BR(W)

Hello. By 'missing pipework', do you mean the ATC conduit? If so, this was first fitted to the 1934 batch (starting with 5023); earlier locomotives (and all 'Star' rebuilds) were not so fitted, and nor was it ever retro-fitted. Cheers, BR(W).

6028 was originally 'King Henry II', but was renamed in January 1937 following George VI's accession in December 1936 (his coronation was in May 1937). Cheers, BR(W).

What ho, everyone. This excellent topic has shown us the no-nonsense, rugged nature of these sixteen-tonners, but little, if any, reference has been made to the more endearing, caring character of these ubiquitous, common carriers. We have seen their business-minded "clang-bang, clang-bang, thank you, ma'am" carry-all artlessness amply illustrated: we are impressed by their urgent, mass migrations in fleet-footed windcutter rakes; or charmed by their unhurried, solitary ramblings picking up and setting down in Arcadian remoteness. Yet they were also often to be seen in gentle and selfless acts of kindness, nuzzling up to sad and frightened steam engines which had been cruelly abandoned in weed-strewn sidings, their chimneys draped in sackcloth shrouds, their rods anointed with grease, their bellies cold and empty, their firebox ashes scattered to the winds. So it is in celebration of this last role that I submit the following Ben Brooksbank image, and I like to think that we can smile warmly on one of our little friends comforting a distressed 'Dukedog' at Moat Lane Junction, on the Cambrian, in the late 50s. Cheers, BR(W).

Indeed. She was originally a WR loco., and some four months previously, had the melancholy honour of hauling the last down "Cambrian Coast Express", on 4th. March, from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth. By then, of course, the Cambrian lines had been appropriated by the LMR (boo!). 75033 in black livery (another boo!) handled the last up service. Wipes tear from eye. Cheers, BR(W).

Mark, Any nearer?: I know it's NG (Corris, of course), but the nearby standard gauge line was also built on an embankment (walled in places) because of the Dyfi's floodplain. Cheers, BR(W).

Schrödinger's duck? Cheers, BR(W).

Ah, the aroma of roast duck - they will be of soldered brass construction, I take it? Well fluxed! Cheers, BR(W).

An opening apology for continuing the meanderings off-topic, but, crikey! a post at once seeming both peremptory and perfunctory: declaimed with the finality of unchallengeable authority, yet citing not one example. Now, as intimated earlier, I have always believed that BR diesels drew in air from the bodysides or cantrails, and exhausted upwards, directly from the roof fan/s. So, herewith two extracts to support my view, the first from the era of Pilot Scheme and first generation production machines: "In most locomotives the radiator is in two sections, one on each side of the body, and air is drawn inwards by a fan from outside the locomotive and exhausted upwards through the roof. Radiator fans may be driven mechanically, electrically, or by oil pressure..." 'INSIDE a diesel locomotive' (sic), Basil K. Cooper, Ian Allan 1964. Chapter 1, 'How the diesel engine works' (sic), p.15. And the second from a technical review of BR's last design: "At the No. 1 end is the third compartment housing the diesel engine radiators and cooling fans... "Unfiltered air for the radiators is drawn through the bodysides by two motor-driven roof-mounted 'pusher' fans, and is expelled through the roof after passing through the cooler panels." 'BR EQUIPMENT 2', David Gibbons, Ian Allan 1990. Chapter 'The New Class 60 Heavy Freight Diesel Locomotive', p.92. I could also mention the cost-benefit study carried out by BR into the redesign of the Class 25 bodysides to avoid track detritus and brake dust being drawn in through the bodyside grilles - but I shan't. Finally, a closing apology if I have misinterpreted anything, or am plainly wrong. But may I please ask for any counter-arguments to be supported by evidence so that we may all learn. Thank you. Cheers, BR(W).

Referring to the name 'The Mill'. Hello, Jason, all. With your iterative attention to observational detail, and by focusing on ever smaller aspects to build such convincing character, 'The Mill' would seem entirely appropriate! Though the mills of God grind slowly; Yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience he stands waiting, With exactness grinds he all. Looking forward to your EM oeuvre. Cheers, BR(W).

...Either way, only 1 brake, and in one direction on the branch, at the wrong end. My ad-hoc solution is to add a parcels brake, but is this right? Or am I thinking of an earlier period where brakes would be included within the formation of the 9 cars as well? Hello, Stewart, all. This has long puzzled me, as well. I can't comment on the GE, but, in "On the Waverley Route" by Robert Rowbotham there is a photo (Sep.1965) of a 'local' from Hawick to Edinburgh Waverley whose formation is as follows: Loco (B1, 61354); BSK; CK; SK; SK; CK. The stock is BR Mk.1 except for the last CK which is a Thompson. And on the 'down' "Cambrian Coast Express" to Aberystwyth in pre-Auto Buffet days (before 1962), the formation after splitting at Machynlleth was generally: Loco (7800 'Manor'); BSK; SK; FK or similar; RU (all Mk.1s). Prior to splitting, this rake had been augmented by the 'Coast' formation to Pwllheli of, generally, CK; SK; BSK (again Mk.1s), so that the formation to Machynlleth had been 'topped and tailed' by a brake coach. Strengtheners regularly gate-crashed this uniformity, of course, and could be anything to hand - preferably Mk.1s, but Hawksworths could be enjoyed, and even a rather bemused Gresley CK was noted rattling along in, I think, 1960. Cheers, BR(W).

x snip x "Who knows - there are no absolute frames of reference to judge by." Will these be your usual 4" x 2" (minimum)? Cheers, BR(W).

When the wickets in the West Indies were unplayable because of the complete lack of any form of natural covering for the rollers to work on, and dangerous because they had cracks that would swallow a Duke and spit it out in random directions, the authorities, in thinly disguised desperation, tried a surface of cork matting. When asked by an interviewer whether he preferred grass or cork matting, Botham replied that he couldn't comment because he'd never smoked cork matting. Allegedly. Cheers, BR(W).

"...a Crownline un-rebuilt 'WC' behaves, under load, like a novice ice skater, spinning its wheels furiously." Surely fidelity to prototype par excellance? Cheers, BR(W).

Hello, all. If a Western lad may crave ECML indulgence? I believe that in the early sixties, the 12.30 p.m. Aberdeen to KX (due 3 a.m.) class 3 service, had, generally, two 'Blue Spot' vans behind the brake van for Mac Fisheries' depot at Finsbury Park. They were detached here during a brief stop in the early hours, and the specially-designed, stainless steel containers were unloaded, decanted of their retail contents, cleaned and reloaded into the same vans for re-attachment to the rear of the corresponding 'down' service (11.40 a.m. ex-KX). Incidentally, I think that this service returned all of the 'Blue Spot' vans from both the 12.30 p.m. and 1.43 p.m. 'up' services, typically some forty vehicles? And I always thought 'blue spot' indicated route availability... Cheers, BR(W).

Not so fast! The WD is banking a mixed formation: the two vans in the shot are 'swingers'. Perhaps the train engine is a little short of steam and the fireman is hard at work with the pricker; the WD, having just brought in a goods, is buying him some time with which to get the fire up to scratch. Sorted? Cheers, BR(W).

Election fraud, eh? In order to demonstrate your undoubted even-handedness, couldn't you have added something like, "Other layouts are available"? Or my preferred, parenthetical version, "Other layouts are available - apparently." No contest, some would say ;-) Cheers, BR(W).

I, for one, am surprised that you haven't constructed your secondary ceiling in the form of gothic fan vaulting - made out of styrene, naturally, and persuasively reminiscent of the cloisters at Gloucester cathedral. And all built within forty-eight hours, of course! Cheers, BR(W).

More caravans! You know you want to... (Congratulations, by the way. Truly deserved). Cheers, BR(W).

You got me looking for a spider in the pictures - you know, like Cuneo's mouse... Doh! Talented and artistic arachnid, though, I must say. Felt like I was actually bunking St. Blazey! Cheers, BR(W).

We need a 'Phew, that's a relief!' button. Seriously, your modelling is to such a high standard (trackwork included) that it is virtually impossible to tell that it is to OO - especially when the railway views are three-quarter and side ones. Cheers, BR(W).

Hello. I can't thank you enough for sharing these wonderful photographs with us. I think that the 'Jubilee' in the first image may, however, possibly be 45699 'Galatea', not 45691. 5699 was one of the Bristol Barrow Road allocation which were transferred to 89A Salop en bloc when, as you say, the area came under the jurisdiction of the LMR. 7428 worked the Bala line for a while before becoming the small pilot at Aberystwyth. Rumour has it that she was kept away from Swindon in case the continually-touched-up 'GWR' was painted over, and Aberystwyth and Oswestry between them carried out work on her which should really have been done at Swindon. And as for Pant, well, when the Stanlow to Aberystwyth oil tank trains finished in the 1990s (I think), Shell road tankers thundered throught this little village. Progress, eh? Thanks again, BR(W).

Do you mean this address?: http://www.technobotsonline.com/ If not, sorry. Cheers, BR(W).

Hello. Could you expand on this, please. From photographs that I have seen of the model, the only problem that I have with the bufferbeam is that it is far too shallow, but, strangely, this doesn't seem to bother me that much. In every other respect the model seems to be a winner. Cheers, BR(W).

Not to mention the rubbish ballasting. And the wholly unconvincing and rather pathetic attempt to join some Peco Streamline code 100 to some C&L chaired bullhead in the foreground! Truly a prototype for everything... Cheers, BR(W).

Hello, all. Sorry if I'm being obtuse here, but Bachmann (whom God preserve) mention that the 6400 will have "...a host of great features including two differing cab/bunker arrangements..." Now, assuming that this refers to the radiused transition between the cab and bunker and the presence of the cab front/roof lip on the pre-1937 batches, and the square transition with no lip on the later batches, I don't think that this tantalizing and titillating design option has been mentioned before. If true, it means, of course, that 6400s from 6430 can be modelled, along with the whole 7400 class (YES!). Cheers, BR(W).