TheSignalEngineer

Definintely there, exactly the same on a shot of mine c1968, but I think the office block overwhelmed the perspective after it was built.

Used it a couple of times and found it a pleasant experience. If you want something out of the ordinary you can always phone in advance and they will make sure they have one in. Last time I went I was after about 6 things, one they didn't have to hand they posted on free of charge and I got it 3 days later.

Will anyone post a picture of Dave taking this picture on any forum?

You don't need to. Just wait to see what happens to most of the prices as the people who remember the stuff when it was the d**s bo***x fade away. At present we have a significant number of buyers who didn't have the disposable income when the stuff was new but are now past raising families etc. The other factor in collecting is the rarity value. People outside the hobby think all Dublo is valuable. There were about a quarter of a million Montroses made, but Liverpool was only done for a very short time, and after 2-rail had been introduced, similarly ring field motored 3-rail locos usually get a good price.

I had a browse through some old magazines today. Couldn't see a reference to the Edge Hill Hymek, but there were some gaps in the sequence. Hymeks outside the WR seemed to generate reports almost whenever they happened, even reaching Birmingham. There were a few instances af them reaching Crewe, usually on specials. Railway World reported that on 23 September 1970 a unique sight was provided at Stockport Edgeley when 7083 arrived on a freight.

Interesting reference in Railway World to Hymek 7056 reaching Colwick on a MosCow - Immingham train on 7 November 1968. It had an Oxford crew and Saltley conductor.

Also a lot of variations in the BR Freight Stock book available through the Barrowmore site

BR Diagram Book 240 covered NPCCS and has a couple of drawings of carflats. Many at Kings Norton were pre-nationalisation underframes of various parentage.

With the mixed load on it I would guess that was probably from Kings Norton, which loaded cars from Longbridge and Morris Commercial at Adderley Park. Following a strike of shuttle drivers a loading facility was put in at the Longbridge factory. Rovers and Land Rovers were loaded at Dorridge, later transferring to Bordesley when the Dorridge yard was sold for housing.

The Morris Cowley trains generated several reports in Modern Railways 'Motive Power Miscellany' section in the early 1960s. Here's a few examples March 1963, LMR - The named Class 9 2-10-0, No. 92220, now stationed at Oxlord, is frequently employed on the 1.50 pm Morris Cowley - North Mersey Class 4 freight and return working fron Aintree Sorting Sidings. November 1963, LMR - The substantial stud of "Britannia" Pacifics at Crewe now have a rostered working to Oxford on the twice weekly 3.30pm Bathgate to Morris Cowley.....This service was established some time ago between Morris Cowley and destinations in the Liverpool area, but recently it has been reorganised and retimed on a much faster schedule, being simultaneously upgraded to Class 3. Previously it was hauled by Class 9F 2-10-0s. Reports from the WR late 1963 / early 1964 would suggest that the Brits did a few fill-in turns from Oxford to Swindon. April 1964, LMR - Brush Type 4 diesels have also replaced "Britannia" Pacifics on the 13.14 (MWFO) Morris Cowley to Bathgate and the 12.00 TThSO) return car carrying trains, although it is not clear whether the diesel locomotives (nominally WR units) are working north of Crewe on these turns.

Arrival at Blackpool 30 September 1961. Photograph C E Steele The Midland Compound had come to pilot Mallard on the return working of the Northern Rubber Special. Most of the passengers off to the promenade and later the illuminations give no more than a passing glance towards the loco at the head of the train.

I have picked up two locos in the past 12 months described as needing attention. The first was an 08 which looked immaculate from the pictures, accessories not fitted, no marks to the paintwork, looked virtually unused. Opened it up, gears dried almost solid, good clean and lubricate - job done. The second was WD, scruffy looking, poor repaint but complete. I wanted it for a project so wasn't that bothered externally and won for about half the price of a good one. Studied the jerk in the running and realised that the valve gear had been taken off and refitted incorrectly on one side. Two minutes with the screwdriver and chassis was fixed.

34099 at Ilfracombe, August 1960 Photograph C E Steele

My best layout for running was fully sectioned with two second hand H&M controllers from the 1950s. The sections were switched between the controllers with two of those 10-way telephone switch boxes of the kind that sat under an old office telephones bought for £1 in Birmingham Rag Market. Buildings were mostly card, but I did venture into extruded and textured plastics for a canal transhipment shed. Some rolling stock had wooden bodies on Peco chassis, and one freelance loco consisted of a City of Truro boiler and card Collett cab on a Gaiety Tank chassis. Although the layout is long since gone the H&M controllers are still used when I get out the Dublo collection.

I usually reserve the fast downhills for dedicated routes which are signposted as no walkers, as I don't want one stepping out in front of me at 30mph. Yes, it's dangerous for them but moreso for me as I will probably miss them and do myself serious damage by hitting a tree or rock head first in the process. On shared routes I don't usually go any faster than a runner when there are other users about. Along with those people who ride motorbikes along Bridleways and drive 4x4s over moorlands. I have also taken part in repairing and signposting footpaths, clear vegetation from overgrown Rights of Way and clearing litter left by walkers.

But would his bike stand up to going downhill at 40mph on an unsurfaced forest track without the wheels going out of shape, let alone stop before that tree at the bottom? You don't really need brakes in Southport let alone hydraulic discs. And have you seen the price of decent cross-country bike tyres recently? Some cost nearly as much as for a car.

I could build and stock a new DCC sound TMD exhibition layout for what on-road and off-road cycling costs me in a year.

Did Stourbridge men sign Hymeks before the through workings at Snow Hill stopped in 1967? Most freight through Snow Hill and loco hauled passenger via the STX line was steam hauled to the end. The footex would have been about 1964 or 1965. Another made it through from Swansea to Witton on a footex in 1964, but via Bromsgrove. The same day a Blue Pullman set did the same trip, SixBellsJunction has a picture of it being banked up Lickey by pannier 8415.

When I saw it on the cars it was immaculate, almost as clean as now it's stuffed and mounted.

Hymeks seemed quite uncommon when I was spotting at Snow Hill. I only remember a couple, one of which was on a footex from London. I actually saw more on the Midland line through Camp Hill and at New St after Snow Hill closed.

I saw Evening Star at Snow Hill several times on the Cowley workings. Another unusual one was 70054 on the Bathgate. The first vehicle was a GUV. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1248.htm

And choc & cream and a Hawksworth FK, bet you wouldn't put that out at an exhibition without someone saying it's impossible

Looks strange with a goods brake and a Class 1 headcode.