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Several years ago, a mate of mine, Tom Curtis, said that he was about to build a ZKV "Zander" spoil wagon on a Heljan tank chassis, and if I'd like him to construct a second one as an MTV for my era he'd be happy to do so, if I provided the chassis. This seemed a good deal so, three years ago I gave him a bare chassis and he gave me the spare tank from his conversion to potentially become scenery on one of my projects. Finally this weekend and the Taunton show gave us the opportunity to meet up again and the finished MTV was presented to me and has now been added to my fleet. The MTV and how it started out. The excellent body is finished off with the correct Pool code (the 3 is actually an 8 very carefully modified!) an appropriate 1975 shopping date and a number made of individual transfers, making this is rather a special wagon. Here it is coupled between a couple of smaller MSV stone tipplers.

That's very kind of you. Feel free to copy anything, although I'd suggest going to the real Morden South as your source material (there is a fair bit on-line, but for each question a new phot answers you'll find it raises 10 more!) rather than repeating my errors and assumptions. I stuck to my standard 1 foot width, an extra inch would have been good, an extra 2 inches would have worked even better, but I think it works visually as it is. I've built several small layouts now inspired by real locations, and I find it a great way of designing a layout . Give it a go!

With the BR loco out of the way Thomas Tripp (who is more famous for a different part of his career when he was the milkman in Camberwick Green and appeared in the BBC TV series) coaxes the Ruston into life and prepares to shunt the empty tanks. Initially heading the same way as the BR loco, but remaining within the private siding complex, Driver Tripp now comes back down the arrival road ready to propel the tanks into the loading shed As he does so the next passenger train of the day arrives and keeping a good look out, first two tanks are slowly moved in to the shed

Its in They Take The High Road by British Transport Films

Uncoupled from the tanks the loco moves forward towards the loading shed, taking care not to pass the red "No BR Loco Past This Point" sign and then runs round the tanks. D6326 will then drop back onto the tanks and couple to the brake van, before heading off "engine and van" [the latter happens off stage] leaving the tanks for the dairy's own shunter to deal with.

A 118 DMU, as a tooling variant of the Bachmann 117? It's a west country prototype and KMRC did originally say that they would be doing 116, 117 and 118 DMUs as exclusives before Bachmann (forgive me, I forget exactly what happened in the early history of the project), announced their 117. It is also in the Bachmann style announce on delivery, and 118 has, arguably, an 11 in it, but is also more than 11. Plain BR Blue, please, I'll take two sets. Well, I can hope.

It might have been Attwood Aggregates. They have a Facebook page, which hasn't been updated for a while, and there is this thread wondering if they are still trading, the most recent reply of which suggests that they are at the Taunton show in October. You've got me thinking about the correct ballast for my now-in-planning big layout....

With the railbus having departed the line is clear for the empty tanks, which were dropped off at Swindon Junction by the Kensington to St Erth train, to arrive. As usual a D63xx is in charge.

Postie has just brought me the latest issue of Traction magazine which has a 7 page article (and cover photo) on London Milk Traffic, the first of a two part series. That's this evening's reading sorted!

Another day begins at South Moredon with the arrival of the empty stock to form the first passenger service of the day through to Swindon Town. For now the dairy sidings continue their slumber.

Just a quick update as I have replaced the "missing" photos, but I'd be short-changing you without adding a new one. So here's a view across Mortimore's coal yard, with the lorry being loaded ready to head out again "COAL: It's the fuel of the future" they say.

Always good to see other people's Fiddly Area Re-shuffling Tables as its an area I need to improve on my concoctions. Thanks Rob, useful images.

This photo by Chris Hiley recently appeared on the Rail Thing - Western Region Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives Facebook group, dated July 1975 with what appears to be a green PMV at Penzance https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2293629330788508&set=gm.1894675790723978

Using the Wayback Machine the Class 66 Archive website has a month by month summary of class 66 happenings which will show their spread: http://web.archive.org/web/20010209093414/http://www.acumenia.co.uk/66history1998.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20010420124422/http://www.acumenia.co.uk/66history1999.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20011111201700/http://www.acumenia.co.uk/66history2000.htm It all seems a long time ago that I used to go to Newport to see them new, hoping to get the latest ones on their first UK trip. 66002 was a later arrival as it was used for tests in the USA. Like 001 is didn't (and seems still not to) have the knuckle coupler so Cornwall was the ideal place to use them both with all the CDAs and not a new Thrall Europa built knuckle coupler wagon to be seen.

Here are my two:

So, that's Larkrail done and dusted and the layout back home. There were a few operational teething troubles, but most people seemed to like what they saw, and maybe one or two might be inspired to have a go at a layout. Above all it was good to be at a show again, and talking to like-minded people as well as plenty of curious others. I'm going to keep the layout set-up at home for a while to enjoy it, so there might be a photo or two on here as the trains come and go. In the meantime Postie brought a parcel today, and well, you know how it is, you've got to test a new loco... I'm not sure what I'll be doing with it yet, but being a Port of Bristol Authority loco it is a "local" one, and was acquired for what I consider to be a good price. For now I'm going to enjoy South Moredon though, P B A 39 will have to wait its turn!

Two observations, if I may, from the past week which perhaps show that Bachmann's shop model has a place, probably at the large regional "shopping destinations". Firstly, I went to a Scout Group AGM during the week, in my role as a District Deputy Commissioner. As part of that they presented the Scouts with the badges they had recently achieved. About half the Troop had achieved the Model Maker Activity badge, with as many girls achieving it as boys. The Scouts model maker badge is sponsored by Warhammer, and they provide a resource pack. But, among the 5 options of models to make is: I don't know which of the five options these Scouts had chosen, I expect probably the aeroplane one as they have recently visited an aircraft museum, but there is an appetite still among young people to make models. The Bachmann shop could either spark or kindle an interest. Secondly, I was exhibiting at Larkrail yesterday, and while it is a relatively small show, attracting mainly those "in the know" of the visitors I talked to a good number were curious locals. They were interested in the models, and the wider topics of "why that subject", "what was your inspiration" rather than "how do you do make the buildings" etc. They were fascinated by the whole process. Having had that interest fired, seeing a Bachmann shop during a day out might just be the spark to say "let's find out a bit more". No one said "I've been watching the Hornby programmes on television" but several indicated that post-lockdown they were looking at how they spend their time differently. I've said it before, and still believe it, Bachmann are on to something here. We are not the market the shop is aiming at. The much bigger market of everyone who is not us is what they are aiming at.

The early morning railbus coasts into the bay platform at South Moredon while the dairy's 48DS runs down the yard alongside

South Moredon Dairy will be at Larkrail on July 23rd

As the shadows start to lengthen and the gaffer goes to the office to sort the paperwork, there is time to hide round the corner and have a quick smoke. The last few days have seen me add some steps down to the lower level. These are guess work as I have no photos which show this area, it being hidden behind the stop block. My summation is that there would be a need to get down to the lower level without going through the tank shed which would have had a reasonable level of hygiene. Coal wagons can be seen in a number of photos and the film in the rear siding, and with no other options I guess they were unloaded by dropping the door onto the brick wall a shovelling the load out. I know wagon doors weren't supposed to be propped open for unloading, but would resting on a wall be different? Or, perhaps, there was a gap in the wall? The position of the chimney and the coal wagons imply that the boiler house is in this section of the building, but I don't know. Easy access between the boiler house and the railway sidings seems logical, so I've provided it. I've also added some of the many pipes which ran along the wall and into the next building. I don't have the depth or length to really get them looking like they were, but for now I'm content. Rather like the worker in the photo.

"Boredom at Moredon" (with thanks to Phil Turner on the Facebook Micro Layouts Group for suggesting the title)

Teddy [bear] on the tanks

Time to draw out the empty coal wagons, ready for BR arriving with the next couple of loaded ones.

Some more progress, the loading now has its roof on. I want to add the roof girders and overhead pipework, but that will have to wait until after Larkrail which is approaching rapidly.

From the Summer 1975 Passenger Train Marshalling book available via The BR Coaching Stock Group