My grandfather, Thomas Arthur Muspratt, known as Arthur, was born this day 125 years ago in 1899. As I have stated before on this blog he was a ganger for the Southern Railway based at Salisbury, for most of the period that I model, before he gained promotion to Sub Inspector (permanent way) at Andover Junction at the end of 1947 and subsequently had a roving role. He died, before I was born, whilst in service on the railways on 11th April 1961 aged 61. His promotion to sub-inspector (Permanent Way) at Andover Junction was listed in the Staff Changes, Chief Civil Engineer’s Department, Supervi ..read more

KMRC announce an Exclusive 00 Gauge 1907 RCH 12T seven plank open wagon in the livery of Moger & Co Ltd as running on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). Joseph Moger and his sons were coal merchants and known to have operated by 1865 out of LB&SCR yards at Crystal Palace (including high level), Gipsy Hill, Norwood junction and Penge stations. By the turn of the century Moger also had a presence at yards including Tulse Hill, Peckham, Sydenham, Epsom, Ewell, Merton Abbey and Raynes Park. Wagon number 232 was one of twenty 12T seven plank wagons built by Charles ..read more

Accurascale announced in October 2022 they were to produce  the SR built banana vans to diagrams 1478 and 1479. These lovely models have now arrived at retailers and are shown below. The banana traffic through Southampton docks in the early 1930s had grown rapidly and whilst the SR had the 99 LSWR built banana vans these were not enough and resulted in the SR hiring suitable vans from the North Eastern Railway that also included some ex Great Central and Great Eastern Vehicles (see my post about the GER versions here). The Accurascale D1479 (left) and D1478 (Right) vans on Canute Roa ..read more

This months picture… AN ex LCDR T Class 0-6-0 shunts at Canute Road Quay with a ‘yet’ to be produced in RTR ex LBSC Diagram 1369 5 plank open wagon in the foreground ..read more

The daffodils are in bloom this Easter as LSWR B4 ‘Guernsey’ in early Southampton Docks lined green livery shunts at Canute Road Quay. The budding trees, the new flowers, and birds that sing, whisper to me that it’s Easter,  and that the supermarkets full of chocolate of all shapes (many irrelevant), sizes and special offers! Here is wishing a warmth in the firebox of your soul on Easter & always! To read about the next few exhibition appearances of Canute Road Quay see my Happiness is the Road (and ferry)… Canute Road Quay on tour post here ..read more

A new podcast series is now available from Railway Mania “Kings of the Steam Age” Obviously I had to put forward O.V.S Bulleid! To listen to why Bulleid was undoubtedly A King of the Steam Age” click here ..read more

Canute Road Quay is on tour regularly throughout this year, I thought I would highlight below the next couple of shows coming up in May and June.  Canute Road Quay  is next on the road (and for the first time a ferry) at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway Model Show – Havenstreet Station, Isle of Wight Steam, Main Rd, Havenstreet, Ryde PO33 4DS  on the 11th / 12th May 2024. Note: The entrance fees shown left (click to enlarge) include a steam train ride ticket, the model railway exhibition and free access to the falconry centre plus flying displays, so all in all a great value full ..read more

Rapido trains UK  have announced they are to produce the RCH 1907 specification 7 plank 16’6″ long private owner wagons. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) ordered, between 1910 and 1914, a large number of these RCH 7 plank wagons that became SR Diagram 1357. The London and South Coast Railway (LBSC) purchased a further 225 that were built to the same SECR drawings. Despite being the same design as the SECR versions the LBSC versions became SR Diagram 1373. Seven SECR Diagram 1357 versions are initially being produced: 967401 D1357 No. 13578 in SECR small lettered light grey 96 ..read more

This months picture… N1 Class No. 1822 (a converted Bachmann N Class) heads west past Fisherton Sarum with a mixed goods with banana vans from Southampton at the head ..read more

Graham Farish have continued their new policy of making quarterly product announcements the highlight of today’s announcement of new tooling is the SECR/SR Maunsell/Lyons Diagram 1559 25 ton goods brake van first introduced in 1918. 378-026 Graham Farish ex SECR Dancehall Brake Van These ‘modern’ 24ft long 16ft wheel base brake vans with their spacious guard’s accommodation were given the nickname ‘Dancehalls’ . Although the later SR standard brake vans had shorter bodies they used the same underframe design. A total of 60 of the vans were built between 1918 and 1927 with the first 20 being on ..read more