Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

[81F]

Sorry - the relevance of my story to this tread is that I think the wagons may have been railway (GWR) owned rather than PO wagons

[81F]

Latest Acquisition is yet another Dean Standard Goods

 

I seemed to have ruined one by trying to put the DCC chip in the body - it seems to just stop due to very poor current collection especially on curves. Tried replacing the chassis twice but to

 

no avail so I am wondering if it is the lack of weight in the body that is causing the problem.

 

Before I ruin the latest one has anyone got any tips - I am thinking of getting a GM very small chip and trying to fit it in the tender after hacking a lump

 

off the tender weight.

[Graskie]

I remember when my older brother and I, at the tender ages of no more than about 8 and 6 respectively, had to walk miles in the early fifties and also early winter mornings with an old pram to fetch coke dispensed from a wagon at the local Gas House. Loads

 

of other kids used to have to do it as well. It was often so bitterly cold at times that our hands stuck to the pram handle (sob). Can't beat the good old days, can you?

[LCDR]

It was indeed possible to order coal from a colliery and have it delivered by the railway in one of their wagons. Coal was no different to any other commodity, and much goods passed in railway owned trucks. The cost of transport would of course include

 

the hire of the wagon, and woe betide you if you didn't unload it promptly as you got charged for detention over and above the allotted time to empty it.

 

5 tons is a modest amount as most coal wagons were rated at ten tons. If you look at pictures of

 

collieries you will often see railway owned wagons in the sidings. The Southern Railway and the North Eastern division of the LNER actively discouraged the use of private wagons for originating traffic. The Kent Collieries were provided with a dedicated fleet

 

of SR owned mineral wagons to despatch coal. The LNER made extensive use of bottom discharge wagons and coal cells or drops which required specialist railway owned vehicles in their territory. There is a good example of this arrangement preserved at Goathland

 

NYMR.

 

 

 

81F said:

 

Sorry - the relevance of my story to this tread is that I think the wagons may have been railway (GWR) owned rather than PO wagons

[the ferret]

Graskie said:

I remember when my older brother and I, at the tender ages of no more than about 8 and 6 respectively, had to walk miles in the early fifties and also early winter mornings with an old pram to fetch coke dispensed from a wagon

at the local Gas House. Loads of other kids used to have to do it as well. It was often so bitterly cold at times that our hands stuck to the pram handle (sob). Can't beat the good old days, can you?

Gad, Sir, I should say not. Neeeeaaghh!!

[the ferret]

I certainly remember the kids (and Mums) pushing their old prams down Gasworks Road, Reading. There was one with a squeaky wheel that always raised a laugh!

 

We had an open lounge fire that burnt coal but an anthracite stove in the kitchen.

 

In

 

the Arctic Winter of 1947 you could not get any sort of coal at all. All that was available was so-called "Nutty Slack" that was mainly dust with a few tiny pieces of coal in it.

[LCDR]

We always had our coal and coke delivered by cart (horse at first and then motor lorry). The coal was brought from the merchant at the local station, and ordered from a shop on the high street. During the early 1950s to economise my Dad purchased old creosoted

 

wood blocks removed from London streets following the discontinuation of the trams, instead of coal. Despite the best efforts of my Dad, there were still tiny stones still embedded in the tar. The stones exploded in the fire but fortunately there was a fire

 

guard which caught all but the smallest of sparks. This initiative was not a long lived one.

 

Coal fires were not usually lit in our bedrooms, instead we had a paraffin heater which sat on the landing and made strange light patterns reflected on the

 

ceiling. Our house had some interesting smells, paraffin, St. Bruno pipe tobacco, and boiled cabbage being the most memorable!

 

Open fires were still the norm until the mid-1960s when the 'Clean Air Acts' forced Dad to install gas fires. When they moved

 

from Kent to Westmoreland in 1976 my parents reverted to using coal fires once again, and my brother who still lives in the house continues to use coal.

 

the ferret said:

 

I certainly remember the kids (and Mums) pushing their old prams

 

down Gasworks Road, Reading. There was one with a squeaky wheel that always raised a laugh!

 

We had an open lounge fire that burnt coal but an anthracite stove in the kitchen.

 

In the Arctic Winter of 1947 you could not get any sort of coal at

 

all. All that was available was so-called "Nutty Slack" that was mainly dust with a few tiny pieces of coal in it.

[walkingthedog]

We had a paraffin stove burning pink paraffin. SWMBO had to be rescued by the fire brigade when she was nine, the paraffin stove set fire to the curtains at about 2 in the morning and gutted the upstairs of the house. Nasty.

[LCDR]

She was one of the lucky ones. Paraffin stoves were responsible for many hundreds of fatal fires in the 50s and 60s. Later ones had a device that smothered the burner if it was tilted, but the earlier ones would spill fuel if a child knocked it over and

 

it was almost a certainty that the fuel would then ignite. All kinds of portable heaters have been responsible for igniting soft furnishings (curtains, sofas, bed linen etc.), we had an incident with a sleeping bag our children were using in the attic where

 

our train layout was located. One of my sons fell asleep on the floor next to a radiant electric heater, and although the fabric did not touch the fire it started smouldering. Fortunately we smelled it and was able to effect a rescue!

 

walkingthedog

 

said:

 

We had a paraffin stove burning pink paraffin. SWMBO had to be rescued by the fire brigade when she was nine, the paraffin stove set fire to the curtains at about 2 in the morning and gutted the upstairs of the house. Nasty.

[Graskie]

It's extremely rare I come across smoking chimneys nowadays. I remember one on a house fairly recently, close by Llangollen Station and, my goodness, it was really noticeable. Moreover, not that pleasant a smell either, a bit acrid. I'm someone, though,

 

who, as a young child in a house backing onto a steam railway shunt, could hardly see my way to school some days, especially when combined with fog (smog). Funny how I always managed to get back home, though, possibly much to the disappointment of our parents!

 

We thought nothing of it then, simply because we never knew any different, but it would be awful to go back to those "good old days."

[LCDR]

Growing up in the Thames Valley east of London in the 50s we got used to Autumn and Winter fogs and smogs. I remember the smell of smog, which thankfully is rarely experienced nowadays. In my brother's village where most homes still burn wood or coal the

 

aroma of these fires is still a feature, but it is not the same as I remember from smogs.

 

Graskie said:

 

It's extremely rare I come across smoking chimneys nowadays. I remember one on a house fairly recently, close by Llangollen Station

 

and, my goodness, it was really noticeable. Moreover, not that pleasant a smell either, a bit acrid. I'm someone, though, who, as a young child in a house backing onto a steam railway shunt, could hardly see my way to school some days, especially when combined

 

with fog (smog). Funny how I always managed to get back home, though, possibly much to the disappointment of our parents! We thought nothing of it then, simply because we never knew any different, but it would be awful to go back to those "good old days."

[walkingthedog]

I was brought up in the Thames Valley west of London and suffered the same fogs and smogs. We were sent home early from school on many occasions as the smog set in.

[Graskie]

You lucky thing, WTD! We were never allowed that privilege. But then we were brought up hard.

[walkingthedog]

They didn't want to to walk the 5 miles home in the smog.

[the ferret]

My latest acquisition is a Parkside Dundas PC46 Conflat 'A' with container. I have painted this navy blue and am in the process of putting on Pickford's transfers from Mabex.

 

Has anybody done this kit? I am struggling to get the transfers straight

 

especially those across the ends. All tips and hints welcome.

[Graskie]

WTD, in those days I must have virtually walked 4-5 miles each day. The school was at least a mile away and we used to go home for dinner (which my grandchildren tell me is lunch nowadays) as well.

[Postman Prat]

 

You know, Graskie, I've said for ages that one day you would reduce me to tears!!!

 

[walkingthedog]

Same here Graskie, walked to school and back home for dinner and that was in the infants/junior school. If you take into account all the diversions on the way home it's a wonder we ever got back.

[the ferret]

I have just read the previous posts about smog. I served my engineering apprenticeship with Handley Page Aircraft at Cricklewood. Came out of work one night in the winter of 1958, couldn't hardly see your own feet. Boarded a 226 bus, went 20 yards and

 

the crew packed it in. I remember walking towards Brent Cross feeling along the top of a hedge. Saw a traffic light dimly about six feet away and found the entrance to the tube station. Amazing!! The Northern Line trains to Edgware were running normally. Found

 

my way along Booth Road, Colindale again by feeling along the railings and hedges to my lodgings.

 

Next morning it was raining and the fog had gone.

[LCDR]

We got a bus pass to travel to and from school - sounds like a good benefit - however the buses were always full and the conductors gave preference to adults, so we either had to walk four miles or arrive late.

 

walkingthedog said:

 

Same

 

here Graskie, walked to school and back home for dinner and that was in the infants/junior school. If you take into account all the diversions on the way home it's a wonder we ever got back.

[LCDR]

Latest acquisitions - yet another R156 / R223 / R225 Triang 3Sub and a R254 Steeple Cab 0-4-0, all at York Knavesmire Toy Fair. Actually went with my son looking for a train for my grandson, and he bought him a R2513 Northern Class 156 for him. (Shhh,

 

it is for Christmas, don't tell him)

[rustonhornsby]

My latest acquisition is a Blue/grey Brighton Belle from Hornbys official E Bay site.It arrived last Friday,cracking model it is too.Today I ordered the three centre coaches to go with it from Hornbys on line shop and hopefully be here this Tuesday,all

 

with the knowledge of SWMBO.

[Mike70]

R2728 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (Royal Scot Class) and R2798 Merlin (A4 Class).

 

I'd previously bought R2824 Royal Scot, but there were a few loose bits on it, so I ended up sending it back. R2728 is the replacement.

 

I got R2798 from the

 

Hornby vault. There is a small spot of glue on the footplate, which is a bit annoying. But I doubt I'll get the chance to buy this loco again (unless I take my chances on flea bay). So I can live with it.

[LCDR]

Just delivered by FedEx, Four ACE Trains gauge 'O' carriages, Metropolitan Dreadnaughts in LT livery, complete with flashing collector shoes interior lights and illuminated tail lamp. To go behind my Metropolitan Bo-Bos on the garden line. (When the weather

 

improves!)

 

At the same time I have the builders in putting new roof covering on the house, new felting, new battens, new tiles and new ridges. It is going to be a costly Christmas this year!

[Postman Prat]

 

Hi LC&DR

 

Just so long as you don't have to sell the models to pay for the roof!!

 

You may be interested that on the LNER Encyclopedia/Forums/Classified there is a selection of Hornby Dublo 3 rail items.