The old ones would pull a decent enough load if you adjusted the springing on the rear bogie to stop it lifting the loco off. It's really tricky as the slighest bit out one way and no traction, the other no pickup. Weight also fixes it - the LNER G5 white metal kit over one has great traction.

Just got my new-tool Dapol M7. It's definitely better than the old one. It can now (just, with a ton of wheel slip) pull TWO whole 4 wheel coaches on the flat instead of just one. It needs help to get started with three.

Quote from: icairns on December 09, 2025, 07:38:01 PMThanks to AI, I have been able to colourise this photo to remind me what the prototype looked like

Although I'd point out it's redesigned parts of the locomotive like the safety valves. Not something you can trust versus using re-colouring tools.

It's a nice little loco though - I have a couple of old white metal kit ones of it. Nice to know Dapol will be making another tender motorising kit with throw away body though 

  "Unfortunately it looked like two tower cranes were growing out of the dome so I cropped those out. The latest version of Photoshop has what they call "Generative Fill" which does the same thing with AI, just a whole lot quicker."
[/quote]
I did the same with a whole batch of photos having discovered too late! a thumb print on the lens here's a doctored one

We were members of PIMCO - Portsea island mutual cooperative society. There was a shop which had a turnstile at the entrance. To me, at age 4, it was always known as the clickety click coop shop!

As an ex-chorister of many years, both as boy treble and later as a baritone, I'm more interested in the wider ranger of Christmas music from religious as well as secular and those tunes borrowed and bent into the basket of 'carols'.
Renditions vary widely and I find some appalling given my experiences of choral performances whilst some of the 'pop' performances have an appeal for me and get full welly on the hi-fi.
Slade, Whizard, Steeleye Span, Mike Oldfield, Boney M, Johnny Mathis, Paul Mcartney and Queen sit well but there are a number of others that I enjoy but for preference, and because I know the harmonies, it's the traditional carols that appeal the most.

My grandmother went to meetings of women which she recorded in a notebook as "they explained how the big 4 like The International Stores were running a cartel to maintain high prices" and how in the north west they were buying in bulk and passing on the savings!
Consequently my Mum as the youngest of 13 had the Co-op emblazoned on her forehead and as the elder child I had 63919 memorised from an early age. Shopping with a list I had to make sure I got the stub from the counter staff with the amount and 'divvy' number clearly shown!
This was Leicester and Mum was still resident when she passed in 2002 leaving a membership card. As executor I found that the account had long since passed to a regional co-op who confirmed the membership account and sent me the credit balance!

I remember the divvy well, but not the number which I last used in 1964. Although I do seem to believe there was two sixes in it, but knowing me I've just made it up.

Living in Mytholmroyd, you couldn't miss the various coop shops. We had a local food store on Scout Road just a few minutes from home. New Road contained the main stores, food, furniture and women's clothes if a remember correctly.

Prior to going to university in his late twenties our youngest son was manager of a Coop store in East Hull, he has a few stories to tell you of his time there.

Mother's - 1303
Grandmother's - 1020

The Co-op society is long, long gone and most of what were its premises have been demolished. Cooper's Fine Fare opened in Kilmarnock and that, together with the big town's greater variety in shoe shops, drapery* and all the rest was the beginning of the end.

Also, I believe the Co-op wasn't that cheap. Although, in the beginning, that was the point of it.

When our local branch line closed in 1964, the Co-op was thriving. Ten years later, it was dying. An interesting decade.

With all good wishes.

John

* Most of these have now also closed, beaten by internet shopping.

Quote from: PLD on December 11, 2025, 04:44:43 PM

Quote from: Dalek on December 11, 2025, 04:25:32 PMSo this Driving Brake Third, any examples of what would be on the other end?
Steam only?, i seen a mention of a motor on it on this thread?

I've only really came across the auto coach and pannier before.

Craig

As per earlier in the thread: in Push-pull operation a steam loco fitted with appropriate Vacuum control gear. Pre 1948, mainly an assortment of pre-grouping design tank locos (currently nothing available RTR). Post-war the Ivatt 2MT tank is common and a small batch of Jinties confined to South Wales.
Not compatible with locos of any other region: GW used a mechanical linkage, NE was a different air pressure system. SR  technically matching but IIRC, hoses wouldn't connect.
Could of course be used as ordinary coaching stock with any loco with compatible Vac Brakes...

The carriage was not fitted with a motor (not self propelled) - the term "motor train" was one of several descriptions applied to the formation as a whole of Loco+intermediate coaches (with necessary pipework)+Driving/Control coach.

Thanks for the explanation 

Craig