TheSignalEngineer

I looked at the spare 64xx on the workbench last night, took out the scalpel box, then remembered that it was Baccy announcements this week. Given my track record on kits and conversions if I had started the job a 74xx would be a cert for their 2018 list.

After banana traffic finished the 1970s they were used as fitted heads, also as barrier wagons to stop sand in open wagons blowing into the brake van. This particular use went on into the 1980s at Stoke. A number also ended up as departmentals, internal users and industrials. The latest picture on Paul's site is 1992, .

Going Retro (2) - Yes, We Have A Banana! Rooting around in my bits box a while ago I found the body, minus roof, of an old HD or Wrenn Banana Van. Looking at BR Diagram 1/246 it seemed to be a fairly accurate representation, possibly one of the best products of the SD6 era, being introduced 56 years ago in 1962. For those into terminology that was definitely 'Modern Image' at the time, the real version only having been built in 1959-60. This is an original from my HD collection. Although Banana Vans were often seen in block trains between the docks and inland ripening sheds they did turn up on mixed freights when needing repair or when moving to where a large cargo was about to be landed. Banana shipping from the West Indies was suspended in 1940 as it was deemed that they were not vital to the war effort. The first shipment post-war was to Avonmouth in December 1945. The LMS built new vans to D2111 in 1946 and this design was perpetuated by BR, albeit the later lots had 10' WB instead of the LMS 9' WB version. By 1958 over 1500 had been built in this style. During 1959/60 BR built more wagons based on the standard 12T plywood sided vans with BR Clasp Vacuum Brakes. These were Diagram 1/246 There are numerous pictures of these, and some of the earlier builds, at Paul Bartlett's site http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbanana I found that Red Panda had produced a suitable chassis, so made a mental note to track one down. These look good but are a bit flimsy in some quarters so careful handling is required during building. Firstly I filed off the raised panels on the body sides which HD put on to make printing the number easier. A bit of strapping detail is lost in doing this. Next a new roof was made from styrene sheet and strip. A chassis kit was duly acquired so then it was on to the next steps. The hole in the middle of the floor was filled with a piece of 80thou styrene and the chassis was built directly onto the bottom of the body. Due to the fairly weak nature of the thinner components I replaced the buffers with some from Dave Franks and used whitemetal clasp brakes from Wizard. The chalk boards were fabricated from scraps of styrene sheet and strip. Note that the left-hand edge overlaps the side portion of the corrugated end and is at the same angle. This is possibly the only type of van where I have seen this. At the same time the strapping was restored below the number. The whole thing was sprayed with Halfords Grey Plastic Primer during construction. The body sides were finished with Halfords Red Plastic Primer, which I feel is quite a good approximation for ex works Bauxite livery in the late 1950s. The chassis was done with Halfords Matt Black. Transfers were from a Modelmaster large assorted sheet for covered vans. Unfortunately it didn't include the yellow spot, so I had to do that myself. It's now just awaiting couplings and snagging before being put into traffic. At the time of my layout it was virtually ex-works so will just be dulled down a bit and the roof needs painting in its final shade. (Oops! spoiler in background for on-going project)

The driving factor on the NE-SW in the early and mid 1960s was not passenger services but the large quantity of coal, steel and associated traffic. Besides that unfitted traffic there were about 16 regular Class 4,5 and 6 trains each way on Lickey. Regarding Swansea, a large amount of freight traffic from the Neath/Port Talbot area went to the Midlands and Northeast. At the time Gloucester to STJ was proposed for electrification as part of the NE-SW scheme.

NE-SW electrification was Priority No.3 when I was a young lad on BR in the 1960s. It was already assumed that WCML would be completed north of Weaver at some time as that scheme had already been drawn up and discussed with the Ministry. This was to be followed firstly by Kings Cross to Edinburgh, then secondly Paddington to Bristol. Third place on the spreadsheet was York to Bristol and extension to Swansea.

I have another corrugated end wagon which I think is Parkside but couldn't confirm. It was built a long time ago and has a different floor to this one. Ian's kits were a work of art for their time standing up well, especially in the body, to modern productions. Other comparable stuff was the iconic 3H Coke Wagon, three of which I am still running now mixed in with three Hornby ones.

I've missed that bit as well. When you are in a small field, like I was in signalling, many people from the limited number of companies involved have worked with each other in different roles over the years. I wrote the technical side of one of the first successful tenders post-privatisation from BR. I had worked with members of the bid teams from all of the other companies and two of the people involved in running the bid at Railtrack.

I remember heading down the A34 past Trentham Gardens in 1971 when our Bedford CA van filled with smoke. We bailed out and fortunately it didn't burst into flames. When it cooled down we opened it up and found that a leaking injector line was spraying diesel onto the exhaust manifold. Standard S&T cure of a bit of green insulating tape round the pipe and we nursed it back to the Road Motors Depot at Stoke.

Going Retro (1) – Kirk 5-plank Open I decided late last year that it was about time some of the project ideas and unmade kits under the layout should see completion this winter. Rather than go on with the blog format I thought it was easier to run a thread for a few of the stories of kit building and RTR bashing by a self-confessed bodger Recently I got out what was the oldest manufactured item from my kit stash. It was an Ian Kirk kit so probably made over 20 years ago, definitely before the Colin Ashby days, picked up from a well-known internet site recently. Apart from the generic 5-plank of Airfix parentage there is a lack of a good RTR model in this style. The old Kirk kit is attractive in that it has corrugated ends in the style of the late LMS version which was then built in large numbers by BR. A version with sheet rail and clasp brakes is still available in the Parkside range. That version is a bit finer in the chassis moulding but the Kirk one is a bit stronger for the ham-fisted. The kit was made up as intended, with the addition of axlebox tie bars from plastic strip, some Wizard door bangers and vac pipes/coupling hooks from Dave Franks. A quick spray with the Halfords rattle cans and some modified Modelmaster transfers and it emerged in the guise of one of the LMS version converted to vacuum brakes in the 1950s. It's just waiting now for a few finishing touches and a load. Not for the P4 purist but I think it is a fair representation of a type not available RTR for use on the layout.

We are fairly lucky in what we can put in our recycling bin. They don't like plastic bags but the local supermarket takes them and they don't like black plastic food trays. In the railway room I have a couple of old plastic margarine tubs which are used for all bits of metal and plastic sprues/offcuts. When I occasionally go to the recycling centre with scrap metal, timber or rubble these get sorted and emptied into the relevant skips.

A lot about types, liveries, operations etc at this site http://railcar.co.uk

I don't think they have any. I understand that there a four locations within the tunnel fitted with fire suppression equipment. The idea is that in the event of a train fire it should proceed to the next one of these to be evacuated into the service tunnel then the water misting system is turned on to control the fire..

During a reorganisation consultation in the 1980s my then Regional S&T Engineer removed Locking Fitters from our organisation chart. His reasoning was that all lever frames would be gone from BR within about 20 years, so there was no need to train up and maintain specialist staff, those remaining could still do the job from the combined gangs. I researched the rate of resignalling at the time and we put the case forward that even with doubling the rate of resignalling experienced between 1959 and 1984 it would take approaching 50 years to complete the whole railway if the network and traffic level remained approximately the same as it stood at the time. I think my estimate may be it a bit closer than his.

As was promised to Beardy so his Pendoleany trains could run at 140mph on WCML from 2005. Some of us in the industry were sceptical when it was promised, my view was it would be ready on WCML for the replacement of them in the mid 2020s.

At the present rate of progress there won't be anywhere it can be used until well after then.

I haven't seen a double slip but this company has built concrete bearer layout including a switch diamond and single slip. http://www.vossloh-cogifer-uk.com/products/switch-and-crossing-layouts.php Try the first site in the list at the bottom of the page

Last steam special from the old Moor Street in 1987. Let's have some more.

Would have saved me a cut'n'shut job or three.

That white stuff is a real pain, but can have a silver lining. I bought a Baccy 08, struggling to turn a wheel, for a knock-down price. I suspected that a bit of 'adjustment' would do the trick as when it was persuaded to move it did so quite smoothly. Sure enough when I got it apart the white stuff was solid in the gears. I dismantled it and cleaned all of the crud out, then lubricated it with a black graphited grease. It's now been running for about 7 years with no further attention.

There were several on Saltley PSB e.g. for setting back into Lawley Street. The signals were originally slotted by Lawley Street A Shunt Frame. After that closed IIRC we provided Shunters Plungers at the signals to confirm that the road was correctly set inside the yard before the OFF indicator would illuminate. Coachmann would have been to the shed, done it and gone back indoors in the length of time this thread has been running. Eric

If there is a trap or derailer putting anything which fits within the length from the stop block to the TC joint at the points isn't necessarily a problem. In some places there were signals which had an OFF indicator on the back, fitted with an amber filter IIRC to distinguish it from other indicators, where sighting was a problem. Elsewhere there was a local instruction and nowadays there may possibly even be a board telling the Driver to check the signal is OFF before proceeding. In platforms or on running lines without trap protection it becomes more difficult. At Wolverhampton post-electrification there used to be a problem with the North Bay before it was rebuilt on the Banana Yard alignment. the signal was perfectly OK with a 2-car unit or a 3-car 57' set but the Shrewsbury and Chester trains often threw up a Class 116 or 120. With these the outermost wheels were inside the TC Clearance joint but the cab was level with the signal so couldn't be seen from the chair. Additionally it was on the opposite side from the platform so couldn't be seen by the Guard due to the alignment. I remember some drivers would go to the first window behind the cab to check that the signal was clear when the Guard gave two on the buzzer. There was also a signal at New Street where it was necessary to pull right up with a long train on. It was OK with a 45 but from a 47 the signal was not visible. The problem there was that there was a crossover just ahead of the signal and a second signal at the platform end for a train coming across in front. The 'R' indication on that signal was inhibited with the points reverse. (Tongue in cheek mode) Otherwise, get a Driver to put the engine behind the signal then carry out repairs in such a way that it will fit in future.

I Can't remember seeing a picture of a Banner rail tank. In my childhood I only remember white spirit being delivered in barrels, cans or bottles. I don't know how large users would have had it delivered.

Doesn't seem to be much information on the web but there are some small pictures of Banner road tankers on the 150 years of history page. There also seem to be a lot of barrels at the works.

Thanks for all the comments. Looks like 15" is the correct size. I found out my Grandad's old leather punch which goes up to 3/16". I made a yellow transfer patch and punched out two discs. They would be the equivalent of about 14 1/4" and look fine on the model. Problem solved.

I think most of us gave up on it a long time ago. There were a few things in the range that I still could make use of but I've long since resorted to scouring second hand sales at shows and swapmeets or a well known internet site.