Flood

You got me thinking there. The last one I caught on a service train and not a railtour - 50027, 3 May 1991. Part of that journey was an arranged cab-ride, my friend Steve Ireland and the Traction Inspector who accompanied us are in shot.

So eight dia 2169 made it into preservation, three have gone in the last two years leaving only one left - but for how long. 603 - Scrapped Bluebell 12/2022 612 - Scrapped Butterley by 5/2010 615 - Scrapped 10/1992 617 - Congleton? 621 - Scrapped Ecclesbourne Valley, 11/2021 622 - Scrapped Bo'ness 2006 623 - Scrapped Bluebell 12/2022 624 - Scrapped North Norfolk 1997

A very subtle one here: The second sleeper from the left (3rd coach from the left) isn't a Mk1. It's either W619M or W624M, LMS design dia 2169 built 1952, in their last summer of service. Below is a photo of 624 before it moved to the Western Region:

I've managed to find the signalling notice for the closure of Bath Goods and Bathampton Signal Boxes, S2662 from 1970. There is a pdf (although some sheets are upside down) on this page: https://www.signallingnotices.org.uk/notices_detail.php?n_id=56 It shows the full 1970's trackplan of the junction and loop along with signal types and distances.

As just posted in the Thompson BZ 6 wheel brake van thread. A lovely kit from MacGeordie bought four years ago that I decided to have a go at this July during 2 weeks holiday. Just some light weathering needed to complete.

After four years I finally decided to have a go at mine this July during 2 weeks holiday. Just finished this afternoon, apart from some light weathering. You'll notice that it's a different colour to most of the ones that will be made. Thanks again for making this kit available. It's been a pleasure to make, the only problems being my inexperience and not using 145 solder from the start. The photos make the rain strip look worse than how the normal eye notices.

For completeness here are a couple of alterations from Supplement 2 (Dec 1976) For those not used to 1970s freight train classifications: Class 6 fully fitted express freight train (with vehicles permitted to run at 60 mph, or wagons permitted to run at less than 60 mph but with brake force not less than shown in Part 6 of the Working Manual) Class 7 express freight train not fully fitted with brake force not less than shown in Part 6 of the Working Manual (approx max speed 45 mph) Class 8 freight train not fully fitted with brake force not less than shown in Part 6 of the Working Manual (approx max speed 35 mph) Class 9 unfitted freight train (approx max speed 25 mph) Clause 2.5 reiterates the fact that there was no restriction as to which coupling was used between vehicles for Class 9 (unfitted) freight trains. Edit: As model railway trains do not have continuous working braking for the stock in the train it could be argued that all model trains are Class 9, therefore any coupling can be used. 😁😉

From the 1972 General Appendix (previous years may have had slight variations): Some points to note: 2.4 When a non-bogie vehicle fitted with screw couplings is formed in a passenger train next to a bogie vehicle the screw coupling of the non-bogie vehicle must always be used. 3.3 Vehicles with Instanter couplings can be conveyed in fitted freight trains in the same way as screw-coupled vehicles, but when used in the fitted portion, the Instanter coupling must be in the short position. When an Instanter coupling is opposed to a three-link coupling, the Instanter coupling must be used. When conveyed in Class 7 and 8 trains, the Instanter coupling must be placed in the short position.

Photos show that repaints in 1973 had the suffix dropped, it may have been a year or two earlier. There is a photo of E1705, an LNER Buffet, with no suffix dated 1971 in the 1978 RCTS Coaching Stock book and that is by far the earliest photo I have found. Obviously stock that wasn't due to be repainted kept their suffix for a while longer, see the following photo of E105E in 1977 from Flickr. Edit: From the March 1973 Railway Observer (relating to approx January 1973) for Non-standard coaching stock "Many vans have recently been noted with their suffix letter obliterated. It is believed that this is the start of a programme to abolish the suffix letter, even though numerous duplicates remain."

As requested by @MRDBLUE17 at DEMU here are two of my three TUAs now they have been weathered. I used AK Pigments over Testor's Dullcote, building up the layers as required. In the end they are basically just filthy. The two wagons as received 70720 on the left and 70705 (renumbered from 70725) on the right, 70720 has had its ladders moved so they are both at one end of the barrel. Even the side which stayed to the left had the ladder moved to be centred on the hatch, which is one of the easy ways to tell if a wagon was modified or not. Close up of 70720 Close up of 70705 Thanks again to Rainbow Railways and Revolution for producing these and also many thanks to @hmrspaul for making his photos available, thus giving the weathering inspiration.

Slightly off topic but I managed to finish the Mk2C BSO conversion, from an Airfix Mk2D BSO, today. Painting and transfers by Glenn, additional close-up photos are on the Aberdeen Kirkhill thread. I won't be making another one. Any more we need will be Accurascale ones.

As also posted in the Accurascale Mk2C thread here is the latest addition for Aberdeen Kirkhill: Mk2C BSO 9440 as used in the "spare" push-pull set which was diagrammed to work 07.10 Perth - Edinburgh, 13.30 Edinburgh - Glasgow QS, 15.00 Glasgow QS - Edinburgh, 17.13 Edinburgh - Dundee Conversion from an Airfix Mk2D BSO, using Extreme Etchings Mk2 pressure vent window frames, by myself. Exterior painting and transfers by Glenn. Enjoy.

Pretty much how most of mine will look.

Below is the link to Jukebox's post on page 36 of the Aberdeen Kirkhill thread , the post immediately below that link has my answer: Plus my original post from 2013 (page 21 of the Kirkhill thread): BTW I used 12mm wheels not 14mm.

I've been checking up for Kirkhill and the Two Tier Car vans were used on the Edinburgh sleeper, along with an Inverness working, before and after the Mk3 sleepers came in. My Doncaster overnight on 14th June 1985 has the following: 1E42 47424: 96299, 96294, 96295, 10517, 10731, 10534, 10728, 10510, 10722, 10502, 10671, 92089 (23.35 Edin - KX) 1S77 47561: 92204, 10664, 10516, 10656, 10529, 10660, 10575, 10670, 10531, 93320, 96290, 96291 (23.35 KX - Edin) Still thinking of buying some for Kirkhill for some variation anyway.

What is interesting to me is that other Heljan models are being sold by Bachmann under the EFE banner.

Class 24, one of the later ones that carried a headcode box, or possibly an early class 25 without the horns mounted by the headcode box..

My Lima Siphons are neither shorter nor less in height.

Length 520mm (approx 1'8.5"), 457mm (18") diameter head, oleo. If modelling in 4mm, and not sprung, they are Lanarkshire Models pack BP06.

I must say I am very happy with the two TUA wagons I have so far and if I can get to DEMU next weekend I will be buying some more. The detailing and printing is excellent. Congratulations to Rainbow Railways and Revolution for making these available, especially as only 27 of this batch were made. Two other batches seem similar but with BSC pedestals. Having looked at a quite a number of photos these last few days I can only find five wagons with revised ladders: 70720, 70721, 70723, 70725 and 70726. As stated by @MRDBRBLUE17 these were a later modification (around 1987). All I need to do now is ask my friend Alex to cover them in some heavy weathering.

Just checked and all the remaining 64xx Mk2f SO stock was still blue and grey in June/July 1989 but the BN allocation was IC by January 1990. They must all have been in swallow then as the Executive branding ceased around mid 1987. Some Mk2d and Mk2e stock were unbranded for about a year from mid 1987 but then started to get INTERCITY branding, like the Mk2f and Mk3a stock, as they were repainted.

The 64xx stock were first converted from Mk2c and Mk2f First Opens in the early to mid '80s. They were mainly used on the WCML but may well have been cascaded to the ECML around 1989. I can check my Platform 5 books for allocations, along with the Railway Observers, for 1989 when I get home. I've also got the Loco Hauled Travel/Diagram Diary books for 1989 so I can check specific services in those. A fair few of the 64xx Mk2f First Opens were converted to the 12xx buffets.

The Bashing Years website has a fair amount of detail, especially Summer Saturdays, but is in no way a complete record of every service that ran on a particular day. I can't get on flickr at the moment, assuming the photo was on there in the first place, is there a clock visible in the photo that would give an idea of the time of departure? Plus, is the stock visible? So is it on NSE stock or I/C?

I definitely feel that you have captured the look and presence of these locos very well. As I have mentioned previously I am waiting for a batch of pre-refurb locos with amended roof details which you have stated will be produced in due course. Suffice to say that I will be buying a fair few, probably at least five, when they become available to pre-order. Plus a dark Network liveried one as well. Many thanks for taking the plunge and making this excellent model available for us.

Right then an apology to Revolution and Rainbow Railways. It's looking like 70720, 70721 and 70725 had the ladders at one end but 70719, 70723 and 70724 (plus probably quite a few more) had them at opposing ends. What a minefield wagons can be.