Leicester Thumper

Especially when it wasn't unknown for the coupling rods to break in some cases, especially on layouts with curves.

I'm sorry to quote so much of you Mike @The Stationmaster, but I resonate so well with your comments. Regards shunting, as some know I am a current serving member of staff on the national network. As part of my duties at a previous location, I had to be involved with the stabling of units in our platforms overnight. This also facilitated giving handsignals and following RSSB GRT8000 rulebook modules stipulating the required process and distances involved. I agree with Mike, shunting at night could be seen as easier, due to the use of handlamps. In this day and age a good proportion of lamps used in shunting on the national network, and preserved railways, are of a modern LED type lamp. In line with best practice, and keeping a suitable unobstructed line of sight, it's easy to see the handsignals and understand them. In daylight, with the use of hand signals, it could be argued that shunting can be impeded, especially at busy locations, or ones with visual distractions as caused by the environment itself. The "20ft rule" thats quoted here is most interesting, as the 6ft/3ft distances for the mainline hwve not changed in a very long time. This could trigger w possible review of arrangement uk wide, perservation or mainline. Kevin, I will admit I take slight humour in your comment, it often seems to ring very true. I have friends who volunteer at various railways and the "out the woodwork" really holds true to type!! However, that said, whilst the number of volunteers might be better on such occasions, as a mainline operational worker, I can't help but to consider that this sort of scenario could be a hindrance rather than a help. Whilst operations staff will need to be assessed and have a safety and competency record for safety critical duties, each railway will work this in a slightly different way, although they will mandate to the requirements of the RSSB and the ORR. My thoughts are, that if you have volunteers who aren't regular in their tasks, even with assessments, they could potentially make mistakes. True, to err is to be human, but if you have trained skills you have to keep using them to make sure you don't lose them. If that makes sense? I concur, obviously, I will wait for a full or interim RSSB report to come out first before making full judgement etc, but I have my own private thoughts on this and I can't help but think the same. This, right here. If I made a mistake on such a scale at work, I would expect to be held to account in such fashion. Obviously, each incident is unique, no two are the same, but when the statutes of law for health and safety exist, and where there is a comprehensive rulebook mainframe and good guidance readily available to operators and railways, a standard needs to be upheld for the safety of everyone. The number one priority of any rail operation, whether that's a preserved railway, light rail system, national network, anything, is its safe operation. Whenever incidents do happen though, is always an opportunity to learn and progress, and we should all remember that.

Small progress today for about an hour and a bit. Not had much chance this week to do modelling, further complicated by flat hunting to move in with my partner (christ that's stressful). So, I'm going with option B, I have considered all feedback, and many good points were raised, thank you for providing those views. In my heart, I'm being told to for option B, don't know why, but hey, modelling is a part time of happiness, and if I feel happy making the decision, why not? So on that note I ordered another sheet of terraced backs from Sankey Scenics, and have already cut out one of the parts I've needed to complete the second row. the top one, my dad cut out when helping the proof of concept for the backscene. The bottom one is mine and I feel I've done well. I also started trimming up the first layer on the mounting card. This was tricky cutting wise. A Scalpel wouldn't cut it, so I used a snap blade knife and it went through the card lovely. I didn't take photos of every step today, however, I found the core cutting easier with the snap blade, and then I used the scalpel to neaten things up. Mounting board is fibrous in the middle, and the stray strands of fibre can impede the final product. Now I haven't done the whole length yet, as this is both time consuming and focus intensive. Where there s small gap between the factories on the left, I will stick in some brick sheet or a chimney stack over it, so that everything n looks joined up. That's all for today.

Top song that. If you go on YouTube, there's a live version from a festival and it's epic. Sounds amazing.

Being a youngster, I haven't watched a lot of the stuff he starred in. That being said, I've seen the Great escape and, interestingly, I have watched all the colditz episodes, which I thought he was fantastic in. I love that series, the BBC made a good series with sometimes limited budget, and Sir David played a fantastic character. I really must pick up and watch a man from U.N.C.L.E.

Thought I'd conjur up an interesting one for the music lovers. Now music is a far reaching past time and covers various eclectic tastes, genres, moods and even topics. Obviously with RMweb being a forum for all people, I think its safe to say that if you are listening to something with explicit lyrics etc, then just put the title of the song and artist name, rather than a link to it on YouTube, Spotify, etc. I'll kick it off, recently had a binge on early 80s metal music, namely Mercyful Fate's Melissa album. Musically I've just stuck it on repeat as the guitar work and melodies are on point. What's in your play list? Etc

That's a point I forgot to consider. Thanks for pointing that out. I will have a look when I can afford some time to watch. Thank you The only downside I see with that, is on the product page itself, it stipulates it cannot be used with sprung couplings? I know that whilst NEM rapido style aren't technically sprung, surely the resistance could be such that it would prevent the arm from functioning? Funny you said this.... I had a thought that I could have a couple of strategically placed magnet bars mounted in rails underneath the board, with some thick wire as a handle so I could just c slide the bar to where the stock needed uncoupling..... hmmmm.

I'm preliminarily looking into coupling solutions for my micro ish layout (link in description) so that I can draw up costings etc so that I can budget the later stages of my build. In an effort to avoid the "hand of god" (or in my case hand of doom as I have a tendency to knock stock over), I thought I'd look into ways of making shunting hands off, so to speak. I notice that Dapol have the easi shunt system which seems to be very similar to the microtrains style couplings. I have some questions about them to help me in my endeavours. With the easi shunts, they offer long and short arm couplings. As my layout is a straight end to end, I take it I wouldn't need long arm couplings? my assumption here is that the length has more to do with the curvature of the track? easi shunts are magnet operated, and my layout will have confined operations. Permanent magnets might cause me an issue. Would it be possible to use simple electro magnets instead to uncouple stock? I would assume it is, but I thought I would ask. are there any other coupling systems that are just as easy to use? Or is this the best bet? Anyone who uses the easi shunts, how have you got on with them? Some observations have been added in blue. Many thanks

My millionaire uncle left me a stately home in his will I don't know where "Sod hall" is, but I'm sure excited to get it!

And I think B covers all of that quite well. An industrious suburban area, built in Victorian times, with the bendigo of it being Midland region, which could place it in the industrial North, the textiles capitals of the Midlands, or the equally grafting factories of East end London. The wall is nice, even if it's a slight pig to get spot on. Pritt stick was my saviour with that. Admittedly, I don't use the likes of rocket card glue, instead going for cheap and cheerful Pritt stick and Tacky glue from Hobbycraft. Scale model scenery mixed a trick there, if there was a small selection of complementing gates for various uses, that would be the icing on the cake. Possibly.... although I'm growing to like B. I see what you are saying though. Food for thought, nevertheless.

I had wondered about using different backs from the same supplier.

This has crossed my mind, but I feel that it would require editing and use of graphics editors or photoshop (or equivalent), which at this moment I can't as my PC is out of action. Timescale is between circa 1953ish to 1968ish. Going on the fact that station branding would have been consistent at this time, as the corporate image took some time to roll out post 66. Region most likely to be Midland. If you look at my layout thread, link in sig, the station building will be facing the track and will be situated on the left hand side as you look at the front.... .... akin to this. Thanks for replying btw.

I'm interested, any particular reason why? I'm leaning more towards B as I think about it....