Warbonnet

I have seen a pic in an IRRS journal (cant remember which one) of them on 20ft flats behind a pair of Baby GMs. There was also pics of them on Facebook not too long ago at Barrick Street on flats.

God no, we never give anything away!

Where are our Manors? It is a question that has been coming up in recent weeks. We would like to apologise for the delay in bringing this long overdue update to you. It certainly has been too long coming. As you can imagine, things in manufacturing have not been plain sailing the past 12 months, and these supply chain issues have hit our Manor timeline more than we wanted. However, after two months of teaser shots of new engineering prototypes from the factory, our first decorated samples have arrived. They have been worth the wait! We received the first two of our decorated samples last week, which consisted of 7812 'Earlestroke Manor' in BR lined green livery with late BR crest, and 7808 'Cookham Manor', one of the locomotives we surveyed extensively and scanned, in GWR Shirtbutton livery. Decorated samples are a significant milestone ahead of full production, where we assess the liveries as well as iron out the remaining kinks before full production commences. While the first livery samples of these locomotives do look very nice indeed, we have identified areas that require further improvement, such as: Copper chimney is too red and top should be copper as well Firebox coal will be a more realistic colour when flicker is off The coal load will be further refined and receive greater finesse Nameplates will be fully etched and fitted, with etched number plates provided in the detailing pack. Further polishing of the diecast body to remove any seam remnants locomotive numbers are slightly too large and will be corrected Orientation of our lamp brackets Adjustment to front coupler to ensure it can be stowed on the hook These improvements will now be fed back to the factory and implemented ahead of full production. As these are minor tweaks and improvements it means that production will commence very shortly, with a delivery date of Q2 2022 now slated. We apologise for this delay, but with supply chain issues hitting production lines hard in 2021, as well as the pandemic, not to mention our striving to make the very best steam locomotive we can, we feel that this slight delay will be fully justified in the final model. In the new year we will bring you pictures of the other livery samples, including BR black and other GWR flavours, as well as video of these beauties in action, featuring the custom DCC sound project too. Excited? We certainly are! Pre-order your Manor from your local Accurascale stockist, or direct by clicking here! View the full article

Where are our Manors? It is a question that has been coming up in recent weeks. We would like to apologise for the delay in bringing this long overdue update to you. It certainly has been too long coming. As you can imagine, things in manufacturing have not been plain sailing the past 12 months, and these supply chain issues have hit our Manor timeline more than we wanted. However, after two months of teaser shots of new engineering prototypes from the factory, our first decorated samples have arrived. They have been worth the wait! We received the first two of our decorated samples last week, which consisted of 7812 'Earlestroke Manor' in BR lined green livery with late BR crest, and 7808 'Cookham Manor', one of the locomotives we surveyed extensively and scanned, in GWR Shirtbutton livery. Decorated samples are a significant milestone ahead of full production, where we assess the liveries as well as iron out the remaining kinks before full production commences. While the first livery samples of these locomotives do look very nice indeed, we have identified areas that require further improvement, such as: Copper chimney is too red and top should be copper as well Firebox coal will be a more realistic colour when flicker is off The coal load will be further refined and receive greater finesse Nameplates will be fully etched and fitted, with etched number plates provided in the detailing pack. Further polishing of the diecast body to remove any seam remnants locomotive numbers are slightly too large and will be corrected Orientation of our lamp brackets Adjustment to front coupler to ensure it can be stowed on the hook These improvements will now be fed back to the factory and implemented ahead of full production. As these are minor tweaks and improvements it means that production will commence very shortly, with a delivery date of Q2 2022 now slated. We apologise for this delay, but with supply chain issues hitting production lines hard in 2021, as well as the pandemic, not to mention our striving to make the very best steam locomotive we can, we feel that this slight delay will be fully justified in the final model. In the new year we will bring you pictures of the other livery samples, including BR black and other GWR flavours, as well as video of these beauties in action, featuring the custom DCC sound project too. Excited? We certainly are! Pre-order your Manor from your local Accurascale stockist, or direct by clicking here! View the full article

From the transportation of milk, to mail and newspapers for over 50 years, the GWR designed diagram 0.33 Siphon G was a widely travelled stalwart of the network. A high quality model in 00/4mm scale covering the detail differences and long lives of these characterful vans is long overdue. Welcome to the Accurascale Siphon G, featuring the 0.33 diagram, (our variants begin at Lot 1578, starting with 2751, introduced from October 1936) the BR(W) 0.62, the O.59 and M.34 conversions, as well as the BR Newspaper Van conversions of the O.62 (NNV) in 00/4mm scale. History The history of these vans is varied and very interesting, venturing from providing transport for milk for the GWR, to serving as ambulance coaches during World War II, to nationalisation and parcels workings, and into the BR blue era on parcels and newspaper trains as well as departmental duties into the mid 1980s. Our Project Manager Paul Isles has written a comprehensive history on these vans, which you can read in a dedicated blog by clicking here. The Model As is the Accurascale way, we have produced a wide ranging, comprehensive tooling suite to cover 15 different versions of these ubiquitous vans, once again leading the way in detail and prototypical variation in the model railway market. With 15 different versions available, the first run of our Siphon G models covers examples from the entire operational period of the prototypes; from July 1930 through to the early 1980s and feature a selection of liveries carried by these versatile and distinctive vans. Liveries modelled in the first production run include: GWR Brown with ‘shirt button’ monogram US Army Deep Bronze Green with Red Cross Transitional British Railways mix of GWR livery with BR lettering BR Carmine Red BR Maroon BR Rail Blue Even within these livery styles, there were several variations, and we have sought to replicate these differences where we can, to provide a comprehensive study of how the Siphon Gs appeared during their service life. Extensive use has been made of metal parts to add to the detail levels throughout, the footsteps even carrying diamond tread pattern and the quality of the running hasn’t been forgotten either, with the 26mm axles running in brass bearings to enable a smooth ride. Extensive areas of piping and rodding have been added to the underframe to improve the appearance of the models and the various cabinets even feature separately fitted wire handles. As a rough guide, the O.33 can be recognised by bodyside top vents, plain roofs and plain ends, with the wartime Casualty Evacuation Train/US Ambulance Train Ward Car conversions adding roof mounted water tanks, end steps and handrails, plated over vents and the addition of small windows. Upon conversion back into service stock as O.59 and M.34 diagrams, the O.59 is broadly identical to the O.33 pattern, but with roof mounted ventilators, whereas the M.34 retained an appearance broadly similar to the wartime Ward Cars, but with the roof mounted water tanks being removed. The BR built O.62 diagram retained the look of the O.33 diagram but added eight sliding vents to the lower bodysides and the later conversion of these vehicles as NNVs saw various vents being plated over on an ad-hoc basis, and the addition of Electric Train Heating apparatus and external emergency lighting points. Across all diagrams, the positions of underframe cabinets varied in size and position, as well as two types of vacuum brake cylinder positioning and two styles of handbrake lever being fitted, depending on that layout – there was even the fitting of Westinghouse brakes to the US Ward Cars! At the van ends, gangways varied slightly in style, with some vehicles being fitted with passenger communication leads, often in varying positions. With so many diagrams, and variations between prototypes, careful reference to photographs was required to bring out the details, as well as visiting existing examples where possible, or relying on heritage railway volunteers to aid us in our research, and as ever there are several people we must thank for their input, especially John Lewis and Mike Romans. Our thanks also extend to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway at Toddington, as well as the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton; both of whom hosted survey visits and also to Hugh McQuade at the Severn Valley Railway, who provided some valuable measurements at the eleventh hour! As ever, the arrival of the engineering samples highlights areas for improvement, and the Siphon Gs are no different, as there are some minor fit issues that need to be resolved, as well as erroneously fitted (or not fitted) parts for some of the builds (hardly surprising with 15 different versions of the Siphon G). We are also looking at options for the provision of close coupling, as the positioning of the bogies did not allow for the fitting of kinetic couplings, or to bring the NEM pocket deeper and the traditional tension locks are a little ‘leggy’ for our liking (although they will still be provided as standard fitting), so watch out for further updates on this in the New Year, along with the provision of decoration samples. Check them out in action on Hornby Magazine's "Topley Dale", and learn about all the different variations we are doing in our first run as Paul chats to Mike Wild. The Siphons are now available to pre-order via your local stockist or direct via our website with a price of £54.95 each and 10% off when you buy two or more. Delivery will be in Q1 2023. Browse the full range by clicking here. View the full article

Hi everyone, I forgot to mention that we have a small supply of standard lokpilot chips back in stock too! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/a-class-dcc-standard-chip Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Down to our last 4 SuperTrain CIE locos. Grab them while you can! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran

Constructive comments are welcome, appreciated and taken on board, but there is no need for the hyperbole. At the end of the day, NIR is a niche in a niche that is Irish outline model railways. While on face value these coaches can be perceived as "just a relivery of British Rail Mark 2s" its not as simple as that. The tooling required for the grille, genny and driving car, not to mention the correctly widened bogies adds up and we need to make sure that this large extra investment is covered. Triple packs are the most viable and fiscally common sense way for us to do this. We are very sorry that you are dissatisfied with this approach, but it was either this way, or no Enterprise Mark 2s at all. Thanks, Fran

Until the latter half of the 19th century, the transportation of fresh milk by the railway was still confined to local movements, as the big population centres were still able to meet the needs for dairy provision. It was only with the huge population increases of the mid-1860s that the production of milk was forced away from the periphery of cities and into the countryside, creating the problem of being able to transport it from source to market quickly. The ensuing rapid growth of the milk industry was entirely down to the railways providing a means of providing rapid transportation of goods to market, and the Great Western Railway was quick to realise the importance of providing specific stock to accomplish this. Milk not only deteriorates rapidly, it is also very sensitive to movement and so any purpose built rail vehicle needed to be able to be formed into passenger trains for travelling at high speed. Realising this, from the outset the GWR created vehicles that were very different from their standard close boarded vans, with wide gapped planks being used to ensure adequate ventilation and cooling of the milk churns, along with heavy springing to improve the ride. Experiments with doors also took place, as the GWR sought to identify the best way to load the churns onto the vans. The early four-wheel vans that first appeared from April 1873 soon gave way to improved six-wheel vehicles, as the GWR had settled on this arrangement for its mainline coaching stock during the late 1870s and the first dedicated milk van diagrams, O.1 and O.2, appeared between mid-1889 and mid-1890; the GWR dedicating almost the entire O series of diagrams exclusively to milk traffic. These vehicles continued to be improved, but in August 1906 the first bogie milk van appeared, the diagram O.7 Siphon F (Siphon was the GWR’s telegraphic code for a milk van and the F denoted the version of vehicle). By 1913, the Great Western Railway had reached a stage whereby the original 4w and 6w milk vans were obsolete and required replacement. A prototype 50’ bogie version, the diagram O.10 of October 1908 had proved successful and satisfied the GWR’s requirements for a versatile gangway design of milk van, leading to the creation of the Siphon G; a family of gangway bogie vans that were built between 1913 and 1955 and that would eventually total 365 vehicles. Initially built with outside body framing and closed horizontal planking, a prototype design to diagram O.22 was built in August 1926 that featured an inside framed design, riding on 9’ American bogies (albeit still with horizontal body planking), the design proving its suitability across all areas of the GWR. In 1929, an order for 50 vehicles to diagram O.22 was placed, then cancelled (possibly due to financial constraints), then revived again in 1930 as an order for 20 vehicles to a new diagram, the O.33. The O.33 Siphon Gs were built in four Lots, covering a period between July 1930 and May 1945 and in total 115 vans were built to this diagram. The first, and most obvious difference in the O.33’s appearance (over preceding Siphon G versions), was the introduction of vertical planking, possibly due to the wood being cheaper and easier to procure and these cost constraints were also evident elsewhere, with the first built Lots using secondhand bogies of various 9’ and 8’ 6” types, as well as used sets of Stones electric lighting. The O.33s were also 2” wider than their predecessors and were equipped with large round headed buffers, as well as a new style of gangway connector that hung from brackets, rather than the ‘scissor’ type. As the war clouds gathered over Europe in 1938, the Government of the United Kingdom stepped up its preparations for the impact of hostilities on the civilian population, the assumption being that any bombing of the UK’s cities would produce such large numbers of casualties that the local facilities would be overwhelmed. To counter this, a plan was put into place that would create Casualty Evacuation Trains and at a meeting of the Railway Superintendents held at Liverpool Street Station on April 4, 1939, it was agreed to create 34 semi-permanent Ambulance Trains, each to comprise two Brake Thirds and ten Vans, capable of holding a minimum of 30 stretcher cases per van. Each Railway Company was to provide a proportion of the total trains required, with the GWR being required to supply six trains. For the Ward Cars, the GWR opted to convert 60 Siphon Gs for the six trains (numbered 326-331), as they already satisfied the Ministry of Health’s requirements for the vehicles to be electrically lit and well ventilated, but a certain amount of work was still required to seal the draughts, ensure that the vehicles were light tight and to fit the brackets and shelves necessary for the conveyance of stretchers; 42 to each van, at a total cost of £82 per vehicle. By November 1939, one Siphon G had been removed from each of the GWR’s CETs, being replaced by a ‘Staff Car’ and by December, when the total number of CETs was reduced to 18 on standby, the GWR’s commitment had been reduced to the provision of four CETs, releasing 20 Siphon Gs back into traffic. In July 1943, 42 Siphon Gs were required for the Overseas Ambulance Trains Nos. 32-35 and 45-46 and again a number were modified, this time to suit operation on European railways. These modifications included the fitting of Westinghouse brakes, the removal of the handbrake gear, the addition of a water tank, end steps and handrails. In addition to the OATs, a further 12 Siphon Gs were formed into two US Army Ambulance Trains, Nos. 69 and 70. With the cessation of hostilities, and the repatriation of the Siphon Gs to the GWR following their ambulance service, the resulting conversions back to service stock resulted in the creation of two new diagrams: O.59 and M.34. Diagram O.59 called for the restoration of the Siphon Gs to their original body specification, with the louvres being restored. Indeed, the only discerning difference between the original O.33 and the O.59 conversion was that the roof mounted shell ventilators were retained. In total, 36 vehicles were rebuilt to this diagram, although there is some question as to whether vehicles 2979-2984 were conversions, or were built from new as O.59, given their date of construction and entry into traffic. Diagram M.34 involved far less work to restore the remaining 31 vehicles to traffic, as they were unaltered in their appearance, remaining externally identical to their ambulance service configuration. As with the O.59, the original numbering was restored to the stock, however for the first time their designation was changed to Parcels Vans, rather than Milk Vans. The usefulness and versatility of the Siphon G design had provided the GWR with a bogie van suited to many uses, as had originally been envisaged in 1913 and this was not lost on the British Railways Board as the era of the ’Big Four’ gave way to a nationalised railway in 1948. Traffic levels increased as the railways recovered from the Second World War, a result of a change in societal habits and the fledgling British Railways found itself in dire need of bogie vans capable of express speed running and so it was that three new Lots of Siphon G vans, totalling 80 vehicles, were ordered and built to a new diagram, O.62, between October 1950 and October 1955. Remarkably, the new diagram was still referred to as a ‘Milk Van’, even though the Siphon G now served more in a GUV role and was very little changed from the original O.33 but for one main difference; the addition of eight sliding louvre ventilators to each body side, situated just above the solebar. The Siphon Gs were ideally suited to parcels traffic, but the sustained growth of newspaper traffic into the early part of the nationalised British Railways era probably represented the pinnacle of this type of traffic, with the Western Region relying on its fleet of Siphons to convey newsprint. At its peak during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, British Railways was running more than 50 dedicated newspaper trains every weekday, with around 75 services conveying the bulky Sunday editions at the weekend, over 75% of the country’s entire weekend newspaper production. During a typical night in the 1970-71 winter service, a total of 23 Siphon Gs were booked in dedicated Newspaper working from Paddington each weekday morning, with a further five being booked into late night overnight trains carrying various articles of mail traffic and they ran westwards, variously, to destinations as far afield as Penzance, Barnstaple Jcn, Kingswear, Gloucester, and Carmarthen, the destinations being carried on boards mounted to the bodysides of the vans. Many of the O.33 and O.59 vans were withdrawn from traffic during the mid-to-late 1960s, but as the 1960s gave way to the 1970s and the Rail Blue TOPS era took hold, Siphon Gs were still in major use on the Western Region, with parcels and newspaper traffic being hauled by a variety of traction, including the Class 31s, Class 47s and Class 50s. Variously classed as NNV and NMV by TOPS, and in many cases now equipped with ETH, the latter years of the 1970s saw 34 Siphon Gs rebranded with BR’s ‘Newspapers’ logo, while the remaining survivors were transferred into Departmental traffic, particularly branded as Enparts, the Western Region’s fleet of vans used for transporting spare parts for locomotives and rolling stock from Swindon to the larger Motive Power Depots. A number also found their way into use as Seat Trimming Materials Stores Vans, for use between Litchurch Lane, Derby and Swindon Works and as Newspaper traffic dwindled into obscurity during the early-1980s, leading to the final withdrawal of Siphon Gs in revenue earning service, it was these last few Departmental vehicles that soldiered on into 1985, before they too were eventually withdrawn and scrapped. Around two dozen Siphon Gs were initially saved for preservation but that number has now dwindled, although there are nice examples surviving at the Severn Valley Railway, the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway, Didcot, Quainton and Shildon, several of which formed the basis for Accurascale’s surveys of the vehicles during the research phase of the project. The Accurascale OO/4mm scale model of these iconic vans covers the multitude of variations and changes the Siphons received during their careers. Check out our comprehensive range now available to pre-order right here. KEY EDITORIAL POINTS: • First inside braced Siphon G was No. 1270, built to diagram O.22 in August 1926, for use as a Milk Van, carrying milk in churns. • Vertical planking introduced to Siphon Gs with diagram O.33 • The first O.33 Siphon G was No. 2051, built in July 1930 • 195 vehicles built to two diagrams; O.33 under the GWR and O.62 under British Railways. • In 1938/39, the UK Government ordered the creation of Casualty Evacuation Trains (CETs) and the GWR initially converted 60 Siphon Gs as Ward Cars for this traffic. • Later in WWII, 42 Siphon Gs found use as Ward Cars in the Overseas Ambulance Trains. • On their return from War service, the Siphon Gs were converted back to service use as either diagram O.59 (Milk Vans) or diagram M.34 (Parcels Vans). • 34 Siphon Gs were specifically reclassified and re-equipped as NNV Newspaper Vans under TOPS, with other reclassifications including NMV and QRV. • Final withdrawals from service occurred in the 1982-84 period, although a number survived in Departmental service into the mid-1980s. View the full article

Until the latter half of the 19th century, the transportation of fresh milk by the railway was still confined to local movements, as the big population centres were still able to meet the needs for dairy provision. It was only with the huge population increases of the mid-1860s that the production of milk was forced away from the periphery of cities and into the countryside, creating the problem of being able to transport it from source to market quickly. The ensuing rapid growth of the milk industry was entirely down to the railways providing a means of providing rapid transportation of goods to market, and the Great Western Railway was quick to realise the importance of providing specific stock to accomplish this. Milk not only deteriorates rapidly, it is also very sensitive to movement and so any purpose built rail vehicle needed to be able to be formed into passenger trains for travelling at high speed. Realising this, from the outset the GWR created vehicles that were very different from their standard close boarded vans, with wide gapped planks being used to ensure adequate ventilation and cooling of the milk churns, along with heavy springing to improve the ride. Experiments with doors also took place, as the GWR sought to identify the best way to load the churns onto the vans. The early four-wheel vans that first appeared from April 1873 soon gave way to improved six-wheel vehicles, as the GWR had settled on this arrangement for its mainline coaching stock during the late 1870s and the first dedicated milk van diagrams, O.1 and O.2, appeared between mid-1889 and mid-1890; the GWR dedicating almost the entire O series of diagrams exclusively to milk traffic. These vehicles continued to be improved, but in August 1906 the first bogie milk van appeared, the diagram O.7 Siphon F (Siphon was the GWR’s telegraphic code for a milk van and the F denoted the version of vehicle). By 1913, the Great Western Railway had reached a stage whereby the original 4w and 6w milk vans were obsolete and required replacement. A prototype 50’ bogie version, the diagram O.10 of October 1908 had proved successful and satisfied the GWR’s requirements for a versatile gangway design of milk van, leading to the creation of the Siphon G; a family of gangway bogie vans that were built between 1913 and 1955 and that would eventually total 365 vehicles. Initially built with outside body framing and closed horizontal planking, a prototype design to diagram O.22 was built in August 1926 that featured an inside framed design, riding on 9’ American bogies (albeit still with horizontal body planking), the design proving its suitability across all areas of the GWR. In 1929, an order for 50 vehicles to diagram O.22 was placed, then cancelled (possibly due to financial constraints), then revived again in 1930 as an order for 20 vehicles to a new diagram, the O.33. The O.33 Siphon Gs were built in four Lots, covering a period between July 1930 and May 1945 and in total 115 vans were built to this diagram. The first, and most obvious difference in the O.33’s appearance (over preceding Siphon G versions), was the introduction of vertical planking, possibly due to the wood being cheaper and easier to procure and these cost constraints were also evident elsewhere, with the first built Lots using secondhand bogies of various 9’ and 8’ 6” types, as well as used sets of Stones electric lighting. The O.33s were also 2” wider than their predecessors and were equipped with large round headed buffers, as well as a new style of gangway connector that hung from brackets, rather than the ‘scissor’ type. As the war clouds gathered over Europe in 1938, the Government of the United Kingdom stepped up its preparations for the impact of hostilities on the civilian population, the assumption being that any bombing of the UK’s cities would produce such large numbers of casualties that the local facilities would be overwhelmed. To counter this, a plan was put into place that would create Casualty Evacuation Trains and at a meeting of the Railway Superintendents held at Liverpool Street Station on April 4, 1939, it was agreed to create 34 semi-permanent Ambulance Trains, each to comprise two Brake Thirds and ten Vans, capable of holding a minimum of 30 stretcher cases per van. Each Railway Company was to provide a proportion of the total trains required, with the GWR being required to supply six trains. For the Ward Cars, the GWR opted to convert 60 Siphon Gs for the six trains (numbered 326-331), as they already satisfied the Ministry of Health’s requirements for the vehicles to be electrically lit and well ventilated, but a certain amount of work was still required to seal the draughts, ensure that the vehicles were light tight and to fit the brackets and shelves necessary for the conveyance of stretchers; 42 to each van, at a total cost of £82 per vehicle. By November 1939, one Siphon G had been removed from each of the GWR’s CETs, being replaced by a ‘Staff Car’ and by December, when the total number of CETs was reduced to 18 on standby, the GWR’s commitment had been reduced to the provision of four CETs, releasing 20 Siphon Gs back into traffic. In July 1943, 42 Siphon Gs were required for the Overseas Ambulance Trains Nos. 32-35 and 45-46 and again a number were modified, this time to suit operation on European railways. These modifications included the fitting of Westinghouse brakes, the removal of the handbrake gear, the addition of a water tank, end steps and handrails. In addition to the OATs, a further 12 Siphon Gs were formed into two US Army Ambulance Trains, Nos. 69 and 70. With the cessation of hostilities, and the repatriation of the Siphon Gs to the GWR following their ambulance service, the resulting conversions back to service stock resulted in the creation of two new diagrams: O.59 and M.34. Diagram O.59 called for the restoration of the Siphon Gs to their original body specification, with the louvres being restored. Indeed, the only discerning difference between the original O.33 and the O.59 conversion was that the roof mounted shell ventilators were retained. In total, 36 vehicles were rebuilt to this diagram, although there is some question as to whether vehicles 2979-2984 were conversions, or were built from new as O.59, given their date of construction and entry into traffic. Diagram M.34 involved far less work to restore the remaining 31 vehicles to traffic, as they were unaltered in their appearance, remaining externally identical to their ambulance service configuration. As with the O.59, the original numbering was restored to the stock, however for the first time their designation was changed to Parcels Vans, rather than Milk Vans. The usefulness and versatility of the Siphon G design had provided the GWR with a bogie van suited to many uses, as had originally been envisaged in 1913 and this was not lost on the British Railways Board as the era of the ’Big Four’ gave way to a nationalised railway in 1948. Traffic levels increased as the railways recovered from the Second World War, a result of a change in societal habits and the fledgling British Railways found itself in dire need of bogie vans capable of express speed running and so it was that three new Lots of Siphon G vans, totalling 80 vehicles, were ordered and built to a new diagram, O.62, between October 1950 and October 1955. Remarkably, the new diagram was still referred to as a ‘Milk Van’, even though the Siphon G now served more in a GUV role and was very little changed from the original O.33 but for one main difference; the addition of eight sliding louvre ventilators to each body side, situated just above the solebar. The Siphon Gs were ideally suited to parcels traffic, but the sustained growth of newspaper traffic into the early part of the nationalised British Railways era probably represented the pinnacle of this type of traffic, with the Western Region relying on its fleet of Siphons to convey newsprint. At its peak during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, British Railways was running more than 50 dedicated newspaper trains every weekday, with around 75 services conveying the bulky Sunday editions at the weekend, over 75% of the country’s entire weekend newspaper production. During a typical night in the 1970-71 winter service, a total of 23 Siphon Gs were booked in dedicated Newspaper working from Paddington each weekday morning, with a further five being booked into late night overnight trains carrying various articles of mail traffic and they ran westwards, variously, to destinations as far afield as Penzance, Barnstaple Jcn, Kingswear, Gloucester, and Carmarthen, the destinations being carried on boards mounted to the bodysides of the vans. Many of the O.33 and O.59 vans were withdrawn from traffic during the mid-to-late 1960s, but as the 1960s gave way to the 1970s and the Rail Blue TOPS era took hold, Siphon Gs were still in major use on the Western Region, with parcels and newspaper traffic being hauled by a variety of traction, including the Class 31s, Class 47s and Class 50s. Variously classed as NNV and NMV by TOPS, and in many cases now equipped with ETH, the latter years of the 1970s saw 34 Siphon Gs rebranded with BR’s ‘Newspapers’ logo, while the remaining survivors were transferred into Departmental traffic, particularly branded as Enparts, the Western Region’s fleet of vans used for transporting spare parts for locomotives and rolling stock from Swindon to the larger Motive Power Depots. A number also found their way into use as Seat Trimming Materials Stores Vans, for use between Litchurch Lane, Derby and Swindon Works and as Newspaper traffic dwindled into obscurity during the early-1980s, leading to the final withdrawal of Siphon Gs in revenue earning service, it was these last few Departmental vehicles that soldiered on into 1985, before they too were eventually withdrawn and scrapped. Around two dozen Siphon Gs were initially saved for preservation but that number has now dwindled, although there are nice examples surviving at the Severn Valley Railway, the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway, Didcot, Quainton and Shildon, several of which formed the basis for Accurascale’s surveys of the vehicles during the research phase of the project. The Accurascale OO/4mm scale model of these iconic vans covers the multitude of variations and changes the Siphons received during their careers. Check out our comprehensive range now available to pre-order right here. KEY EDITORIAL POINTS: • First inside braced Siphon G was No. 1270, built to diagram O.22 in August 1926, for use as a Milk Van, carrying milk in churns. • Vertical planking introduced to Siphon Gs with diagram O.33 • The first O.33 Siphon G was No. 2051, built in July 1930 • 195 vehicles built to two diagrams; O.33 under the GWR and O.62 under British Railways. • In 1938/39, the UK Government ordered the creation of Casualty Evacuation Trains (CETs) and the GWR initially converted 60 Siphon Gs as Ward Cars for this traffic. • Later in WWII, 42 Siphon Gs found use as Ward Cars in the Overseas Ambulance Trains. • On their return from War service, the Siphon Gs were converted back to service use as either diagram O.59 (Milk Vans) or diagram M.34 (Parcels Vans). • 34 Siphon Gs were specifically reclassified and re-equipped as NNV Newspaper Vans under TOPS, with other reclassifications including NMV and QRV. • Final withdrawals from service occurred in the 1982-84 period, although a number survived in Departmental service into the mid-1980s. 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From the transportation of milk, to mail and newspapers for over 50 years, the GWR designed diagram 0.33 Siphon G was a widely travelled stalwart of the network. A high quality model in 00/4mm scale covering the detail differences and long lives of these characterful vans is long overdue. Welcome to the Accurascale Siphon G, covering the 0.33 diagram, the BR(W) 0.62, the O.59 and M.34 conversions, as well as the BR Newspaper Van conversions of the O.62 (NNV) in 00/4mm scale. History The history of these vans is varied and very interesting, venturing from providing transport for milk for the GWR, to serving as ambulance coaches during World War II, to nationalisation and parcels workings, and into the BR blue era on parcels and newspaper trains as well as departmental duties into the mid 1980s. Our Project Manager Paul Isles has written a comprehensive history on these vans, which you can read in a dedicated blog by clicking here. The Model As is the Accurascale way, we have produced a wide ranging, comprehensive tooling suite to cover 15 different versions of these ubiquitous vans, once again leading the way in detail and prototypical variation in the model railway market. With 15 different versions available, the first run of our Siphon G models covers examples from the entire operational period of the prototypes; from July 1930 through to the early 1980s and feature a selection of liveries carried by these versatile and distinctive vans. Liveries modelled in the first production run include: GWR Brown with ‘shirt button’ monogram US Army Deep Bronze Green with Red Cross Transitional British Railways mix of GWR livery with BR lettering BR Carmine Red BR Maroon BR Rail Blue Even within these livery styles, there were several variations, and we have sought to replicate these differences where we can, to provide a comprehensive study of how the Siphon Gs appeared during their service life. Extensive use has been made of metal parts to add to the detail levels throughout, the footsteps even carrying diamond tread pattern and the quality of the running hasn’t been forgotten either, with the 26mm axles running in brass bearings to enable a smooth ride. Extensive areas of piping and rodding have been added to the underframe to improve the appearance of the models and the various cabinets even feature separately fitted wire handles. As a rough guide, the O.33 can be recognised by bodyside top vents, plain roofs and plain ends, with the wartime Casualty Evacuation Train/US Ambulance Train Ward Car conversions adding roof mounted water tanks, end steps and handrails, plated over vents and the addition of small windows. Upon conversion back into service stock as O.59 and M.34 diagrams, the O.59 is broadly identical to the O.33 pattern, but with roof mounted ventilators, whereas the M.34 retained an appearance broadly similar to the wartime Ward Cars, but with the roof mounted water tanks being removed. The BR built O.62 diagram retained the look of the O.33 diagram but added eight sliding vents to the lower bodysides and the later conversion of these vehicles as NNVs saw various vents being plated over on an ad-hoc basis, and the addition of Electric Train Heating apparatus and external emergency lighting points. Across all diagrams, the positions of underframe cabinets varied in size and position, as well as two types of vacuum brake cylinder positioning and two styles of handbrake lever being fitted, depending on that layout – there was even the fitting of Westinghouse brakes to the US Ward Cars! At the van ends, gangways varied slightly in style, with some vehicles being fitted with passenger communication leads, often in varying positions. With so many diagrams, and variations between prototypes, careful reference to photographs was required to bring out the details, as well as visiting existing examples where possible, or relying on heritage railway volunteers to aid us in our research, and as ever there are several people we must thank for their input, especially John Lewis and Mike Romans. Our thanks also extend to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway at Toddington, as well as the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton; both of whom hosted survey visits and also to Hugh McQuade at the Severn Valley Railway, who provided some valuable measurements at the eleventh hour! As ever, the arrival of the engineering samples highlights areas for improvement, and the Siphon Gs are no different, as there are some minor fit issues that need to be resolved, as well as erroneously fitted (or not fitted) parts for some of the builds (hardly surprising with 15 different versions of the Siphon G). We are also looking at options for the provision of close coupling, as the positioning of the bogies did not allow for the fitting of kinetic couplings, or to bring the NEM pocket deeper and the traditional tension locks are a little ‘leggy’ for our liking (although they will still be provided as standard fitting), so watch out for further updates on this in the New Year, along with the provision of decoration samples. Check them out in action on Hornby Magazine's "Topley Dale", and learn about all the different variations we are doing in our first run as Paul chats to Mike Wild. The Siphons are now available to pre-order via your local stockist or direct via our website with a price of £54.95 each and 10% off when you buy two or more. Delivery will be in Q1 2023. Browse the full range by clicking here. View the full article

Forcing? Really? Come on, nobody is forcing you to buy anything. I think that's a poor choice of words, to be fair.

Hi everyone, Due to the demand we've received for Oxford diecast range (mainly due to the Brexit related messing we imagine) we have expanded our range of stock significantly to include cars too, both current and classic. All 1:76 so perfect for your layouts. We've also added more commercial vehicles too from a variety of periods. Perfect little stocking fillers. Check them out here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/vehicles/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran

afraid not. Sorry!

Thanks everyone for your very kind words! We're delighted that the As are finding lots of love and homes as they continue to bounce out the door on a daily basis. Supertrain really was an iconic livery for these. We only have a few left in that livery too. A1 special edition is also running low, and with that wooden box and being limited to just 250 pieces is only going to increase in value in the coming years. Cheers! Fran

Oh my! That's sensational Jason!

Pile dwindling further. Thanks everyone!

Just to bring this thread back to life. We did an audit of stocks this morning and the next endangered species are... 018 - Supertrain - 13 left in stock - https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/018-a-class-locomotive 027 - Supertrain - 14 left in stock - https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/027-a-class-locomotive A1 - Special Edition Silver - 24 left in stock - https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/a1-a-class-locomotive 056 - IR Supertrain Transition Livery - 29 left in stock - https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/056-a-class-locomotive Once they're gone, they're gone! Cheers! Fran

Cheers Bob, we've made plenty so you should be all good! Cheers! Fran

Taras and ferts too of course. Timber wagons, 47 ft flats, CPWs too I think?

After many, many requests from modellers across the land, we have produced packs of our Y33 Sambre et Meuse bogies in separate packs! Perfect to aid running of your old kit built or converted stock, these are the only prototypically accurate Irish wagon bogie available in ready to run form and will allow for reliable running for your kit built wagons, or a load for a flat wagon or lorry as seen regularly on the roads between depots for maintenance! With the bogies now featuring brass bearings, they will provide a nice solution to getting your kit built wagons running reliably. They also feature rotating axle caps, easy conversion to 21mm, separate detail parts such as brake actuators and metal wheelsets. Priced at just €14.94 per four pack of bogies, they're available in black, brown and red oxide, and are in stock and ready to dispatch. Place your order here. View the full article

Time for another addition to our Accurascale Exclusives range; and this time it's the turn of our humble little Chaldron wagons. The Chaldrons have caused quite the stir and our model was met with a surprise when we first announced them in October. The genesis of our "Powering Britain" range has gone down very well indeed, with over 80% of the production run now sold out. We were able to sneak one more pack onto the production line, which is now busy assembling our first batch of these distinctive hoppers. Welcome to the NCB internal user pack! The Prototypes Our exclusive pack consists of Ex-S.C.C National Coal Board - Three early period Darlington built Chaldrons, as present at Stargate Colliery in the 1950s to the early 1960s. At Stargate Colliery, the lines from Emma and Greenside Collieries converged, with the Emma branch being worked by a stationary engine based at Stargate, which itself was joined to the ex-NER lines near Heathfield, halfway between Stella and Addison, by a self-acting incline. The stationary engine at Stargate was replaced in 1948 by locomotive working and this practice continued until 1961, when the whole system closed down, the Chaldrons having been in continuous use since the mid-19th century. Used to supply coal for the boilers at Stargate and Emma, the Chaldrons were also used as service vehicles, with waste and building materials being transported to and from the collieries, while others were used as runner vehicles on the incline between the two collieries. This enabled wagons to be moved into the headshunt at Emma above the screens, as well as to bring empty wagons up from the bottom of the incline. As a result of their longevity in service, it was not uncommon to see both NCB and S.C.Co. legends mixed together in rakes of Chaldrons, an incongruous sight among the more modern wagons being used. The Models As can be seen from the artwork, we have given these NCB hoppers a distinctive distressed look, with replacement planks in grey primer part of the artwork for these packs to represent the 'patch repairs' the prototypes received working for the NCB. This makes them an excellent basis for weathering. This pack is due with the rest of the Chaldron production run in Q2 2022 and is only available via Accurascale, made in strictly limited numbers of 300 packs. Order your NCB back by clicking here, or browse the full Chaldron range here! View the full article

Time for another addition to our Accurascale Exclusives range; and this time it's the turn of our humble little Chaldron wagons. The Chaldrons have caused quite the stir and our model was met with a surprise when we first announced them in October. The genesis of our "Powering Britain" range has gone down very well indeed, with over 80% of the production run now sold out. We were able to sneak one more pack onto the production line, which is now busy assembling our first batch of these distinctive hoppers. Welcome to the NCB internal user pack! The Prototypes Our exclusive pack consists of Ex-S.C.C National Coal Board - Three early period Darlington built Chaldrons, as present at Stargate Colliery in the 1950s to the early 1960s. At Stargate Colliery, the lines from Emma and Greenside Collieries converged, with the Emma branch being worked by a stationary engine based at Stargate, which itself was joined to the ex-NER lines near Heathfield, halfway between Stella and Addison, by a self-acting incline. The stationary engine at Stargate was replaced in 1948 by locomotive working and this practice continued until 1961, when the whole system closed down, the Chaldrons having been in continuous use since the mid-19th century. Used to supply coal for the boilers at Stargate and Emma, the Chaldrons were also used as service vehicles, with waste and building materials being transported to and from the collieries, while others were used as runner vehicles on the incline between the two collieries. This enabled wagons to be moved into the headshunt at Emma above the screens, as well as to bring empty wagons up from the bottom of the incline. As a result of their longevity in service, it was not uncommon to see both NCB and S.C.Co. legends mixed together in rakes of Chaldrons, an incongruous sight among the more modern wagons being used. The Models As can be seen from the artwork, we have given these NCB hoppers a distinctive distressed look, with replacement planks in grey primer part of the artwork for these packs to represent the 'patch repairs' the prototypes received working for the NCB. This makes them an excellent basis for weathering. This pack is due with the rest of the Chaldron production run in Q2 2022 and is only available via Accurascale, made in strictly limited numbers of 300 packs. Order your NCB back by clicking here, or browse the full Chaldron range here! View the full article

Correct George, Jan issue. Can anyone spot the error on the cover?

Simon Bendall's review is in Railways Illustrated this month too. Simon is quite knowledgeable about the Irish scene so well worth a look. Both Supertrain liveried As are now on the endangered species list if anyone is pondering which A to grab next. Perfect companion for the blue Taras too! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran