Warren Yard - The Layout - 1960s BR freight in 00

Hello Jim, re #52 Air Brakes, the original air braked or dual braked locomotives and rolling stock had lost their air brakes by around 1950. As I recall from articles dating back decades, Scotland and the xGER territories were the last holdouts. In many cases, older stock was probably just withdrawn, and stock with a longer lifespan (LNER N7 & N2, for example) would be modified at a Main Works visit.
This, by the way, was what also happened with demobbed Austerity WD 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 locomotives, which were all air braked*. Many of these went from the WD to the LNER (who purchased WD 2-8-0s as class 07), and later BR, to a running shed, and if ok, straight into traffic, the air brake equipment being removed at the next Main Works visit.
* The Austerities were steam braked for engine and tender only, as well as dual vacuum and air braked for train haulage. The reason for this was the Austerities were intended to haul British vacuum braked passenger trains on the Continent, as well as air braked Continental rolling stock.
The American USA S160 2-8-0 however, were delivered with steam, and air brakes only, however, of the approximately 400 S160s that hauled traffic for the Big Four British Railways in Britain; at least some were also retrofitted with vacuum brakes if required, as the S160s that were allocated to operate on British Railways, all went through a BR Works for commissioning , and some of these were retrofitted with vacuum brakes. After D-Day, the S160s were again overhauled, and presumably the vacuum brakes were removed at that point, and then returned to the US Army Transportation Corps, for onward movement to Europe.
Those S160s that were stored at Cadoxton, and other Welsh storage sidings basically went through the US Army Shops at GWR Ebbw Vale to be commissioned, and then taken straight into storage, from where they were moved on to Europe after D-Day.
Regards, Echidna.

 

Dear Jim, re nos #53 & #54 Minix Motors. Thanks for that, the spread of vehicles is wider than I expected ( and I have subsequently read the link you have provided ). Funny how an article like yours, or an old film will bring back memories. My wife and I recently watched an old French B&W film on SBS where Simcas seemed to be everywhere !
From my child hood I can remember, besides the usual Holdens and Ford Falcons; Peugeot 404s ( popular with Australian rally drivers ), Simcas ( a neighbour of my late Nan had a very pale green one ) Fiat Bambinos ( I was coming home from school when our bus t-boned one that literally came flying over the crest of a hill, fortunately, the female driver was ok, though the car was a bit scratched ! ), Renault Dauphine, Citroen DS 19, one black Standard Mayflower, Ford Zephyrs Mk I & II ( including one dark blue Mark III, as used in Z Cars ! ) and Standard Vanguards ( assembled by AMI / Australian Motor Industries at Port Melbourne , and who later went on to assemble Toyotas ). Finally, the Studebaker, favourite car of the Victoria Police ( their view of the Ford Anglia was quite the opposite ), those who drove then always spoke highly of them, and their eventual replacement Holdens and Falcons were commonly thought to be an inferior replacement.
The Vauxhall Corsair Estate ( known as Station wagons here ) with a very large trailer with two ladders, is a model that stands out. Thanks for the photos and details, most enjoyable, regards, Echidna.

 

Hello Jim, re #54 Arkitex and TriAng Cartic2.
There was an article quite some years back in Model Rail on Motorail and converting a Cartic2 to a Cartic4 using bodies from Peter's Spares, though I cannot currently find the reference, however, it did come up quite well, and the spare bodies were quite cheap at the time ( that may not be the case now ) The current Hornby RailRoad R6423 is the former Lima European bogie double deck car transporter, so that is not much help unfortunately.
Re the Arkitex, I thought that was a great and flexible kit idea, shame it ceased production in 1966. Nice models and photos, Regards, Echidna.