Flood

Well it's been well over a year since my last post on Kirkhill. We were due to be at Doncaster last year but due to the possible effect of Covid on the personal circumstances for one of us we decided that it was still too early at that time to rejoin the exhibition circuit. We are due an invite from the Bristol show in the next few years, most probably from Doncaster as well and if any other exhibitions are interested in having us please do get in touch. As we are now a few years older we don't plan on exhibiting a large number of times a year, probably two or three times if possible. In addition this will hopefully ensure that we not boring the public by seeming to appear at every large show. Apologies to Andy Keane regarding his questions on automation. Glenn has been on RMweb very rarely this last year and a considerable amount of his time has been spent working away from home giving him less time to spend with family and even less time to spend on his hobbies. He has said that he is now able to spend more time back in the model railway scene. We have made very little changes to Kirkhill in the meantime. The automation process is a resounding success with some fail-safe attributes if things do not go as planned, e.g. a train will only set off if the complete route is set, if a point fails to throw the train will not start to move. Two yard towers were purchased from ebay to replace one tower which had suffered over the years and another as a spare. All the lights in the lighting towers have now been checked and replaced as required so all the individual lights work. I made a video of the overnight automated sequence last night for those of you who are interested. Just to warn you all, it does run to 10 minutes 18 secs long for 5 trains. The link is posted below, you may well wish to scan through it just to get the general idea. As always please ask any questions and we will endeavour to answer what we can. Happy modelling to you all.

Here are the two diagrams: I did get them from the Barrowmore site, the document you want is BRB Vehicle Diagram Book No. 300 - Part 3 http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/Book300Part3Dugdale01.gif

Ditto! Airfix Mk2D with Extreme Etchings window frames and corrected tumblehome.

There has never been anything indecisive about this design classic.

Just for a bit more detail there were three different styles of roof vent applied from new but the positions never changed between all the batches. In addition, as the "shell" style vents (separate thin slivers of metal) were very prone to corrosion then these were replaced as required by either the original "ridge" style (as modelled on every 4mm rtr Mk1 that I've ever seen) or the "scallop" style used on the pressure ventilated Mk2 stock and late build Mk1s.

The last year Class 46s were seen on passenger services at Exeter was 1984 and the 45/0s were hardly touched before the HSTs went onto cross country services from 1982. Class 47s tended to work Newquay - Manchester with Peaks on the Newquay - Newcastles but obviously variations did occur.

I went to Germany/Austria via the Netherlands in 1986. I haven't got many of my slides scanned but here's a teaser...

From the following site: https://www.networksoutheast.net/ac.html HTH

I think my brain just kicked in... Ten Ten = TT Let's see if I'm right.

Twelve years later and the following photo has appeared on flickr: Photo by Adrian Roberts, Doncaster Works 18/8/85 So that's another question answered.

Suffixes stopped being applied to pre-nationalisation design parcels vehicles around 1973/74. Here is a photo from Paul Bartlett of an LMS BG in January 1974 with no suffix: https://zenfolio.page.link/8BGbP The TOPS codes (NEA etc) started to be applied to parcels coaching stock from around 1978. SR design CCT in April 1978 on The Transport Treasury site: https://zenfolio.page.link/Q2nfA Perhaps you meant to say prefixes instead of suffixes? Prefixes started to be phased out from around 1985 with the advent of executive livery, plus the commencement of allocations for individual coaching stock on POIS, but they could still be seen on selected coaches in 1988 and most probably even later.

Bachmann's 39-354 is a continuation of 39-350 and 39-351 (blue and grey), 39-352 (NSE) and 39-353 (ScotRail) which are all Mk2Z models so should be correct from the outset. 39-353 should have air brake distributors but no viewable air brake cylinders nor brake linkages because they were disc braked. They've chatted to me about the ScotRail models, the West Coast ones should be correct but I haven't seen one. Those modified for the Edinburgh - Glasgow push-pull were: 5126, 5130, 5134, 5137, 5142, 5144, 5146, 5147, 5152, 5153, 5160, 5169, 5176, 5182, 5185, 5187, 5189, 5190, 5192, 5195, 5197 and 5202 9387, 9395, 9397, 9400, 9403, 9411 and 9412 13415, 13416, 13423, 13424, 13427 and 13431 so none of those mentioned by yourself. 9104 was originally 9401 before it was converted to a BSOT. You are correct that those modified for the Glasgow - Edinburgh trains could work with any air braked stock. In fact the vast majority of the TSOs and BSOs modified worked with Mk2A stock on the Eastern Region in the 1980s as only five Mk2Z TSOs, and one FK, stayed in Scotland and were painted ScotRail. Two modified BSOs stayed in Scotland but in blue and grey. Sorry to everyone else for straying off topic a bit.

As already stated by BR Blue and reddragon, Mk2Z stock have centre doors as do Mk2A stock (made by Bachmann). Mk2Z stock have only vacuum brakes (less a few exceptions) so will not have the air brake distributor and cylindrical tank seen on a Mk2A, along with vacuum cylinders instead of the smaller air brake ones. Air brake distributor Air braked above, vacuum braked below In addition the end doors inside the corridor connections were sliding ones similar to Mk1 stock, Mk2A stock had folding doors. Mk2A to the left, Mk2Z to the right. For the record, Mk2C stock have different roof vents to Mk2B stock and less of them. All Mk2C stock had only 6 vents on the roof, regardless of the type, although the positions changed slightly between some types. Mk2B stock have scallop style vents, as used on late build Mk1 stock and Mk2Z/Mk2A stock. Early build Mk2C stock used G (or GM) vents which were similar to the cab roof vents on Class 20s, 37s and 40s and they had Mk2B style toilet windows, later built stock used Roevac vents and had toilet windows with no upper vents (as there was originally an air conditioning vent above them).

After having a look on Flickr I've found two photos (Sept 1986 and Dec 1986) with air braked stock and a Mk2C BFK included. David Christie on Flickr Bruce Galloway on Flickr 17127 and 17128 were at Craigentinny from April 1986 to May 1987, before they moved to Inverness, and it would seem that they were used as an alternative to a Mk2C CK from the May 1986 timetable. Craigentinny had no Mk2a TSOs and only one Mk2a BSO (9418) before May 1987 so the BFKs seem to have been used with Inverness stock. If the BFKs kept the same diagram as stated in the 1987-1988 information above then they would have spent the majority of their time at Craigentinny anyway.

NOT a Mk2a, please read the previous comments. It's a Mk2 vacuum braked FK, later classified as Mk2Z under POIS.

Two of my finished examples: As per the post above, the left hand one uses the LNER underframe.

Looking at my notes from 12 July 1985 I have the following: 07.36 Edin - Glas, 10.05 Glas - Inv, 16.30 Inv - Edin 47199: 5272, 6510, 5318, 7561, 5394, 9463 07.06 Edin - Inv, 12.30 Inv - Glas, 17.14 Glas - Edin 47207: 5132, 17099, 5096, 9100, 5145 (Craigentinny Mk2z TSOs, 17099 and 9100 Inverness, all vacuum braked) This rake was also seen at Glas two days previously and at Cowlairs on 7 July. It would seem to have worked this diagram all week. 09.25 Edin - Inv, 14.30 Inv - Edin 5330, 5333, 9444, 5307, 7550, 6519: 47519 13.03 Edin - Inv, 17.20 Inv - Glas Not seen 23.25 Edin - Inv Not seen 23.30 Glas - Perth (attached to 23.25 Edin) Not seen 09.20 Inv - Glas, 13.36 Glas - Inv 47001: 7553, 5401, 6518, 5273, 5271 (brake missed) 23.30 Inv - Glas (departed Inv 11/7/85), Edin portion not seen 47604: 92242, 84280, 9440, 5269, 10614 Seen 3 days earlier on the 09.25 Edin - Inv diagram (1 x TSO, 1 x BSO possibly in balancing move for maintenance requirements) 47424: 92075, 5393, 9443, 5272, 6510, 5318, 7558, 5394, 9463 Therefore the 1985/86 timetable used four air braked sets and one vacuum braked set per day plus maintenance spares. For the 1986-87 timetable please see my subsequent post below. Below is the Inverness rakes section from the article on Scottish air braked sets, Rail Magazine February 1988. This covers services from May 1987. Inverness gained Mk2C BFKs 17127 and 17128 in May 1987. I hope that all this helps you.

Please see my post on your other thread:

Just for a compaison of liveries on models please see the following photos: Original Bachmann NSE against a Bachmann coach from a later batch. The original Bachmann colour is too dark but is not quite dark enough for the later darker NSE blue. Original Bachmann NSE against a Bachmann coach repainted in Precision paints NSE light blue. This shows how poor the original Bachmann colour was. A Bachmann coach from a later batch against a Bachmann coach repainted in Precision paints NSE light blue. The repainted coach is very slightly lighter than the later batch Bachmann coach but the two liveries can run together with no problem. As long as Accurascale produce their NSE light blue somewhere near the colours on the last photo then I will be more than happy.

Sorry to be a pedant but 5090 was a Mk2z not a Mk2a. You are quite correct about the colour change. Some of the Mk2z stock for the Cambridge lines had a partial refurb and were painted the darker blue, as per Harris' Mk2 Coaching Stock book. When the Cambridge services went over to EMUs the darker Mk2z stock was cascaded onto the Thames lines, to run alongside Old Oak Common stock that had been repainted original NSE blue a few years earlier. There is a photo of 5162 in darker NSE blue, next to two vehicles either side in the lighter blue, in the 1991 Platform 5 Combined volume. Just to clarify. The original Mk2 build stock (all built as vacuum braked) was classified as Mk2z when coaching stock was added to POIS, to be accessable on TOPS, in 1983. Paul's photo also shows that original NSE blue stock was used on the Cambridge services as well.

One quick question: I have a Collett K42 BG and a GW design P24 Monster which will both require accurate Pressed Steel parcels stock bogies that would also be fitted under M.34, O.33 and O.62 siphons (shorter spring length than on passenger stock). Would you be willing to make your bogies available as a separate item? BTW I will be replacing my Lima siphons with your offering.

You can have a Mk2D FK in a push-pull rake. Copyright John Webster on Flickr 28/2/88 47708 with 13588 in executive, 6605, 5146, 5197 in ScotRail, 9440 in blue and grey, 9704 in ScotRail. 13588 was one of two Craigentinny Mk2D FKs for use on the 10.30 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, 14.45 Aberdeen - Edinburgh which was an InterCity East Coast working from May 1987 to May 1988. From May 1988 the equivalent working seems to have used Longsight Cross Country stock. Rake details courtesy of @br2975. A link to a copy of my word document is below as previously posted:

I'd recently seen it listed in a Rail Magazine from around 1987 after it was mentioned on RMweb a few weeks ago. To be honest I still didn't believe it until I just saw your post. It was in blue and grey and based at Old OakCommon in January 1986 and moved from Polmadie to Longsight from 6/12/86, subsequently being repainted executive around May/June 1987 according to the Railway Observer. I'm guessing it was like 5813, being a cross-country coach repainted full ScotRail in error.

In 1988 you are looking at the following numbers of Mk1 passenger stock still in everyday use: Open First 35 vehicles, 0 with BR1 Open Second 226 vehicles, 40 with BR1 Corridor Composite 39 vehicles, 1 with BR1 Corridor First 28 vehicles, 0 with BR1 Brake First 11 vehicles, 3 with BR1 Corridor Second 233 vehicles, 57 with BR1 Brake Corridor Composite 14 vehicles, 0 with BR1 Brake Corridor Second 130 vehicles, 46 with BR1 By 1993 there were only 5 Mk1 Open Seconds with BR1 bogies, all other Mk1 passenger stock had either B4 or Commonwealth bogies. Not that there were many Mk1 passenger coaches left in every day use with all the Corridor Seconds having been withdrawn. The majority of the stock fitted with Commonwealth bogies was new build between 1961 and 1963. B4 bogies substituted BR1 bogies in selected stock up to about 1970; initially to give more 100 mph stock to run with those with Commonwealths and latterly so that Mk1 stock converted to air brakes could run at 100 mph with the new air braked Mk2 stock. From about 1970 to 1985 (when the Newspaper Packing BGs were given Commonwealths) very few, if any, bogie swaps occurred.