the ferret

The two wagons are now finished (GWR Mink A and container flat truck). The Mink carries GWR decals but I painted the container a dark blue. Having managed to locate "Mabex" transfers I have now applied "Pickfords" decals and it looks really good!

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Look I really am very sorry about this but I just cannot stand it any longer!!! What is this mystic "aquistion". Do you all mean an "A-C-Q-U-I-S-I-T-I-O-N"??? Not allowed to mention the sources involved but I have just made up two kits. One is a very smart GWR 'Mink A' van while the other is a conflat. I have painted the flat wagon in S.R. light grey while the container is in navy blue and our friends MABEX (who are still in business albeit a very sad little story) are supplying me with Pickford's Transfers. If I cannot get the 'Oxford' Pickford's Mechanical Horse, the GWR Mechanical Gee-Gee with Flat truck trailer will have to suffice. I will also have to make up a yard crane from which to dangle the container as transhipment proceeds!! When a schoolboy (it is a long time ago) I watched this process actually taking place in the GWR Vastern Road goods yard at Reading, in 12 inches to the foot scale. (Sighs deeply) We had a REAL railway then. I am also making up a train of coal wagons but am using all kits to do it with some notable exceptions. Hornby do both "C & G Ayres" of Reading and "Porter and Sons" of Marlow. However, apart from Isleworth Coal (in a blue box) I have to resort entirely to kits for Southern Railway private owners. I fancy "Woking Co-operative", "Meakins of Dorking", Stephens of Basingstoke but most especially (and I have two of these already) Fear Bros of Staines. I watched Fear's coal deliveries being fly-shunted into their siding in the UP yard at Staines from the age of three. It is so wonderful to recreate such events in model form. So, come on Mr. Hornby, let's have some Southern Private Owner wagons. I feel that there are far too many private owner coal wagons from the Midlands, the North and Wales.

I wanted a 25 ton Southern "Pillbox" Goods Brake Van. The local model shop said "Sorry, sold out of those a long time ago." Then I went with John Spratley to Stroud Model Railway Exhibition. And there was my brake van!! I am also kitbuilding a Mink 'A' GWR goods van and a Container on Flat Truck vehicle. You used to see whole trains of these in the 1950s.

Fishmanoz said: As some will already know from another forum here, Railmaster. And an SR 2-Bil on pre-order. I too model what I like. It ws only on a winter's Sunday that the local 2-BIL service (Waterloo - Ascot - Reading) arrived over Palmer Park Bridge, ran past Huntley and Palmer's biscuit factory and into Reading South terminus, consisted of a single e.m.u. In the week it was usually a four car train, consisting of two 2-BIL units in multiple. So why not get two of them? I have. They look so good running together. Also I built two 2-BIL units from Ian Kirk kits. So as not to overload the controller I am replacing the motor bogies with "dummy" motor bogies, so now I can run both six and eight car trains. This is just how they ran in service from 1938 until final withdrawal. While you are content to suit yourself, I am trying to recreate what I saw when I was a five year old - more than 70 years ago!

Hi, LC&DR, Yes I too would have been torn between the 2-BIL and the 3-SUB. Now that I have had a chance to run the 2-BIL on the layout I can confirm that it runs to perfection, can be made to creep even over three double slips in succession thanks to there being pick-ups on both bogies of the motor-car. On starting away there is just the faintest purr from the 2-BIL that is so true to life! So I am absolutely delighted with it.