In early BR days, an autotrain drifts southwards away from Pontypridd in the direction of Upper Boat. In the background are the world famous Brown Lenox Chain Works.The well-known photograph of IK Brunel, complete with cigar and stove-pipe hat, stan… — In early BR days, an autotrain drifts southwards away from Pontypridd in the direction of Upper Boat. In the background are the world famous Brown Lenox Chain Works.
The well-known photograph of IK Brunel, complete with cigar and stove-pipe hat, standing in front of the anchor chains forged for the ‘Great Eastern’, involved chains made in Pontypridd by Brown Lenox.
*Acknowledgement: in spite of efforts made to trace its origins, this photo is by a photographer unknown.*

Comment

The big news this month is an awaited update on our next wagon commission from Dapol. The artwork is at last available and it looks to be an attractive and, in terms of livery, unusual wagon. Unlike our previous releases however, researching the background history of F&E Poole & Co has proved to be extremely difficult as there is almost nothing on-line to help: they appear to have no digital history at all. If anyone has information which would help to flesh out the rather sparse write-up below, I would be extremely interested to receive it.

The 2019 Modelling competition

A photographic review of the recent modelling competition was circulated very recently. It did not thank Simon Durrer for organising it however, nor Niel Clements and Steve G for managing the ballot [and Niel for standing in for Noel Blows and presenting the prizes]. Many thanks again, all, and apologies for the omission.

Details for the 2020 competition, with a submission date and slight revision of the rules, will be available in due course.

Tickets, please…..

A recent find in an old book……

A 3rd Class single ticket for travel between Blandford Forum and Spetisbury Halt on the Somerset & Dorset Railway. The ticket was issued in 1938, when the line was jointly managed by the Southern and London, Midland and Scottish Railways

Blandford Forum closed for passengers in 1966 and Spetisbury Halt in 1956. The entire line, much eulogised by John Betjeman and immortalised in photographs by Ivo Peters, was lifted in 1969.

The next stock sale

The next stock sale will take place at a date to be agreed in mid-May. I have already acquired stock in OO and N to sell on behalf of third parties and will begin testing and pricing it shortly. Included in the sale will be a number of un-run Hornby Limited Edition sets [locos and coaches], some earlier boxed Hornby Southern Railway coaches, a very nice boxed Triang/Hornby 9F ‘Evening Star’ and many other items. There will also be a substantial amount of flexi-track and some assembled card buildings. Further details will be posted on the club’s notice-board and placed in the next newsletter.

The card-reader will be available once again to help with those impulse buys!

The next SRMG wagon commission: F & E Poole

I’m pleased to tell you that the artwork for our next commission recently arrived and has now been signed off. The 12 ton, 7 plank wagon for F & E Poole, in Arctic Blue, looks to be a special one which will, I’m sure, be in great demand.

The original wagon dates from 1908, was one of ten ordered, and was built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company.

The actual numbers available in each of the three gauges will be advised as soon as they are known, although this will be a very limited edition [as all of our other releases have been]. Should demand significantly exceed supply however, consideration may be given to commissioning a further release with a different running number.

F&E Poole [of Exchange Buildings, Swansea] were ship brokers and coal merchants and had a relationship with the Rhiwlas Colliery at Bury Port and the Aberpergwm Colliery, Vale of Neath, amongst other concerns. Ironically, whilst the wagon above dates from 1908, in that same year the firm was declared bankrupt and a Receiver appointed [as confirmed in the London Gazette].

This wagon has been produced twice before in r-t-r ‘OO’ gauge, first by Replica Railways [and appearing in their debut 1987 catalogue] and later by Bachmann. It is not currently in production however and because both of the earlier models carried the running number 200, we have chosen to number our release 202. The image below is taken from the artwork supplied for the O gauge wagon and is for illustrative purposes only. As it is a photograph of an artist’s impression, the colour of the final release will vary slightly.

The proposed pricing structure: O gauge - £45 ea and OO and N gauges - £13 ea.

As further information becomes available [including details for advance orders], the monthly newsletter will carry updates as will our website [srmg.org.uk].

Some diary dates

I mentioned last month a forthcoming model railway exhibition in Port Talbot on Saturday the 1st. of June and I now have the venue and times for this. It will take place at St. Agnes Church, Forge Road, Port Talbot SA13 1US between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

I have details of two further South Wales shows also:

The South Wales O Gauge Show – Saturday 6th. April [10-4] at The Lysaght Institute, Orb Road, Newport NP19 0RA [admission £6, usual concessions £5]
Pontypridd MRC Annual Show – Saturday 27th. April [10 -4] at Llantwit Fardre Community Centre, Crown Hill, Llantwit Fardre CF38 2NA [admission £3.50, up to 2 children free].