TheSignalEngineer

I think we all need escapism to stay sane. I find that taking some old rolling stock and converting to something not available RTR for the layout is theraputic just as long as I stick to the rule that it's not museum grade, it's one of my toys. I built a branch terminus but found just running it was frustrating so laid a roundy. My escapism is to do some rolling stock work but while working to set up a train of LMS Vestibule stock with a Black Five and set it running. Then we're off to Weston for a day by the sea or Blackpool to see Mallard arrive on the Northern Rubber Special. Added bonus that day was cabbibg the Midland Compound. It pilotted an excursion from Leicester in order to double head with Mallard on the return NRS. Some days my Dubdee numbered as the first I saw will trundle by on a long coal train.

The other plays for Arsenal.

The first of the Airfix kits railway kits were the Trackside series which came out in 1957 continuing to the Turntable in 1963. Rolling stock started in 1960 with the Esso Tank and Railbus, followed i 1961 by the Mineral wagon, Cattle truck, Presflo and Brake Van.1962-64 saw the Meat Van. Scammel Mechanical Horse, Interfrigo van, Lowmac, Drewry Shunter and Prestwin in roughly that order. The Kitmaster range was taken over by Airfix in 1962. The catalogues originally had about 23 locos although I think only 20 ever made it out of the door, the Blue Pullman and some Mk1 coaches in both maroon and green for 00 plus a Rebuilt Scot with four Mk1s which were shown in maroon or green in TT (not sure if all ever appeared beyond the catalogue). There was a motorised 12T Van for 00 and motor bogies for the BSK shown in both 00 and TT ranges, Only 9 of the locos resurfaced in 00 and nothing in TT. Dapol bought the Airfix tooling c1984. I recently built a Dapol Lowmac it. There was a note with the instructions apologising for the quality not being to modern standards as it was made from the original tooling (1963?).

Noooooo! I'm just doing a Limo Cab for a Fowler 2-6-4T. Sure sign that an RTR will arrive shortly. I would be in the market for a Stanier 3P though.🙏

This beast at Bury could be reproduced using Ratio parts. Photo by Keith Long on Flickr.

It depends on what you want it for and how much you want to pay. I've ridden several types. Focus, designed in Germany, are well built but very heavy. You could probably take on an Armoured Division on one of those. Good range with 500 battery Trek do a full range for road, commuting, mountain. For my shape I like the Trek geometry. I've ridden their Supercommuter on roads around the Peak District doing the Kinder loop about 35 miles and over 4000 feet of climbing on one charge. In flatter places I took it over 50 miles in one go, and could probably do closer to 100 miles in East Anglia. Riding over to our Daughter's is 8 miles with about 1000 feet of climbs on the quiet scenic route. I can do that in 30 minutes whereas the main road route is 20 minutes minimum in the car. Another I have tested was from Orbea. I found that very easy and was OK to peddle without the power on all but steep hils. Range with twin batterirs on that one is good. As I said, it's purpose and budget that will decide for you. My knees are a bit dodgy, but from old injuries. I sometimes have difficulty on tough sections on a conventional bike but have done four hours continuous averaging 10mph with lots of steep hills without problems.

Post war apple green would probably be most appropriate, although one in that and the other in early BR blue? Another suggestion for both the TOC and Hornby would be an Azuma in 1937 "Coronation" livery to cash in on current events.

HST in Thompson faux teak livery? 🤔

The main reason I see for no-one having grappled with the Midland 58xxx series is the sheer number of variations. They lasted from the mid 1870s until almost the end of steam and wandered from London to Leeds and Gloucester to Sheffield on the Midland lines, the LNWR in the West Midlands and Barrow in Furness.

Model shops would arrange swaps for regular customers as would modellers do themselves. There's a Bristol Castle body on 2-rail chassis on Ebay at the moment.

Not if Hornby are producing it.

Announce it now and it may be ready for the 75th anniversary.

Going off topic, the Blue Peter layout was run by the original presenter Christpher Trace. It was said that he got the job because he shared an interest in model railways with the show's creator and first producer John Hunter Blair.

Bristol Castle was the original 3-rail version, followed by Ludlow Castle. Denbigh Castle was the original motor 2-rail version followed by Cardiff Castle for the ringfield version. There is an error in the Hammond book text which says Denbigh was the ring field version, but the catalogue numbers in the table are correct for the 1/2" motor. My Bristol Castle and Ludlow Castle owned from new still run perfectly.

Correct Mike. It was a Cardiff Castle with six coaches on a 6x4 roundy housed in a sealed cabinet in the Meccano showroom in London. It did 46000 laps equating to about 153 miles at a scale speed of 123 mph. It was reported in the Meccano Magazine in November 1960 and I think also featured on Blue Peter. I dont know if the link will work, will post other details of how to find it if not successful. http://www.nzmeccano.com/MMviewer.php If unsuccessful go to http://www.nzmeccano.com/ click on the Magazine tab, go to November 1960, page 564.

I think it was about the actual distance from Paddington to Cadiff done non stop in four days. It may have been when the Cardiff Castle model was introduced.

Chris liked folk music and followed it in a wide sense from traditional to modern, so in the words of Richard Thompson We're gonna meet on the ledge When my time is up I'm gonna see all my friends Meanwhile Chris, until we meet at the great model railway show in the sky, I nicked a picture from your Twitter profile as a memento Eric

Our current EVRI driver is local and has been doing it for 4 years. He is usually spot on but last week was unable to deliver when promised because of the sheer volume. He was round at 8.30 the following morning. DPD are usually quite good at finding us at the promised time depending on which driver arrives. The regular one is OK but we occasionally get one who can't speak English and can't find the addresses.

Especially when you were using 7" reel-to-reel. Then there was Video Tape in multiple formats. My Brother-in-law supported a rival football team to the rest of us. My Sister said she had got a video tape of their season's highlights for his Christmas present. Our Son, sharp as ever replied "Is it on an E5 tape?"

I don't think Dapol ever actually made a 4F themselves. The tooling and original production run was by Airfix in 1978. The tooling along with the unsold stock passed to Palitoy. They reportedly intended to do an upgraded version but never got round to it before production of Mainline closed down. Dapol took the tooling and unsold Airfix stock c1985. The tooling then passed to Hornby in 1996.

I liked it when trialled on our line but only because it couldn't cope. The regular set ran five minutes in front in case it didn't make it to the turnback in time for the return working. It meant I got home from work earlier.😉

No idea what it will contain but they usually fall into three categories:- I have just built one and won't buy another I like it, don't need it but may be tempted I definitely don't need it.

Sad news indeed. I was thinking of him only last Saturday when I was at the Manchester show. We often crossed paths there and at other shows, stopping for a chat about railway matters, folk music and the problems of breaking in a pair of Docs for his Gay Pride march. I remember posting for him a picture of a machine set up in the Textile Hall at MOSI which was making rainbow coloured boot laces. Rest well Chris, you will be sorely missed for your knowledge particularly on the Western front.

I don't think the factory itself was rail served, the siding adjacent to it went into the Corporation yard further down Rose Road. They certainly had deliveries of timber to the goods yard and old station.

I remember Chad Valley using the old Harborne railway station as a sawmill and packing case workshop when my Dad was based at the fire station situated between the two parts of the toy factory. We used to go up onto the top of the fire station to watch a Johnson 2F or Stanier 3P Tank shunt the goods yard in the days before an 03 shunter took over the trip duty.