BillB

Hi, I see both Mistral and REE box a Renault VH. Are these the same model (with variations) in different boxes, or of different manufacture, please? If the latter, what are the pros and cons, please? The Mistral VH models tend to come with trailers. Same question for the Mistral and LS Picasso models? BTW the plastic buffers on my REE VH look frighteningly fragile! Grateful for any comments, Thanks, Bill.

Thanks very much for the narratives on branch-line stations. Bill.

Thanks very much. I just had a look and I see Bonnétable has a symetrical 3-way. I have one, but had decided they were not prototypical! I also see an interesting goods shed, an indication of the size appropriate for this size station. There are some old postcards of Bonnétable online that show the passenger trains used the centre track and the island platform, leaving the track close to the station building and goods shed free for wagons. Thanks again, Bill.

Hmmm! Trees is a good idea, as they might mask the front of the F/Y and avoid the need for a hole-in-the-sky wall type scenic break altogether, they would just fade away as I get to the end area I need to reach across. Thanks, Bill.

Perhaps I should have said for context, my current plan, which I am laying out with Peco track on the baseboard, is for a single line to emerge from the F/Y into a Peco 3-way point in the station throat. The F/Y will be a straight track serviced with PECO Loco-Lifts. Passengers will be served by a choice of diesel autorails, initially a REE Renault VH and an R37 Renault X5500 series Mobylette. Maybe later also a Mistral FNC X 5600 class with trailer. Small French diesel railcars seem numerous and fascinating, and several have been modelled. For goods wagons, the 3-track fan in the station area is intended to allow it to be operated as an Inglenook with the loco using the F/Y as a head-shunt when necessary. This can be done using tank engines. The Piko ex-Saxon 2-6-2T and 0-10-0T are both 5.5” long over buffers, whilst the Brawa G 7.1 is only 7.4” over buffers, and ex-Wurttemburg Hh 0-10-0 is only 7.8” over buffers. The period is early post-war, as both my railcars are Ruby Red and Pearl Grey. (I thought Ruby and Pearl were barmaids at the Dog and Duck!) Merry Christmas, Bill.

England has / had lots of road bridges over railway lines, even on branch lines, hence the standard disguise for the entrance to the fiddle-yard, often doubling as the station approach road. My tours of French country stations via google streetview show roads mostly cross railways at ground level, so I am wondering what devices French Branch Terminus to F/Y modellers use to mask the transition. I don't want to model, in effect, an English station with French buildings and rolling stock! A building can block sight of rails passing thru a "sky" wall, but a building on the viewing side of the track requires a wider baseboard than I have (a 65" long x 9.25" wide shelf layout). Or maybe narrow shelf layouts are not a French modelling idiom. Also interested in French branch terminus track plans. and facilities. I know what an English terminus would have, Station Building, Goods Shed, Cattle Dock, etc., but not a French one. BTW I was worried the Jouef / MKD station building kits were of too-grand buildings, but I have noticed that real French country stations in villages of maybe 1,500 population do have buildings identical to the Jouef Gare de Neuvy or MKD Fay-aux-Loges. (Gare de Neuvy is Neuvy-sur-Loire, and it and all the adjacent stations are similar, same for Fay-aux-Loges and the stations up and down that line) All thoughts and ideas gratefully received. Bill.

I just got this neat little shunter from Heljan, mainly because it's (D2592's) first allocation was Wakefield (Dec 1959 - Jan 1964). I'm wondering if the real thing would have had the range to operate a small branch line. In particular I'm thinking of the East & West Yorkshire Union Railway branch to Newmarket Colliery, which ran past my house (but was actually operated by steam tanks). The line ran westwards from the colliery to Patrick Green, where there were (in the 1960s) the remains of some old sidings, points, and maybe a passing loop, then past the remains of a derelict and largely demolished WW2 Ministry of Supply depot, where one could find empty boxes stencilled WD for mortar bombs and grenades! Where there had obviously been extensive warehouses, sidings, and rail loading facilities, and on in the direction of Lofthouse, where I assume it joined the LNER main line. So maybe 2 - 3 miles. I have found info on the 05, 300 gal tank, 204 hp, 18 mph top speed, but not the range. But I have seen the wiki photo of 2599 trundling thru Goole towing a brake van + 4 vans + 2 open wagons. Grateful for any info, Bill.

Hi, I note that the Bachmann Southern 4-wheel PLV (Bachmann 39-525 series) has lots of big ventilators on the sides and ends that the Hornby Southern 4-wheel Passenger Brake Van "C" does not (Hornby R4301 series). Does this mean they were used differently / had different design purposes? I wondered if the prototypes for the Bachmann van were designed to be able to be used for milk traffic? Other perishables?? Or some other reason??? And were either / both types used on the Isle of Wight? Or were there other territorial differences?? Either way they are both great looking vans, full of character, and sufficiently different to make an interesting contrast. Grateful for any info. Best Regards, Bill.

Finally for now, here is another in the family, gare de Château-Renard, also now a private house. It is pleasing to see so many of these old station buildings preserved, and it is interesting to see that on several the tracks have been left in place in front of the houses. I hope these pics inspire someone!! Best Regards, Bill.

And here are 3 pics of Donnery, the next station west of Fay-aux-Loges, which has the 2-storey station building turned lengthwise to the tracks, giving a 3rd possible arrangement for the MKD kit. Donnery is the station I mentioned but forgot to name in my last post. Again a population of 2,861, so a small town, and the station is some walk from the town. I'm posting all this so that having done the work it is not lost to posterity!

I should have said in my last post that pics 3 and 4 are the platform side and road side of Vitry-aux-Loges, the 2-bay version of the station building. Below are 2 pics of Fay-aux-Loges now, the closest one can get on streetview!

Wow, thanks, lots of useful info and links there! I see from the link to garesbelge.be several stations that look like the Jouef Gare de Villeneuve / MKD Gare de Villiers kit, which is about the smallest of the Jouef / MKD plaster rendered station building kits, and many of the grander Jouef / MKD buildings (e.g. Lusigny) would not look out of character, though too big for my purpose. Meanwhile, I spotted the MKD kit of la Gare de Fay-aux-Loges, and also an old postcard of that building on ebay which shows the kit is close to the original. I found the Fay-aux-Loges station building still standing on streetview. Also neighbouring Vitry-aux-Loges still standing, almost identical except one bay shorter (two instead of three sets of double-doors), and another disused station west of Fay-aux-Loges which has the 2-storey station house aligned along the platform rather than end-on as in the kit, all of which shows there is scope to bash the Fay-aux-Loges kit into a smaller station / different looking station that is also accurate. Vitry has a population of 2,216, and Fay-aux-Loges 3,691, so either would suit the size of community / passenger volumes I have in mind for my “end of the line”. BTW all three preceding mentiond staions have been turned into houses and are in good condition. As an aside, streetview is a great boon for a modeller to examine buildings / understand atmosphere, and it is a great pity it is disabled for Germany. It is also great to walk virtually the streets your ancestors walked in real life!!

Been scouring ebay and manufs' / retailers' websites for a likely looking kit without seeing the perfect fit. It needs to be a small staion building for a branch terminus to F/Y type "layout on a plank". Lots of small station kits that look too "German" (too much timber frame with brick in-fill), and a couple of French looking ones (smooth plastered walls) that seem too big. I'd be grateful for any suggestions. Somewhat hampered by a lack of prototype photos - a google streetview search of Belgium has not revealed any small branch-line terminii. Low-relief / plaster kits acceptable. Grateful for any suggestions, thanks, Bill.

Thanks very much. 1923 is an excellent date for me as it allows a mix of pre- and post- grouping paint schemes. Best regards, Bill.

Hi, I wonder if anyone can advise me on how common the SR lined black livery was for the C class, and when they might have carried it? It seems a bit ornate for a goods loco so i'm guessing it did not last long?? Thanks, Bill.

Thanks very much, I do have a pair of those ex-LSWR brake vans. I was searching thru my ex-SECR stuff to find where they might have come from! Best Regards, Bill.

OK, I just found a poly-bag with a pair of oval plates with the above inscription. 4mm / OO. Any idea what model they came from? They must have fallen out when I opened something I bought to inspect it!!!!! I'm guessing it was Bachmann or Hornby. Grateful for any info! Thanks, Bill.

Hi, sorry if I am misusing this thread, but I have a question about the Dapol "O" Gauge Terrier handrails. I bought my first "O" Gauge engine, LB&SCR #643, by mail order, and found that the left side looking forward handrail was not properly attached to the boiler at the front stanchion. Looking at it I concluded that there should be a hole drilled into the boiler into which a straight handrail stanchion plugged, but instead there was an indent in the boiler in which the end of an "L" shaped stanchion rested. I assumed this was a manufacturing defect, and was about to send the engine back for a replacement when I saw another LB&SCR #643 on ebay with exactly the same problem. I am wondering if this is how it is supposed to be? I attach some pics illustrating the issue. I'd be grateful for comments from folks more knowledgable about this model than me. Thanks, Bill.

Hi John and Michael, thanks for your replies. The connection may be a cousin of the G 5.4 but it doesn't look the same. I think I see (from above, peering down into the "V") the end of a wire which may be a spring on the AD. I have already broken off part of the lever which operates (in real life) the whistle on the cab roof, so I shall take the loco and tender bodies off the AD and see what I can find, and report back as you may be interested, Michael. Best regards, Bill.

Hi, I would be grateful for info on the “Kinematik” couplers between loco and tender on a couple of Brawa HO models, specifically: Brawa 0640 - Steam Locomotive BR AD K.W.St.E. (Württembergischen Schnellzuglok Klasse AD #1521), (aka Württemberg 4-4-0 #1521); and Brawa 0622 - Steam Locomotive Fc K.W.St.E. (Württembergische Klasse Fc #626) (aka Württemberg 0-6-0 #626 “Bopser”). I bought both of these second hand on ebay some years ago and noticed whilst both ran fine, their tenders seemed to be pulled along by the wires to the loco. With nothing better to do I have been trying to sort these two out. At the rear of the loco footplate there is a “V” shaped slot (On the AD this is a separate component, part 47, and named “Kinematik”. On the Fc it is part of the footplate, part 031 “Umlauf” (Walkway). It seems to me there should be a pin sticking down from somewhere below the front of the tender floor and engaging in the “V” shaped slot and taking the load of the trailing tender and train. However, nothing on the parts diagrams of either loco shows any such pin. Also, examining the underside of both tenders, there is no obvious sign that there was a pin that has broken off / fallen out. Can anyone tell me how this connection should work, please? I note that on the Württembergische Klasse Hh K.W.St.E. 0-10-0 (Brawa 40154) there is a different arrangement, with a metal drawbar secured to the underside of the tender floor with a screw. I know this is a later model, so I am wondering if the AD and Fc had a fragile loco-tender connection prone to breakage. If there should be a pin which was part of the tender floor and has broken I may be able to solve my problem (for the moment) by ordering a couple of replacement floors. But that may not be the issue at all. I would appreciate any info / advice. Thanks, Bill.