pharrc20

Yes, I can recall watching the Stanlow - Jarrow? tanker trains passing through the old Manchester Victoria back in the 1980s with mixed TEA and TTA formations, though they were usually marshalled by type with the TTAs at the front or rear I think. Derekem8 might have some photos to hand as he posted on the old forum some very nice Man Vic 80s photos.

I watched 66156+66020 take out a 2,424 tonne train of limestone from Tunstead to Northwich on Sunday afternoon whilst at Peak Forest. It seems a waste of 2 locos with 6,600 hp to haul the same train with a single 3,100 hp class 60! When the then new JEA hoppers were introduced to this flow back in 2001, the class 66s were limited to haul upto 17 loaded wagons. There were trials with single and double headed 66s but they stuck to 60s knowing that they would comfortably manage the full 25 loaded wagons. Earlier this year I watched 66021 bring 22 hoppers into Peak Forest and halt to let the shunter man off and then restart the train, which it did manage. Just! And it was a dry day too! I honestly can't see DBS sticking to pairs of 66s on the heaviest services and I hope that the 60 refurb program does actually go ahead. Yes there will be some casualties but perhaps these could be stripped and placed in secure storage until the time is right maybe in a few years time? Cheers Paul PS I have video of both of these runs

And the answer is that I believe when Bachmann approached RMC, BLI and Tilcon to arrange to reproduce their liveries on the new JGA model, RMC told Bachmann that they were intending to apply a new livery to their wagons and that it would have the RMC Aggregates branding on as per the model. What actually happened was that the livery was never applied in real life and using the text from my wagons site (blatant plug as it saves me typing it all out again LOL!) viz- Now those of us who have brought the Bachmann 4mm scale models of the 3rd Batch of RMC hoppers No.s 19220-246 will realise that the first release (Cat. No. 37326) had a 'ficticious' livery which RMC asked for. The second release (Cat. No. 37326A wagon RMC 19228) had just the plain livery with the RMC diamond. You may have realised from the photo above that some of this batch also have the 'roadstone' lettering. After surveying the fleet during numerous visits to Peak Forest, I can confirm that wagons 19220 - 19225 and 19239 have the 'roadstone' marking applied. To view the fruits of my research then click here RMC Liveries. The third release (Cat. No. 37326B) has also been released now numbered RMC 19238 again in plain livery. Hope this answers the query. So really to be correct none of the RMC wagons should have that on but Peter decided to leave them as is. I just need to weather them up for him sometime (ducks sorry!). I have done one of my own with some homemade roadstone lettering and it looks pretty ok. I wish the N Gauge Society kit could be scaled up to make a 4mm version of the original rounded hoppers! Thanks for all the photos Jamie! You took loads more than I thought! Cheers Paul

Ok here are two more comparison photos. And no I'm not trying to devalue Dapols efforts in any way just presenting the community with the facts. View of ends Dapol on left, Hurst Models on right Birds eye view of both wagon ends Dapol left, Hurst right Paul

Maybe not, but it does seem odd that three kit manufacturers (S-Kits, Hurst Models and InterCity Models) and Bachmann have all managed to model the flange detail on the underside yet Dapol either haven't bothered or didn't realise this detail was present on the real wagons. I will take some more photos tomorrow when I have another look at them. Paul

Hmmm having collected an order of each of the wagons today from the wholesaler on behalf of trains12, I have had a look at the models and my opinion is slightly disappointed. There appears to be no representation of the underside flanges on the underframe and the main underframe 'spine' has four oval holes, two at each end of the wagon. I don't recall seeing these on the real wagons? Intrigued I took a comparison photo of the Dapol MCA and a almost completed Hurst Models MCA to compare the underframes. I'm just showing you the facts so please form your own opinions from the photo. Hurst kit at top and Dapol model at bottom. Paul