A
Arun
Guest
At Scaleforum 2018 on Sunday, we [on the DEMU Society stand] were approached by Chris Webber [the curator of Pendon Museum at Long Wittenham] who appraised us that Pendon is planning to run EM gauge diesels on its Vale layout. Further information is attached below.
"Pendon Museum is proposing to run a 'Diesels in the Vale' event over the first weekend of December, a date when the Museum is normally closed. This coincides with the last weekend of the Evolution of Finescale Modelling exhibition, and also a visit of a Guest Layout, Bodmin G*R.
Our modellers have several locomotives, coaching and freight stock, but are still seeking an appropriate DMU to represent a service through the Vale of White Horse scene, either over the Bristol or Oxford line. If any forum modellers have such a unit in early sixties livery (a three-car Class 117 has been suggested), and would be willing to lend it to the Museum for a period over November / early December, the Pendon team would be very grateful! If any one can help, or has a positive suggestion, please contact Chris Webber, Museum Curator, by e-mail at chris.webber@pendonmuseum.com
The diesel element is intended to show how the G*R's services from the 1930s (the era featured at Pendon) evolved in the early 1960s 'transition period' of BR, when much of the infrastructure of the railways remained from the old company. This has been prompted by the recent formal opening of the Bristol line with the running of the Bristolian; it was realised that a model of that train as it was in the early 1960s would make an interesting and relevant contrast for their railway minded visitors."
I have since written to Chris pointing out fortuitously that the most recent issue of BRILL [Vol28/1 - p22-23] contains photographic confirmation that class 117 and 122 DMUs were employed on Thames Valley and Middlesex branch services in 1960 - both pictures showing DMU cabs with whiskers, white domes but no yellow cab fronts or OHLE flashes.
If any member of this group has a suitable DMU set [circa 1960-62] in EM gauge, perhaps they might like to contact Chris Webber via the route above.
"Pendon Museum is proposing to run a 'Diesels in the Vale' event over the first weekend of December, a date when the Museum is normally closed. This coincides with the last weekend of the Evolution of Finescale Modelling exhibition, and also a visit of a Guest Layout, Bodmin G*R.
Our modellers have several locomotives, coaching and freight stock, but are still seeking an appropriate DMU to represent a service through the Vale of White Horse scene, either over the Bristol or Oxford line. If any forum modellers have such a unit in early sixties livery (a three-car Class 117 has been suggested), and would be willing to lend it to the Museum for a period over November / early December, the Pendon team would be very grateful! If any one can help, or has a positive suggestion, please contact Chris Webber, Museum Curator, by e-mail at chris.webber@pendonmuseum.com
The diesel element is intended to show how the G*R's services from the 1930s (the era featured at Pendon) evolved in the early 1960s 'transition period' of BR, when much of the infrastructure of the railways remained from the old company. This has been prompted by the recent formal opening of the Bristol line with the running of the Bristolian; it was realised that a model of that train as it was in the early 1960s would make an interesting and relevant contrast for their railway minded visitors."
I have since written to Chris pointing out fortuitously that the most recent issue of BRILL [Vol28/1 - p22-23] contains photographic confirmation that class 117 and 122 DMUs were employed on Thames Valley and Middlesex branch services in 1960 - both pictures showing DMU cabs with whiskers, white domes but no yellow cab fronts or OHLE flashes.
If any member of this group has a suitable DMU set [circa 1960-62] in EM gauge, perhaps they might like to contact Chris Webber via the route above.