GWJ

Part B can now be answered!! I have found a photo of a Manor on the CCE with a reporting number!!! 7827 'Lydham Manor' on the CCE heading west on 8 August 1964 at Llanbrynmair. No headboard by then but it is carrying the reporting number 1M12. Photo is by Martin Smith and can be found on page 32 of 'Steam in the Welsh Landscape' by Michael Welch (Capitol Transport).

Can't answer part B I'm afraid, but I can confirm that the Coast section of the CCE did carry headboards after the train divided at MCH. There are a couple of nice pictures of 2285 taken a few months apart in 1958 on Page 155 of 'Cambrian Railways Gallery' by David Maidment and Paul Carpenter (Pen & Sword Publishing) clearly showing both types of headboards in use. Looks like the changeover in headboards was in 1958. There is a further picture on Page 161 in the same book of 2236 hauling the CCE near Towyn on 30 June 1964 without the headboard. I have seen photos of the headboard in use in 1963 so (speculating wildly!) I suspect that the headboards went after the Midland Region took over the Cambrian routes in 1963. Hope this helps.

Just received 7802 today. The first time I have ever pre-ordered a model and also my first Accurascale loco. I'm delighted with everything - looks wonderful, especially the front end, nothing broken or damaged etc. I agree with other comments that it is super-heavy to hold (feels like diecast metal) so it should have no problem taking 7 BR(WR) chocolate & cream Mk1's over Talerddig!! Can't bring myself to add white paint to the buffers, smokebox etc just yet but looking forward to a running session soon! Well done Accurascale - it's been worth the wait. Looking forward to seeing what your next steam loco will be!!

I received an email from Key Publishing last Thursday (27th July). Paid up and ordered confirmed immediately. I'd keep trying. Their email address is shop@keypublishing.com if you haven't already tried this.

2999 Lady of Legend was at the West Somerset Railway Spring Gala last weekend and will be staying there until 8 May. She will be running on 6,7 and 8 May, details on the WSR website.

Saw 37800 today at Bristol Parkway dragging Greater Anglia's 317344 off to the scrap yard.

No, although it is very close. The photo I was referring to has the Siphon further back on the centre road (possibly up against the buffers) and the Class 120 is towing an all-blue GUV. However, the photos are close so could have been taken around the same time.

Found another Siphon photo! Page 64 of Laurence Waters' 'The Changing Scene Western Region' shows a Siphon in the centre road at Barnstaple (Junction) in Sept 1975. Fabulous photo by Charles Gordon-Stuart/Great Western Trust showing it next to a 3 car Swindon Class 120 unit in blue/grey livery (come on Accurascale, you know want to!) towing a blue GUV. I am guessing that the Siphon is in all-blue livery although it looks darker to me but probably just in a filthy condition.

David, I think I have found another 3 photos of a Siphon G in use on the Cardigan branch - the first is on page 84 in Martin Connop Price's excellent 'The Whitland & Cardigan Railway' book (Oakwood). The picture is taken at Boncath on a southbound train hauled by 1613, probably the 5.45pm service from Cardigan. The second and third photos are on page 317 and 318 respectively of the GWR Journal No.30 Spring 1999 (both taken by G H Tilt) from a northbound service hauled by an unknown 45xx. As to what the Siphon G would have been used for, it is probably carrying either milk churns or more likely rabbits. MRCP quotes another author who said that 'at every station the platform is covered with crates upon crates of stiffened rabbits ready to be dispatched to large towns ...'. The Journal notes on page 311 that culled rabbits were usually sent out on the last passenger train. The Journal also notes that day old chicks and ... puppies ... were transported from Cardigan. Could these have gone in a Siphon? There was quite a trade in puppy breeding in the area as a way of making ends meet (to my shame, some of my family were involved) and some of them may have left on the train. Quickly moving on, also on page 311 the Journal also mentions the transfer of moss which was collected from the hedges around Cardigan and sent to Swansea for use in flower displays. Finally, on page 356 The Journal notes that 'In the latter days, nearly all passenger trains were formed of just one vehicle, though siphons or goods stock were often attached ...', so the use of Siphons on the branch, particularly towards the end of the line's existence might not have been uncommon. Regards, GWJ

According to the information provided by Accurascale when the model was launched, 7812 is being modelled in BR lined green with late crest and redraughted chimney, flush tender body and narrow hornplates. The real thing went to Shrewsbury in February 1963 and was withdrawn from there in November 1965. My understanding is that it had a 6D (Shrewsbury) shed code at the time of withdrawal in 1965. Shrewsbury shed transferred to the London Midland region in September 1963 so if the model has an 89A shed code, then I would say that it must be modelled between February 1963 and September 1963 (or just after and before the new shed code number could be applied). Can't help re. your renumbering/renaming query I'm afraid. I am happy to wait for Accurascale to do some reruns and hopefully the locos I want will appear in the right livery for me!

Ordered 'Nesta' from Rails on the afternoon of 22 December and it arrived on 23 December (strike day) via Royal Mail. Excellent service from both Rails and RM.🙂 Unfortunately I wasn't expecting such prompt service and was out at the time the parcel was being delivered so will have to wait until 28 December for it to be redelivered.😥

Same thing happened with my Mogul which was bought brand new from one of the larger box shifters. Loco carefully removed from the packaging but the buffers had come off and were loose in the box. A small point to some perhaps (and easy to fix) but to me it highlights poor quality control by Dapol and a lack of care in the shop as this should have been spotted when the loco was being tested. A nice model nontheless and I am sure it will look at home in the engine shed!

Very sorry to learn of Frank's passing. I met him a couple of times at shows (Wolverhampton and the Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge) and I was a big admirer of Penybont in particular. He was a superb modeller and freely gave me some advice about how to paint water scenes. I hope his layouts survive for others to enjoy. Condolences to his family.

This is an interesting debate. My father was at Aberystwyth at the time the Manor's were being painted and knew Danny Rowlands well. He said that two Manors (7802 and 7803) would receive their white paint each day - one would haul the CCE and the other would be the spare loco just in case the CCE loco was failed. If not required, the spare loco then took the first stopping train after the CCE had left. This loco was usually not quite as clean as the CCE loco although still in excellent condition. Looking at my father's own photos, the paint definately looked white and that was certainly his recollection. However ... !! The photo of 7802 provided by Miss Prism does suggest that silver paint was used. I have also seen a colour version of the same photo and I would say with much more certainty that silver paint was used in that photo. So it looks like both white and silver paint were used. The photo was taken in 1959, which was a couple of years before my father's time. So did they start off using silver paint before switching to white paint in the early '60's or did they just use whatever paint was available? Someone may be able to answer that one. Whilst I like the painted version in real life, I won't be embellishing my DCC sound fitted version of 7802 when it arrives. It will remain in pristine condition without any additional painting!

Yes, I think you would be safe to assume that. Just had a look in Laurence Waters 'Manor Class' book and on page 20, there is a picture of a very grimy 7817 at Barmouth in June 1946. It states in the caption that the engine was allocated at this time to Croes Newydd, so almost certainly it would have come down the Llangollen line. There is another picture on page 72 of the same book with 7817 arriving at Barmouth on 4 September 1959 with a Ruabon to Pwllheli service - again the caption states that 7817 was Croes Newydd based at that time.