Downendian

Hi Ian D7004 was repainted with white window surrounds, and eventually was repainted blue full yellow ends. D7007 and D7051 went to the scrapyard in this livery (I think). A full treatment of Hymek liveries was posted here a while back, but as everything should be in railway research an evolving list. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78107-complete-list-of-hymek-liveries/?p=1497524 Neil

A couple of pages from the Parkway spotters bible, Geoff's home brew WTT. Happy childhood days! Neil

I had one of the originals, sadly lost in the sands of time. Geoff Woodley, in his light blue Dolomite, was a permanent fixture in the car park at Bristol Parkway in the 1970s. Unfortunately Geoff died a few years back, I learnt so much about BR diesels and operating practice from him. Geoff also produced a home brew WTT for the Filton-Patchway-Stoke Gifford triangle which I still have, handwritten and on Xerox copies but neatly bound, produced I think from where he worked. They were bibles for us Bristol based spotters. He may have produced an earlier version of Shunter duties in a similar format, but the one shown earlier is the first produced by ICRS which was established in 1973. I vaguely remember asking Geoff why he didn't have a model railway - his response was "why when you can see all this rolling past?". It was at the time when Westerns were in their final years, and he was probably right at that time! RIP Geoff. Neil

Agreed Mike, I have a photo of 9009 complete with domino dots dating from 1972.Neil

Hi RoyIf you could point me in the direction of class 45s photos that retained the early style nose door that would be helpful, I have a rather obsessive habit of collating such details. I'm aware of green class 46s with the later style door, and indeed some class 44s carried the early version to the end. However, I'm still of the opinion that the "non bar version" is a later modification. Good news re the nose seam, looks like a peak will be joining my small but highly focussed O gauge fleet. Neil

Another rarity picked up this morning, D7051 in small yellow panel livery with blue window surrounds. Only three Hymeks had this livery D7004 and D7007 were the others. I paid £3.71 for this, an absolute bargain considering it's such a hen's teeth livery, although being underexposed I suspect reduced the price . The details with the slide state it's taken at Keynsham, but I can't recognise where. It's possible but I didn't know the location so well in the late 1960s early 1970s, any help here appreciated. Neil

Sorry to be a party pooper, but still no nose seam? The nose doors on Steve's photo of the green peak are of the later, blue era style, namely with no central reinforcement bar. See for original style https://www.flickr.com/photos/86020500@N06/8157415839/ Interesting yellow surrounds to split headcode box on this one. Not a problem for me (the nose seam though certainly is) as I'd want a blue livery machine, but incorrect for original as built. Neil

Hi Mike I was just about to remark that someone had previously mentioned that Dapol were collaborating with Fred Phipps who has produced a gauge 1 21/29. On searching the thread it was yours truly who made this connection to a comment from Dapol http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/25872-Dapol-class-2129/?p=1461653 Admittedly a while ago now! Neil

I wasn't sure Nidge - will go editing Neil

Still buying slides, but can't do them justice with the cheap scanner bought recently as a stop gap before the excellent Nikon Coolscan gets repaired which is on the backburner as saving for a car for my wife. This one won late last night, not the best quality slide, but very rare in my opinion. D1007 Western Talisman at (edit -Reading?) in her final livery of blue. Talisman of course ended her days in December 1973 in the West Ealing disaster, photos of her in blue are rare, I've only seen a few in the years I've been collecting. I've lost loads of eBay auctions, Western slides are still fetching a premium price, one going for £100 plus. It was very nice and a high quality slide but out of my price range. Slide tidied up a little bit, mainly to correct under exposure. Edit 1B73 is the 1430 Paddington-Paignton in 1972/3 which I suspect is when this was taken. Neil

A current favourite of mine, readily available in the South West is St Austell, Proper Black, coupled with Proper job two of my current favourites that I certainly will be imbibing a number over the summer BBQs. Proper black is described as a "dark pale ale" a bit of an oxymoron but it's almost like a light porter and very flavoursome. St Austell have just purchased one of our local (Bristol) breweries, Bath ales, which despite the name have always been based around the outskirts of Bristol. I'm sure the quality of their products will be unaffected and look forward to seeing more St Austell beers being available in Bristol. Neil

I've just received two Parkside grampus kits, an unboxed but reworked chassis Dapol grampus, a Cambrian dogfish kit and associated handwheel etches and transfers for the princely sum of £15.45. The gulf red fleet looks set to expand, precision paint arrived today too. Neil

Agree Gwiwer, and same for your contributions. Neil

I for one value the contributions Robert Carroll and Colin Parks et al. have made to this thread. I'd much rather errors are pointed out so that Kernow may (or may not) make adjustments. If not, I'm happy to buy at least one and either live with it, or add it to the to do list. It's certainly a fine looking model from my viewpoint, but as others have said no RTR model is free of inaccuracies. I urge them to continue in this analysis, otherwise this thread will be malnourished. Robert and Colin's contributions should be highly valued, as the knowledge they have on SR EMUs and coaching stock are vast. Posted on Facebook last night some excellent photos of a 33/1 complete with 4-TC transiting the Weymouth tramway. http://tracksandtracks.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/trains-in-road-uk-style.html Neil

/off topicI don't know Andy - I've just painted a couple of my 40s noses to full yellow - very easy job. Maybe worth making contact with Bachmann. /on topic Heljan always provides spare sprues from Howes of Oxford on release of new models, so if the nose were designed to be detachable then all variants could be catered for, and readily obtained.

Agreed deltic17. On the new tooling 4mm Bachmann 40 the noses are removable, making painting and exchange very easy indeed. It wouldn't take too much to have such flexibility and have all headcode variants of class 44/45/46 this way in 7mm, after of course adding the nose end seam . Different battery box covers though for the Brushpeak class 46. Neil

Some mixes of 1960s and 1970s peaks here too. The nose side grille is the later version without the central dividing strut more appropriate to 1960s machines. The EP also has non-plated over bodyside footsteps and open filler hatch which was plated over on many locos. The triangular and small bodyside grilles were also plated over depending on prototype. Peak details are quite a minefield if you are modelling a particular machine in a given timeframe. I have the lists of these mods somewhere on the hard disk. Is the number 1 end central headcode and not centre-split? Headcodes were again a great source of variety, certainly in the mid 1970s before the flush fronts were done. I passed on the Western but could easily add a peak if the errors are sorted as Brian has suggested. Neil

First thing that struck me, no nose seam. Neil

Terrific news, well done Kernow. Infrequent visits to Bristol in the 1970s behind a class 33/1 justifies this model for me, ideally two but I will place an order for at least one within the next couple of months. We were only recently discussing the use of 4TCs on Pompey-Cardiff weekend trains. Edit : posts on discussion of 4TC excursions onto the WR here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/16613-cardiff-bristol-portsmouth/?p=2303825 Neil

No it hasn't Owen. Shame I've had to dip out of these bargains to allow space for a new SLW class 24 purchase, 24 063. I have picked up a weathered D1026 earlier this year, since renumbered to D1006 which had headboard clips D1026 didn't. I have far too many Westerns in any case, Umm now you mention it I'm sure those ventilation grilles would be quite easy..... Neil

Maybe 1967, If you check the livery details Nidge has provided D1037 went BSYP on 27/1/67. Although the foliage looks a bit green for a January. Nice buy Jonny, I look as these too, green westerns are especially rare, and I figure that out of focus and light-bled negatives will one day be correctable with photoshop or similar software developments. Neil

Yes the Warships one landed here on my doormat this morning, as Peter has said some familiar shots but mostly new. Inside was an advert for the new MLI app, promptly downloaded and bought back issues that were previously unobtainable. It really is a super series of magazines. Neil

I've been quiet ... Grant writing a massive undertaking, due to submit on 1st June, a couple of days more work then three months effort at the mercy of peer review, fingers crossed! I've been getting some down time relief by trying to improve the diversity of my parcels and freight stock. In the foreground is a Ian Kirk Monster - suitably bedecked in BR blue, still some work to do on the under frame, roof to be fixed on, wheels and decals. Behind is a repainted Hawksworth brake van, to become W333, rainstrips pared back and again in blue. 3rd is a bashed about LMS/BR Coke wagon, from a three aitch kit, bought from eBay and repaired (only £3!) I couldn't wait for the Hornby release. At the back of the group is a DC kits class 129 Cravens parcel car. The main painting done, just some retouching due to masking tape bleed. The large boiler 7F has been almost completed, just decals and weathering before she sees the light of day on here. I'm quite pleased with her - certainly looks a beast alongside her slimmer sisters. Neil

Hi Andrew Yes I looked for that in the Waterloo-Weymouth timetable (close its table 159), and it's not there, so it is puzzling why there is no data regarding it working through to Weymouth in any of the public timetables. Many thanks to all who have posted regarding these services, I've certainly learnt a lot the last week on them, and a picture emerging of how I can model them. Regarding the 4TC movements - unusually I noted a pair heading West through Bristol Parkway in 1976, On What service it was working, goodness knows. Neil

Terrific information Stovepipe thanks for posting.The timetables I have now cover May 1972-May 1975 and all have the SO Cardiff-Bournemouth service listed. If it did work through to Weymouth as a service it could easily be added into the timetable. Was this therefore an ECS working (Bournemouth-Weymouth) to balance stock? There was another different Saturday Cardiff-Weymouth via Yeovil at 0905, so I'm doubtful if the 0953 train conveyed passengers through to Weymouth. The 0953 Bournemouth SO service incidentally stopped from 5 October 1974. Neil