coachmann

Was it the Club Train when it still had a club car? There was an L&Y one knocking about. We had a club train on the North Wales line. I used to catch it occasionally and it would get us into Manchester at 10.15. Really fast journey on the late afternoon return too, but Club Cars had long since dissapeared. The clientel must have had some clout when it went over to DMU's circa 1964, as it quickly went back to steam haulage using one of Llandudno Junctions well-polished Black Fives.

IMO it would be a brave man that fell for a 'definitive' model from Dapol before seeing it. Being a bit niave when it comes to Diesel locos, what are the faults with the Heljan model, anyone?

There are just two pictures on Holyhead MPD in my book 'Colour of the North Wales Mainline' (Foxline, now Book Law) ISBN 1-870119-71-1 first published in 2003. It is full colour and might be useful seeing as it cover the blue era mainly and features much of the 'lost' freight and passenger traffic on the Chester-Holyhead.

Hope Stuart doesnt read my entry................I must have been thinking of Jim Markland, author of the Foxline books on railways around Bolton.

Is stuart Taylor still alive? Greg Fox told me about a meeting with an author writing a manuscript covering the line through Leyland and said he had passed away the following day. I made enough rail trips to Blackpool Central in my youth, afterall it was a popular destination for people living around Manchester in the 1950's. Endless queues to the toilets were a result of so many passengers arriving there in non-corridor coaches at a time when rail fares were a snip . As an aside, we also went by coach in the early 1950's. I use the term coach loosely, as some were late 1920's single deck buses painted cream to look like coaches. Others had a fishtails.

Jim SW : I doubt the people that would be put off ever enter "top end modelling threads". I'm certainly not put off by bottom end modelling threads even though I am not looking for 00/HO figures of Dr.Who and his Daleks at this particular moment. I think most modellers, and indeed those people who buy things because they like them, do so because they admire quality workmanship. Just because I avoid building buildings and structures like the plague doesnt keep me away from threads by Peter Gravy Train and Ron Heggs, master builders both. I keep abreast of your threads too Jim. The scale of your modelling is mammoth.

Easy....A hillside. For railways that are built on a ledge cut into a hillside. Plenty around you know but the very devil to get a background sheet for......

"All the layouts are stocked with rtr locos and rolling stock. Only the scenery is different..." Not my words but I'll bet most of us are guilty as charged. The 1960's cliche of Great Wester branchline termini rule has simply re-formed into something else. Anyone hazard a guess as to what tomorrows cliche will be? 'Blue Pullmans' rule....?

Looking good Peter. The Class 37 looks the part. I thought a bit of something old/something newish might be of interest. Both pictures show block trains. The first is of 40035 leaving Glan Conwy Freight Terminal (built 1980) with cement on 8th March 1983. In the foregound is the newly laid high speed crossover and the Up relief line laid on redundant slow-line trackbed in readiness for increased fly-ash traffic..... The second shot is quite rare. Locos were often named after a location or company but rarely revisited the area. This is 'Amlwch Freighter' actually working the 7F18 Associated Octel tanks from Amlwch to Ellesmere Port, photographed while laying over in the yard behind Llandudno Junction station (sorry no date to hand).....

I thought this was a April 1st spoof. The only thing it resembles is a product of Margates imagination and maybe a circumsised Midland Bain coach. Come on lads, lets not make this a serious thread. It's a toy, a coach on a wagon chassis.

Yeh, it represents Hornby's commitment to scale modelling....

Pull Push written on the ends of LMR driving trailers was not unusual. As often as not one sees PL PH.

Trackplan and more in 'A Historical Suvey of the Chester to Holyhead Railway by Anderson and Fox (OPC).........if you can lay your hands on a copy!

I won't pretend I know anything about the LNWR in South Wales, but I have cine to video footage by either Whitehouse or Camwell of LNWR 'Coal Tanks' working elderly LNWR arc roof stock in very bleached LMS crimson lake on one of the Valley lines circa 1949.

Yes. 47478 was push pull fitted for working Swansea-Brynamman service. Nos. 7477 - 81, 7655 and 7681 were push pull fittted by the LMS. The auto gear was mounted on the LH side of the smokebox and the extra pipe was fitted to the left of the coupling with top of pipe just above footplate.

Typos rule I'm afraid Mr.Forest2807.....

Yes.

Buffalo : That is because the coach is carrying LMS crimson lake or postwar maroon with LMS style lining even though it might have BR Gils Sans insignia in place of LMS style markings. Coaches built or repainted up to around April 1949 continued to receive Big Four liveries until instruction was given to use the new BR colours.

Push pull fitted coaches often had lining in BR days as if they were regarded as somewhat upmarket from other non-corridor coaches! I'm only going of memory here but I think only the Period III push pull coaches were lined out. On the 1949-56 BR carmine red, lining took the form of a single "yellow" & black line above the windows and immedietly below the windows. When maroon was adopted in 1956 the waist lining changed to yellow-black-yellow and was often positioned at the same level as lining on Stanier corridor stock. In otherwords the lining ran through the door handles. The end pipes were coloured as shown in my carriage workbench:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/blog/310/entry-5586-non-corridor-suburban-coaches/

I've only just returned to this thread and come across enquiries about Llandudno Junction carriage shed. I hope the following will assist.... 150226 on driver training soon after arrival in shed on 2nd March 1987. They took over TransPennine services on 14th May. Pit detail in foreground..... Stylish Class 151 in storage on 2 April 1990. Raised walkway detail..... Bottom end of shed showing ballasted track. The two 40's 97406 (40 060) and 97407 (40 012) had worked welded rails to Gaerwen. 25th July 1985...... Also at the back end of shed, Plasser & Theurer Type RM 62-BR Machine No.15 built in 1966 DR7606. With runner wagon No. ZSV : B93694 and bo=xvan DE 265491. 19th July 1990. Carriage E4997 was involved in NWCE fatality.... Exterior of shed looking forward towards entrance....... Back of Llandudno Junction shed showing Mess Room referred to by Merfyn Jones earlier...... GW green livery 47500 Great Western beside the fuelling point........ Somthing to add a little character to your shed....Internal User wagon built by BRC&W Co. in 1952 to Lot 2290. Livery all black with white lettering............. A bit more character in the shape of yard lamps (one time gas). 25035 moving off shed....... Cheers, Copyright Larry G.

With the GCR carmine red non-corridor third just completed today, here is a shot of my Guide Bridge-Greenfield rush hour train of circa 1954...

I took so much (probably 100%) of this architecture for taken for granted in my youth. It was all around and black yet, seeing your exquisite modelling, I am now looking at such things anew. I haven't walked around Manchester inner city ereas for probably 50 years and in my minds eye I can still see it as it was in the 1960's. You obviously have bags of patience and love what you are doing. Larry

Mucky Duck : It's Gauge One, not my favourite scale but it's certainly got presence.

LMS Turboloco, ex works straight out of the paintshop......

Hi Johnathon, Doesn't sound very hopeful then.