60B

This was proposed in November by our big wet PM and it got sunk about as fast as it came up. It is a pure pipe dream for reasons pointed out here: Random munition dumps, deeper than the English channel etc. No less mad than some of the proposed Strait of Dover crossings (my personal favourite being 'build an island for horses to change over') but thats not really saying much.

Well that is just lovely that its been thrown in. Was going to pick some up further down the line. I had originally made an attempt last night to get the gable ends to sit happily but I've removed them to trim round where the parts meet each other. Got some detailing parts on order as well for a small diorama I'm working on.

Pulled the trigger and purchased the goods shed which mysteriously came with a Highland Cottage too (probably should check in on that). Certainly as a design it has its downfalls but has mostly fallen together. My main complaint has been the roof which hasn't sat close to square and has required judicious use of elastic to hold two corners together. Which is to be expected because I completely neglected that two 90 degree corners not at 90 degrees would be uncomplimentary. Coupled with some slightly bent roof sections. Nothing overly un-fixable. But is it better than trying to scratch build? Yes, infinitely.

Handful of NS 600s as well. Pretty confident it was a fuel pump.

And left out how dreadful the 17s were that they often ran in pairs incase one went kaput. Kind of like asking Lucas to wire your house.

Thinking of this I'd previously had said probably demobbed Austerity tanks and Class 14s when they started being withdrawn from mainline service. But everything was moving to roads anyway so whatever big city buses were being replaced (I don't know much about buses) working out their days on various narrow roads. Couple that with new haulage companies in the post-war era and Stephens likely would have buried Rolvenden under a garage. I've never got the vibe he was a sentimental man for equipment. There was very little money in rail even in Stephens day for the type and amount of freight and passengers he was moving so moving the people to buses that actually served the villages with the mainline stations; and shifting all freight to direct would probably be profitable. BP&GVR made use of sawn-off 03s to move block coal trains in the diesel era before moving to equally shorn 08s. Only one colliery on the EKLR was profitable so that would have probably been taken on by a EE 350 of pre-BR construction. However, he could have moved into the market of locomotive hiring/ selling. Not that there was much call for that till the mid 90s. But with a number of ex BR shunters going abroad, I can't see him not selling 03s to the Italians. Not sure they'd thank him for the 17s though. One thing has struck me though. And that is taking on new lines. Without the romanticism of Titfield Thunderbolt but closer to the various suggested steam railbuses or the BR failed and non-standard diesel powered railbuses and DMUs. The German built ones were about the only practical ones to operate a shuttle service on the cheap without worrying about them breaking down quite as often as the other ones. I am drawing a blank on this last point on what lines and routes could have been saved without council subsidies.

According to George Douglas of the Scottish Brewing Archive Association, he reckons it was dark blue with white writing.

Hi Jeremy, I've asked my beer archive friends on Twitter and there seems to be people that know people that might know. I'd have thought it was brown personally but blue is certainly plausible.

An apocryphal tale told in The Railway Spirit by R.L. Smith tells of a body that was at Boat Of Garten being sold to a farmer (I haven't been able to work out when, where or what body) in the depths of winter. The railwaymen had to wait till the local bobby had gone out of the village for the night or so to cart it on ice with a tractor using telephone poles as fulcrums to turn it on/ off roads. Makes you wonder what other shenanigans went on.

That was my immediate thought too.

Absolutely gutted to hear about Jack's passing. Only met him once back about 2009 in Perth but always followed his ideas. I haven't got anything to add here that no one hasn't said. Condolences to his family.

Getting it out on podcast streaming services would go a long way for listenership. I use Stitcher and Spotify on my laptop and phone while on the move which covers the large number of podcasts I have queued up.

Is 45029 part of LU fleet? VCT says EWS but thats clearly wrong.

Pretty much the locomotives are going to be the Hattons AB and Hornby's 48DS. The Barclay doesn't have a cosmetic draw hook as standard, it being part of the detailing pack. And the 48DS has been answered. Until either of those come into my possession, I've been using my Kernow Beattie Well Tank to test the track etc. Pushing it out sounds far more possible so I'll try those in time. Yup all 9/10ft wheelbase stock with no real era but no later than the early 60s and very unlikely to see anything of a much longer wheelbase. I'd seen a Pentorch with wire on my searches for an answer. Thank you, I'd completely forgotten about buffer lock but I'll keep an eye when I trial it properly.

Basically you've caught my drift. Certainly at least the ones on locomotives, the rolling stock is being fitted with Smiths three links in the interim. Thanks for the screw link heads up.

Evening everyone. I've been slowly building together stock for a small shunting layout and a feature I've been wanting to incorporate is working three links/ instanter/ screw link couplings but don't want to/ feel confident to put the RTR locomotives under the knife to fit the brass ones. Would I be able to circumvent these using said cosmetic couplings for what would be little more than mimbling about with a few wagons? Cheers

Also seen here in the 50's: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93303764@N04/8509997089/in/set-7215763282468717

Knew I should have checked Whisky Trails & Iron Rails before commenting.

Two whisky industry Rustons. I can think of maybe another two that existed (Tomatain and something rattles around my head of another, Cameron Bridge?). The Queen Anne livery is not the most attractive with all that brown and cream but looks very well applied. Need to pull that part built whisky micro out of storage!

Certainly was 47298, was volunteering around that time. Believe it visited 3 times for Thomas events before most railways knocked it on the head. I seem to remember it working a number of non-Thomas related service trains as well. Before that, it was Lord Roberts from Bo'ness before that was withdrawn. I don't recall any other Jinties being painted up as Thomas as they'd have to pay licensing fees etc that were astronomical.

Sutton was re-wheeled yesterday putting it further on the road to completion. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1399948483475113&id=368167126653259&__xts__[0]=68.ARC82km-BgC2-kWS65n2PBxs6wq3shasdzJ6pHM712d43MP3pEnTBojkfEFWacTPF1vG8bko_SfSC8sNBX2OevmKLZhKFmg9zmdjj2xjtD0kE6YsP3EA4Gxk3zWTD6AwqJZtEyyjrH1TxzG8ivSYWvt6fSO9zLepW39fE1HGAY1dq-hpMLp-D1lU28PR_k9IlSK976v-XZA&__tn__=-R

Hugely unpopular on the Highland section when they were introduced there but little I've read suggested why. Initially I had conjectured it was Highland men being loyal to the old guard but this account sheds some light on it. Can't imagine they did much that the Highland's own native locomotives couldn't do more comfortably. Even Jenkinson only makes brief mentions of their unpopularity.

Looks like a strong start there Luke, will be following this. I can highly recommend Iron Rails and Whisky Trails by Ian Peaty. Its full of atmosphere and especially useful if you're pinning any building to a time period or a location. Also have a peek at RailBrit and AmBaile.

Despite being photographed regularly on passenger services south west of Glasgow, BR considered them freight locomotives so they remained in plain black. They'd probably have looked quite handsome in lined though. Im personally very excited by this announcement, having grown up with 828 down the road from me. Hopefully between this and the J36, Hornby and Bachmann will look closer at Scottish prototypes on the assumption that these both sell well. I see no reason for them not to: long lived, far travelled and numerous with not many Scottish steam era layouts unable to justify one or several.

Havent put either side to side but the smaller tank is the giveaway. Is there anything else wildly different between the 12"s and the 14"?