Western Star

I understand that Paul Stokes goes to the Post Office once per week.

The current membership secretary details can be found here .

I have also pondered on this question for there are some industries on the branch, eg. Thomas Green, which are known to have bought coal from the midlands... so was that coal sent via Bordesley / Oxford / Reading towards London... or Bordesley / Oxford / Thame branch / PR / HW / Maidenhead branch. Taplow Goods? yes a possibility although that service did not stop at all stations - up service called at Wooburn Green only for cattle and that implies that coal for Wooburn Green did not travel on the up service. Graham

I have spoken with the S7 Group Membership Secretary and he is not aware of any e-mail concern in the past couple of days. However, as e-mails to committee members are "indirect" then there may be an issue at this time. I am assured that the Membership Secretary is going to look into your concerns this evening. regards, Graham Beare (current member of S7G)

I suggest that you call Totton Timber who convert, regularly, my request in imperial into their stock in Napolean. Timber at 2.4M and 3.2M lengths have been delivered here.

Mike, How about a model of this wagon to keep company with Haydock Colliery? Name / number plates ought not to be a problem this time.... regards, Graham [this is a photo of a "still" from a recent documentary program used here under "fair use" limitations to aid research and interpretation, one might think that Wigan library ought to be able to help with a better image]

In the grouping period there were two yards for receiving coal... one was at the station (on the upside at the London end), the other was about a mile towards the west of the town (close by High Wycombe North signal box). When local coal merchants had coal delivered by rail one presumes that the wagons were placed in whichever yard was used by an individual coal company. For example:- Baines, and Rutty, had coal offices at the station whilst Charles Atkins used the north yard. Does anyone know which coal merchants used which yard? thank you, Graham

For pleasure of building a kit where every part fits without a fight... Finney7 - end of.

A long, long, time ago.... we were entertained by a movie taken on the L&NWR main line, in the London area, circa late Victorian / early Edwardian eras and amongst the wagons that Stephen identified were examples for Drake and Mount (examples which later in the topic appeared as 4mm scale models). Watching repeats of Portillo's Great British Train Journeys I noted a movie sequence of a SR freight train... and think that there is something of interest in that train. Whilst in Great Yarmouth (Series 3, episode 1), Michael is talking to a lady about the town speciality of body snatching. The lady tells Michael about how the GER assisted the movement of such plunder by attaching a "dead coach" to late night passenger services for London. Queue (semi-) appropriate train scenes at around 9 to 10 minutes on my recording. First a very nice GER period station with coaches and an engine... Second a quick shot of a LMSR loco in BR period... Third a LSWR 4-6-0 eninge (?) on a freight service... My first thought was "R Webster & Co" of Maidenhead and then I realised that I was wrong. What does the team make of this short sequence? regards, Graham

Whilst I used to use styrene sheet and sections from any source... for at least the last ten years I have used only Evergreen sections and Slater's Plastikard sheet so what follows is influenced by those materials. There are at least three circumstances where the physical state of styrene is affected by its environment - air, light, chemicals. 1/ Atmospheric influence is to degrade the plasticiser such that the styrene becomes brittle and splits. This is an age effect and might not be seen over a period of (say) five to ten years. I have some styrene sheet from the 1970s and that shatters if cut or bent. Painting the material on all surfaces is a good protection against loss of plasticity. 2/ If a piece of styrene material is subjected to the same influences on all surfaces then the styrene retains its shape. For example, paint all surfaces.... try spray painting one surface and the material bends into the surface that has been painted. Games Workshop sprays had this effect about ten years back - Halfords to a much lesser extent. Not sure if the recent re-formulation of Games Workshop sprays has improved the behaviour. 3/ Applying a solvent such as Mek-Pak... Butanone... Plastic-Weld... to one side of a join causes the joined materials to bend towards the join. How much the styrene bends and how quickly depends upon the rate at which the solvent dissolves the styrene. I feel that Limonene is the less aggresive solvent and the one which has the least effect on the base materials (compared to those others noted earlier. Other solvents and other chemical names are available). regards, Graham

If that coach is half seats and half luggage.... which half have you finished?

I do not know the order code.... David told me that the new buffer stocks were available when I spoke to him last month.

Dave, What you have shown as the Slater's product and as fitted to your model is derived from the Slater's GWR Cattle Wagon kit... and hence are "long" buffers, too long for a simple four plank wagon. Chris Brown and I have access to parts of the GWR forging catalogue and our info includes the forging for the shorter wagon buffer - we provided that drawing to Slater's Plastikard last year and asked David White to produce a 7mm equivalent buffer stock / buffer ram with the spring internal to the stock (as per the typical POW models). I understand from David that the product is available now. regards, Graham

See... just as I wrote. Carry On Modelling in the manner that your readers appreciate.

Which is why so many of your readers tick the "craftsmanship/clever" button... you never fail to deliver. regards, Graham

Now that is an interesting comment from one who spends an awful lot of time writing about the MR "great wagon build saga" - worth reading as well. Do you get sound effects for the round of applause? regards, Graham

Mike, I do like the appearance of the wooden floor. If I try I can feel the dampness on a couple of the planks to the right hand end in the photo above. A really nice looking wagon. regards, Graham

I am aware of at least two "lengths" of the tapered buffer stock for spindle rod buffers - one is as per iron covered wagons and one as per cattle wagons (W1 and W5).

Mike, I think that you are correct to drill through the strip and solder the pins to the strip as a representation of the prototype construction - I suggest that you may wish to use contact adhesive (Evostik) to keep the strip lying flat apart from where the plank is damaged. best wishes, Graham

I shall be pleased to give the LYR wagon a home any day - superb. regards, Graham

Please tell us more about the axleboxes. Thank you, Graham

Suppose that I have a turnout drawing which gives me the geometry of the rails, switches, crossing and check rails... without the rail joints being marked in either the stock rails or the closure rails. For a GWR turnout of 1:7 angle and 10' loose-heel switch blades, where are the joints in the stock rails? Given that I am modelling the GWR in the early years of the twentieth century then the maximum length of rail is 44' 6" rather than 45' 0". Thank you, Graham Beare

Here is a passenger service at Parkend and destined for Lydney, date is thought to be circa 1929, the image is courtesy of Ian Pope, photographer is uncertain. There are three GWR four wheel carriages, then a NPCS, then what is probably a 2021 class pannier tank engine. I think that the milk van has three sets of doors given that I think that I can see three door vents. This photo of a similar passenger service at Speech House Road, probably in the Edwardian era, is courtesy of Ian Pope, photographer is not known. The loco is a 2021 saddle tank and the milk van looks to have three sets of doors (based upon visible hinges) and with a roof profile that seems different from that shown in the Parkend picture. Are these MIdland Railway NPCS? If so, which diagram? Note that I am a 7mm modeller and as far as I know the only similar model / kit is that which I mentioned earlier (D416 from Connoisseur Models). regards, Graham

Here is a different MR Milk Van to D416:- http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Coach Kits Pages/LMS Milk Van.html There are several photos of passenger services at Parkend and Speech House Road, on the Severn & Wye, and some of those photos show that some services include a Midland Railway milk NPCS. Unfortunately the photos are neither sharp enough nor at a sutiable angle to identify the milk vehicle - which seem to be four wheel examples. Any one able to offer a reasonable guess as to the diagram used circa 1900-1929? thank you, Graham

I have sent words and music to Ian Pope for his thoughts.