BrushVeteran

Cats seem to act a bit peculiarly in this recent spell of hot weather. Over at the farm where we restore our buses there has been a ginger tom, who we call Sidney, who has just come back to see us after an absence of over a year. Somebody must own him but he keeps coming in to see us because I think he likes company so we think his owner is not at home all of the time. I'm sure your cat will reappear Jim and I'll keep my fingers crossed!

I only ever saw it emerging from Finchley Road tunnel when I was temporally living back in London during 1961/2 period. I saw it on at least four occasions on parcels workings.

A very talented man he helped bring models to life! RIP !

Although pretty filthy the lighter green upper section can be made out in my image of 6132 at Glasgow Queen St. in August 1971. I think this was the last one left running at that time.

Well their tails have cleaned the kitchen floor where they eat but it is they that bring all the stuff in on them!.............thinking of fitting a tail brush fitted to the cat flap!

Yes, I've been there and feel proud that I've given a good home to fourteen cats since 1978. All were different characters and, whilst they sometimes didn't get on with each other, it made you understand their basic instincts which in turn made you respect the individual. I never had more than four at one time but they all lived to at least 14+, including my three legged and no tail conversion after being in a fight with a vixen fox. My wife is not really a cat lover but tolerates my love for the species so after the passing of our 'last' cat Pepper in September 2019 we decided to do without cats as I could see that I had to compromise and please the household............this lasted until January 2020 when I got in touch with cats protection regarding adoption of a rescue kitten. I must say that my situation was not helped by constant 'bombardment' of television advertising from the RSPCA, PDSA and Cats Protection, which had the effect of bringing me to tears, so I ended up adopting two as it was a mother and son combination and my wife came with me to give her approval! So whatever the obstacles and practicalities, it is the 'heart' that makes the decision and I applaud everybody that is prepared to give a pet a loving 'home'.

31296 was such an example Brush Traction No.365 BR D5829 Tops. 31296 New 1/62 Amlwch Freighter/Tren Nwyddau Amlwych named 9/86 named at Associated Octel, Amlwch 3/9/86. Later transferred to 47330 from 3/90. 31296 was the first class 31 to be named Name removed 3/90 Withdrawn 12/93 Cut up 1/04

If it is of any help Midland Red, D5544 was originally outshopped in the livery depicted by Accurascale with a D prefix and it looks to me that the livery they intend to produce is that of 5544 with the D painted out. If that is the case then if they space the running number as per prototype then it may be possible to you to add the D prefix thus bringing the model into you period of interest. I've attached an image I took at Stratford in the good old days. Quite a few of the first blue class 31 repaints had the D number eventually painted out before receiving the revised blue layout with running numbers on the cab sides.

Heljan also produced the entire class of seven EM2 Co-Co electrics (later known as Class 77) 27000-27006 as a commission for Olivia's Trains, Sheffield.

Heljan produced the entire class of ten English Electric Type 2 'Baby Deltic' Class 23 D5900-D5909 in refurbished form. Up to now they have also produced half of the class as originally built.

In the case of Islip the fuel ran from an underground pipeline to Upper Heyford base and was later incorporated into the National Pipeline system.

RAF, later USAF Upper Heyford received its aviation fuel from underground fuel tanks adjacent to Islip station on the former LNWR Oxford-Bletchley line. The sidings are long gone but the disused fuel facility still exists and is up for redevelopment,

My records show that there were at least four 31's that had there sector markings changed from Petroleum to Coal these being 31199, 31201, 31304 and 31319. 31302 also became a coal sector loco but never had its logos changed from Petroleum upon transfer from Immingham. I think the above transfers came about owing to the early demise of other coal sector liveried 31's 31120, 31217, 31276 & 31324 , which had become casualties and latterly spares donors. As a matter of interest other Petroleum sector liveried 31's were transferred to Departmental Engineers 'Dutch' livery upon release from Immingham when class 60's took over the duties, these were 31185, 31207, 31233, 31238 & 31273.

Over forty SYE 31's received EE engines during 1965, the first one being D5677 in 1964. but here are four more off the top of my head, D5591, D5593, D5614, D5632 of which I have photographed.

Thanks for the link Darius, I'm sure I can concoct something from these.......when I get time!

A very nice looking finished job Darius. Did you have any detailed dimensional drawings for this, as I feel like it is something I can manage? I did try and build a Genesis kit of one once but it was a sod to put together and was out of gauge when completed so it became ballast weight material! These Stratford built brake tenders were unique and I saw quite a few around the Temple Mills area many years ago.

My old tortie Gert use to find the top of the wheel on my old Morris Traveller an ideal place to keep cool out of the way of the others! Meanwhile some nineteen years later Sooty & Sweep have now ventured outside with the warmer weather to do their bird watching..................unfortunately they know there is a robin about. Hopefully he is quicker than they are!

Apologies I should have put D5838 not D5823. Yes the first five loco's for the WR were all fresh from overhaul at Doncaster and apart from 5536 which I photographed at Stratford the rest went direct to OOC, the last of which was 5528 in March 1969 so your Ian Allan 1969 combo was correct when it was printed.

No Russ, and many of the 30's that were converted to 31's were outshopped in re-varnished green before the blue repaints really got going. Blue repaints in 1966 upon conversion included D5649, D5856 & D5862 and in 1967 D5612, D5628, D5630, D5636, D5658, D5663, D5666, D5696, D5804, D5830, D5832, D5833, D5838, D5847, D5854. Blue repaints in 1968 upon conversion were D5502, D5506, D5509, D5515, D5529, D5531, D5533, D5538, D5542, D5543, D5544, D5545, D5550, D5564, D5578, D5599, D5639, D5641, D5659, D5670, D5836, D5839, D5853, D5857 & D5860. Blue repaints continued after this on scheduled overhauls and on the few remaining locomotives to receive EE power units during 1969.

Neil. The first class 31 painted in the corporate BR Rail Blue was D5649 in September 1966. It was the only one for quite a few months until they finalised the method of painting and numbers/logo's etc. D5847, as an example was repainted blue in the summer of 1967, D5861 in late 1967, D5502 in the summer of 1968, these are just some of the ones I photographed. Hope this helps I should also mention that D5578 was outshopped from Brush in 1960 carrying an experimental electric blue livery but this was repainted into standard green in 1964.

Well yet another superb publication from Anthony Sayer. The style of presentation adopted by Pen & Sword makes the reading easy and with such detailed history involving internal politics before they were even built really leaves no doubt that they should never have been built at all. What a complete waste of money and that they only lasted 4-5 years. I doubt that they were 'bargains' for the industrial sector either but BR did manage to save face by selling the majority off, no doubt at a big loss! A fascinating insight into a rather latecomer of an archaic design which interestingly all ended up in one area of the WR. I only photographed two of the 81A examples which had just about managed to get themselves on crew training runs to Didcot but I don't think any of the four, D9521-4, made it into Oxford, not from my research anyway. The only others I photographed were by then out of use at Canton. I hope we see more books from the same author although the research involved in some of the larger classes makes the documentation process a mammoth task when you go into the finite detail that has emerged from all of his work! Well recommended!

Thanks for that, at least my research was correct! It took quite a bit of investigation I can tell you.

A class 15 chassis should be almost the right dimensions, just need to change the bogie side frames from a class 16.

That was due to supply issues with the headcode box roof domes and the equipment inside them. As to the fact that 31215 was not disc fitted I was merely answering Roy's observation.

That was 31215 Roy, an accident with a coal loading shute I believe. An acquired image and I'll remove it if necessary as I don't know the original copyright holder is.