mark54

According to The Chronicles of Napier website it went to G Cohen on 14/01/1970 and was cut-up on 17/01/1970. Mark

The only drawings I know are the Graham Fenn one in British Rail Main Line Diesel Locomotoves and the R S Carter one in Brish Rail Main Line Diesels which are almost identical with all the same errors, although not the roof fan. Both seem to be a more detailed version of the BR diagram drawing. I seem to remember the Lima Class 40 had an offset roof fan/side grills as well. Mark

The problem appears to be that the tops of the single and double grill and also bodyside door should all be slightly lower than the top of the radiator grill. On the model they all appear to align. I'm looking at the photos on Hattons as I'm still waiting delivery of mine. Mark

I agree with you ackers. On the model you could fit another headcode box in the yellow panel because it is too small. Additionally there is too large a gap between the yellow panel and the Sherwood Green. Doesn't mean that I don't like the model, I have one on order. I'm just pointing out a flaw. Mark

Yes, the sides of this and the SP Cravens SO E4638 are etched with a fold line along the bottom of the side, where the side continues over and covers the solebar. In truth the sides should have not have an angle (like the XP64 coaches do), but should be curved continuously. Brian has modelled his SP version correctly in this respect.

Traffic light Gatso cameras take three photos, one with the vehicle in front of the stop line, one with the vehicle over the stop line and one showing the vehicle fully across the junction, the last being to show that the vehicle didn’t stop once over the line. All photos will show the red light, the speed the vehicle was travelling, and the exact time. Crossing an amber light is not an offence. On that basis you should be OK, and it was the Merc who was flashed. The police have to serve a Notice of Intended Prosecution on the registered keeper of the vehicle within 14 days so you should know fairly soon. Also just because the camera flashed is no guarantee it was in operation.

Middleton Press - Branch Lines around Hertford and Hatfield

There is some further information here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=32283 There are also some original condition photos in the book Railway Design since 1830 vol. 2 by Brian Haresnape. The coach was quite advanced in many respects (besides the construction) featuring double glazing, fluorescent lighting and pressure ventilation. Mark

I think you will find that all early B4s didn't have the dampers including XP64 and early Mk2s. Mark

It is interesting to note that in the Parkin Supplement - Carriage Standards Committee minute 2515 from 29/06/1960 - there was a suggestion that old worn LMS 3' 7.5" wheelsets could be re-used for BR 3' 6" ones, although only for non-corridor stock. There was no follow-up minute, so it is not known whether this ever occurred. Mark

Brian, The RB really looks the part (I like the "unpainted" aluminium frames) and matches in well with the rest of your Bachmann Bristolian set. For a cut-and-shut the RFO would be better than a FK as it has the vestibule windows opposite the toilets. Each bay would need to be reduced by about a 1.5mm (scale 6'10" against 7'2") and a door inserted between the 3rd & 4th windows. As you say, quite a bit of work! Mark

Brian, in any case the kitchen side door between the buffet bar and the saloon wouldn't have had a "Kitchen" label when it was an RB. This had plain glass and led to a small lobby next to the buffet bar and then another internal door through to the public side. This is not modelled in the Mainline RB interior and I presume their bar counter is too long for that reason. As part of the conversion to RBR in the mid-1970s, the internal door was panelled over and the lobby became part of the buffet section and consequently the door glass was painted body colour and labelled Kitchen. Mark

There were also Gresley and Thompson Restaurant Pantry Thirds (RTP) that ran with Restaurant Firsts. Mark

The Ian Allan Bookshop at Waterloo had the maroon SK in stock when I went there Friday evening. My first impression was the very prominent compartment curtains. Mark

I have it on good authority that Bachmann are going to take advantage of this serious ommission by Heljan and are going to include flattened mark54 pennies from near The White Bridge in their forthcoming GSYP Cravens DMU detail parts.

There are also photos of 9115 and 9129 in blue/grey. As all others were withdrawn before April 1969 it is likely these were the only 10 to receive blue/grey. Robert, I'm not sure that is E9195E as this car had a half window on the corridor side nect to the kitchen door. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1007

The January 1995 issue of Backtrack magazine had an article on LNER Buffet Cars and contained the following weekend survey from October 1970: 9115 Kings Cross-Cleethorpes 9122 Liverpool St-Newmarket excursion 9123 Sheffield-St Pancras relief 9124 Kings Cross-Cambridge 9128 Stratford empty 9129 Grimsby-Blackpool excursion 9131 Stratford empty 9132 Harwich-Manchester 9135 York-Blackpool excursion 9195 ??“ 1705 Finsbury Park-Newcastle ???Highwayman??? 1706 Newcastle-Finsbury Park ???Highwayman??? There is also a photo of 9195 from July 1972 at Manchester Piccadilly in blue/grey. Although as Ian stated - originally to a different design - in re-built form, from the kitchen side it looks remarkably similar to a standard Gresley Buffet Car.

I was thinking this too. Consequently the headcode characters look to be too small and spaced out too much. Is the ledge under the windscreen missing as well? The washer jets should be on this. Difficult to tell from the photos.

1N06 was the 07.55 Kings Cross-Newcastle and 1A32 was the 16.45 return service. Mark