Geoff Endacott

If there was a TRUK in the set the trailers weren't from 253 021. The original plan was to have two catering vehicles per set, but this was soon changed. Production of TRUKs stopped at W40520 (for set 253 020). When 253 021 was eventually formed it would have had an extra TS. I have some records of early formations (somewhere). If this was a complete set of trailers from an operational set all I need is one of the numbers to work out what the other seven should have been. Geoff Endacott

From memory when the HSTs first came out you could work out all of the individual trailer numbers from the set number. The power cars W43042 and W43043 were formed in set 253 021. (Where S is the set number, the last digits of the power cars were 2S and 2S+1.) The last digits of the seconds were 3S, 3S+1 and 3S+2. That gives W42063, W42064 and W42065. First class trailers would have been 2S and 2S+1, so were W41042 and W41043. Catering vehicles were harder, but probably included W40021. I will have to look up my records for more detailed information. Geoff Endacott

Perhaps I should clarify things by saying that at one stage they were at Plymouth Laira, but they certainly got around a lot. The P prefix would indicate a Plymouth allocation, but I will need to search my records to find out if they carried different allocation codes at other times. Geoff Endacott

The Park Royal DMUs were based at Plymouth Laira (P) and were used on the Kingswear branch. Geoff Endacott

Set numbers were not painted on the front ends until the early 1970s. None of the Somerford fleet (1970) have them. I am not surprised that W55034 pictured above in 1971 has yet to gain its B134 number on the front. Geoff Endacott

I would be interested in details of any WR DMUs which were green into the 1970s. Somerford is set in July 1970 and all of the DMUs in the fleet are blue. All of the research I have done so far has failed to come up with any DMUs which lasted into the summer of 1970 in green livery. Thanks. Geoff Endacott

How about this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-mm-kit-built-signal-lswr-lner-gwr-weathered-detailed-/220622829378?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item335e253742 one? I have never seen a signal like that before! Geoff Endacott

That is quite a good one. RRP £4.99. Best online price I found (in a couple of minutes) £3.83. eBay price £30.77. And there were four people who put in bids above the RRP. Geoff Endacott

That centre cab window looks a bit wonky too. I don't know how you can fix it because the problem seems to be the poor quality of the casting. Geoff Endacott

Reported working 6N04 Lindsey to Jarrow today. Geoff Endacott

Betty 1 now carries the official name "PowerHaul". Geoff Endacott

The latest press release is here: http://www.freightliner.co.uk/filelibrary/PDFs/2009.11.09_PowerHaul_arrives_in_the_uk.pdf Geoff Endacott