John Besley

Could use sellotape.... as used to repair glasses... aka Jack Duckworth

Nicked overnight when parked up outside the house

What bizarre thing to do... I'd sooner eat it or is that to cut out the middle man...

Travel from Buckfastleigh to Saltash... at least three different accents .... or travel 100 yards down our road at home I know of 4 different accents and 3 different languages!

Spray matt varnished the coach ends with acrylic over the enamel which crazed some of the paintwork nicely to scale then, carried out further weathering, adding in panel line dirt and fitted the door handles along with the seat bases and backs... Couldn’t resist a sitting these on the track to see what they looked like so far... more weathering required for wear and tear on the inside before I permanently fit the chassis to the bodies...

Going back to your comments about weathering of preserved rolling stock, run of the mill stock in daily use needs brake dust on the carriage chassis and boigies as these rarely get that good a clean, coach ends will have grime as well as the rooves, debatable how often these get cleaned even with a carriage wash plant - as this just does the sides only. Bit of ingrained grime around door handles where they fit on the body. Locos will accumulate grime during the day .... while valve gear will get cleaned this should have a 'oily' film and not be too shiny. Dirt ingrained around bolt heads on buffer beams, and parts of the chassis, cylinders will have some oil streaks, paint chips on cab hand rails, and backs of the coal space on tender engines. Chipping on lamp brackets, by the end of the day the cab roof will be smoke stained, as well as the boiler topside, grease on buffer heads. Water steaks from the water treatment plant fillers, chipping around tank fillers. Goods stock which is parked up will have paint peeling / fading and brake dust on the brake gear and sole bars. Vans will have rain streaks on there canvas rooves, accumulating around the rain strips - which might have the trace of algae where water has pooled Hope this helps...

Back in July 1999 I fired on an everning wine and dine trip on the SDR with 3205 Dave Phelps as my driver, we picked up the punters at Stav' on the way down stopping on the curve by the waterworks crossing by the Dart... down to Riverside to run round and back up to Stav to drop off the happy crowd... by now it was 23:00 plus and dark the train was just off the platform at the Bishop Bridge end.... everyone departed without any issue. As we pulled away I was looking back down the train from my side as we where running tender first now; as it was on a curve only to spot in the light from the farmhouse a door swining open... 'Whoa stop... ' went back down the track and secured the door. Had I not spotted it this would have no doubt been ripped off as we went under Hood Bridge.. in the dark the guard hadn't seen someone exit that end of the coach as it was over the platform ramp

Case in point SDR Engineering produce replacement Mk1 coach ends as a complete kit... so why not do the same for doors as a complete retro fit package, keep the external style handle but re engineer the door lock methodology - simple answer. I am surprised it hasn't been done yet or is it

You would become eggspareted trying to get those two into a van the right way up it would be no yoke on your own and you'd end up shell shocked not to mentioned being crackedered

I'd need to hunt through my Fathers photo collection but fairly certain 1638 had DART VALLEY in GW style lettering on her tanks at some point

By which time BR was very much corporate blue

We all have to accept that the railways of today are vastly different to those of the 60's, you only have to look for vintage transport footage to see suburban trains arriving at London termini to see hordes disembarking as the train comes to a stand. Today's travelling public in the main won't understand slam door stock, leather straps for pulling up windows. It won't be long before Mk1's will be confinded to preserved railways only and all specials are Mk2 or Mk3 stock, at least if they are painted in traditional regional livery they will look OK Maybe we are on the verge of a complete change in how heritage trains on the network are to be run / supplied to tour operations, look at how Tysley are implementing this as a responsible way forward

And is a Matchbox or days gone by Tetley Tea van waiting on a bridge somewhere.... followed by a Matchbox Foden 8 wheel Tate and Lyle bulk tanker

How soon before we see a ER pacific line up A1, A2, A3 & A4... I expect Tony could oblige us with one

Cleaners gone for a break part way through?

Ah good old Transit hi tops

With a bit of photoshoping to remove the background ...that would be so realistic ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296312722835?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=5vhzwpkgrdu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=mAE25Fz1QpK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Little known modification by Derby...

On a different subject does anyone remember the guy who was selling his caravan a few years ago... and the hilarious comments he made that got him on the news as well ...

And almost all of his haul from skip salvage is described as RARE .... He's defiantly rare! You can see a headless version here.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296256618104?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=DJG4imB2Tvq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=mAE25Fz1QpK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY and I thought he was selling a stick untill I read further... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295484175250?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=DJG4imB2Tvq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=mAE25Fz1QpK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Bother I want the chassis...

If it means they don't sell and become barging bin buys I want one for a 10.1/4" miniture railway conversion, as I have an earlier Lord Beaverbrook with traction tyres that won't run well..

Not seen that view before have we...?

Check with Rob @ Mr Wolf as he has the definitive calculation....

The vac pipes have now all been fitted minus the hoses for the moment, and some additional paintwork on the PW coach dealt with last night. Exhill Works is closed for Easter ... normal service will resume shortly - please do not ajust your set