WillCav

I used to have season tickets Swindon-Didcot and Didcot-Reading. If I ever needed to go north, i would get a Didcot to (somewhere north) ticket and get a cross country train Reading to the north. This is allowed by the rules even though the train doesn't stop at Didcot but few guards I spoke to knew the rules. You can't do this with two normal tickets or two season tickets but you can with one season plus one normal ticket. One guard checked and came back to apologise for not knowing! One colleague had the page from the routing rules printed out to aid acceptance. Will

And the track has been remodelled between pictures! And Duck has changed from a 57xx to an 8750! I believe the good Reverend went through a few illustrators as he allegedly didn't rate their drawings.

Hi Jack, A lot of these wagons were rebuilt when the planking started to rot - so you can get a few variants. 1. Ends replaced with the more standard ends with 2 bonnet vents with angle diagonal 2. Doors replaced with later style inside framed vertically planked doors If both 1 and 2 were done, they looked similar to the later RCH GWR vans. Just a bit smaller and with the earlier Dean Churchward lever brake. You can use the ends and doors from the parkside PC48 Mink G. I had some spare as I was using the PC48 underframe as a starting point for a long Open C (tube) wagon. Will

Hi all There is a standard for how banners and distant signals are named now but there are many still out there that don't comply to modern rules. I am a signalling designer so I know some of the history etc but others I'm sure can fill in my gaps. Banner repeaters are now #BR where # is the signal they are following. Previously these could be #R. Distant signals are a different number to the 'home' if they are operated by a different control. If they just follow the aspects ahead, they can still be #R but we are often asked to rename them during review of schemes. Even in the same signal box area you can get a mixture. Cambridge has #R & #BR for banners and different number & #R for distants. New distant signals have a plate with the triangle (to represent the semaphore distant notch). Otherwise it could be difficult for a driver as most modern signals have a single aperture. Distants in 4 aspect area could be #RR then #R . Confused yet? I know I am and I'm supposed to understand it... Will

I've done a bit more digging... I've found some photos of BOTH types of end now: Type 1: Atkins/Beard etc end with shutter on LH panel of the end and flat cross bracing on the centre panel only http://ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=32926 and http://ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=32460 Type 2: Shutter in the centre panel with angle diagonal bracing on the side panels - not quite the same as the Y4 ends I was going to use! http://ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=28822 and http://ukprsl.uk/final-results.asp?action=display&Id=28768 I think I'll have a go at the type 1 ends - I'm thinking of using cooper craft ends with no vents and scraping off the cross bracing if I can find any in the spares box - else I'll have to scratch build the ends. I'm assuming that all Y7s were built with the type 1 ends originally and some were modified when they went through the workshops sometime between 1929 and now - I may build a type 2 end one later just for variety. The only outstanding question is when they were modified? But I think that fact may be lost in the mists of time. Will

That looks really good, Castle. The banana spots look just right. What did you use for the 9' wheelbase underframe? My new plan is:- Y4 ends + V23 sides/roof + O29 u.frame = Y7 as preserved. I will just assume that the diagram in Atkins etc was not what was built. Left over bits make an O31 and a V12 (didn't think of that one until you mentioned it - thanks) The only problem with using the O29 is you have to cut the sides off the sole bars! Will

If you're building in 4mm - there is good news and bad news for the Lima O33 Siphon G (often available second hand) Bad news: The bogies are wrong - different types were fitted to different batches and many were changed later on - so a dated photo is important (or access to the book about Siphons by Jack Slinn). The vertical planking is only correct for a few of them - and the only photo I have found of the Lima planking Siphon has a different brake gear / underframe details Good news: If you can live with the planking issues - they were the most numerous Siphons in your timescale - so you can have a few of them Variants - convert to O59 by adding roof shell vents If you are very brave, convert to M34 (parcels) by adding roof vents and covering / replacing most of the louvres There is a BR built version with shutters at the bottom - there used to be a conversion kit? This makes it an O62. Regards Will

Saddle tanks didn't often have any branding. The key thing is photos - or just apply 'rule 1'. Will

Hi all, I have been reading a topic on a different forum: It has got me thinking about getting some more banana vans to make a more representative rake of wagons. I did some research and found that the diagram Y7 is the newest GW banana van - and the only one with the later vertically planked doors. It would make a nice model and break up a train of earlier banana vans. I work in OO so most of the wagon is easy: Ratio O29 open for the 9' wb underframe with Ratio V23 etc van for the sides / roof (I've used this method before to make V21 vans). In Atkins, Beard et al, there is a diagram of the Y7 and some text. The end is very peculiar with a moveable shutter between the corner and the first end stanchion and a flat X bracing between the end stanchions. There is no photo of the wagon. There seems to be a rare old kit with this arrangement. However, looking at photos of two of the preserved ones, they seem to have the standard double bonnet vent end with a shutter added on the middle panel. Does anyone know the history of them? Did the ends get changed or is Atkins, Beard et al wrong? Many thanks Will

Thanks Stationmaster, That's really useful - and will give me an excuse to not have an entire train of banana vans. Will

I'm guessing that my two banana vans are not really very realistic - what sort of number of banana vans are more likely and would it be a complete block train or part of a longer mixed train? I model late 40s GW. Thanks in advance Will

5675 at 31/12/47 Will

David, Thanks very much - I've got no excuse now for not finishing it off (must remember to stick some churns in and paint the inside before putting the roof on). I knew that RMWeb would be able to help! Will

Hi all, I have found a half finished ds524 6-wheeled siphon brass kit that I started years ago but I cannot find the instructions. Does anyone have a copy of the instructions that they could scan in or photograph? Many thanks Will

A lot of the Paddington - Penzance expresses would have bypassed Bristol altogether as they turned right just past Taunton and headed through Castle Cary and Newbury to re-join the main line at Reading West Junction. Will

They look like 17'6" Minks (1000s built under many diagrams) or Partos (100s built and some used for specific destinations) so I would go for Minks. Loads of variety vac/non vac but likely to be 10' wheelbase on that date clean. Will

The cab design narrows down the possibilities. looks like 8750 / 54xx / 64xx / 74xx but you would need to measure a few things and compare to drawings to confirm. Look at http://www.gwr.org.uk/nopanniers.html Will Sorry for the duplication of answer - took too long to reply and got beaten to it!

Thanks M.I.B and melmerby, I'll get a can of the primer and try that out. I might do some black roofs on some of my other stock for variety. Will

If I can go a bit off topic (is it off topic if I started the thread?) I have a Lima Siphon G that I am converting to either diag O59 Siphon or M34 parcels (ex ambulance train with 11x shell vents in the roof). I know about the plank width / bogies / underframe issues. I have some donor bogies and I'll make new sides if I decide to make it an M34. What colour should the roof be for 1947ish? I know white is too early but what shade of grey should I use? Thanks Will

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to my questions. The amount of info that has been given is amazing and I have plenty of options for my siphons now I know that 1947 is too late for churn traffic. I might have to get a few more 6 wheel milks though... Thanks again Will

Thanks M.I.B, I'm modelling 1947 so I have a load of 6w milk tanks - were the churns in Siphons not used at all by then? regards Will

Thanks for the quick response Chris. That makes a lot of sense. I'm now thinking to put end plates on some siphon Gs to use between a loco and passenger train or on a milk but leave off on another for a mail or parcels train. Does that ring true? I know it's too much of a generalisation but I don't want to be removing / adding end plates every time I swap consists around. Thanks Will

Hi all, I've been reading the Jack Slinn Siphons book and it's got me thinking about the ends of them. The first Siphons had fixed ends, later ones had vehicle size end doors and lastly, corridor connections. I understand how the large end doors help with flexibility in use - but why corridor connections on Siphon Gs? Would they allow passengers to go through them to get their luggage if used in a passenger train? Was it for staff access in transit? It couldn't have been that useful as later conversions sometimes removed them. Is there any logical explanation or is it just GWR standardisation gone mad. Last question- should I be putting an end plate on them or were they only used to protect coach ends? Most photos don't have the right angle to see. Thanks Will

Have a look on http://www.gwr.org.uk/liverieswagongrey.html This documents the livery changes and has a photo of a (preserved) Iron Mink with a white roof. There have been other discussions on the weathering of white roofs - the darkening is as much a chemical reaction with the white lead as it is accumulation of dirt - they wouldn't stay white for long. If you're using the post 1943 5" GW lettering style then the roof needs to be the same as the body. Will

Hi HereticUK If you are interested in the signalling, there is a signalling plan for Stroud in 1935 in:- Signal Box Diagrams of the Great Western & Southern Railways by GA Pryer Volume 25 GWR: Swindon Area - page 26 The signalling arrangement stayed like that until 1970 regards Will