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I received my copy on Tuesday and have had a quick look through and very comprehensive the book it is. I was wondering whether there would be any mention of the locomotives usage on the Tunstead to Northwich I.C.I. hopper traffic, on which the Metro-Vicks were trialled in 1963 and 1964. We have both used the same photo of D5714 at Northenden Jnc. on empty hoppers in our books. I managed to source two more photos including a double-header at Altrincham and from personal observations of a Manchester Locomotive Society member confirmed that 9 of the 20 locomotives were known to have been used on the hoppers. My new book The Hoppers was published in July. Regards Paul

The two DRS branded HYAs were 37 70 6791 014-3 and 016-8 as confirmed from photos I have from Tom dating from 2010/2011. Paul

Spot on Tom, I remember you showing me these photos at the time - no doubts they existed. Cheers Paul

Yes the L6 D in first and last photo looks like one of the towers that are specifically under the standard tower height. Mxx design where a different tower base is used instead. In the tower drawings somewhere. Cheers Paul

40044 was hauling a loaded rake of MSV tippler wagons loaded with aggregates most likely from Peak Forest. Not sure if the train was booked or deliberately routed onto the Down Slow from Chinley North Jn. - so that west of Chinley station it could be diverted to run and derail on the remains of the Down Slow towards New Mills South Jn. - the four-track section between Chinley Station and New Mills South Jn. had by then been reduced to two-tracks. The rail cranes are standing on the former Up Slow line in the photos in the twitter link. Cheers Paul

I am so sorry to hear this Wendy, my condolences to you, Zoe and Toni at this sad time. Regards Paul Harrison

Yes I have a few they are almost similar to the L2 but look a bit more stumpy especially the D suspension towers where the insulators are hung vertically. I have some photos I took on a very wet rainy day of the ones to the west of York on the remains of the original XC 275kV line. Cheers Paul

I did hear or read of one Britannia class locomotive that came to grief somewhere near Hazel Grove having become detached from the tender. The details may be in the Foxline book on the Manchester Central to Chinley line and possibly photos too but I don't have any of my books on hand to check. Hth Paul

Yes they seem to be called polons in some places but pole lines is the same thing. Generally they can be anything up to 66kV but mostly 11kV and 33kV. Some of the larger pole designs especially those with twin poles can be 132kV along with the more recent 'Trident' design -see earlier in thread for drawings of these. Cheers Paul

Yes John had a whole range of wagon transfers in 4mm covering ones for most of his kits and useful for other non-kit wagons too. Oh and a range of paints too. I might have a scan of his catalogue I can send yoh will check on hdd laptop shortly and PM you. Cheers Paul

Excellent John that is great news on John Talbots castings I had wondered what had happened to them. I would certainly be interested in the bogie, suspension and buffers that he made. I will have to find his old parts catalogue lists. Did he mention about the TOPS era ICI hopper transfer pack at all. Many thanks Paul

60092 and 60011 within half hour of each other at Northwich this evening. 92 was doing the honours on the Tunstead to Lostock Hoppers drawing forward then setting back into the works 18:05 to 18:17. Running a bit later than expected at 18:30 was a STP path Warrington Arpley to Peak Forest headed up by 60011 with 66084, 66165 and two empty MMA box wagons in tow - wagons may be fresh from repair. A toot and a thumbs up from the driver Ian Jordan too as he passed through the station. Cheers Paul

Hi John, glad to be of assistance. Of course I am sure that the fact that 8Fs hauled rakes of sixteen wagons will have no bearing on whether you need to ahem expand your fleet of hopper wagons from six upwards . And I really have no idea whether Hatton's or indeed Oxford Rail have any plans to re-run the model in new versions... it has been very quiet on this front sadly . And I have asked them both but very non-committal. Cheers Paul

Sorry John, only just seen this didn't realise you had replied. Yes the post-war wagons ICI Alkali (later Mond Division) numbers 3284 to 3319 all had plate frame bogies 6ft wb from new and fitted oil axleboxes. In fact all of the ICI and Summers wagons had oil axleboxes from new. Regards Paul

In 1961 you would have seen both designs of bogies operating together in rakes of wagons usually 16 at that time behind an 8F of course. Cheers Paul

I think so unless he outsourced that part of the process - I know he did the resin and whitemetal castings. He may just have some etches still you never know - best check with John if you can. Regards Paul

John, I used to use the Ratio ones when I used them on the old cast resin kits back in the 1980s - they still look good now again even though a 5ft6 wheelbase but visually probably get away with it I think. Cheers Paul

Hi John, no problem the first book is more relevant for the history and finer details. The one saving grace for the Hatton's rtr model is that barring the letters and bogies the hopper body and chassis is the same for both pre and post-WW2 versions - you just have to match small letter with diamond frame bogies and larger letters with the plate frame bogies both running on plain front oil-axleboxes. To model the 1951 ICI and the John Summers wagons requires further alterations to the body on both versions. So you could easily model 6 post-WW2 wagons maybe - even new on delivery from Horbury works perhaps? Cheers Paul

Ony draw back is the Ratio ones are 5ft 6ins wheelbase whereas the ICI Roberts ones are 6ft, not a big difference I know but slightly different shape but you might get away with it on the diamond frame versions. Not sure about the Cambrian ones guess they may be same bogie wheelbase? To backdate the plate frame version you can just add a axlebox cover to hide the roller bearing caps. HTH Paul

Hi John, there was an etched fret of the large letters for John Talbot's Appleby Engineering resin and whitemetal kit he did for the ICI hoppers in the late 1990s but I would imagine these are no longer available now. Maybe someone with a 3d printer might be able to print some copy letters using the rtr model ones as a template and making a suitable set up for both letter sizes? Cheers Paul

Hi John, they were gradually changed from around 1982 onwards until all 84 original diamond-frame bogie fitted wagons had all passed through Avenue workshops. The replacement plate-frame I believe came from the by then surplus ex-John Summers then British Steel wagons that had been laid up at Shotton once steelmaking ceased there in 1980. 13 complete wagons passed via BR to ICI Mond as replacements for ICI wagons written off in accidents. The plate-frame replacements were of course converted to roller bearings when they were overhauled. HTH Paul

Hi John, the first book would be more relevant to the Summers wagons as there is a section in there. Let me know if you need a copy I think I have a spare. Cheers Paul

Yes, you would need to make a new hopper as the lower height alters the end angle of the body slope and in turn affects the end T stanchions and end plate though these might be able to be reused. I have been looking into doing some ex-Summers wagons in ICI guise for my own needs but not got far with it yet but do have enough donor models. There ought to be a couple of photos in the Chas Roberts archive via the HMRS website of the wagons when they were new at Horbury and a few of the trains with 9Fs on the front pop up on Flickr sometimes. HTH Paul

Hi, you would need to add the right size of I C I lettering depending on whether the wagons is from the 1936 pre-WW2 batch with small letter or the 1945 post-WW2 batch with larger letters. Also the 84 wagons of the pre-WW2 batch had diamond frame bogies with oil-bearings and the 36 wagons of the post-WW2 had plate frame bogies also oil-bearings - these were plain fronted axleboxes as per the Hatton's ICI001x, 002x and 003x version models. And then a repaint in to the earlier darker grey livery. You might be able to maybe 3d print some letters off if you copied the shape and size of the ones on the rtr model? HTH Paul

Then again Hope Street might make more sense.. unless they mean stone from Penmaenmawr to Hope Street? And the slate is going elsewhere. Cheers Paul