PaulG

Thanks Phil, for a very quick reply. We have started to collect a few books on the line and as you comment, guards vans are "few and far" to be seen in detail. I'm guessing into the BR period, LMS and BR standards would possibly be the "norm", and the SR/MoS brakevan??; I've got Terry Gough's "Guide to Southern wagons and vans", Russell's GW wagons and Essery's MR/LMS wagon books, but unfortunately I can't see reference to workings, hence question here. Paul

A small group are refurbishing Julian Brileys 4mm/OO gauge Somerset and Dorset inspired 1950s/60s layout Broad Sidlinch, which he built in the 1990s, and is located at Holt Station on the North Norfolk Railway. None of us have any knowledge of the S&DR, my interests are Colchester 1950s, which couldn't be much further away from Somerset! The scenery and buildings are relatively easy to sort, but we would like to try and run prototypical trains. We have been donated a number of items of rolling stock, including a SR "Queen Mary" bogie brake van and wonder if such a vehicle would be seen on the line. A couple of photos of the layout attached, which is very much "work in progress". Many thank Paul

On the 8th November 2021 I had the following from Oxford Rail: All items are expecting delays due to the knock on effect of Covid and Brexit. This item is still in development. Oxford

I've not had the time recently to work on Colchester c1955, but did find enough time to weather a couple more locos.

I'm intrigued by the Colchester Signalling Engineers carriages, especially as I'm building a model of Colchester c1955! The models are generic, nothing like a GER vehicle, but why Colchester, any photo evidence similar vehicles existed? My photo shows LNER Diagram 65 Gresley Brake Third E86072 built York 1926, converted to Push-Pull use in September 1949 and then to Signalling Works Engineer Colchester works Mess & Tool Van DE320759 in December 1959. Now preserved at Bere Ferrers, Devon. I've quickly checked Hugh Longworth British Railways Pre-Nationalisation Coaching Stock and can't see the Hornby carriage or the running number they quote, so I'd like to know where they got the information?

Hi Annette, not Snape but a few East Anglia based layouts here which may be of interest. https://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/forum/layouts Paul

GER/LNER J69 0-6-0T, or is that what Hornby are going to announce in January!?? Paul

The photograph is of now preserved 69621 and was taken by K C Footer, August Bank Holiday 1949. The photograph appears in one of John Mann's East Anglian Steam booklets. I've tried to replicate the scene, with chap crossing with his bike, but a little artistic licence with the crossing gates! I've built one of the two carriages and the wagon in the background, which formed part of the Colchester breakdown train. Paul

Thank you Jeremy for taking the time to provide the diagrams, which are very interesting. Although my period of railway interest is 1948-1959, there were numerous changes in that short 10 year period. Not least the signalling, loco shed lighting, loco mess carriages and ohl, all very obvious on a model railway. So I've detailed the "scenery" as c1955. The signalling diagram shows the alterations for the electrification of the Clacton branch, which was a trial site. "Unfortunately" , in terms of railway interest, it resulted in the GE down platform starter being replaced by a LNE?BR semaphore and the up junction semaphore signals being replaced with colour lights. The attached photos of J17 65511 shows the colour lights as per diagram for the junction and the photo of the N7 shows the signals I've built. At this stage the track layout wasn't altered at the Ipswich end. Again, thank you for your help.

Although I have a reasonable size collection of photographs and drawings of Colchester, for my 4mm/00 gauge layout, I have not been able to find either a signal box diagram c1950 or a rear view of the signal box, and wonder if anyone can help, please? As can be seen from the photos, there was "footbridge" from the adjacent road to the box and a toilet fixed to the back of the box, but without a suitable photo it's proving a little difficult to model in detail! The "Cold War " has made life a little easier in building the box, as the locker room windows were infilled as can be seen in one of the photos. The operating floor windows were made by York Model Making, as they are of a completely different design to other GE box windows and those typically available in model form Thank you. Paul

David If you have problems contacting the Society PM me and I'll see if I can help. Paul

Oxford Rail Cowans crane model is of the same type that was at Colchester in the 1950s, so I'm keen to obtain the model. Below is my question to Oxford Rail and their response I received a few days ago, which is very disappointing and I can only guess its due to the Hornby recent takeover of Oxford Rail. I guess it's time to start the D&S kit of the crane I have! Q: I understood that in July 2021 the CAD design was well advanced for the Cowans crane. Can you advise if there has been any further progress and when you hope to get the crane into the shops? 09/09/2021 A: This item is still in development - Oxford Paul

Have you contacted Mike Senator, the Great Eastern Railway Society Architectural Co-ordinator who I'm sure will be able to help? Mike, the late George Pring and others surveyed many 1865 buildings and I published several articles in the GERS Journal. Paul

Oops sorry! Paul

Some years ago I needed to change the chimney on the Bachmann model and had to resort to one from, if I remember correctly, Comet, picked up at an exhibition.. Paul

Red "dot" marks Colchester Junction signal box position.

Photo taken at Stratford by my friend Dennis Seabrook, of GER No. 8 and you can just see the LTSR carriage to the right. He did photograph that as well, but my interest was GER! There were "stories" circulating, that "do not cut" was painted on one side only of both carriages and the gang sent to cut-up various wagons and carriages in the yard, didn't see the notice, but don't quote that as "gospel". The other photo is of the special was taken by another friend, Brian Pask and you can just see the LTSR carriage behind the loco. Paul

There are a number of photographs of the GER W&U tram carriage and LTSR carriage at Stratford Works. I was told many years ago by a Stratford Works employee that both carriages were cut up by mistake, no mention of shunting incident. Paul

Colchester Junction signal box was the last (?) box built by the Great Eastern Railway in 1921/2 and of a completely new design. Note the "bridge" from the box to the roadway, at the back of the box. The locker room windows were bricked up as part of the "Cold War" precautions in the early 1950s, along with a number of other signal boxes. I'm currently building a model of the box, but as you can see I can't find a photograph of the back of the box! Has anyone seen such a view?

I’ve got as far as I can with the wagon, as you can see in the photo. I’ve run out of GER buffers and asked Dan Pinnock if he has some. I guess the lettering is “GUARD TRUCK” and “BREAKDOWN TRAIN”, but it would be good to have it confirmed. Attached is a photo of the progress to date: D&S kit: ex GER Dia 533 brake3rd 62332 "Mess and Packing Van" Scratch built: ex GER double bolster 961658 "Crane Runner" D&S kit much altered: ex GER cut-down Dia17 high sided wagon as 961657 "Guard Truck” The last two vehicles to build/obtain are ex LD&EC Rly bk3rd 961515 "Tool Van" – Dan Pinnock is help with that. Hopefully an Oxford Rail Sheldon 15ton crane 961604 or if this fails to "arrive", I have a D&S kit in stock!

Its a D&S GER 6-wheel kit. The GER double bolster is scratch built and the Guard Truck a cut-and-shunt, D&S GER 3-plank wagon. Dan Pinnock is also helping with the fourth vehicle, an exLD&ECR 6-wheel carriage.

In July I understood that OR crane CAD was being finalised and they were working on getting the mechanism right as it needed tweaking. I have contact OR via their FB page but no response and interested to learn if anyone had any "news" of the cranes progress. I've nearly completed all the other four vehicles for my Colchester breakdown train!

There is a camp site in Weybourne next to the Muckleburgh Military Museum, called Foxhills. A reasonable walk to Weybourne Station on the NNR.

I'm slowly progressing the Colchester breakdown train and so far completed the D&S GER 6-wheel brake kit as converted to Mess and Packing Van, which appears to be only have been vacuum braked, and scratch built a GER double bolster wagon as converted to the crane runner, which interestingly from photos had both vacuum and Westinghouse pipes. The next wagon to build is the cut down GER Dia 17 open, and I only have two photos of the wagon, but in one photo (see above in first post) I have it clearly is labled: "LOCO E 961657 GUARD...............BREAKDOWN.........." Perhaps GUARD TRUCK and BREAKDOWN TRAIN?? I'm guessing before LOCO would be 10T (??), and can’t see it being rated any higher, and would that also be dual pipped/fitted?

The second of the five vehicles which made up the Colchester c1950s breakdown train is finished, at last (!), a scratch-built GER double bolster converted to the crane match truck, 961658. The first vehicle completed was the GER 6-wheel Mess and Packing van, 961520 (D&S kit) and the next wagon, will be the other crane runner, a cut down GER Dia 17 open, 961657, also from a D&S kit. The final two vehicles are ex LD&ECR 6-wheel brake and a Cowans crane, which hopefully Hornby's takeover of Oxford Rail, won't stop its production (CAD drawings were well advanced in July), albeit no doubt there will be some ramifications! Paul