PaulG

Interesting that you use ECM controller with coreless motors. I had to replace all my ECM controllers when I purchased a Model Rail/Rapido J70 tram, with Gaugemaster controllers. It turned out to be a very expensive loco! Paul

Thank you Paul for your reply. I have a "reasonable" number of railway books - the wife says I have too many - but I couldn't see a positive "all four sides/ends maroon for new stock post 1956", whereas the earlier BR crimson livery did state ends black and many of these vehicles would still have been around into the 1960's with the earlier livery. I've past the "good news" onto the team at Holt Station, where they have started to paint the van ends black! Paul

The M&GNR Society own Diagram Y14 Fruit D W92097W, built by BR at Swindon, which according to David Larkin, as part of Lot 30383 in 1960. The assumption is that the van was out shopped in the post 1956 BR Crimson Lake (Maroon), albeit during rubbing down of the paintwork, the later post 1965 BR blue was found. The plan is to refurbish the van in "as built" condition, and the question is, should the van ends be black or as some authors state, post 1956 van ends were the same as the body sides, albeit this comment tends to be linked to the time workshops spray painted stock, and I've not read when Swindon adopted spray painting for rolling stock. Comments gratefully received Paul

I don't know about 1980 period, but the Great Eastern Railway Society is making its collection of photographs available and certainly there are 1910 period photographs under the Windwood Collection of Lowestoft. See here: https://gersociety.org.uk/photos Paul

Chelmsford Station was originally built with a single island platform. The access to the platform was within the bridge brick arch and for many years you could see the access outline. The timber station building was sold and transported to become a private house when the station was rebuilt with two platforms. Paul

Thank you for your comments and the layout has appeared in Model Rail and from time to time, I post photos on RMWEB (see "Colchester c1950 4mm/OO gauge" under the modelling heading ), various Facebook pages and Great Eastern Railway Society News. Paul

These are the notes on the class I list in GERS 4mm Modelling document: "78022-5 & 27 were allocated to Stratford shed on 29 July 1962 before being transferred to March on closure of Stratford in September 1962. They moved away from March in December 1962 to LMR or NER. It appears they were never used whilst at Stratford albeit A E Bennett photograph of 78022 light engine at Stratford Low Level on 11/8/62. 78020 (allocated Kettering) in Cambridge north bay on 28/08/57. " Additional information always welcome. Paul

The Sheldon Mk2 swan neck 15-ton crane 961604, which went to Colchester in November 1947, was originally GNR. At Colchester it was coupled to four vehicles: Tool Van 961515, ex LD&ECR (GCR) 51842 6-wheel 34’ brake third. Mess and Packing Van 961520 ex GER 6-wheel 945 brake third 62332. Crane Runner 961658 a converted ex GER double bolster and Guard Truck 961657 a converted ex GER Diagram 17 high sided wagon. My model is mix of D&S kits, modified as necessary and the crane runner is scratch built. Paul

Bertram Mills Circus visited Colchester about every three years, traveling in four special trains. I've modeled "Train Four", consisting of horseboxes, "elephant" wagon, artists’ "baggage wagon" and two passenger coaches for artists without their own (road) transport and for the usherettes. Photo shows kit built Class: K-2 2-6-0 1734 (the only member of the class to receive LNER lined green post WW2 on the GE Section), BG, HB x 6, Prize cattle van, Monster and BT, ten vehicles.

The M&GN Society’s unique ex-LNER wartime Austerity BG E70621E purchased in 1977 is free to a good home or will be scrapped, as the NNR has no room or use for the vehicle. In need of restoration this unique historic vehicle is looking for a new home away from the NNR. It sits on scrap size tyres and is missing vac cylinders. All offers considered - please contact Nigel Scarlett by emailing Nigel.scarlett@btinternet.com

At last the J20 E4687 is finished and arrives on shed. GER 0-6-0 line up: McGowan J20, J19 converted from a Hornby B12 by my friend Roger Kingstone, BEC J17 - eBay purchase which needed a "little" tlc and Hornby J15, which I must get around to adding tarpaulin rail. Now back to signals. Paul

I put together this document sometime ago and issued to a few parties. All information from GERS members, primarily from John Watling articles. We took the view to make any item viable for a manufacturer, some stock should have lasted into BR days. SuggestedGER Rolling Stock to model in 4mm scale (002).pdf

Rob Read my reply to Andy. Paul

I did send you suggested GER items and a number of photographs of W&U stock, but I didn't know you were going to do both W&U carriages. Of course it is always up to the manufacturer what he chooses to produce, and hopefully duplication of new items can also be considered in such discussions. You have my contact details - and various other GERS members. Paul

Hopefully, it will "cut out" and varnish over. Paul

Andy How is the crest/armorial device reproduced, is it an overlay to the body paint finish or printed as part of the body colour? Paul

W&U carriages. I note in John Watling's caption to the GER Society Journal January 2024 cover photo of a W&U train, that he could identify the carriages, as only the composite carried the armorial device, whereas Rapido have included it, presumably in error, on the full third. Has anyone yet had a go at removing the incorrect lettering on the model? Paul

According to Yeadon's E4687 was the only member of the J20 class to be given an E prefix number and BRITISH RAILWAYS, in full on the tender. But the only photograph I have been able to find is this one copied from Yeadon's, which is not very clear in terms of lettering style, both cab-side and buffer-beam. Would it be safe to say the style would be identical to B12 E1555 seen below, including lettering on buffer beam? Any comments much appreciated. Paul

72009 Clan Stewart was used on the GE for a trial period, from 10 September 1958 to 21 October 1958. From what I've read, GE Section Managers were not happy at the thought of loosing their allocation of Britannia's. Paul

A bit more progress on the J20. Having looked at the photo above, I noticed the whistle was missing and safety valves in wrong place ! On the tender, I've now added the grab rails, lamp irons, vacuum pipe, removed left-hand side tool box, added brake handle and carved out a lot of the whitemetal under the loco running plate so coupling rods rotate. I thought I'd got the "build" element completed when I took this photo, until I noticed the "dome" at the back of the tender, part of the tender water scoop apparatus, which J20 tenders didn't have. What a "b....r" to remove. It was solid white metal, and very difficult to access without damaging other details. Paul

J20 E4687 progress. I haven't found any more photographs of the loco as E4687, other than the one posted above, but a bit of progress on the secondhand part built kit. I've added the various detail parts missing, thanks to Chris Stapleton at Precision Paints, albeit Chris didn't have any snifting valves, so I had to "steal" them from an N7 kit in the drawer. Just the balance weights to add to the loco wheels. The tender is still work in progress, with handrail and lamp irons to add, then primer and see how it looks. It's a very old model, but measures well against the GERS drawings, so will be a good addition to Colchester 1950s, and clearly nobody will produce a RTR model - "famous last words?". Paul

That was my point, in BR days all the class based in Scotland, except a few days trial on Southern. Just trying give some background information. The member of the class on the NNR in BR livery and March shed code is at the bequest of the original owner, and has no historic basis. Paul

WD 2-10-0 73774-99 90750-90774 ( built June-Sept 1945) The BRDatabase notes that 73774-73783 (90750-90769) were sent to March shed in June/July 1945, presumably on construction. In June 1947 they were "in store" at Longmoor and a number of them in January 1948 were at Eastleigh Works being overhauled, where presumably they were renumbered into British Railways 907XX series. The British Transport Commission purchased 533 2-8-0 and 25 2-10-0 in October 1948, which were "on paper" taken into Eastern Region stock (see Heavy Goods Engines of the War Department Vol 3 by JWP Rowledge) albeit the 2-10-0 locomotives were all allocated to Scotland, albeit 90757 was sent on loan to the Southern for a few days in September 1952 on test runs. Paul

Restored GER Class C53 (LNE J70) and two W&U carriages seen here passing the Up Colchester junction signals, returning to Stratford Works, having just been part of the 1959 Colchester St Botolphs Railway Exhibition, along with Class 31 D5537, 70010 Owen Glendower and the J69 Liverpool Street Station pilot. The C53 and one of the carriages are scheduled for preservation as part of the National Collection, but history will show both were accidentally scrapped at Stratford Works, but the other coach will become a film star, an onion store, and eventually preserved on the North Norfolk Railway.

Not an answer, but these notes on the M&GN Society website may be of interest: "The last Quad Sets were finally withdrawn from GN services on 1st April 1966 having been retained to cover as spares for BR Mk1 sets. These sets 67, 79 and 90 were transferred to Sheffield and worked local summer specials until their final withdrawal in September 1966. Our set, no. 74, withdrawn early in 1966, was sent to A. King and Sons at Wymondham in Norfolk for scrapping. " Paul