Downendian

Great stuff Rob! Neil

I'd also add that the Inter city Railway society ran an article in a newsletter around 1976 with all the WR DMU set formations and set numbers. Neil

Terrific find Phil, there's later in the footage the old MR route from Bristol to Bath, including Staple Hill, Mangotsfield, Oldland Common, Bitton and the old SDJR shed at Bath. I don't recall seeing any film of this before. The coaching stock was in Green, so I suspect it would have eventually made its way down the S&D. What a wonderful old grimy railway it was in 1964, under a decade before I started spotting. Neil

Wow a long time has passed since I last updated this thread. Today is my first day of retirement, which I'm fortunate to be able to take early after many years of paying a large chunk of my salary in pension. I'll miss for sure the science and my colleagues, but I've plenty to be busying myself with. I'll keep the brain active by writing books and doing some consultancy work. Two fishing sessions this week, and now looking at my pile of kits, incomplete projects, and my layout which needs attention, but where to start? Plus my wonderful wife has given me a DIY to do list, and close family including two young grandsons to look after now and then. How on earth did I have any time for work? The rest of my life starts today. Neil

I spent many a chilly hour at Patchway in the mid 1970s waiting for the "65 special", Fawley-Penarth curve which twice a week brought a class 33 (65-er) through North Bristol. We always aimed to get there by 2pm but invariably it was late. Funny how all those details are mentally logged after the passage of four decades. The split level track and single bore twin Patchway tunnels were also another vantage point just a bit down from the station. I must get out and get some photographs before these sights are lost to those lineside locations with the arrival of the OHLE. Neil

Tuesday 4th March 1975, An afternoon school swimming gala when we were encouraged to make our way to the local swimming baths to support our school house. Somehow, me and a friend ended up at a very chilly Bristol Temple Meads. Highlight of the day was the prototype HST on one of its first visits to Bristol, even made the local news, where both of us were caught on BBC points west. On a more somber note, D1005 was copped hauling her stripped out sisters D1044 and D1029 from Laira towards Swindon, on their final BR move. Four further westerns D1036, D1054, D1064 and D1071 were working through trains or on Bath road. Neil

One of my retirement ambitions was to build a JLRT big Hydraulic, sadly looks unlikely. A big loss to the O gauge world. Neil

An old thread that somehow I missed. Lovely photos Darren thanks for posting. Neil

I agree with hayfield. When I did mine I bought a brand new (but discounted) small boilered 7F, and bought the Golden arrow kit at the Calne show a couple of years ago. I’d have snapped this up if I were doing the same project again. Neil

Hi MichaelMany thanks for responding on holiday. I’ve had the kit for 4/5 years, I’ll drop you a line in a couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy your holiday and excellent customer service. Thanks Neil

Ah, they may do John I’ll take a look. I’ve just had the kit out. Edit : no there isn’t, there’s a Ruston bonnet badge and PWM650 plate but no R&H plate. I’ll need to check photos of the prototype, but I’m sure it carried them. Neil

Hi John I’ve got a Judith Edge PWM650 kit in the to do pile. Slightly different to the PWM651-4 batch as I’m sure you know. Where did you source the R&H badge from? I’ve spent a bit of time looking, but with no success. Lovely build by the way. Neil

I agree totally Dan, I was going to warn about the crummy music, and was looking for a music mute button. Neil

Sat quietly at home and around 45 minutes ago, heard a low rumble and thought something had fallen over in the garage as a few things started vibrating, Lo and behold an Earthquake has been reported at 4.7 magnitude today at 10Km depth off Swansea. Second time I’ve felt an earthquake, first was in Vienna about 20 years ago. Neil

Unfortunately the lister has not provided good photos. The loco certainly looks like the Bachmann chassis, and as stated in the listing has listing has the large boiler, which I think has only been produced by Golden arrow as a resin kit. The large boilers were all eventually replaced, I think by 1956. I’ve done one of these (grafting the Golden arrow boiler to a Bachmann chassis) and it needs a fair bit of work as the smokebox door is too small on the Golden arrow moulding, and needed details such as boiler dogs fitting. I scratch built the new smokebox door, as no castings for the correct MR pattern are currently available. The tender looks to be a white metal kit, probably DJH, but will not have the DCC wiring to the tender which seems to have gone. For £45 that’s not a bad price for the Bachmann chassis, but I would probably ask the seller what’s happened to the DCC connections. Only a couple of large boiler 7Fs made it into BR numbering, so it also depends on your timescale as it would need to be pre-1956. So a bit of work to do on it, but considering the costs of the chassis and Golden arrow boiler a fair price for the components for a project. Neil

I’ve just spent an enjoyable 30 minutes reminiscing about the Swindon works glory days I first visited in January 1975, it’s quite startling to see how it’s been developed to a non-Swindonian I’ve been to the outlet village, but my last works visit was the open day in May 1979. Neil

Signs of spring here in South Devon. I’ve just been in the back garden tidying, and goldcrests are flitting around inside our large Bay tree, i suspect building nests. A Robin sat in the crab apple tree marking out its territory and a Song Thrush singing earlier in the hedgerow opposite dawn chorus. Tawny owls last night also kicking up a racket. With plenty of Daffs out here, feeling like spring is just round the corner. Neil

Sorry for being off topic but maybe of interest to someone, as the analogy is very similar. I’ve mentioned it before, but will do so again. I’m a blood grouper by training, and the blood group O is a misnomer. It was originally named 0 (for zero or null) in lacking the A and B antigens. Over the ensuing 100 plus years since discovery O has supplanted the original 0, which no one now uses. Neil (A R1r K-k+ Fy(a-b+))

I must admit when I first saw Jonny’s D839 photo I thought on the approaches to Tavistock junction or perhaps near Marsh Mills Plymouth, just because it looks a tad like that now. However, unable to source a “now”photo of the area. So merely a gut feeling and nothing scientific. Maybe I’ll take a detour next time I’m driving home from work. Neil

Indeed they can Clive, if anyone hasn’t seen Kylestrome’s beautiful model, feast your eyes on this.http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107181-Hornby-class-29-–-ex-works/?p=2688890 Again with time and effort, and half decent start point (primary body shape) a lot is possible. Neil

Terrific Kevin. There is always room for one more book on Westerns. Neil

Very nice, these made it to Avonmouth to the RTZ smelter when the coke hoppers rotted away. I will certainly be buying a few. Neil

Indeed it was, I remember being shocked on seeing this new “garish” livery that year on 036 at Coalville. Called the short sighted spotters livery as I recall for obvious reasons at the time. The only variation before that was Stratford silver roof 47s and the 47 163/4 Silver jubilee pair. Still an iconic loco, and one on the detailing pile for this very reason, I have a photo somewhere. Neil

Missed that Mike, can you refresh my memory?Neil

I’ve cancelled my preorder for these. As mentioned earlier, the containers aren’t the correct configurations for the trains that passed through Bristol in the 1970s. I can thoroughly recommend the C-Rail containers http://www.c-rail-intermodal.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=25_28&page=3 I’ve bought the OCL, Bell and P&O containers that I know from memory were on the Danygraig flows. I’m hoping they will sell the flats separately at some point, and we don’t know yet what the brandings on the containers will be, I hope of course the C-Rail ones fit. Neil