chrisf

Good morning one and all This is not the best day for my appointment with Professor Oncologist. Despite my best efforts I was awake half the night listening to the election results programme. What kind of torture is that, one might ask. To keep the appointment I must either leg it or fork out for two bus tickets as my bus pass is not valid until 9.30 am and the appointment is at 9.45. When I will be seen is of course a lottery. I shall occupy myself with two magazines, one of which has already displayed a glaring error on the cover. Inside is an article of prototype information by someone with not the best reputation for accuracy. Oh dear. The other day the idea came up of an Encyclopaedia of Errors. Hmmmm … Warm thoughts to those in distress Chris

Talking of bubble cars, there is a suggestion in the latest Hornby Magazine that they were used between Barry and Bridgend prior to closure in 1964. I have my doubts. Chris

It looks kit built to me but I would not swear to it. The first thing I spotted in this issue is that someone fondly believes Belgrave Road to be of Great Central parentage. Not so: it was Great Northern. Hello, is that Trading Standards? Chris

Good morning one and all Today is polling day in the UK General Election. May all who cast their vote be granted the wisdom to distinguish between the mud-slinging and scaremongering that has dominated the campaign and the pertinent arguments which they have almost completely obscured. Some senior politicians have done themselves no credit by what they have said and the manner in which they have said it. Let them be justly rewarded. Warm thoughts to those otherwise in distress Chris

Cast auto buffers might be more robust. Try David Geen. Chris

Thank you, Alan. I had forgotten about your article and will dig it out. The reason behind my query was simply that there seems to be no reason for placing the battery boxes opposite one another on the 57 ft BS because they do not conflict with steps as they do on the BSK. Having said that, there used to be a saying in government circles that things are not the same if they do not have to be ... Chris

Whether the trailer was at the chimney end or the bunker end would depend largely on which way round they both were. The Brixham branch was a case in point. The normal configuration seems to have been loco hauling trailer to Brixham but there were occasions when the loco was bunker first and some instances of the trailer being propelled to Brixham. As for coaling, I am sure that the trailer was supposed to be uncoupled when the loco went on shed. However, country branch lines being what they were it may not always have happened. Chris

Good morning one and all Yesterday was unremarkable - fodder run, ironing, heavy rain, too much time in front of the TV - until the evening when there was a fine slide show. If I can read my writing, or even if I cannot, I must turn them into a report today. I also managed to find my poll card. Bless my soul, the voting station has moved from its normal location. Somehow the pile of laundry awaiting attention has grown. This is ominous. However, if I do it my mind may be taken off my appointment with the Prof on Friday. Worth a try ... Warm thoughts and best wishes to all in distress Chris

Good morning one and all We have had some interesting thoughts on breakfast. For what it is worth, I was brought up to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I still regard it as such and often work on the basis that I do not know whence the next meal will come. This is not as bad as it may sound, for I know that there will be a next meal. Whatever we may think of Little Chef, it is my view that their Olympic is a jolly good way to start the day and is of such a size that there is no need to even think of food for several hours. My road journey down to Southampton on a Sunday in January was marked by a distinct absence of places serving a decent breakfast, or any other sort for that matter. I was too early for Toddington services, which is not to the taste of all, but little did I know then that I would have to settle for a bacon roll nearly two hours later, falling way short of the full English that I desired. I do not know whether Marston Moretaine is destined for either the C chain or the S chain but know this: I seldom drink coffee and do not think that sticky cakes or glutinous cowpats – sorry, burgers - are at all suitable to comprise the most important meal of the day. I am happy to dine in supermarkets but try finding one that is open on a Sunday morning! Enjoy your day … Chris

You haven't read the thread I started, have you? Chris

I just heard on the radio that the actor Peter Sallis has died aged 96. Cracking voice, Gromit ... Chris

Good morning one and all My award for the best way to ruin a business goes to Little Chef. On Saturday I learned that my beloved Marston Moretaine establishment is to close in September and become a coffee shop. What use is that to man or beast? I like a decent breakfast if I am on the road for it is usually a day when I know not whence will come the next meal. For all the good it will do, I shall protest. Yesterday I stumbled across, quite by happy accident, part of a Keith Floyd TV programme in which he tried to catch a pike and succeeded in cooking one. It was a happy reminder, not only of a great TV personality but of my late cousin who was the videotape editor for the series. The week ahead will be quite busy. On Tuesday the fodder run in the morning will be followed by a talk in the evening and me having to write a report of it on Wednesday. I do not need to remind you what happens on Thursday. Interesting though it would be to sit up all night to watch the results, it would be unwise given that I have an appointment with Professor Oncologist on Friday morning. There are concerts on Saturday and Sunday evening so it’s all go. Barry, you mentioned the Viet Gwent. Is this not a reference to the Pontypool front row, as immortalised by Max Boyce? Blessed be Chris

If you see no-one else make it Chris Wood. His songs are forthright yet reflective. I don't know Ewan Maclennan very well but both he and CW are on my four line whip list for Sidmouth. IIRC James Dumbelton works with Jim Causley from time to time. I haven't seen the City of Plymouth Pipe Band since they supported the Battlefield Band a frighteningly long time ago. Chris

This correspondence takes me back. 50+years ago I was cutting up the waterslide transfers that came with 3mm Kitmaster coaches to achieve numbers that I actually wanted. There was no Microsol or Microset then and I had no knowledge of masking tape or other useful things. Still less was there the wide range of transfers and the different methods of application now available. I seem to remember not getting it right first time. Then I moved on to wagon numbers using Mabex individual letters and numbers. Oh boy. Hang on in there, Johnster. Chris Edit: a misquotation comes to mind. "At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will renumber them". Hat, coat, gone

Greetings News has been unfolding all night of what is being treated as another outbreak of terrorism. A white van has mown down pedestrians on London Bridge and the men in the van have stabbed some passers-by and a policeman in Borough Market. Apparently the perpetrators have been shot by police but innocent folk have been killed or wounded. It is difficult to comprehend the mentality of those responsible. I expect it will be on the news all day. It is, after all, of greater significance than what I planned to raise this morning. That can wait. Well done, Andyram. May your courage be rewarded. Blessed be Chris

Greetings to you too, Adrian. I have every sympathy with your comment about captions. A friend of mine is the custodian of an extensive photo collection. As he works his way through the negatives, many of which were never printed in the lifetime of the photographer, he makes brief notes about what each one depicts. We each see photos in different ways. My friend sees the loco and some of the fixtures and fittings such as station buildings, signal boxes and water cranes. That is fine as far as it goes but what about the train? A couple of months ago there was a photo in a magazine which caught my eye. The writer of the caption had gone to a great deal of trouble to research the life and times of the loco, which he could have got from any number of books. He did not mention the first coach in the train, which was of LMS origin and not the most likely of sights in a local train heading for Cardiff. Most of the historical magazines have caption writers who do likewise. I am guessing that they are asked to write captions like that by the editor, who believes fondly that this is what his readers expect. The solution is not obvious. OK then, those Cambrian pics. The Cambrian was transferred from the Western Region to the London Midland in 1963. Even before that the LM's coaches turned up way out of their home territory. For example, on a typical summer Saturday about 150 were booked to turn up at Paignton and they were not all booked to go home again. Inevitably some got pinched for local use. When the LM's territory was greatly increased in size, it had to use whatever coaches were available. So it is that PlumbLoco's pics show mostly Hawksworths with some other coaches of GWR origin and an increasing proportion of Mk 1s and ex-LMS vehicles. Take photos 49 and 50: the two coach train shown has one LMS coach [the one with the guard's ducket] and a GW design Hawksworth 10 compartment second. Forgive me for not going through the other 111 shots! As for D5317, what you put behind it should depend on whether you are modelling anywhere in particular and at what time. By the time it got a yellow panel it was working in Scotland but for the first year or so of its working life it was based at Hornsey for GN line suburban trains. Chris

Good morning one and all Yesterday was quite productive. I had had my injection and done the fodder run by 9.15 am, then watered the strawberry patch and harvested sufficient of the succulent red fruits to have for breakfast tomorrow. An impulse purchase in Tesco was 6 oz of lamb’s liver. Jim the butcher hates cutting it up but he was not there and his colleague had no such qualms. It was very nice with a rasher of bacon, some mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. Today I am off to Didcot for the AGM of the Great Western Study Group. I would have liked also to attend the AGM of the Welsh Railways Research Circle at Rhiwderin but it would have taken the best part of two hours to get from one to the other and that is daft even by my standards. Perhaps next year the two organisations will talk to one another and not have their AGMs on the same day. Oink, flap. By not going to Rhiwderin I am making a considerable sacrifice, for one of the chief attractions is the chance to buy and eat Mrs Warrington’s Welsh cakes. Take my word for it, they are a delicacy and very more-ish – not to be confused with Moorish, which some say is the origin of Morris dancing. Somehow I suspect that haute cuisine and Didcot are total strangers. Felicitations for birthdays and anniversaries. Warm thoughts and best wishes to all in distress Chris

Some of them did make it into BR red, according to the Railway Observer. Two were seen at Caerphilly in blood with W prefix numbers. W2774 was a third to diagram S9 and W285 was also that colour. I have no idea whether it was a third, brake third or composite. The four coaches that worked to Glyncorrwg were apparently 2691, 2692, 2766 and 2775. It is unlikely that they were red and highly likely that they were in a very poor external condition. They had been replaced by three clerestories in red by the end of 1952. OK, you ask, how does he know all this? Simple. A long time ago I invested in a run of the RO. More recently another RMwebber asked about four wheel coaches and I collated the gen for him. Like a lawyer [sorry, Ivan], I don't know much but I have a fair idea of which book to consult! Chris

It did happen and I do not know the answer about how the braking worked or the heating for that matter. In the winter 1958-59 cwp for the Cardiff Valleys we find among the treasures previously listed a Van Second attached to the 6.46 am Aberdare Low Level to Bute Road. It had formed the passenger portion of the 3.20 am from Queen Street, the remainder being vans. In Bylines a couple of years ago was an evocative photograph of a Class 122 single power car leaving Kingsbridge with a well-laden E167 brake composite in tow. To judge from the clouds of exhaust the diesel did not like it one little bit. Chris

Good morning one and all Various tasks await today. I must be at the surgery for 8 am to receive my injection. Other things such as breakfast, fodder run and irrigating the strawberry plantation will have to be fitted round it. I hesitate to mention this, but tempers appear to be fraying in the world of p*l*t*cs. Certain interviewers really should expect their victims to answer the question that they have posed before asking the next one. Andrew Neil let himself down badly in this respect last night. Another offender is Sarah Montague on the Today programme, who must be perched on the edge of her seat with impatience as the questions tumble out without the precaution of waiting for a reply to the previous one and listening to it. These and other inquisitors should find tapes of the late Sir David Frost, who did both very well. Gentle reader, this is where you remark that it is always easier to do other people's jobs than your own. How true, how very true. Best wishes and temperature related thoughts to all in distress Chris

There were many more instances of tail traffic when the dmus were new. Some examples from the Cardiff Valleys 1958-59 winter timetable: # The 8,25 am Pontypridd - Aberdare Low Level conveyed a parcels van except on Mondays, likewise the 8.13 am Pontypridd - Merthyr # The 1.30 pm Barry Island - Treherbert attached a Siphon G [described as Van, Milk] at Cardiff General off the 10.15 am from Carmarthen. I was on this one day and it was fun watching the shunting at Treherbert # The 9.0 pm Merthyr - Llantwit Major conveyed "Brake Van, Mails" to Cardiff General except on Saturdays # The 6.11 am Cardiff General - Barry Island conveyed a parcels van as far as Barry. How it made its way back to Cardiff is not recorded. # The 7.0 pm Merthyr - Barry conveyed a Fruit D as far as Pontypridd except on Saturdays # The 4.45 am Cardiff General - Treherbert conveyed a parcels van for mails and newspapers # The 4.15 am Cardiff Queen St - Ystrad Mynach formed the 5.12 am YM - Fochriw and was accompanied by Rhymney parcels vans as far as Bargoed # The 1.51 pm Caerphilly - Cardiff Bute Road, just to be different, was booked to convey an Enparts van, bound for Swindon, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Stores van No, 3 on Thursdays. The stores van was attached at Queen Street to the 3.0 pm Merthyr - Cardiff General # The 10.0 pm Barry Island - Merthyr attached a fish van at Cardiff off the 5.20 pm from Milford Haven # One van hitched a ride with two different dmus. A parcels van from Cardiff General to Rhymney was attached at the General to the 6.52 am Barry - Aberdare as far as Queen Street, whence it rode behind the 7.50 am to Rhymney. This working did not apply on Mondays. # On Thursdays the two coaches of the Llanbradach - Senghenydd colliers' train were attached to the 2.25 pm Bute Road - Rhymney as far as Caerphilly after cleaning. # When required, a parcels van from Cardiff General to Treherbert was attached to the 9.10 am Sully - Treherbert Vans were also attached to dmus on Sundays. At this time the 5.10 am Cardiff - Rhymney that Brian mentioned was still steam hauled. Chris

Good morning one and all The HMRS was out in something approaching force last night. Seven of us walked around historic Wolverton, noting as we trudged how parts of the former works have been re-used with skillful incorporation of key features. The water of the Grand Junction Canal resembled a soup that I would not wish to drink. Not many people were about apart from us. Surely they were not all watching TV? Earlier I cleared some more weeds from my jungle but there is still plenty to do. Not much is planned for today. I hope that a couple of bits of research will make some progress. Before I even think of that I hope that a bath will soak away various aches and pains, some arising from yesterday's exertions. Tomorrow I must make haste for I have an appointment at the surgery at 8 am. Although it concentrates the mind, it does give me the rest of the day to deploy productively. One day it will happen. It's a bit too hot to wish warm thoughts for those in distress, not least because humidity causes me distress. How about - good wishes? Chris

It may help if I clarify this. There were several types of B set. The best known, thanks to Airfix and their successors, wee the pairs of E140 brake composites with 7 ft wheelbase bogies and their cousins E145 which had the same bodies but with 9 ft wb bogies. These, and their predecessors E116, E129 and E135, were permanently coupled and had either special stubby buffers at the inner ends or none at all. Then came the E147s, Three batches of these were permanently coupled but the fourth batch was capable of running singly. Some were formed into B sets and stayed together for life, others always ran singly and yet others were formed as B sets which were later disbanded. Three more designs of non-gangwayed brake composite followed. E157 were apparently not formed as B sets and I know nothing about E161 other than they existed! The last type was E167. There were three batches of these. Two batches ran singly and the third was formed into B sets for the Plymouth district but some were soon disbanded. Chris

Good morning one and all In anticipation of another sweltering day I hit the supermarket early and was back home before 08.15. I needed assistance to find one item and asked an assistant where I might find combs. Her reply: “What, for hair?” I thanked her politely and somehow managed not to laugh. There now follows evidence that I spend too much time watching TV yet not enough. The BBC seems to enjoy redrafting the afternoon schedule on BBC2 without prior notice. “For those of you expecting XXX, this will now be shown tomorrow”. I could save a packet by not buying Radio Times. Wimbledon will be on in a month or so and on past form the listings will be pure fiction for most of the fortnight. Perhaps I can put the time to good use by scoping future m*d*ll*ng projects. Perhaps not. This evening I am due to be walking the streets of Wolverton with the HMRS. This may not be quite the best opportunity to break in my new trainers Warm thoughts to all in distress Chris

I'm sure it will be repeated ... Chris