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HI, It is a puzzle why Bachmann have not re-tooled the "N" class so create the U and the two three cylindered versions. There are three versions of the "U" - new contsruction, "River" conversions of which there are two variations. From a business perspective, the "U" seems a good proposition given the variations. The footplate and cab would need investment and the chassis to deal with the centre to trailing wheelbase change, although the lattter could be ignored...... I used a heavily modified SEF white metal kit and the SEF chassis kit to produce 31806. I am aware that 31806 does not seem to have been paired with this type of tender although its fellows were. Kind regards, Richard B

Will do Clive. Kind regards, Richard B

I think that is very fair of you Tim giving Mr Furrage another chance. But at least the trains would be on time.... I wonder when the slow slide into a very English Fascism will be arrested, lets at least hope it is. Kind regards, Richard B

A days work completed, some of 70D's allocation rest easy until tomorrow. I know this image does not totally meet the criteria for this thread but it is nearly there - I have no real skill with the camera! Kind regards, Richard B

I think he deserved the penalty - he has been very lucky in the past in more serious circumstances, or does English exceptionalism extend to F1 as well? Kind regards, Richard B

Exactly. I have just ordered one anyway. My loco will be 32160 which was shedded at 70D in 1950/51, my layout is of 70D (Basingstoke) and I am aiming for an example of all the loco's shedded there in the BR period. As far as I can tell from images, 32160 was one of the "modified" E1's with the front splasher sandboxs removed together with the smokebox wing plates and four sandboxes fitted to the frame each side of the centre driving wheel. Sods law, so when I get my, no doubt, wonderful E1, I will be chopping it around a bit. Sorry! Keep up the good work, Richard B

How lovely to hear again all the difficulties that we struggled with back in the 1980/90s! All that you have said rings so many bells. Longsight was a depot I knew very little. I'm afraid I was responsible for the component structure in RAVERS we had to have something that related type to type to ensure that only the correct type of component could be "fitted" and then specify a range of real serial numbers for each (valid) component type. The trouble was there was some variation nationally on how we described a given type of, say, traction motor. Worse still, we had no real idea of the range of valid serial numbers that applied to any given type of component. All this was to avoid, a silly example I know, of someone fitting a Sulzer 6LDA engine to class 25 bogie (They were probably all scrapped by the 1990's??). If you could, someone would. Sorry I have probably confused you even more, please don't have any RAVERS nightmares! Really great to hear from you - happy model railways! Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Jack, As you know, most SR loco's have exposed copper piping around the boiler. I have looked at many, many images of SR loco's in the BR period for loco building. I conclude that, occasionally pipes were painted, but usually not but very quickly, as you suspect, received a layer of grime. I think Rob's response is spot on. Kind regards, Richard B

The next loco in my collection that I checked out was "U" class 31806. She was shedded at 70D from 1955 until March 1963. Basingstoke had an allocation of around 4 of these useful 2-6-0's but no "N" class although they were often on the shed for servicing. I built 31806 a two or three years back from a SEF kit and used an SEF chassis kit for the build. It has never been a great runner so I dismantled it and was obviousely built before I paid proper attention to pickups. This was rectified with three separate pair of pick-ups on each driver. I doubt that I could have fitted pick-ups to the tender without serious damage. The loco runs well now but needs some running in which it will get later this year when Phase two of the layout is completed. 31806 was one of the re-builds of the River 2-6-4 tanks, and note that there are two variations of the re-builds. As far as I can tell, all of the 31800 series of "U"'s had the "step up" tender as below, however I can find no image of 31806 so fitted, it being the odd one out! Typical - I am therefore looking for a second hand Bachmann ex "N" tender with a flush running plate... One thing I find very odd is that with the "N" class, Bachmann have, with some re-tooling, the ability to cheaply create all of the "U" class variations (three types) and with a bit more work, the U1/N1s. I can't understand why they have not done so. Kind regards, Richard B PS Better straiten up that vacuum stand pipe!

Thanks Clive - very beautiful and both having connections to Ireland, perfectly appropriate. We go to Dublin for a week in September - I will visit my late father's house in Blackrock, Dublin Bay - I have pictures but I have never visited it. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Clive, Nothing Compares to Sinead O'Conner. 😞 Richard B

Have you been in touch with the LNER Society? They may be able to advise although I suspect this question is a bit tricky due to 1930s colour film emulsions, faded paintwork and the effect of sunlight on how we perceive a colour. My reflex to your samples was that number 3 is the closest but that is just my opinion. Kind regards, Richard B

So 4479, did you enjoy being a depot Mr RAVERS? May I ask which depot? You must have had dealings with former colleagues of mine whom were in the Implementation Team? To add to the nostalgia, did you use the PC based GUI? You must have had dealings with the lovely ladies and gents in my Help Desk Teams at Derby? I enjoyed my time with the project but was pleased, in the end, to move on to other railway things. Kind regards, Richard B

The A1/1 (Crownline kit built by me) needed attention to the gear train in its High Level Gearbox - mesh adjustment and fitting it's correct later style namplates. (Fox). The A1 was a secondhand Bachmann purchase and it needed detailing - smokebox pipework, speedo mounting bracket and re-number. Kind regards, Richard B

Plenty of scope with one letter..... The project had very LNER/ER origins, P2 was very popular. Kind regards, Richard B

You are correct Sir! I am very, very amused by this post. Whilst I did not come up with these very suggestive monikers* I was one of the principle designers/specifiers of RAVERS together with my team and the system was coded in the Computing Centre at Darlington. We were the future! RAVERS, and its foundation system RSL (Rolling Stock Library) were discussed at great legnth, by many potential purchasers (and their team of lawyers and advisors and insurers) at some very large meetings in very expensive London Venues, I attended too. It was, to say the least, amusing to listen to these very expensive looking lawyers blathering on about things... "was it essential to use RAVERS" and could LOVERS talk to RAVERS ? was it cheaper to be a LOVER than a RAVER? Sorry made the last one up. You get the drift. I had to keep a strait face since I was advising on behalf of the BRB. I never thought such subjects would emerge from the depths of 1980/90's BRB history...and I was there! * But I know who did and I will never reveal his name. Kind regards, a very chuckling, Richard B

I am pleased that you watched this programme Old Gringo. Ben Elton presented his evidence very well and is well informed on railway matters, I totally agree with your views regarding the programme. What I find a bit odd about some of the comments regarding the programme is the view that in some way it is anti car or anti personel transport and that as a result we must be careful that we do not subsidise "emty trains". Well I think the issue is that we are all subsidising (and not just our railways) a series of local and national monopolies, for the benefit of the private owners of these privatised services. The level of subsidy is far, far higher than when these services were in public hands. It is a licence to print money until it is time to invest and then owners either bail out or get the taxpayer to pay one way or another. It is, as I have mentioned, a new form of Capitalism where all risk is removed - Taxpayer Funded Capitalism. It stinks. Kind regards, Richard B

Temporary run-down in new construction to make way for a few repairs/modifications from now until the the Autumn when I will return to building my 70D based layout. At the moment I am working on two A1's... Kind regards, Richard B

I will do some more research but here is a starter for 10. Kind regards, Richard B

The G5 Push Pull equipment was vacuum operated as SS has stated above. Some G5's did have a Westinghouse air pump - as many ex NER locomotives did but as far as I can make out, the Push-Pull loco's were all vacuum fitted. Westinghouse fitted G5. Image from my late railway collegue Ray Goad's collection. Push - Pull fitted G5. Another view of a Push-Pull fitted G5 - you can see where the air pump was removed from the side tank. By the way, the two "spotlights" above the lamp brackets are the coach lighting "trip and set" which connects to the coach end. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Richard B

A few old cars spotted back in 2014 : Finally me with my Maserati Coupe Cambio Corsa - bought it new in 2007 and sold it in 2015. I rather liked the special bodied Bentley Coupe, lovely. Kind regards, Richard B

More weathering and playing around with camera settings to improve images, I hope. Kind regards, Richrd B

Spot on John, my thoughts too. In this case it also shows what a big locomotive the V2 was - such a big boiler resulting in lots of HP. Kind regards, Richard B

Yes it did. If anyone has an image of the factory building suitable for fitting into a scenic background I would be most grateful. Kind regards, Richard B

V4 is now finished and earlier problems overcome. What have I learnt from this build? 1. The quality of the Judith Edge kit is first class, as I expected it to be, and is priced very reasonably. 2. It is not a kit for begginers but then it is not designed to be. 3. Using the two boiler templates it is fairly easy to roll a tapered boiler (a first for me) using very simple tools - in my case a couple of wooden dowls. 4. My original template for the firebox was too small due entirely to me forgetting all that I had learnt about sheet metal development. But then my training was almost 60 years ago! I am still not entirely happy with the firebox. 5. The resultant model of 61701 is a fair representation of prototype as it was in the mid 1950s and has the right look of a working loco wiped over with an oily rag. 6. I really must re-organise my work bench, it is too cluttered. 7. Be careful with super glue! 8. Last but not least, thanks for all the helpful suggestions from Michael Edge, I still don't know how he finds time for all the projects he is involved in. Some pictures, still a little work to do with weathering... My skills with the camera do not do the Bantam many favours.. The V2's were big locomotives.... Kind regards, Richard B