leslie10646

Good morning, JB and everyone else!. An impressive solution to the "Convertible wagon. You are quite right about the source as you will see if you look here! A Slater Midland Railway Coke Wagon (Kit No. 4026). On eBay at £15.74 post free to UK I've toyed with doing such a kit for several years as variants ran on several different lines. I look forward to seeing the outcome! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362638072280?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=7101533165274578&mkcid=2&itemid=362638072280&targetid=4584826055637460&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=412354546&mkgroupid=1299623041023876&rlsatarget=pla-4584826055637460&abcId=9300541&merchantid=87779&msclkid=429d2e4f23961330e6b64c53afa762e3

JB I don't need a website - you're doing all the work for me! Great stuff - the 1953 vans (as I referred to them) look splendidly unloved thanks to some very effective weathering. Leslie PS you need some cows for your wagons, or are they only loaded on Fair Day?

Still available as kits from You know Who! The weathering on the two vans is very effective and I like the plain plank touch.

I watch, open-mouthed, your procession of kit-built stock, Darius. The older Southern EMUs were a real blast from the past - loved the 2HAL unit. We had EPB units on the Bracknell / Reading line in the 1980s and when I went up to London, I knew where to find the de-rated 1st Class section which had seats you sank into. Made your Standard Class trip a lot more comfortable!

I had to smile at the reference to an old DC controller. My DCC controller lacks an outlet for accessories, so to control my turntable, I have leads from my H&M Powermaster controller - bought in 1964, I think! To control my points, I do use Digitrax's expensive kit, but, hey, why leave the money for my boys to drink away?

Hear, hear. I have one of those GNR buses from George (in a box upstairs. I must stick it on the Richhill forecourt). Recommended supplier.

Yep, back on line in every way, thanks. The electrician fixed it in about 2 minutes - very embarrassing - but top marks to him. I know for another time!

"Don't mention the War" Well, not in Torquay, anyway .......

Hey, JB, none of these remarks about the Knights of the Stop Watch - a massive percentage of the RPSI founders were timers! All praise to the Society, who usually manage to get us on the right side for the mileposts! The other method is to hunt in groups of EIGHT - four Timers on one side, four non-timer mates on the other, so a table for table swap is possible when the mileposts change sides! Of course none of this is necessary in the GPS world - you start the GPS at Zero miles, glue your eyes to it, noting the speed every quarter mile and never look out of the window - gone are the days of coming home face black, shirt in need of laundering from a day of squinting into the darkness for near-invisible mileposts. If the Lads had modelled the early diners, we could have the smell of frying steak as Galteemore's revered Dad provided a steak dinner with wine to the particpiants on a ECS run!

Very kind of you to say that Alan! I'm sorry that I won't be seeing all my Irish pals! Now, the Website - this is VERY boring! (I could bore you longer if I told you about blowing every socket in the house yesterday when using my Proxon Drill!). I can send this thanks to a 15 metre extension cable from one of the working sockets (in the kitchen) to the BT router - I lost even my landline as without power "Digital Voice" doesn't work! My old phone worked fine! Progress - don't make me laugh! The website was costing me a lot of money for little return (as I say, it's a hobby). I tried a "pure" Wordpress site but realised I would have to re-enter everything, so- I tried to convert to Wordpress while still on the 1&1 "system" which was a tenth of the cost of my Website Builder one - 1&1 said they would keep my old site up while I converted - they didn't. Hence the reduced website which you can see, but it proved less than intuitive (on 1&1 anyway). This bit is less boring ...... I tried to access the site myself a moment ago by putting "Provincial Wagons' into the browser and got up a page - http://provincialwagons.com/welcome-to-provincial-wagons That tells you everything you need to know - my e-mail address! It came up first on my browser - the other one People know me pretty well. All they have to do is send me an e-mail and I'll send lists of available kits, invoices, pictures, even kits themselves (!) and for one lucky gent on here recently two RTR GSWR brake vans! So, guys, drop me a line and I'll do what I can. Regards Leslie

Hi Alan Yes, I love the name. Regrettably Brexit / Covid has put paid to Bangor where I'm concerned. People can buy from me direct at any time. My / our usual route was via Holyhead - Dublin so that we could drop stuff off for the IRRS Archives, etc etc. After Brexit, that's a non-starter when you're carrying "goods" - yes, I know hundreds of others do it, but PW is a hobby, and it is probably all too much aggro for a relatively small return! We considered Cairnryan, but as well as the £300 cost of taking the car over is 425 miles EACH way just to get there. At least Holyhead was just 5 hours most of the time! I even considered Sail Rail, via Cairnryan (and post the stock over beforehand) but the timetables are all over the place. In a month's time, that could change, but who knows? Sorry to be missing it and the craic!

Yes, a very fine looking model. Well done. A certain Drawings Expert has my kit of the loco (and one of his own) - must chase him! The rolling stock looks familiar......... The layout itself, which you are coy about, looks top rate! More, please!

Instagramus et Twitterus sunt labor diaboli. David - nemo te ducere audeat! Steve - Drew Donaldson te maxime laudet. I'll leave Galteemore to reply in Classical Greek! Pax vobiscum. Valete Leslie

Yep, I remember driving towards Farnborough - ONE of my local stations - and, of course, close to the Airshow location. One of these Viggens flew, it seemed, along the road at a few hundred feet and just tipped over and cruised in to land - pretty impressive. As much fun as having the giant Antonov (as in Class 201 delivery vehicle) do a turn over my back garden! Thinking about it, there was probably a model 201 in the attic of my house at the time!

I'm watching Charles Friel's excellent talk on the RPSI's bogie Guinness van. In one of the slides - there was an open wagon being hauled out of the Guinness Yard WITH A STENCILLED SNAIL on the side! In 4mm would you notice?

Not sure about STENCILLED Snails - but presumably not this? https://railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=767

Yes, they do - have a look at their website - lots of useful stuff! I think this is where you should start - https://railtec-models.com/scale-model-transfers.php?region=2&type=5&gauge=4mm

Well that's not hard to get - buy one of my 1953 van kits (with same source of transfers as John M) and paint it whatever colour you like. If Patrick can paint my GNR vans WHITE - anything goes. By the way, and probably tempting fate - my two brake vans from John came to me in GB in just over a week, via his DPD service - well worth paying for.

A fact-let I came across while playing around with one of Henry Casserley's photos. Despite the antiquity, I think the plate says LMS NCC, wagon 580. Actually, the BNCR ones had strapped corners, rather than a plate like here - perhaps it's a rebuild. I have a Lance King slide which shows a two plank of great antiquity and I'll post it when I find it. This is a corner of the plate (which shows a 4-4-0 at Portrush. If one keeps one's eyes open there are masses of little clues like this in photos of "other things". Must get to bed - the day has been too exciting - I still have a business!

So - guess what's next! I think that one is in the School Certificate bracket? Mind you, my PhD guess was wrong, but I HAD noticed the inter-usability of this chassis some while ago

Wow, retirement put off for another day! Very nice wagon, lads. Good luck with it. Leslie

Sleep? I didn't! What am I going to do now? Ah, logs to write up; talks to give; trains to travel on....... And then getting some of my recalcitrant brass-built model steam locos to behalf and run normally!

Well done Enda. Aidan must be beaming down on you! He can now really Rest in Peace. Leslie

Nice wagons, JB - why do they look familiar? By the way, I have two RTR GSWR brake vans for sale, following a cancelled order (see 8588 above). PM me if interested.