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Everything posted by Pandora

  1. Pandora

    Guess the project.

    A hyperthetical Co-Co diesel-electric Warship without the styling influence of Sir Misha Black. I deduce diesel-electric due to the heavier weight over hydraulic requiring 6 axles, and the outside-framed bogies typical of axle-hung electric traction motors
  2. Pandora

    EFE Rail launches

    Gaugemaster did become a distributor for Heljan and the change was fairly recent, from memory earlier this year, the change was welcomed by my favourite retailer, who preferred to source Heljan products via a Gaugemaster account over the Heljan company
  3. Pandora

    EFE Rail launches

    The shrewd move of Heljan. Heljan will save a great deal of money by letting Bachman distribute Heljan products via the Bachmann empire and at the same time widening their number of retail ouitlets
  4. WR did not want the 9Fs, they counterbid for a batch of new 28XX/38XX 2-8-0s, Swindon argued we still had the patterns and to cost to build a 28XX saved several several thousand £ per loco over a 9F
  5. did BR have a cinema coach? I recall a cinema coach at Derby Works in 1967
  6. I recall bullion coach as an extra in a train of a passenger working on the ECML, from memory coupled immediately behind the loco (class 47) perhaps they ran as extras when empty, but when loaded ran as the specials you describe
  7. There were also the Bullion coaches, gangway end connections not present to isolate the coach from the train, the windows were for a compartment for the Police attendants, the coach floors were improved "belt and braces" in case of floor failure and the cargo falling through. Unsure as if they were conversions or as built specials. These coaches would travel in regular service trains as extras to a formation, they ran on the ECML from my personal sightings, when were they last used? postscript: one is preserved, see link for a short history: https://www.nlr.org.uk/about-nlr/stock-list/coaches/br-mk-1-vxx-bullion-van-№889301/
  8. You could place a resistor value R in the output circuit so that (ohms of speaker + R ) == 100, but the practicality is the sound output would be very low in volume, 90% of the output power would be used by ( or dissipated) i n the resistor and only about 10% of the power would be left over to do the "job-of-work" ie make the desired steam / diesel / electric locomotive sound
  9. So much was disappearing, during the late 80s and early 90s, old friends, the class 20, 25, 26,33, 40, 85 ,on the scraplines, the Bashers had figured it out , travelling across the Channel to escape BR and see the French/German/Belgian/Dutch Railways scene.
  10. Can anyone hazard a guess as to the history of this boiler van A major conversion from a horsebox such as a major rebody, note the flat slab sides, I thought BR horseboxes sides were curved to match coach profiles.
  11. Steam Heasting vans were used in the early dasys of the electrified WCML. the AL1 - 6 locos did not have steam heating boilers, so the vans provided the heating for non-eletric coaches
  12. in the late 1980s I recall seeing a few of the steam heat vans in Lincolnshire, either Frodingham or immingham depot I think this is the type of steam heat van I recall at the depot in tje late 1980s
  13. Hold your horses, there is still plenty in the pipeline to curtail HS2. Nigel Lawson (ex Chancellor of the Exchequer) was on the television the other week saying that due to the Cov-virus, the country can no longer afford to build HS2, and the other effect, companies are seeing that the technology for remote working is so capable, why do we need people to travel to work to occupy an office? There goes the problem of under capacity of the WCML at the London end. time for another review of HS2 by the xperts I think!
  14. I went to a Stranglers gig at Uni in the late 70s, just as they were breaking into headline fame. The Debbie Harry look-alike groupies were out in hordes, corsets basques fish-net stockings, hanging out around the stage and exits to the hall
  15. Is the reference to fuel delivery a nod to the Clayton problem of "failure to start" I was told by a member of the DE Group, the Clayton had poor fuel lifting pumps and undersized narrow bore fuel pipes, the cause of engine starting problems, recall how D8568 in Industrial service had an oil drum mounted on the bonnet (assumption diesel fuel inside)
  16. From wkipaedia, Oliver Bulleid had an influence over Metro-Vickers in the selection of the Crossley engines for the Cobos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_28
  17. I have been following the Cobo loco history for several years, I recall reading a story from the shedmaster at Barrow, who considered the locos to be as reliable as other BR classes around. I find this believable as with the right duties for the locos, shed fitters and drivers would get to grips with the locos and how best to work them. The early withdrawals of 12/67 were (I think) those which had been sitting at Crewe Works for months, possibly 18 months or more.
  18. https://cumbrianrailways.zenfolio.com/p34310085 The link leads to a portfolio with a image of D8512 on the Distington branch which connect to the Workington to Rowrah mainline, therefore quite a way from the WCML and Tebay banking duties. So what other workings did the Claytons share with the CoBos? postscript: here is an answer:
  19. One of the images in the zenfolio gallery has a Clayton class 17 D8528 in the distance. I can recall seeing Claytons at 10A Carnforth depot in 1968, extending the subject of the post, what was the role of the Claytons, were they intended to supplement or replace the CoBos on freight work or summer passenger work. Or was it a case of the Claytons being banished, just as the CoBos were banished to a far flung part of the network,
  20. The only occasion I saw a CoBo at work was at Carnforth in July 1968, the CoBo was hauling a train of 2 axle oil tankers This image from Flick is a similar working
  21. Follow the link and the caption states 31158
  22. My humble suggestion is to raise the low relief by a storey with a ground level structure made of steel columns, and then extend the siding to run underneath the warehouse. it could be a set piece or an extra exit/entry point for short trains of wagons
  23. Some coals burn hotter than others, I think it was one of the last runs of a Castle, a swansong with 100mph on the agenda, the crew complained the coal provided was "too good" the firebars melted and the loco failed during the run! Did the sheds take care to blend coal for locos? Mix the worst with the best to arrive at at decent average mix for traffic requirements?
  24. The discussion gave me a new perspective on Stanier vs Gresley , An A4 would not see too many gradients on a run KX to Edinburgh, but a Duchess would have to see the hard work of a climb of Shap and then Beattock summits after covering 80 to 90% of the mileage. Would a King or a Castle, or Bulleid Merchant Navy be able to tackle 400+ miles Euston - Glasgow including the slog up Shap and Beattock?
  25. The high concrete wall for the sidings at Micheledever station,is an oil terminal or bunker dating from 1939
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