scottiedog

Just seen the two other comments as I was typing my own. There’s some LNWR which can be added to the list, but I can’t remember what they are. Help, please. David Scott.

David Geen produces a plethora of white metal 4mm/1ft scale LNWR and LYR goods stock kits. However production is currently suspended. I can have a word with him to see If he has anything in stock. What are you interested in? HOWEVER PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT HIM DIRECTLY due to family health issues. He is a good friend of mine so I will speak to him on your behalf. It may be that there is nothing available at present as he has been unable to do any casting for a good while now. PM me with what you are looking for. David Scott

As usual Paul and his team have put on an excellent show. A one not to be missed so if you can get down there tomorrow do so.It’ll be well worth the visit.

I know where it is! I know where it is! I know where it is!

With regard to "JW's" post No 3, I think that the BRJ to which he refers was the special North Eastern Railway Edition. If memory serves me well there are three photographs of ex NER Low Arc Roofed coaches in "faux" grained teak livery, therein. Again from memory they were taken at York in the mid 1920s.

It is a bit of a puzzle, indeed. NER Brake Composites with the 1/4 compartment make up were on the rare side. I can only find two NER dias. to fit. These were a dia.no. 195, a 52' Clerestory Roofed coach of which there was only 1, and a dia. no. 211, a 52' Elliptical Roofed coach of which 3 were built in 1916. The larger size of the luggage compartment in these coaches lends itself theory that the two coach train referred to was for parcels/sundries traffic. However as you say why two 52' long bogie coaches when there were plenty of smaller dia. no. 171 6W vans about with the same/larger capacity Search The 3mm Society - Masham Station where you will find a track plan and some photographs of a model built by Peter White - last updated 8/7/2006 but still well worth a look.

The LNER (NE Area) Carriage Roster Book (1932?) states the compartment classes and this should help identify the coach diagram nos. which would have been seen on the Masham Branch at that time. I don't have my copy of this book to hand - I lent it out to someone and never got it back! - but for example if they are shown as 1/5 this means that there was 1 x 1st class compartment and 5 x 3rd class compartments. If this is the case then the coaches should be a dia.no.116, a 52' Clerestory Roofed Brake Composite, of which 36 were converted from dia. no. 14 52' Clerestory Roofed 3rds between 1904 and 1906 for NER Push Pull services. In 1908 the NER also built 18 dia. no. 162 52' Elliptical Roofed Coaches with the same class make up for Push Pull services From memory I think that the LNER withdrew the Push Pull services in 1929 when their class G6 locomotives were scrapped. The Push Pull apparatus and the driver's compartment were removed and the coaches put into ordinary service. These coaches can be easily identified by the porthole windows at the driver's end. The photograph of the coach seen in the "station" photograph , which appears to be quite an early one, is not one of theses. D&S Models did kits for both of these coaches. Dan also did a kit for the NER dia. no. 26 52' Clerestory Brake Composite Lavatory, 2 x 1st Class and 3 x 3rd Class compartments, 30 built between 1898 and 1904. Check the previously mentioned Carriage Roster Book to see if it is this type. As Jonathan has stated the vehicle in your first photograph is a dia. no. 171 6W Milk Van. Dan also did a kit for this vehicle but with a longer side duckets - the shorter one was a later variation but I don't know if this was given a different dia. no. The late John Fozzard ( North Eastern Design) produced an excellent 4mm/1ft scale RTR version of this later one. David Geen also sells whitemetal kits for ex NER goods stock. David Scott

I can provide you with lists of NER non corridor bogie stock dias. together with dates and numbers built, various historical notes and (NER) coach numbers. If you would care to pm me with your name and address, I'll gladly send copies to you. I would also refer you to articles in the British Railway Journal No 34, Christmas 1990 on NER Gangway Coaches and No 12 Summer 1986 LNER Coach Cascading in the 1930s which has some useful photographs of non corridor bogie stock in NER livery. Regards, David Scott

See you at Hartlepool on Friday evening. There might be something of interest to you on you know who's stand over the weekend!!!! If I remember I'll bring those MJT Gresley's with me for Mr Grantham to have a look at.

Quite by chance I have recently decided to dispose of a goodly number of 4mm/1ft scale white metal and etched brass kits by the likes of ABS, David Geen, 51L Models and D&S Models which I will, now, never get around to building. Included amongst them is a GWR Loriot L. I wondered what to ask for it and now I know! Seriously, I will not be doing that. If there is anything members are looking for from the abovementioned ranges please pm me and I will see if I can help them out.They will not be at silly prices!

Back Track Vol. 30 No 9 September 2016, has an article on Tyneside Electric Train Working - pages 516 - 521. British Railways Memories - Tyneside Electrics : 1 by David Dunn and published by Book Law Publications has 70+ glorious photographs of the Metro-Camm stock in 50s & 60s. There is a smattering of photographs of the earlier Clerestory Roofed stock too. Dave Alexander has been working on 4mm/1ft scale kits for the Metro-Camm stock for some while now and he will be at the previously mentioned show at the end of this month. I think that he has already produced a kit the parcels van, but I don't know if it is still available.

Jonathan The NER Dia. F2 and F4 Van kits were introduced at least 25 years ago, if not more! The 51L range of kits was started in the early 1980s. At that time I was modelling the North Eastern Railway c1910 and as there was a limited range of wagon and van kits available, I decided, with the assistance of Owen Lancaster, a first class pattern maker, to "have a go". The first kits were the North Eastern Railway Dia. Q1 Loco Coal Wagon and the Dia. C11 Salt Wagon. I only did these because the former was painted blue and the latter was painted red oxide. No logic there, then! It was only going to be small part time venture but just like "Topsy" just kept on growing and eventually included kits for the LSWR, L&YR, NBR, CR and G&SWR amongst many. Plans were laid to produce many more kits for the pre-grouping scene but unfortunately ill health got in the way. At the end of the day there were some 50 kits in the range which now rests between Andrew, at Wizard/51L Models and David Geen. The sharp eyed amongst you might have noticed that one of the dates on one of the labels is wrong. I think it should be 1897! Here endeths the history lesson.

Road Vans (NER Dia. G4) were used to transport a number of small items, each consignment being of insufficient size to warrant a van or wagon on its own. They were attached to pick up goods with items being dropped off or collected at intermediate stations on the way. Tranship Van (NER Dia. G6) on the other hand were employed between main distribution centres. 271, 4 door, 15t Dia. G4 Road Vans were built and 146, 2 door, 15t Dia. G6 were built. A larger (NER Dia. G7) 25t, bogie "tranship" van was also built, 100 in all, one of which was known to have travelled into GWR territory and is featured in one of the trains which runs on Pendon! Tatlow's LNER Wagons Vol. 2 is the source of the above information.

Paul - If there is room, try tacking at the the top and bottom, remove the clamp, wait for the heat to dissipate and then carefully and quickly run a seam into the remaining gap. Catch up with you on Saturday, at Thirsk. I'm bringing a car load with me just to see you! David

As has rightly been said, gone are the days when you could have wander around at a show and pick up a variety of wagon kits etc.from general traders. Nowadays, you only seem able to pick them up at specialist shows, on second hand stands and on E-bay. It is a great shame. "Cottage Industry" margins were always tight and I found it nigh on impossible to give the discount sought by other traders- generally in the region of 20%+ - and still pay myself a decent wage and, further develop my range. Hence they could only be bought from my own stand and by mail order. Incidentally the range is still available, split between David Geen ( incorporating Great Western Wagons) and Wizard/51lL. The latter offers an excellent mail order service and attends a number of good sized exhibitions and scale society shows. I agree with the comments that a well developed website is essential in this day and age. Looking at those who still produce kits, many are into their late 60s, some are 70+, and two of whom I know have passed 80. Andrew at Wizard/51L excepted! Diminishing manufacturers, serving a diminishing market. As previously said, it does not augur well for the future.