ThePipersSon

At Hemel Hempstead station, there are wooden sleepers where the track crosses the subway, so it could be that there is something underneath where the wooden sleepers have been laid.

No To be pedantic :- No 1 was built with a lower front end and had a bus type interior with 69 seats. Also, the only one with a single engine. Nos 2 - 4 kept the low front end, and had a buffet counter, two toilets and about 43 seats (?). Nos 5 - 16 had a different shaped front end, and the exterior doors switched from swing to sliding. The interiors were similar within the series, but nos 10-12 had a toilet in place of a bay of seats (not in the same position as the buffet cars). Nos 5 - 7 might be different as they were built in a different lot, but as far as I am concerned, the differences are a known unknown. That's all I can think of until someone contradicts me. Tom

I don't have the name of the font, but the book 'The class 52s, a tribute to the Westerns - David Birt - OPC', has drawings of the numbers and letters (40% size).

I sent in an order by email, for picking up at Scaleforum, this week. Received an email response on the same day. Tom

Imagine driving down a slip road onto a motorway, and finding one of these 'convoys' occupying the left-hand lane. Recipe for disaster.

I still cannot believe this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112521048501?_trksid=p2471758.m4703 I bought new from Brassmasters this week - for £2.50

I had a quick browse through the 2 GWR Auto-trailer books by Wild Swan. There are several examples of the engine attached to trailers at the chimney end, although I cannot be sure that these trains are operating in 'push-pull' mode. However, one of the photographs was of the a train on the Brixham branch, with just an auto-trailer and loco, so I assume that would be operating in 'push-pull' mode.

You could try telephoning Chris on 0191 3882112, but if his web-site is down, he could be quite busy.

According to Model Rail no 49 (November 2002) all 5 types of Rail bus (including the track recording vehicle) were available as RTR in 1959. The kit for an AC cars one was available in 1980. Sorry, not a positive sighting, but maybe someone else can provide one. Tom

Some of the available CAD programs have on-line tutorials - at least it will get you started.

Sounds as if this thread should be in a magazine such as 'What Hobo', or 'The Which Guide to Traveling the Rails around the USA'.

Didn't the LNWR run trains into Victoria too?

There are photographs of the Lee Moor tramway in the book 'Great Western Infrastructure 1922-34 - Photographs from the E Wallis collection' including two showing a two-horse two-wagon train. The book is by Noodle books, available from Kevin Robertson.

I thought it was compulsory that every layout has some sort of water feature - the Alan Titmarsh rule. Looking forward to this show. Tom

Whilst at school in Harrow, I attended several orchestral concerts run by the local education authority at a local cinema. The conductor was always Muir Mathieson and the orchestra the LSO.

Also featured in the latest Great Western Echo (Spring 2017 - no 217).

Is anyone else attracted to the Imp in the background? No - just me then. I'll get my coat.....

Pure speculation - The first vehicle is a Van third The second is the corridor side of third/first/composite whatever. Please feel free to enlighten me. Tom

As far as I understand, the plan was to push for dieselisation region by region. Originally, the western region was going to be third, of four, but then a new General Manager (Stanley Raymond?) was appointed who wasn't ex-GWR, and had a disliking for anything GWR. He persuaded the BTC to change the order, making the western region the first in the queue for dieselisation. So just a bit of internal politics!

AFAIK the company moved into HiFI, making arms for turntables. They are still doing it, very successfully.

There's a picture in the GWR Engines book by Russell, showing one of the condensing panniers emerging from Paddington Suburban, and there appears to be several containers in the train. Didn't the containers have doors, and therefore could be unloaded without taking off the wagon? The picture is dated 1947.

Hi, In MLI there's a shot of D7017 dated 25/8/69, in green with yellow panel on front (not full yellow front).

I received an email from Hattons this afternoon, saying that the price had gone up. As far as I can see, there is no new information on the expected delivery date. Tom

There is a good photograph of the facilities at Moreton-in-Marsh in the new book 'BR Parcels and Passenger-Rated Stock - Volume 3 Self propelled parcels vans, TPOs and car-carrying vehicles for motorail services'. The reference on the photograph is Kidderminster Railway Museum ref 128203. Presumably, the photograph is available from them, if you cannot get to see the book.

If we are lucky, Donald Trump will send them back to Kardashia!!!!