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D6580 at Eastleigh, in as first converted. original photo by Chris Hurworth, original now in my collection. Al Taylor.

6580 didn't have the buffing plate or a buckeye when first converted.

Alloy window frames first appeared with the Bardic style of window frame, the glass of this was clamped in in similar fashion to the original windows. Then came the two styles of frames that used a rubber sealing strip. These frames were supplied by two firms Beclawat and Widney which are not identical.

The Brush 4s weren't regeared at all, to derate them the two crankshafts where rephased as part of the derating.

The SVs were only laid up as required. The kitchen and serving area are almost as shown. The seating is wrong for the first class. Hornby have modelled most of the interior as a Mallard refurb.

The Tommy bar on this type of screw coupling doesn't fold down. It will remain in the horizontal plane when the coupling is not in use ie dangling and when coupled will hang in the vertical plane with the bob weight lowest.. It will only been diesel style and UI type couplings that adjusting toggle can be folded. Al Taylor

The Wolverton dynamo the brush gear simply is dragged into the right portion by brush friction until it hits a stop and that were it will stay until direction is changed. The output is controlled by the Wolverton regulator this senses the voltage and will control the field current to give the appropriate voltage in response to load (battery charge/lighting and other electrical load depending on vehicle). The rocker brush gear limit is connect to the output side via braids that also help in the limit of movement. There are two types of regulator and dynamo, WD/MD 90 amp and CWD/CMD 125/150 amp. They all use 3 wires + output, -neg and + field. The control was all done originally by relays and contacts, but various mod have been done and most ended up with a large blocking diode and electronic sensing control boards, with only the lighting contractor remaining in the regulator box. Al Taylor.

Only the TGS at the van end received the RCH jumpers. These were connected to two existing train wires that where part of the 36 way jumper wiring, can't remember which train wires at the moment. The van end also received a drop head coupler in place of the Alliance coupler and retractable buffers. The guards office was also fitted with a "small" mimic fault indicator panel. Al Taylor

The cabinet between battery box and fuel tank was only on dual braked examples, air only didn't have this cabinet as the extra compressor(s) was housed in an exhauster cabinet. Some of the dual/air braked examples also had the exhauster cabinet doors modified, a deeper door with inset catches. Generally on an air only version just one new Westinghouse compressor was fitted in addition to the existing compressor mounted below the nose end, however odd balls like 08440 occurred with two new Westinghouse compressors and the original removed, with the extra air reservoirs been mounted underneath rather than in the the right hand exhauster cabinet if fitted. As to the Alloy doors there was an odd ball set fitted to 08304. Al Taylor

When I worked for VXC there were various plans mentioned to extend the XC network to other places Hull and Middlesborough always got mentioned.So there was obviously a market for through travel then, just as there is today. However these plans got torpedoed by the backward thinking of the SRA, which shafted XC giving us Operation (Ugly sister as it was often called) Princess and the remnants of what remains today.

Not a positioning move, the inward working came from Paddington, this is a through working to Brighton. The Peak will have worked up from Saltley via New Street. A Peak or Brush 4 could turn up on this, not unknown for a Brush 2 either. Al Taylor

They are actually passed Brough, Brough station is the other side of the road bridge.

Not quite true regarding dual braking, after a very long conversation some time with one of BR's eminent brake engineers said it is possible to fit air brakes to a vacuum brake vehicle to make a dual braked vehicle.

Not shunting anything, 08777 was withdrawn at this time due shifted cranks. Note the side rods have been removed. The tanks did leave the depot, the waste oil went to Immingham TMD for Ken Kirtons "wonderful" oil recycling project. Less said about that the better....... ™ Al Taylor.

No by then it would have been one of Holbeck's 31/4s, 409,410 or 417. Al Taylor. Before the 31/4s, EE type3s and 4s, Peaks could work these services. The lunchtime working at one time was the loco off that mornings Garston/Trafford Park - Hull Freight liner which ran to Donny light engine. Al Taylor

The loco from Leeds worked through to the Cross. The hull portion would arrive on Platform one normally, the loco would detach. The Leeds would arrive, on 4 (as it was then now 3) loco detach and shunt across to one attach and draw forward the back to the Leeds portion. The down service would arrive in 5 the rear 4 coaches would de uncoupled, the Leeds departs and then a loco stabled by the north box would come and attach. Al Taylor.

More often than not a fish van would contain an individual fish merchant purchase bought in the fish market at the port of origin. A fish merchant may have several vans in one train, the may be dropped of enroute at various locations for that merchants customers. Trains like the Hull Plymouth would have vans for various place not only on its route, but would drop vans off to join other fish trains as well as some other services to get to final destination, one regular destination on Hull Plymouth was Fishguard.

Not unknown for vac braked locos to work MGRs, just ned a brake van, and run as class8.

392 was withdrawn at this time. 391 was last overhauled at Glasgow and 392 was done at Swindon. The yellow buffer beams and red buffer shanks was my addition along with the red rods. Al Taylor.

Spot on Johnster. These wagons conveyed DMU engines and gear boxes between the works and depots, old ones going in reverse. Brake blocks could turn up in vac braked opens (later OBAs). Lub oil would usually turn up in tanks, certain oils would come via road motors in 45,25,10 or 5 gallon drums. Spares depending on depot could come via the Enparts system or road motors. Most depots depending on era had vans and/or lorry. other ways of getting items to a depot was by service train, usually smaller items using the UVS system. Al Taylor

Not actual parts, the large boxes contain an engine and the smaller central boxes contains two gear boxes. The ex GWR Departs have four boxes, two small boxes for gear boxes and two large ones for engines. Al Taylor.

Only after 1968, before then air pipes were all white, cocks and coupling heads too.

What you have to remember ETH loadings are not generally constant, it will very with the stock concerned as heating/air con loading alter. Mk1s usually have a more constant loading due to the thermostats used and the fact the have passenger operated controls. Al Taylor.

Having seen a 31/4 on a load bank it is quite surprising were the the traction power goes when the ETH is turned on.I know from the lads in the test house at Doncaster when the first 31/4 was tested, there was a big gasp from the control room when the ETH was turned on and a where the **** has the traction power gone. From memory something 520 HP would be removed from the traction power with ETH full load.

Russ, the 27 way connection was underneath and was very prone to water ingress. Al Taylor. A Peak has three water tanks, two are in the boiler room either side of the door from the cab at no2 end the other is between the battery boxes.