Tony Cane

I have a special use for my Oxford banana van. This is as the stores van for casualty evacuation train 334.

My prefered toll for repetitive drilling of small holes is this. This in a minature rechargeble screw driver with a separately purchased pin chuck. The pin chuck has the round spigot filed to crude hex shape to fit. I can't find this version on Ebay now but others are avilable for less than £14. drill chucks that will fit with out adaption are available but rather expensive. This saves an awful lot of twiddiling.

According to EM Gauge Society's Permanent Way and Civil engineering book, The original L&M track used Birkenshaw type rail, 15 ft long, 35 lb/yd. This was laid on stone blocks except in Olive Mount Cutting where it was spiked to the solid rock. It then goes on to say that the rest of the line was laid on oak sleepers bound at the ends with iron hoops. The wrought iron rails had a 2.25 in wide head and the underside was a series of "fish-bellies" of 2.5 in to 3.5 in deep. Joints were supported in chairs. It was soon found that the chairs spiked direct to the rock in Olive Mount Cutting were breaking and sleepers in ballast were substituted.

The go to place for such plates use to be Kings Cross. There is still an on line list http://www.gcrsociety.co.uk/Kxppg.pdf But I do not know if they are still available. LSWR 529 does not seem to be listed.

The Kadee range do various springs as spares for their couplings. There are UK sources.

Your 2 insulated joiners per crossover ignores the possible connection between the frogs on oppsite sides being set such that one is connected to the outer rail and one to the inner rail. The 4 insulated joiners at each crossover eliminates this problem

The two rails that diverge from the frog require isolation. This requires 4 insulated rail joiners at each of the crossovers linking the outer circuit with the inner.

This must be the simplest option.

I decided I really needed van No16 to complete the Wisbeach train, and also added a horse box

I intend to build a model of the exhibition coach show below. This picture was published in the Model railway Constructor in 1982. While I have chapter and verse on the ex LSWR vehicle it was converted from, I have no idea as to the colours used. I know it is a longshot, but does anyone have any further information?

If it is the same as on the F15/16 then I have one available. PM me your snail mail address.

Langley Models do a range of chain sizes The finest size in black can bee found here https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/cx005-ultra-fine-black-chain-40-links-per-inch-for-ooon-10351-p.asp

There is no other information about these vehicles in the book

Acording to the three part history of the LMR, this is an ex Taff Valley brake van one of two bought from the GWR in 1927.

While it is perhaps an unrelated special case the roof of GWR railcar No 19 was painted white in March 1940 as was one of the earlier railcars. A later picture, the cover of the AEC Gazette shows 5 of the new railcars with white roofs. The parcels railcar No 34 (diagram showing livery dated April 1941) had a grey roof as built. See The History of Great Western AEC Diesel Railcars, by C. W. Judge.

Having looked more closely at the graphic of the WWII ambulance train ward car I would like to make the following comments. All the evidence I have, including one colour photograph, is that the lettering on military ambulance trains was in white, not yellow. The 4 digit train/coach code number was repeated at the ends above the corridor connection. This is just visible on the picture of car 3207. The roof tank had two filler caps as per the image below. The diagrams I have of train No 32 confirm the locations of louvers and doors still in use but do not indicate where the windows are on the two types of ward car. The post war conversions, back to “normal” service, are the only guide here. Apparently the number of windows increased from the original intensions, due to “customer” complaints.

Delighted to see that an ambulance train ward car will be included in the range. Below is my attempt at one of these cars built nearly 30 years ago. The view of the roof shows why the post war diagram O 59 appears to have a missing roof ventilator. While a full ambulance train needs typically 14 vehicles, it is documented that while a train was being built the completed ward cars were used as single units, attached to passenger trains.

Conversion to ward car for Casualty Evacuation Train. One down five more to go.

One problem with changing the arm is that the stops, to limit the angle the arm moves through, are built into the pivot at top of the signal. Not impossible but, tricky to build into the replacement arm.

I would make a simple jig so that ther was no need to make a mark. For example a piece of at least 1mm plastic sheet about 2mm wider than the sleeper with 1mm x 1mm added to each edge. This is then drilled in the centre with a 0.6mm hole, and if the length is the same as distance between the chairs, the hole will be centred both ways. To use place over the sleeper and drill through the hole. For a delux version add a handle at one end to make it easier to use.

For surface mounted locations this might be suitable.

For surface mounted locations this might be suitable.

If tanks were regularly loaded and un loaded at the depot then a ramp would be built. A typical example can be found her https://penistonearchive.co.uk/the-railway/ Scroll down fo two pictures of a concrete ramp.

The best single source that I know of is the book The Big Four in Colour. Can be obtained for about £5.00 including postage.

Is the infromation here sufficient confirmation? https://www.departmentals.com/departmental/975154