Pennine MC

It is, there are no RTR 10ft wb chassis with roller bearings. You'd probably be as well using Parkside's PA09 chassis though, the carving will be easier. The Airfix/Dapol/Hornby LMS 5-plank High (as featured in a recent mag article by Dave Spencer, cant recall OTTOMH if it was Hornby or ModelRail) is a body which can represent many of the erstwhile Clayliner fleet - have a look in Paul Bartlett's galleries. There were also a few of the LMS-inspired corrugated end Highs in the traffic (Parkside PC02A).

Dont apologise Steve, I said I could be way off. I was half-right, it doesnt do to be right all the time

I'd make an educated guess (which could be way out), that they followed the precedent set by other non-gangwayed NPCCS, and were body colour overall

It is now Apologies, I've no idea where I got Sam from

Sorry Ed, I cant agree with that at all, and I dont know how you can describe having someone to blame as a 'luxury', even in inverted commas. I agree it's rough on parents who have unwittingly spawned a monster, but that parental sense of responsibility goes with (or should go with) the territory of having kids - the parents of the victims have done nothing at all to deserve the sense of loss and bewilderment of losing their child in a senseless act by a stranger I must admit to something similar Sam - I'm guilty of shouting at computers when they're trying to 'help'

Sorry Edwin, the key point I should have added was that this was on a light-controlled pedestrian crossing (that was itself part of a complex junction), and the taxi had the green. Ordinarily, I'd accept that a pedestrian already in the road has the right of way, but one who's chosen to cross against a red in the face of an oncoming car is being a bit foolish to say the least.

Thanks chaps, that all seems to make sense

With a length approaching 90ft, I'd think the reason for articulation was more so that it could get round curves at all...

Funnily enough I told this story the other day at work, but this isnt particularly a modern thing. Even thirty years ago, a taxi driver of my acquaintance ran into a young bloke (I must stress this wasnt a child, it was somebody old enough to know better) in Hull town centre on either a Friday or Saturday night. He summed it up as 'oh, he was one of these clever b*stards who just walked out in front of me, so I hit him'. I think what he actually did was not to charge into him unabated as such, but maybe to not brake quite as quickly as he could have. Whilst I'd obviously never condone it, I could certainly understand his exasperation, and the bit that gets me is that the cockiness of these characters apparently seems to override basic self-preservation instincts. No, I think I started well before 37

The 'extra' tank on a 24 is for boiler water, Neil, not fuel - 25/0s didnt have train heat so didnt have the water tank

You've mentioned this before Kevin and I never asked, but why were Vanfits preferred?

This is also the way I was taught - 'look well ahead and plan, and if anything starts to occur closer than that, your eyes will be drawn to it anyway' (although for maximum effect you should of course be glancing towards nearer fields of view anyway) Not just the French Ian - many British drivers dont even think about whether they can proceed til they're *on* the give way line Well, I know what I'd do Mick (in fact have done) - in a similar manner to what James outlines, I'd move safely to wherever I could best clear the road. But technically, I think it would still constitute an offence.

S'ok, by then we'll have a definitive 37 and 47 to go with it

Isnt this just the nub of it though? (in general terms, not necessarily Jenny's specific case) - it's always going to be a judgment call as to whether "to pull up *might* cause an accident". The Code is indeed vaguely worded, because it harks from a time when drivers were actually trusted to exercise some decision-making ability. If it's debatable whether that was the case, then with the number of folk these things must catch, it must surely be sensible for the authorities to concentrate on offences that are less capable of being contested.

Good oh, that's the Western and Scottish bases covered then B)

It wont be bent as such Clive, just that the spigot at the top wont have been located far enough into the chassis moulding. If you separate it from the body, you might be able to ease it in a bit, or slice it through and reglue. Nice job though, nice and subtle

You're all wrong, it's obviously the Stig

It is Trev, very much - as Phil will testify, this 'end of steam' period can be a bit overlooked when it comes to diesel workings. And it's good to see somebody giving back

That's a good question. I recall one shot (IIRC in a Locoshed Book and possibly taken at Pegswood) of a particularly filthy pair on a coal train (again IIRC, it was either 21T or 24.5T hoppers). I've also seen a pair of the above-mentioned 83ers on coal but cant remember where. Given that they were sent to replace steam, coal traffic would seem most likely but evidence of other sightings would be interesting.

Pretty sure that the fertilliser flow to Torrington was ICI, also that cuts of vans would be likely rather than odd ones, but the further you get into the 70s, the less likely it is that trader's labels would be applied

'Tis quite a graphic comparison isnt it - though dont forget that only half of that 0.7mm will matter when it comes to affecting the ride height There are significant exceptions, but virtually all 'ordinary' traditional wagons run on wheels of nominal 3 foot 1 and a half inch diameter

It's very hard Mike, and in all honesty I've probably looked at more pics than is healthy for me - statistics being what they are, you can convince yourself you've sussed the correct mix for a given period, then you'll find one pic that totally disproves it

They were Mike, but although I didnt specify, I was speaking only in the context of those that the OP actually mentioned (8310 -15, although now I look, he omitted 8310)

That's a good headstart Trev, with the loco numbers provided. Individual histories are convoluted, but the earliest arrivals were spread between June and Sep 67, with departures between April and Oct 70 - many were not permanent allocations throughout that period, for instance 8019 (to Gateshead 6.67 and away in 4.70) also had spells at Stratford and York in that period. 8045 -48 were particularly fleeting, arriving in 9.67 and going to Toton in 11.67. The 83ers were never at Gateshead, unless perhaps on unofficial loans - their first shed was Thornaby before they moved on to Dairycoates in spring 68.

Cos it's not as tall It's not a pukka 16 tonner Mike - I'd say it's probably one of the Cambrian 13 tonners, like these, which came before them. It's essentially a shorter version of the more familiar 21T PO/Felix Pole family.