byron

My wife is from Hessen, and has the same warped sense of humour as me. Mike

On the German Drehscheibe forum, there is a question being asked about the correct scale size of household coal. Just think of the fun that could bring! Mike

Dog house for me - I think they look very smart! Mike

Just like our models! Once again real life follows where we lead.

Being serious for a moment, the main fault with the 50's was that they were conceived as a "maedchen fuer alles". Why oh why was a locomotive built for express passenger duties, and yet had slow speed control for MGR trains? It was (I suppose) the intention that between class 1 work, they could fill in with a coal trip or three. There were the odd use of a 50 on MGR's on the Stoke patch, but not very often. Once you got two in MU for the Scottish expresses, you kept them together. They were not very reliable to put it kindly. Mike

Consider the 50's Stoke Control's revenge for all the stress caused by the Warships and Westerns that arrived instead of the booked 47! Mike.

When BR were looking round for main line diesels, one of the most successful of the time were the DB V200 class. Introduced in 1953, 5 prototypes were fully tested (in good German practice) before the main fleet were introduced in 1956. The transmission and diesel engines were interchangable with other types. I read about the history of one such diesel motor being swapped between V200, V100 and VT08's.They were most successful machines giving at least 30 years main line service. Our problem with all the modernisation diesels was trying to do it all on the cheap. In the end it costs more than was ever saved. Currency exchange was one problem - I recall many a trip to the Vaterland with cash in my socks (it would have taken a brave man to ask me to remove my shoes and socks!!). Perhaps that is where the phrase "money stinks" comes from. A great pity that government interferance resulted in the downfall of what should have been great loco's. Mike

The one thing missing from models made for the UK market is a good close coupling system based on NEM standards. The close coupling of locomotives to their tenders also seems (sorry about this) a gap in the market. There is no need to re-invent the wheel, a visit to Roco/Fleischmann or Piko and get a licence to use their system is all that is required.Add a couple of Roco or (better IMHO) Fleischmann couplings in the box, along with a hook & bar and everyone will be happy. Mike

Hereford men (and for the same reason, Birkenhead men) were indeed a special breed. They were reliable, and within reason game for anything. Their shed was under threat of closure (this is in the 60's and early 70's) and were out to prove themselves. I recall many instances of both depot's men pulling the railway out of the deepest mire, when lesser souls would not have cared. I still have fond memories of some of the exploits, and the deepest respect for the traincrew of both sheds. Mike

A very interesting topic. I remember taking some video of the system in 1985. We have lost so much. Mike

I have mentioned it before, when I was in Stoke Control in the 60's & 70's, there was a chronic shortage of class 47 diesels - the "booked" loco's for Broad Gauge - LM inter regional freights. Just to keep trains running, you used what was available. If it was possible to replace a 47 with traction that came back "LXC" then you had another chance of keeping the job running. We (OK, I was) were just as guilty, dropping a 40 onto trains into Broad Gauge territory. Sometimes the ploy did not work, and a driver was found that knew the traction. Do not forget that 52's were built at Crewe, and quite a few men knew them. One odd fact being if the driver was working his rest day, he tended to sign more routes and traction than on a normal (just what were they?) day. Drivers also moved about the country, as I recall when we lost a 40 for a couple of days because an ex Bescot driver went native and moved to Severn Tunnel Junction. Only now can I see the good times that those days were. At the time it was very stressful - to put it mildly. Mike

The train was perhaps a Control special, ran as and when traffic was available. Mike

The Deltic quite often - at least once a week (or at least every 3 weeks whin I worked the night shift) worked through to Crewe, and more often than not to Salop. This was in the early to mid 70's. There was a chronic shortage of power, and each Control worked on the principle of "get it off the patch". Crewe drivers were happy to pilot the Deltic driver, and I was pleased to keep the train going. Mike

Phil How right you are - if it had a BR badge on it's side, it was used. Between the Stoke division and the Broad Gauge mob a state of war existed. Some of the tales regarding (mis?) use of resources would make your hair curl. Running the railway was hard work, but fun and fullfilling. Mike

Warships were regular performers on freights to the Stoke area in the mid 1960's. I was power Controller at the time, pests they were as non of my Stoke traincrew "knew" them. Got a Western to York though when the Broad Gauge tried a fast one - they thought they would get it back 0Z00, but forgot some Crewe men k Mikenew them.