benachie

All in Scotland, mostly NSA for running the St. Combs branch. Alan

There was a very useful discussion about SC etc allocation here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/17272-sc-prefixed-coach-numbers/page__hl__%2Bscottish+%2Ballocation__fromsearch__1 As I understand it, the regional allocation had to do with money (responsibilty for repairs) and many coaches that were never ever ouside Scotland never got SC labelling. Alan

A fantastic sequence of photies! Alan

I echo what the others have said, Tony. Get well soon! Alan

Richard, Could you comment on how the (whitemetal-bodied) Pickersgill traction compares with the traction on your (plastic-bodied) Wee Ben. I seem to recall that you were going to fit non-traction tyres on "Ben Alder"; did you in fact do this on both models? Alan

Beautiful work and excellent commentary, Richard. Alan

Keep these articles coming, Richard. They are really inspiring. Alan

Sorry, Tim, I misunderstood which group the word "those" referred to in your previous post. M13167M looks really good. All the best with the rest of the rake. Alan

Hi Tim, Are you sure? My Comet D2119 has "wide" vents (as in Plate 126 of "LMS Coaches" by Jenkins & Essery). If all else fails, I suspect Bill Bedford would do you a bespoke one with whatever windows you want. He did a D2161 for me with "wide" vents rather than his usual (and Comet's) "later" version. You would have to wait, of course! Alan

Tim, "until someone does a fully accurate D2119 SK" What do you feel is wrong with the Comet version? Alan

Thanks for your help, everyone. I'm not sure that we have a definitive answer but maybe an opportunity will arise for someone to check further. Alan

Yes, I've just more or less said that! Alan

Hi Mallard, I think I have managed to look at all the D120 posts without finding an answer. All the photos I have seen are Stratford build eg in Harris "Standard Gresley Carriages" p.185 we have an early picture of 6820 with short springs and in Campling p.22 a late picture of 70212 with long - both Stratford. I'm not sure about John Edgeson's comments about 3-vents/springs-in-front being York; Danny Pinnock (D&S) says the these vans were the D170/176 old underframe diagrams. I shall draw Larry and Bill's attention to this discussion. Alan

Were the springs 4'6" or 6'0"? The John Edgeson (Isinglass) drawing (normally infallible) and the Campling drawing in "Historic Carriage Drawings" vol 3 both say 4'6" whereas the D&S kit and the drawing with it are 6'0". The Chivers kit is, I believe, from the Campling drawing is therefore 4'6" and I suspect the Isinglass kit is also. But pretty well all the photographs (e.g. Harris, Larkin, Cheona and even the one in Campling) seem to be 6'0". Is it possible they were originally short but were (?all) replaced by long later? (I think the preserved one is also 6'0".) Alan

Max, I believe that "Pearl Diver" got double chimney/MLS at the same time as the change to Brunswick green and was therefore the only apple green Scottish-shedded A2 (2/48-9/49 at 64B). All the others did not reach Scotland until they were in Brunswick green. So I guess that the tender front needs to be raised and the loco renumbered as E529 with the "E" above the number (same on buffer beam) and with new name. Stephen, Everyone agrees that the mudhole doors and the openings in which they fit are elliptical. It is the surrounding casing in the cladding that we are looking at - there is no reason for that to be oval. Alan

t-b-g and Harry Basset, Many thanks for your research on these mudhole covers. It seems that I was not being entirely crazy. I shall probably sort this out on my BP when I add the mysterious pipe and rod at the base of the firebox which I feel cannot be omitted. I'll do the same with 60528 when I give it the correct high tender front and re-ID it as "Pearl Diver" which I think was the only apple green A2 shedded in Scotland. Alan

Mike, On the A1s, the corresponding rod goes right forward to the motion so I don't think it has to do with the ashpan. Alan

Thank you, Del, that would be most helpful. I think we need to be clear that it is not the shape of the actual door but the surrounding plate in the cladding that is at issue. Alan

Thanks, Mike. Any thoughts on the lack of pipe and rod at the bottom RHS of firebox? What are they actually for? Alan

Mike, Yes the door is just loose. The Wilton overhaul was, I believe, over 20 years after withdrawal and the question remains "Is the Bachmann model correct for 1962?" Alan

Harry, It seems to me that the 60528 mudholes are like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boiler_handhole,_Clearwell_Caves.jpg which doesn't seem to me to match Bachmann. The internal hole is indeed slightly oval but the cover itself is round. I wouldn't put any faith in the preserved BP though possibly Bachmann did. We really need to know what it was like in '62-'66. Alan

Jeremy, "Perhaps someone can provide the definitive answer, but I don't think its worth arguing about, I suspect its one of these 'depends on period or works that did the job'" I suspect you're right. Certainly the Bachmann representation doesn't tie in with this http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p64136891.html On my earlier point about the pipe+rod on the lower rhs firebox, I notice the holes for these are present in the cab front but not in the footplate. By the way, the rod does not go as far to the front as on A1s and some A2s lost the pipe in later life whatever it was for (see picture of 60528 above). It has been suggested that the unsightly seam above the sandbox fillers is to allow for different boilers. Is it not more likely that the cab/firebox/upper boiler were carried over from the A1 moulding (albeit with different mudhole patterns) and the seam represents the join up to the different footplate? There is also a seam in the footplate just in front of the firebox and the holes in the cab mentioned above will be a hangover from the A1. By the way, shouldn't the tender front be higher on early-liveried A2s? Alan

But, for example, all the Park Royals "went late" from LMR to Scotland (in 1960) and then had SC numbers. Alan

dibber25, "As far as I can tell none of the cars that went late to Scotland (ACs and Park Royals)had their prefixes changed." There are plenty of pictures of SC prefixed railbuses in Scotland. The Waggon und Maschinenbau railbuses did not ever get to Scotland but the other types did. Brian Morrison's "British Rail DMUs & Diesel Railcars"is good for "SC" pictures. Alan

Jeremy, Your "Green Arrow" picture goes back to my original point - the slope on the firebox in any side-on view, photograph or drawing, makes the circular plates LOOK oval. If Bachmann are correct then a very large number of kits and rtrs are wrong! However, I'm sure someone on RMWeb should be able to give us a definitive answer. Thanks for your thoughts. Alan