Hal Nail

There were a few of that type around even in the late 50s. In most respects they look like the Slaters 7mm china clay wagon, except for the diagonal bracing. I had wondered if that was a later addition to the same type?

Thanks, I did wonder about that. Do you happen to know were they still used in the late 50s (my era)? Also reminds me that Ive seen a suggestion that clay arrived via Lostwithiel and empties departed via the station which was more direct but had the climb to St Pinnock. I'm still toying with having a removeable chassis unit so i can swap bodies and save a bit of cost.

I asked about this elsewhere (there is a thread about Carne Point somewhere) but no one knew. My guess was the bars were because there was an end tipper for unloading clay that literally tilted the wagon up and presumbly that put force through the w irons. Incidentally for this reason the wagons were all the same way round

Im pretty sure for most of the 50s it was only 2 roads through the station as the disused platform road was removed (1951 possibly?). In the photo of the warship running through, there is no truncated line on the left as we look at it.

Is the line North of Aylesbury past Quainton Road and beyond used?

The very first reply suggested running things one at a time, after cleaning the track, to narrow down where the problem may be. Might save you a lot of time doing every single thing only for it to get dirty again if you havent got to the source.

Thats the Lostwithiel train in the pic. Another one here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252004522731 Im not sure what the bay was actually intended for originally. Until 1951 Fowey had two through platforms and initially trains on either branch shunted across to depart from the appropriate side. There was a third through road for clay, so no need to park the passenger trains out of the way. The bay was used to berth the Lostwithiel train once the through roads had been rationalised, long after St Blazey/Newquay trains ceased. (I dont think they ever went to Par - you would have to reverse at St Blazey). http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/st-blazey-to-fowey-and-fowey-harbour.html

Looks great steve. Who does that Sunshine brake compo - is it an Orion?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcusgilmour/16399028519 Quite a well lit earlier photo - you cant see clearly enough to spot them in a lot of photos.

Another new livery https://anticsonline.uk/Product/Dapol-7F-037-010-GWR-Conflat-36502-with-Pickfords-Removals-Container-1666-O-Gauge_7F-037-010_N1036954

So having defended Rails the other day.... Dapol 7mm bolster e for £69 used when they have them new for £58 on their own site! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195076966219

I've just got my first conflat (was very cheap as meant to be missing a buffer but in fact it is in the bag along with the chains, which I didn't expect to get at all!) Although the solebars are a separate piece as with most ex Lionheart/Dapol types, part of the chain box is moulded to the solebar, so this would have required a new/altered tool to re use them. Does seem odd - maybe the intention when deciding to tool the GWR chassis was to re use it but someone forgot during design!

In a bid to stop this happening, I hit on the idea of getting 2nd bodies (or trying to sell spare chassis) so I could ring the changes for slightly less cost. I want a 2nd mitchell 45xx tank but sods law the one I have is probably my worst runner. Simarly now I've converted a class 45 to a 46 i can't share chassis with my spare 45 body and cant cover 2 eras as the buffer beam is a different colour, so had to buy a third. So that idea has been abandoned already!

7mm seems fine, epsecially if you make an offer while one of the 10% off deals is running. I bought two Dapol 16T minerals for £70 the pair this week (no discount), a Heljan GWR railcar for £350 recently which I regretted but actually sold on for more, a maroon Warship for £400 etc etc.

Gotcha. Just under the heading the devil is in the detail!

What is the context for this?

As an aside, this wasn't a St Blazey loco, which suggests that the Wadebridge branch wasn't the only one where the 45xxs had an issue.

People used asbestos for years. Never ceases to amaze me how when faced with any sort of advice, eg don't catch covid, the average Brit always knows best. I suspect you are right (ie used sensibly it's probably fine), but we don't actually know that.

And therein may well lie the crux of this debate. Whilst some of us still just want the basic shape right and are happy to then modify to get our specific loco, whether that be a simple change of plates, re-livery or more complex reworking of details, an increasing number of posters on here are clearly more interested in having their exact variant being modelled. I've seen plenty of people say of two completely contrasting models, they both look "about right" to me but I really wanted XWZ so am getting so and so's instead. We can debate the merits of each approach till the cows come home but the manufacturer will simply do whichever they think sells more. I suspect rather more of the scarce development budget is being spent on tooling variations than getting the nuances of shape right, (however counter intuitive that may seem to me and others).

Yes I noticed that! That photo is at St Dennis Jnc. tho so the Toad may be a red herring as I think they only routinely worked between Boscarne and Bodmin and not the restricted stretch to Wadebridge. I've seen a Toad at Wenford Bridge on a brake van special as well. 4526 did work to Wadebridge as there's a photo of it in BRITISH RAILWAYS livery there.

Sod it! I'm going to have to bend all mine now! Here is 4505 at Bodmin. And 4526. 3 variations on where exactly they 'it it!

I wondered about that too. 1450 was based at Exmouth junction in later years so presumably worked over that stretch to get to the various GWR branches - so was it a clearance issue with the prairies, rather than power?

Bear with me on this one, but an idea I had down the pub, surely if you want to stop something moving at high velocity in a confined distance, you simply need a piece of string and a hook....

The link from Bodmin General to Boscarne Junction was built by the GWR. I dont know if the prairies ever ran right through to the SR terminus at Bodmin North, although ex GWR panniers did hauling SR stock. Edit - ive made that sound rather like a statement when actually im curious!

Interesting - i think the early 16t fitted that I want to do had two cylinders as well so i'll have to check photos for the lever.