5050

Just a quick thought but I remember plenty of LMR locos through Wrexham in the mid/late 50's. Black 5's, 8F's and even the odd Jubilee. No idea what the workings were - they just appeared and we wrote down the numbers!

Great shots, brought back a lot of memories from living in Oswestry for a short while in 1970/71.

Here you go. Read, understand and be amazed at how it all works, with thanks to the MRC.

Some more CCW and Ratio adverts from the 'wood' era in 1955. Good selection of bogies, described as 'equalised' rather than 'sprung'. i wonder whose wheels they were?

Been doing a bit more scanning, this time 1955 MRN, and here are some more very interesting Kirdon ads etc. for your edification. Power units. Was the Minor capable of operating 2 trains with its 2 knobs? Also noticed that the US Boxcars are described as having 'sprung bogies'. Like Kadee ones perhaps? 10000 Diesel now shown as RTR and the figures are included. What are 'Griptired' wheels? Something like Tri-ang Dock Shunter ones or 'traction tyres'? Directional lights as well. The 0-6-2T loco kit in exploded view. Looks quite simple but how were 'novices' supposed to fit and quarter the driving wheels? And pickups? The 'Universal' coupling appears. I wonder what the 1% non-compatible coupling was - 3 link? A good selection of products - including prior warning of the 0-4-0 Paxman shunter. A photo from the Model Railway Hobby show showing the Kirdon products including bridges, motor bogies, boxed 10000 and the 0-6-0 and 0-4-0 Shunters.

Well, I suppose the 27s/£1.35 ones would be a bit ropey in actual fact. £3-4 sounds more like it! What would 27s be the equivalent of these days?

I can buy a 'pre-owned' Athearn Blue Box freight car for the equivalent of 27 shillings these days! Sometimes that is - especially if it has a 'patina'.

So they did actually exist. Are you going to build it or leave it in parts for posterity?

Just in case you've not seen it in the 'Hamblings' thread (and if not, why not ), here's the 1951 wheel advert from MRN showing the method of construction of the wheels - which could be usefully copied by todays manufacturers? Fitted correctly I think they look better than Romfords - but the difficulty was in the fitting.

I think I remember seeing an A4 in Executive livery, looked rather smart to me.* A friend had an A4 in LMS Maroon - named 'Cuckoo'. (* didn't someone have a Reliant 3 wheeler van in this livery?)

I think there was an article in Model Railways (probably, they did this sort of thing, most likely in Roy Dock's period) when they tested loco drivers for conductivity etc. and the SP ones came out of it quite well. Something to do with the grade of aluminium used. Somewhere I'll have the mag in my 'archive' (ie, the pile of old mags in the corner!) However, as is usual, the theory didn't match up to the actuality and locos ground to a halt very quickly. Romfords are practical. I just wish they did a reasonable P4 version, make life much easier.

I remember aluminium 'Jackson' wheels in the 70's, introduced possibly by a shortage of brass? Or maybe as an answer to the then fashionable Stephen Poole aluminium tyred driving wheels? The SP wheels weren't very succesful as they picked up dirt like crazy.

The Nucro unit seems to be made from sheet material whereas the Kennedy bogie in the advert appears to use wire or similar. Did the design change to make use of the Nucro/Acro unit later?

Someone mention Bakelite coaches? If these weren't Bakelite then what were they? The windows don't appear to be 'see through'.

Some Acro and Nucro ads. Did this 45xx kit ever appear? Then the name changes - And the Kennedy bogie -

Been told today he did have a Yellow one - after the Green one which (so I've was told) ended up on its roof in a field.

He later started the excellent MPD range of locokits but then lost interest in model railways, did a bit in steam preservation, renovated beer pumps - but his main interest these days is in brewing some excellent beer. Are you sure his Beetle was Yellow? I seem to remember it being Green but he might have changed it of course.

Am I right in thinking that my friend Robert Hunter was one of your first sales reps in the North?

Only a small one!!

I've got one just like that. It's called a 'North West Short Line Chopper'. Available at all good American model shops for $???. Never considered making my own version but in reality it's fairly simple provided the maker is good at measuring and making accurate right angles.

Neat idea - but don't let the H&S brigade see that exposed cutting edge!

Not the easiest wagon to build! I think I did a drawing of one in a Modelling Railways Illustrated magazine early 90's?. Geoff Kent has a couple of nice scratchbuilt ones.

We used to have a very convenient balcony at one of our previous venues............................

I remember a couple of evenings spent in the early 70's with Nigel Daley (who later had his own range of very nice etched GWR coaches) trying to make P4 track using these chairs and copperclad sleepers. I don't think that, even at those early times, either of us was to keen on the rivet and ply method and the Studiolith/P4 Society's marketing policy. Needless to say though, our attempts weren't all that succesful and the rivet and ply method was eventually adopted. I've got an ABS crane and match truck kit still safely tucked away in its tube for a rainy day.

I can't get any of my continental couplers to couple up with each other. How and why they've lasted so long on the market beats me! Cr*p.