Downendian

A few ideas Phil, I'll drop you a line by email. Neil

And Phil will have a rookie operator there too! Sorry for lack of email Phil, but confirm I will be there saving the M4 A34 being shut. Neil

From BRdatabase, last allocation Shrewsbury, broken up 1 September 1967, apparently before officially withdrawn ! http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=D&id=3193&loco=13193 Neil

I remember reading somewhere about the "great shunter cull of 1967" where BR decided to standardise on class 03 and 08 and dispose of non-standard designs. Many after this date were sold for Industrial service, including 12136 which was a common sighting when travelling through South Yorkshire en route to York in the mid 1970s. One of the ICRS publications that I lost over the years was "BR locos in industrial service", an excellent account of surviving ex BR shunters, published around 1975. The title may be different, that was what I remember it being called. Still no clues on D3193 though, but if accident damaged would have been cut quickly. I suppose in 1967 with the mood to dispose of a massive shunter fleet, non-economic repairs to class 08s were the reason. Neil

Yesterday some exploratory surgery was undertaken on the freshly arrived Limby warship whose innards will be donated to the mainline D823. I've a further two mainline warships that will get the same treatment if successful. Having stripped the Hornby and Mainline models down the first finding was that the mainline driving wheel gears don't mesh with the Hornby power bogie. So, if I'm to use the mainline bogies new gears will need to be fitted. Hornby spare gears duly ordered. On inspection of the mainline gears, I found one reason why this loco was a non runner- both driving wheel gears spun relatively freely on the axle, and one set was split. Some further ordering of kit was needed, a wheel puller to extract the mainline wheels, and new blades for my piercing saw. These are needed as the Mainline chassis will need surgery to get the Hornby power bogie to fit. The bogie will be held in place with some right angled brass strip, fettled to mimic the Hornby model. The Mainline bogie frames fit quite well to the Hornby power bogie, just as well as the Hornby versions are shocking! The mainline frames however won't fit the Hornby wheels, again just as well as they don't look a touch on their 1980s counterparts. So although I've been diverted a bit off the project priorities, it looks like this will work, I'm going to transfer all the innards to the modified Mainline chassis, including DCC socket. The Mainline pickups will be used and adjusted/replaced as necessary. A cheaper option would be to buy just the power bogie, but can't seem to find them anywhere at the moment, so the sub £40 Hornby warships will serve as donors. I hope to take photos as soon as all the bits/tools arrive and the mods done. Neil

I'm delighted that Bachmann have chosen 58072 as one of the three first releases. Allocated to Highbridge in 1952, withdrawn 1956. Both my Great Grandfathers were SDJR engine drivers based at Highbridge, and retired in the mid 1950s. I reckon the chances that one or both of them had driven this loco approaches 100%. Neil

I'm delighted with the Midland 1P, a Highbridge stalwart of old. Now what will I do with the unstarted craftsman kit? Also pleasing is some of the new tooled wagonry, including the prestwin and vanwide. I'd been gently collecting a rake of Parkside vanwides, and will continue to do so, and are considerably cheaper than the Bachmann forthcoming - I will say no more. Still no Swindon class 120 or sealed beam class 45/46 rerelease or as mentioned no 3H, all are on the to do list with craftsman bits and projects on the go. I'm sure I will get there before RTR. I had thought the 24/1 would be dropped - it was announced the same time as the NBL class 43 which has been out a few months ago. But still at design stage? Neil

Only ordered yesterday Phil, should be here Monday or Tuesday. Neil

Gives me the shivers that photo Phil! , my mainline warships, bought for the princely sum of £9 each, remain intact! I've just bitten the bullet and ordered one of those Hornby railroad warships for £39. purely for experimental purposes to see if D823 can be remotored. The Hornby model is no oil painting! All in the spirit of saving those super mainline bodies. I will see if it's easy to rewheel, as I have some spare Bachmann wheels and plenty of mainline bits. I don't like the look of those Hornby wheels either. I've spent a fair bit of today on the brake tender projects, hope to update soon. Neil

I think 47375 means the models? If not, here's a January 1979 shot at Cockshute of both 081 and 063, the next shot in the sequence shows 063 full frame, this one 081. The weathering on both locos looks identical. https://flic.kr/p/6U4TFe 063 full frame https://flic.kr/p/6U56na Neil

Well I've learnt something today. Quite right D400 delivered with MU fittings.https://flic.kr/p/cEsY7j Neil

I hope it's the 1967 version, but would lack the cab MU cables and of course non-refurbished state and EE lease plate. Will need to wait and see, a proper four hundreder. Neil

I'll happily pay for your TV license in exchange for a Peckett Ian.Seriously though, I've been late to the party here. Today's release for preorder has vanished from the usual suppliers. I did quite fancy one of these as they were built just a couple of miles from where I live in Bristol. Never mind, I'm sure I can wait. Neil

The Hermes crest was printed on the mainline model Neil, as you say I don't recall an etched plate being available. Despite being non-motorised, I was pleased with the purchase, it has been well weathered. Edit Phil beat me to it! Neil

Lovely Robert. Can't agree with you more re the 3H. When the price dropped I relented and bought one, but would have bought 2x3H as these were a common formation on the Pompey-Bristol services in the mid 1970s. Neil

Hi Neil Yes I've given it some thought- the mainline motor housing looks too small for a DVD motor (my scheme for remotoring Lima diesels). I plan to double motor it, or use a Bachmann chassis as I've got some spare bits from a D804 model that suffered Mazak rot. I will look further into this, as I have a few Mainline warships of old. 823 does indeed have the HMS Hermes crest, it's at the far end! Neil

The Genesis 1/557 (Marcroft built) diesel brake tender now approaching completion. Still to do lamp irons, handrails and brake wheels. I've spent a few minutes trying to locate a purchase from 51L this afternoon to no avail which included the correct pattern brake wheels- they will turn up (I hope). Still to complete is the 1/555 with heavy duty Gresley bogies (the MJT castings need a bit of a rework to get the wheels in), and a 1/556 long body Stanier bogies. They've been getting some attention the past week. Some pitfalls along the way with the Marcroft tender. The bogie mounting points needed adjusting in order to get the Stanier bogies to fit, they are Bachmann spares, and I'm quite pleased with how they are mounted. They are bolted on, but some degree of suspension is provided by mounting the bogie on some fishing rubber rig tubing! The bolts grip the white metal well, ably assisted with PTFE tape. The fox transfers are lovely, although the "XP" decal is a trifle too big, I've still yet to add more decals. The yellow warning panels, don't try and shortcut this by not using the white backing transfer- guess how I know this! Although the Genesis kit is overwidth, but I'm pleased with the results. A bit of a cosmetic shot here, 823 is an unpowered mainline warship I've recently picked up for a tenner, as it has a rather excellent weathering job. I will endeavour to power this up at some point this year. The ballast brake van (a Cambrian kit) is now nearly complete needing decals and weathering, and is behind 823. Neil

A goldcrest flitting around in South Devon this afternoon, chasing insects on the spruce no more than ten feet from the kitchen window. The iPad was unable to capture anything that does the beauty of these little birds justice though. Often heard, seldom seen. Neil

As a devout South Western Englander Mad McC, I very much have a great love of Scottish diesels. They were the most exotic beasts we could encounter on our forays, I have multiple examples in my fleet, from class 17s, highland 24/1, 26 and 27s to Haymarket 40s. A few more NBL products would be more than welcome. I only ever saw one, D6121/2 the Hither Green beastie at Woodhams, Barry in 1976. Neil

Well a festive week of too much food, alcohol, but much needed recharging the batteries. I've given the layout a massive overhaul, and the top deck is running fairly well, still some track cleaning to be done, but will start a thread on the layout in the new Year. The rolling stock additions are progressing slowly but steadily, I've been building lots of Parkside PC02A diag 1/039 & 1/044 10' WB wagons for the Clayliner rake, interspersed with Hornby Ex LNER and Cambrian D1375 ex SR 13T highs, all which were used on the St Blazey-Stoke flows (aka 6/7M53/5 with return 6/7V53/5. I hope to build a sheeted rake and return empties. As a consequence I'm selling all of my Bachmann RTR clay tipplers which are largely incorrect for this traffic. Some of the 1/039s are to be fitted with roller bearings, the correct pattern I've obtained from 51L with springs from MJT. I hope to display a few completed wagons soon. A quick build (well for me) this week has been a Cambrian converted ex SECR Dance Hall brake, masquerading as a ballast (staff) brake van. This one went into the spray booth this afternoon, and looks rather nice in Olive drab with grey roof. Glazing tomorrow's task although driving to South Devon for a few days. The next task today was test driving a Genesis brake tender, this one short body/Stanier bogies 1/557. The kit came with incorrect BR B1 bogies, so these are Bachmann Staniers , which will be truncated as those couplings just have to go, then handrails/wheels and decals to do. Diag 1/555 and 1/556 on the go as well, and I've obtained MJT heavy duty Gresley bogies for the 1/555 which are much more accurate than the Hornby Magazine version. The tender ran smoothly throughout the layout, so will proceed to the next stages. Bath road's 25 227 did the honours, as well as test running some fresh out of the workshop Bachmann tubes, and a rejigged 3H Coke wagon to join my new Hornby rake. A brake tender will be included in my version of the ISC smelter (Avonmouth) coke trains that used to run regularly from South Wales in the 1970s. A task I will give my Hymek and class 37 fleet. Neil

Oh I dunno, you haven't seen the others.Neil

Having had rather an overdose of Christmas cracker jokes, but these were some that made me laugh Why don't you ever see elephants hiding in trees? Because they are so good at it. My optician has told me I'm colour blind. It came as a bit of a bolt out of the purple. They may have been seen somewhere in these 200+ pages, so apologies if this is the case. Merry Xmas everyone. Neil

I've just received some news from Bristol University. They are to redevelop the old post office sorting building at Temple Meads, to create the £300 million Temple quarter campus http://universitybusiness.co.uk/Article/bristols-new-300m-campus-set-to-transform-temple-quarter?utm_source=University+Business&utm_campaign=685349dd33-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c6db9ca943-685349dd33-158927297 Temple Meads will move further away from what I remember as a child. Still excellent investment for the city. Neil

I'm always interested in Warships, especially unusual livery variants, so well done Kernow, I like your style. However, I can wait. Some will place an order straight away, and I wouldn't blame them in the slightest, especially if they can remember the prototype looking like this. I don't, my distant memory of Warships is scruffy maroon and blue engines roaring through Highbridge in the late 1960s early 1970s and them at the Swindon dump. Remember the 2H re pricing - it was on the high end of the scale to start with, I waited 2 years (with some patience I add) and they fell below £200. I then made a move. I suspect they won't sell all 512 D845s within a few weeks, and I will wait until they reduce a bit. Plus I've just bought a new D838 and some Coke hoppers this month. Neil

Approaching the Xmas break, and a week prior to Xmas leave, when undoubtedly some modelling to be done. One of my bucket retirement to do lists will be a series of books on hydraulics and other diesels, driven by the photos I've collected. For the Westerns, I'm particularly interested in picking up photos of the final rail tours, of which I saw a few lineside, but pocket money didn't stretch to buying a ticket to be part of the action. Picked this one up earlier, the Western South Western at Paddington, over 40 years ago 30 October 1976, headed by D1023 and D1009. Details see http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/70s/761030rp.html Neil