Rail-Online

I was chatting to a well known Shrewsbury spotter the other day and he informed me he saw every one of the class at Shrewsbury back 'in the day'. He also confirmed that when they first started working to there engines were changed for LMR ones at Shrewsbury station, only later on did they continue through to Crewe. He also said he cannot ever recall seeing one on Coleham shed confirming my thoughts that all diagrams were out and back. Cheers Tony

I have a vague recollection that a G&SWR NPCS vehicle featured in a drawing/article in Model Railways had twin verticle end louvres just like that.......... Tony

I was at Abingdon show last weekend and here too you could not buy a plastic wagon kit. Nor wheels, nor couplings............... Tony

A rather fuzzy corner of a neg. 1935 Peterborough and D302 or more likely D663A opens another new number? Tony.

Regarding the GWR Kruger and the MR Tariff Van. The photo was taken at Evesham 19 Aug 1903 and the tariff van is lettered Return to Derby - which seems a bit strange to me as I always assumed their routes were quite localised. The PO in the image in Gas Works Warwick No6. Cheers Tony

I am really dissapointed with this model. We sent ours back as it was not considered to be good enough. Just as Miss Prism pointed out years ago the sides have been distorted in shape with windows too small, paneling too big and erroneous extra 'fill in' plastic above the top windows. This completly spoils the look of the model when compared with drawings and photos of the real thing - just compare it to the side on view in the Wild Swan book. It is dreadfully inaccurate. My mate took a long time looking at his and also sent it back. What a real shame. Tony

Hi, I have come across a couple of negs recently of Class 71 Electrics operating without overhead pantographs fitted. The recess in the roof is empty. This was in the early period 1961-64. Was there a shortage of Pans or were they actively removed if not required for working into the Kent yards that had overhead? Cheers Tony

Thanks Guys - very interesting. I would have thought Canton drivers would have signed for Warships but clearly not. The few pics I have of Warships in Wales I have just added to the www.rail-online.co.uk web site. Clearly in 1966 there was a SO Bournemouth (with SR stock) around mid day (the quoted times vary!) that a Warship worked. The light engine at Rumney Bridge heading East is interesting. Cheers Tony

Hi, I have been cleaning up some negatives of Warships in South Wales. These are mainly on the route from the Severn Tunnel up to Pontypool Road and are heading trains from the S.West to Manchester/Liverpool and would come off at Shrewsbury or Crewe. It occured to me that although they appeared at Cardiff on some passenger workings I had never seen pics of them west of Cardiff at Swansea. Were they dagrammed to work passenger trains to Swansea? On a freight front I know they appeared on freight workings mainly coming off at Severn Tunnel, or sometimes Cardiff or Margam but again I cannot recall any photos of them at Landore. Is this correct or is it just my memory! I assume there was no differences between the Swindon built class and those from North British as far as workings were concerned (except on the Waterloo trains where SR crews were only trained on class 42s) ? Cheers Tony

Thanks Guys, Very informative, amusing and interesting answers to the query! Cheers Tony

Hi, Can anyone idenfify these wagons seen in South Wales in 1965 please? Thanks Tony

I wonder where the photos were taken, I thought that Krugers only worked on the GW main line, in which case why would a MR Tariff van (or two) be there off their own system? Tony

The LMS (possibly of MR origin) also had at least one tunnel van in the Nottingham division: Tony

What are the pieces of material on the axle between the wheel and the axle end? I cannot recall having seen these before? Tony

Chris, the neg is undated but I think around 1922. Tony

Another corner of a neg D299. I think this is 95880. What is interesting is it is out on the main GNR main line at Marshmoor with a load of wicker baskets. This must have been a fire risk as sparks or hot coals could easily set them alight - I would have expected this load to be sheeted. The GWR wagon behind is similar, loaded with sacks of something (spuds?), again no sheet despite a sheet bar.... Tony

They worked trip traffic from Barrow Hill shed to the local collieries. Remainded very local around that area. One did a railtour helping out a 4F. Excepting those stored at St Mary's goods yard upon completion or for rectification and those at the RTC or the one at Derby Works for conversion to mobile generator they were unknown at Derby and especially so at Burton. Tony

What I thought was an interesting routing of CLC wagons from Liverpool Docks (Brunswick) to MR Skipton. Via Bredbury and Chinley if you have problem in reading them...... Cheers Tony

It is pretty big, 7cm long, 3.3cm wide by 3cm high. Is that too big to fit a loco? Tony

Kev, It takes 4 powers of the solenoid to move the commutator through 360 degrees. Tony

Hi, Odd one this. Whilst clearing out my deceased friends collection I have found a few of these. They were in a box with Fleishmann and Marklin bits from the 1970s. The body is cast in Mazak and when the solenoid is energised the arm moves the pusher shaft and the mechanism indexes one knotch forward. This changes which electrical connections are made/broken. The solenoid relies on gravity to take it back home when power is removed. Surprisingly on all of them the Mazak is good, but it is obviously not made for continuous heavy duty use........... Cheers Tony

Mid to late 1930s at, what I assume to be the exchange sidings. The loco became No 18 in May 1934. Tony

Yet another 'corner of a neg' image reveals a MR wagon number.......... Cricklewood 1931. A nice Caley van as well (is that a number on the end?) Tony

A crop of a D299 on an IRS 'free download' image. I suspect a print so no chance of getting a number..... No second side brakes and a replaced door plank. Tony

And now back to wagon spotting............. Seen at Mexborough in august 1946 and surely near the end of its life is this 3 plank D305(?). Tonyat