[berth44]

This reminds me of a wee story Phil, I lived in a town called 'Wishaw' (Scot) I was only a 'stonesthrow' from a railway line which we called 'the central' .
Round about 'midnight' every other night I'd hear and feel this strange 'engine noise' reverberating through my bedroom, and being an avid trainspotter then, I couldn't figure this engine noise!...what was it??....
So, I'd fling open my bedroom window open and hang out the window, it just so happened to face the railway line, but unfortunately due to 'other houses' my view was restricted. Anyhoo, the noise would get louder and as it 'passed' through the 'gap' I could see the outline of this 'thing' silloetted against a summer evenings sky (it can be very 'light' at night during a Scottish summer!!,summers were quite regular back in the 60s!!)
Anyhoo, as it turned out these were the 'Glasgow built' (Vulcan Foundry) Deisel Hydraulic 'Warship'locos making their 'works shakedown' trip down to the south of Englands Western Region.. a classic tale of 'out of region'
I didn't cheat in my 'Ian Allan' Combined Volume' by the way by 'crossing off'(as spotted) all the Vulcan Factory built Locos, I suppose I could have as I reckon I did more or less 'Hear and See' them ().
It was many years later before 'we' as a family could afford to venture down into 'Western Region' country, by that time all the steam locos had been annihilated from that region unfortunately,and that was it, my only visit to the WR, but I did manage to 'cop' a few 'Hydraulics", maybe even one or two of the 'Vulcan' Warships !!........Dave

[bluedot0]

An interesting tale Dave, it's something I would like to have had the opportunity to do, but I came along too late really, but having your window facing the railway......excellent......

I always though See + Hear = tick off.....it didn't matter how long you glimpsed her for, so long as you could soundly identify the loco, that's the way Dad did it. He was an old trainspotter from way back......he always said some of his most productive days were spent at Doncaster, Barnetby, Grimsby Docks and Immingham. I don't think he went to the Western Region, he never mentions it, mostly around his LNER haunts. I do have a "Warship" tucked away in the train room though.....Phil

[berth44]

Just thought I'd bung in the above Phil,it highlights a fact that we as individuals can run what we like with what we like..but only at night time!!
OK, the seriously good news is that....."Da Ra" my Loco arrived yesterday,so I must say sorry to the Postal Service..."sorry that I doubted you Postal Service!!"..and what a wee beauty she is,very pleased with it..and it goes as well!..should, it's brand new!!!
It's the 'weathered version' but it's really only very lightly put on, more or less just enough to make it look as if it's done a 'wee bit' work!!
It's got the best detailed Backmann cab ever, but I'm wondering as to why it's piping is not done in 'copper', just plain black, the regulator should also be in red as per the reversing gear, even in work staned locos they would still be 'in a shiny but dull state!!' .... (a crew would've been nice touch as well!!).....but that's an easy fix.... for later.
My main gripe is the tender and how it's fixed to the loco, the electrics to 'make it run' are in the tender, there are wires permanently connecting it to the loco, not uncommon in this day, (most of my 'new locos are like that!) of the 'Chip' or tender wheel pick up, that really doesn't bother me, it's the connecting bar from the loco and it's fit to the tender?.
Usually we have a 'slot' in the tender for the coupling bar of the loco to go through, that in turn fixes to a 'pin'(or screw) under the tender, there is no 'slot' in the tender, just an open space!, (thought it was broken at first)So when you lifted the loco...the two came apart...like what happened last night , I had the tender dangling by it's wires from the loco, not good!!,The wires have been pulled through from the tender as well,so there is quite a 'bundle' of them having a chin wag betwix the two!!
So, that's something else I need to 'fix'...I have a plan already hatched up, so it's not really a problem,just bloody awkward with the two being attached by a 'do not cut' umbilical cord!!

Dave

P/S this loco has the most detailed firebox (external) valves that I've ever seen on a model loco...purely brilliant!!

[bluedot0]

Sounds like you have a very fine model my friend. A pity about the coupler bar though, I would have thought that you would have been given the ability to separate loco from tender, especially when it comes to maintaining it. But Bachmann must have a reason to do it that way, but that matters to me not......I can't wait to see it........

I have put a bid on a Hornby J94 on Ebay, finishes Monday, it's an 0-6-0 saddle tank, I know Dad's after one, so we'll see how it goes....Phil

[berth44]

Well, I always like to 'correct' myself, or find something out before being told!! I've came accross a review of the actual '53810' model in the February Edition of 'Railway Modeller'
It's as per mine,same paint job,same unpainted brass work etc, nothing mentioned about the dodgy loco-tender coupling though. Looking through the photos in the mag, one photo shows that the tender CAN be separarated from the loco.....at the loco end.
This will make life easier to work on the coupling, detail the cabin up a wee bit and add a crew perhaps........ watch this space!!.........Dave

[berth44]

Good luck with the bid Phil, I hope you are succesful for your dad...Dave

[bluedot0]

Thank you Dave, dad's name is Dave as well......bloody hell.......2 Dave's.....

Handy review that, does it tell you how to part them? It is a bit bemusing that Bachmann didn't crew the loco, they usually do.....how do they expect it to run without a crew.......Phil

[berth44]

"Good name, good name".......Two Daves is better than one,,,nearly a gang!! The review does not tell you how to get the thing off Phil, I suppose it'll be like the Hornby locos, it's a sort of 'multi prong thingy'..I'll have a squiz at the stuff in the box, maybe that will tell?
Tis 'bemusing' as you say Phil, (how do you amuse a bee??) 'once upon a time' (they still put 'Crew' in diesels?), you used to get a driver sitting on a big box and a 'fireman' with a shovel standing on a big cow pat!!..(the French would say..shovelle thee coo sheet)
These came in a pack along with 'fire irons' and running lamps etc etc in some locos...it's an 'extra detail pack ' now, and you've got to buy it!!,.........."Hmmm???"
Do you ever wonder how a 'real' loco crew would feel in the short 'open to the elements' cabs of some steam locos, like the 7F for example?? It must have been total "murder polis" (Scot) 'orrible inclement weather, snow, blizzards, driving rain, etc etc etc.... and if you are running tender first.. 'bloody 'ell mate' where's the 'glamour' in that???........""you'd just have to love your job""!!! ......Dave

[bluedot0]

Yes I can remember those little packs, had a mile of them once, all the tools n lamps.....yep, a great little packet......but they were free then.......

Dad used to be a fireman in his LNER days....never really thought to ask him how the job was on those nasty kind of days....I'll ask him, see how he went.....Phil

[berth44]

That would be interesting for sure Phil.........Dave

[bluedot0]

It promises to be, I asked him a short while ago why he never spoke of it.....his answer was simple....."you never asked me". So I'll draw a few stories from him Dave, and let you know....Phil

[SkyFire]

I've created a section just for stories to go in, from the grand old days of steam and sail.

railvillage.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=storydays

[berth44]

Good thinking Anthony.....(that's why you are 'the man!')... from a far country as well..big brother is watching you.....ooooooooooooooooo...........Dave

[bluedot0]

Does that mean he's far...far....far....away........Phil

[berth44]

I'm afraid so Phil.......... further than Goalburn even I'm afraid..way...way...way..farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraway.....................over land a sea.........Dave