Swindon 123

Regarding the livery carried by D5026, both the photos I have in my collection are of the same side unfortunately, although from either end. What has been said above gives an idea of of the livery. This is what is said in Derby Sulzer . " Condition August 1967: blue livery, small yellow warning panel, squared upper corners, full size fuel tank, shortened water tank, ridge sided sandboxes, two rung bogie mounted footsteps, hand/footholds present, valencing fitted; non-BIS side BR double arrow on driver's cabside, number located on bodyside and 2nd man's cabside". Note by 1970 the bodyside hand and footholds had been plated over. The yellow warning panel was identical in size and shape to the one on green D5023 below, but it didn't have any multi working blue stars. Unfortunately I haven't come across a photo of the other side of the loco, so the position of the bodyside number on that side is nor known precisely, but I would expect it to be under the small boiler grill. Note that 5026 came out of Derby Works in Feb 1971 in the normal center double arrow blue. Hope the above is of help. Paul J.

Such as this pairing at Crewe in Feb 1983. I think it was the last all blue one I captured. Paul J.

If you look carefully at photo 2 you can see the original style headcode box in place. Failing that there is this one that is a few months later, but the loco has been out of works a while, so not a recent replacement. Paul J.

Not sure about the first one, but Stonebridge Park would fit the bill, with The carriage sidings on the left. Very rarely worked that far, only usually as far as Brent. Second photo very definatively Oxley looking towards the Down carriage sidings taken from the signal box. The third photo is Oxley again, looking from the exit of the Up sidings towards Oxley SB. The 86 is leaving with a train from the Down sidings. The nearest photo I have to the second one is the one below. Paul J.

5157/25007 had the cab replaced at No1 end in 1972. I have a photo of it at Glasgow Open Day on 16/09/72 showing No1 end cab with accident damage, but still the original style headcode box. Below is a photo of it fresh out of works on Flickr in 1973 When it was fitted with an original cab again is a bit of a mystery as it visited Derby Works in both 1975 and 1976, but it had been replaced by January 1977, when the photo below, also on Flickr was taken. Hope this info helps. Paul J.

If you wanted to do D5061 in green as in preservation none of the models currently available or planned would fit the bill. The only real option is to buy the model of 97201 and repaint it all over green with the stripe I'm afraid. Paul J.

Just to go back to the pivoting hangers, when we restored a Grampus a few years ago, we had to replace the pivot bolts on a couple of these hangers, and I took some photos of them for posterity, see below. We replaced the old bolts with new stainless steel ones, and if you look carefully at the ones in the top of the photo, they are shouldered and were specially made for us so that the hanger could pivot, and although on the Grampus the hanger movement was minimal, it did affect the even application of the brake blocks onto the wheels when the originals were seized up. Paul J.

When I worked at Kings Cross I had a couple of trips on 313's into Moorgate as a DA. From the last signal before the station there were a series of trips that lowered at a set timings. If the train exceeded 10 MPH on approach they would reach the trip before it had lowered and so be stopped. As the DA you were on the right side of the cab to watch the trips lowering as you approached them. The last trip was around half way along the platform if I remember rightly. I drove trains into both Kings Cross and Liverpool Street, and at both locations you could have an unchecked run (sometimes!!) into the platform with G, YY, Y R-the buffer stop. The other thing I remember about the lines out of Liverpool Street to Gidea Park was the signal on the "Electric Lines" were so closely spaced that the signal sequence was G, YY, YY, Y, R and that you could read a newspaper in the rear cab of the train ahead, (if someone was holding one up) the spacing was that close between signals. Oh and as well as the close signal spacing and dequence, loco hauled trains running over the "Electric Lines" had to do so at a lower speed than the electric units. Paul J.

This photo on Flickr agrees with the location. Paul J.

I agree. Pretty certain it's Helmsdale, as judged from my photo below taken in almost the same place but from the footbridge and further along the opposite platform. The hills in the background in the first photo are the givaway for me. Paul J.

08's only had whistles fitted from new. Later horns were fitted to some, but it was only unofficially at a local depot level for specific locations. Paul J.

As was, and probably still is at Chingford, as seen here in my photo taken back in October 1983. The other scenario mentioned was were a fixed distant was involved, as in this photo of Shrewsbury Severn Bridge Junction SB's Up Home signal at English Bridge junction. Also on the approach to Harlescott on the Crewe to Shrewsbury line, the 1st Up home signal was changed from a semaphore to a colour light (before the latest scheme), it could only show, Red, single yellow, or double yellow, but never a green. Paul J.

Allscott signal box between Shrewsbury and Wellington (Salop) has a double slip, and on a 70MPH main line as well. It was operated by rodding. See picture below on my Flickr site of said location after the box had shut. Paul J.

78004 was one in lined green in the early 60's. See flickr link below. Paul J.

A couple of the earlier version did work at Swindon for a short time, D2570 being one of them, but unfortunately its not the version modelled by Heljan. Paul J.

Picked up D6114 in Two Tone Green with Yellow Panel and D6129 in Inverurie blue from Hereford model shop today, and very nice they are too. Only had a quick look at them so far, but of note is that D6129 doesn't have the "eyebrows" above the front windows, and a thin bar across the radiator panel, as per the prototype, and D6114 has the "eyebrows" and a thick bar across the radiator panel, carrying the white line, also as per the prototype, so whach out when considering renumbering them.. Dapol look to have done a 1st Class job on these models. Paul J.

Here's a link to his website. Look for Product Price list at the bottom of the page, then go to Locomotive Parts on Page 3. http://ambisengineering.co.uk/ Here are a couple of photos of both the Brassmaster and Ambis products, of which I have both. Ambis Cl 24 handrail etches. Brassmaster Cl 24 detail bits. Paul J.

Very sad to here of the loss of John to the modelling fraternity. I got to know him in the mid 1980's, when he and I were part of the EM section of the Ilford MRC exhibiting "Eastwell". He used to refer to me as "son" as in those days I sported a beard and resembled a younger version of John, and I refered to him as "dad". Something that stuck up to our last meeting in 2019. John was passionate about the GNR, and I can remember having a heated argument with him as to whether it was uphill or downhill from Grantham to Stoke Tunnel. He insisted it was downhill, whereas I assured him it was uphill. The matter was only resolved by me taking him on a cabride from Kings Cross to Doncaster and back (I was a Drivers Assistant at Kings Cross at the time). I remember walking back down the platform with John at Doncaster to relieve the Newcastle crew for the journey back to "The Cross". As my Driver that night was a bit behind us, the Newcastle crew thought John was my Driver, but he just walked past them without saying a thing. As the Newcastle Driver passed me, he muttered "miserable b#gger you've got with you tonight". That is my enduring memory of John. A wonderful guy, who would help you out of any trouble if he could. The attached photo below show a group of us having a day out back in 1986, on the Bluebell Railway, travelling in the GNR Directors Saloon. I'm the one far left, John is far right. Next to me is the late Alan Browning, who sadly died not long after the photo was taken, but another wonderful person and modeller. The name of the 4th person I sadly cannot remember. RIP John. Paul J.

I did see written in the repair book on 60065, Kinder Low won't Kinder GO. It seemed to have the desired effect on the fitters. Paul J.

And on 47's as well, and i believe 33's also. Paul J.

After applying the handbrakes on all the wagons, the train was sat on a 1 in 100 gradient, walking back to Crewe Junction SB, arranging assistance, and then having to go and conduct the driver on the assisting loco from Gobowen to Shrewsbury, because he didn't sign the road, and then shunting the whole lot into Coton Hill yard, it was something like 4 hours before I finally got got back on the failed loco, so it had cleared by then. Needless to say, once shunted into Coton Hill, I'd had enough and went back pass to Hereford. Paul J.

Had one of those myself, many moons ago whilst working to Dee Marsh on the climb from Salop past Coton Hill. Bloke in control asked me if I would look in the engine room. I said positively not, on account of the amount of smoke leaking out of the engine room via the gaps in the sides of the loco. Afterwards when things had calmed down I did go inside, and the only thing I found out of place was the sump dipstick, which had been blown out of the crankcase. Paul J.

With most photos its usually difficult to make out any colour under all the grime, but I have seen a few photos of green 03's with red coupling rods, Paul J.

The following had black buffer beams from around 1979-80. 03017, ex works from Doncaster in 1979. 03021, 03022, 03026, not known if painted at Doncaster or Swindon. Just to add that 03034 was also ex-works from Doncaster in Nov 1979 with black buffer beams, although has the flower pot chimney. Paul J.

Swindon 03 build dates. 1957. D2000-3. 1958. D2004-22, Departmental 91 & 92, D2023-33. 1959. D2034-43, D2086-8, D2114-27. 1960. D2128-74. 1961. D2175-7, D2187-99, D2372-84. 1962. D2178-86. Paul J.