 August 1990 working the peak Maidenhead-Bourne End shuttle with 55031 ready to go to Marlow. The London Division's small fleet of Class 118s also appeared from time to time. Here's set L476 squealing round the curve out of Bourne End heading for Marlow. This is another Box Brownie shot and I don't have a record of the date but it would have been circa 1970. Here's the prototype for Kernow's exclusive, 55020 freshly painted in GW150 livery at Bourne End on the evening of 7 June 1985 with DTS 56280. Tyseley's T305 also made a guest appearance on the branch on 31 August 1991 for a gala day organised by the Marlow-Maidenhead Passengers' Association. My good friend Mark Hopwood (then a BR management trainee and a MMPA committee member in those days and now of course MD of GWR - on secondment to SWR) was responsible for having it sent down for the day - an amusing tale which we won't go into here! Here it claims to be heading for Skegness - not having a London Division blinds, the crews had much fun running with a variety of "destinations" displayed all day. Also present was brand new 165005 sent over from Chiltern for the day. It wasn't in operation but was available for inspection heralding the shape of things to come although it would be another two years before Turbos took over the branch on a regular basis. If anyone's interested I can post some pictures of rarer visitors to the branch. Mike

No, the 117s and 118s were all fully lined out from delivery like this one, it was only the 116s that were plain green.

Last time I tried purchasing from Precision Paints they used Yodel who failed to deliver after three attempts and having had a Streetview image of the house sent to them. They got to a pub 100 yards away but said that my property did not exist - it's on the same main road. When I contacted Precision Paints to cancel the order I was told it was a regular occurrence and they thought "most of their couriers couldn't speak English". When I asked why they used that courier I was told "because they are cheap". Says it all really, be warned!

I have recently acquired 31874 in early black (32-165). Does anyone know if the moulded coal load is removeable? The exploded diagram enclosed suggests it is a separate item with the coal space correctly modelled below. As the plastic lets down an otherwise excellent model I'd like to run it with a half-full load of real coal rather than a full load plus.

56048 at platform 1A at Paddington acting as the “staff bus to Old Oak Common”. 23 August 1990.

How's this? 1453 appears lined green with old crest in my collection.

The Slough to Birmingham evening freight was usually a 9F, 92220 on occasions, later became a Brush 4. Regards Mike