Three Cocks Junction

From "The Heyday of Steam in South Wales by Derek Huntriss: September 1963 at Dowlais Cae Harris. 0-6-2T No. 5660 with 2 non-corridor coaches. 1st an ex-GW 2nd, then a BR MK1 brake 2nd, both lined maroon. Brake end in the middle of the train. From "On Cambrian Lines" by Derek Huntriss: August 1963 at Oswestry. 2-6-0 No. 46512 with 2 non-corridor coaches. 1st a BR MK1 2nd, then an ex-GW brake 2nd, both lined maroon. Brake end in middle of train again. I can't tell whether the MK1 2nd is compartment or open. Said to be the Llanfyllin branch train.

HOUGHAM The station closed entirely on 16/09/1957. Removal of sidings and pointwork associated with local goods traffic probably followed shortly afterwards (no records found). Only the down loop, trailing crossover and up refuge siding remained. The up refuge siding (last remnant of the goods depot layout) was shortened to 6 wagon lengths in November 1964. This was an accountancy move. The siding was abolished on 28/07/1969. The signal box was abolished during the Grantham-Claypole resignalling of 30/04/1972. The down loop was abolished on 13/09/1976. This is all that is known of the decline of the layout at Hougham.

Hi again Jools The signal box you want was Spital Junction. Thus you could call the location of your layout “Spital Junction". On 09/03/1969 “The Loco Fuelling and Inspection Depot at the back of Spital Junction signal box was brought into use”. Spital Junction signal box was abolished over the weekend of 2-3/12/1972. Many layout/signalling alterations took place in between. The detail would be far too much to post here.

Hi Jools 1959 There is really no short answer to this so I'll skim the details. Between Spital and Westwood bridges you have first, Westwood Yard, and further across, the new EMU sidings on the site of the former Spital Yard. Then beyond that, the former NCL Depot which was closed and demolished c.1988, and ToysRUs built on the site. TRS is now as gone as NCL. North of Westwood Bridge there were a further four yards on the former GN lines, as well as the steam MPD. What remains now is the former West Yard (perhaps now referred to as Eastfield), and some remnants of the former North Yard and Parcels Terminal/electrification depot. How what you see now came about, is a long story. not for here. PM me with your specific questions. I have answers.

Peakirk, St. James Deeping and Littleworth stations were not all closed in 1970. They were closed to passengers on 11th September 1961. And to goods on 27th April 1964 (Peakirk) and 15th June 1964 (the other two).

Werrington Junction was remodelled in 1959. The resulting version held until: (WON 39N/1968) WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 1968 - BETWEEN SPITAL JUNCTION AND WERRINGTON JUNCTION New England East, New England North and New England South Signal boxes and New England “B” Shunt Cabin will be abolished, together with all associated points and signals other than as mentioned below. The following lines and Sidings will be abolished:- The Up Coal line between Werrington Junction and a point opposite New England South Signal box. The Departure Sidings between Walton and New England North Signal boxes, together with the associated signals. All lines between New England North and New England East signal boxes, together with the North Down Yard, Loco Shed, Angle Sidings, Wagon Repair Sidings and the Old Coal Yard. That was the first major cut of New England Yards and MPD. This is only the first couple of paragraphs. The rest is too long to post here. PM me if you want the rest. The remodelling came later.

Looks like "No Platform For Diesels!"

Here are the dates for singling Heckington-Boston and Boston-Sibsey. MAS came later. WON 18N/1981 SUNDAY 3 MAY 1981 - BETWEEN HUBBERTS BRIDGE AND BOSTON WEST STREET Wyberton signal box will be reduced in status to a Gate box. The line between Hubberts Bridge and Boston West Street will be converted to a Single Line worked in accordance with the Track Circuit Block (Single Line) regulations. The single line (using for the most part the former Down Main Line) will extend from the crossover adjacent to Sleaford Sidings Ground Frame (which will be worked at the Up Main end only from Boston West Street signal box) to a new double to single line connection (worked at the Up Main end only by Hubberts Bridge signal box). A disc signal operated from Sleaford sidings ground frame and applying towards Sleaford Sidings will be elevated 6ft above rail level on the post of this signal. (Sleaford Sidings ground frame will now only operate this disc signal and the slip points leading to Sleaford Sidings). WON 15N/1981 SPK SUNDAY 12 APRIL 1981 - BETWEEN BOSTON GRAND SLUICE AND SIBSEY Maud Foster and High Ferry signal boxes will be reduced in status to Gateboxes. The Down Main will be slued into the Up Main immediately north of Boston station. The Down Main between Boston Grand Sluice (Boston station slue) and Sibsey will be converted to a single line worked in accordance with the Track Circuit Block (single line) Regulations. The redundant Up Main will be subsequently removed. Intermediate level crossings:- Boston Grand Sluice will supervise the following level crossings:- Tattershall Road, Robin Hoods Walk, Red Cap Lane. Maud Foster gatebox will continue to supervise Pilleys Lane and Willoughby Road. Sibsey will supervise the following level crossings:- Wells Lane, Hurn Lane No. 1, Hurn Lane No. 2, High Ferry Lane, Wards Dyke. These are the original Weekly Operating Notice texts with most of the signalling details omitted.

Bexhill West. You can see it on NLS Maps.

Try this at Kew: MT 6/74/7 Great North of Scotland Railway: Macduff extension; 1870 – 1871 It might have a scale signalled plan and it might not. Best give it a shot.

You can read all about it here: https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/pullfree.asp?FilePath=ArchiveSignals\Downloads\brer&FileName=1971-22.pdf And here: https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/pullfree.asp?FilePath=ArchiveSignals\Downloads\brer&FileName=1971-23.pdf Enjoy!

Lostock Junction https://maps.nls.uk/view/126520382 https://maps.nls.uk/view/126520394 (for the bridge)

Based on virtually the entire BR network up to c. 1985 - Cleethorpes. It just looks like the rsole of the universe. I saw plenty more on my travels, but I can't recall them all. From the BR Modernisation Plan - Euston and Birmingham New St. were uninspiring but they did what they had to do at the time. The other major brutalist "concrete jungle" reconstructions on the LNWR lines were Macclesfield, Wolverhampton HL, Stafford, Northampton and Wembley Central, none of which ever qualified as an "oil painting" in any visual sense, except perhaps Coventry which may have been the best of the bunch. At least Ivan Stedeford didn't manage to knock that lot on the head before they came to pass. On the other side of the Beeching Part 2 "Network For Development", Stevenage ("new") on the former GNR just sucks. Then on the same lines, Finsbury Park probably qualifies as "least sympathetic" cutback of station buildings/awnings. Of the several "resurrections from the dead", Birmingham Snow Hill is probably among the least inspired - rightful and inevitable, but in no way a worthy successor to the sublime original.

I have certain information about Essendine South box, which might not be what is wanted. I have no photos and nothing about the structure of the box. What, then, is it that the inquirer wants to know?

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and future - say, start building it now! (With Carte Blanche and a Lottery/Heritage grant for the Gwili Railway Society to rebuild the Mid-Wales Line as a mandatory part of the deal!) Scrooge says Beeching was right all along!

What about match trucks? (or, as otherwhere, "Idler Cars"?)

SRS "BRITISH RAILWAYS LAYOUT PLANS of the 1950s" Volume 7: L&NWR Branch Lines London and East Midlands Area by Swift. This book includes all the known box diagrams for the Blisworth to Peterborough line for the BR era. "Elton Crossing" is shown merely as "GF"; i.e. crossing keeper's hut. There was no signal box between Oundle and Yarwell Junction during this epoch. All relevant notes about the lever frame are in Foster & Instone. Swift is showing the situation after complete closure of the station.

They're ours and we wants them!

Hello Moses "The John Swift Collection" BRITISH RAILWAYS LAYOUT PLANS OF THE 1950s VOLUME 15: ex-LNWR lines Crewe (excl) to Manchester & Leeds, and branches Published by the Signalling Record Society You want Page 43 You can easily find a copy on Google.

Check out Tenby, on the Whitland to Pembroke line in South-West Wales. The station is approached from the Whitland direction over a viaduct of 148 yards.The single main running line is on the right side of the viaduct; and a dead-end siding occupies the left side.The single line becomes double through the station, forming a passing loop. The siding is connected to the down line of the loop. The most obvious classic "bridge duplication" that comes to mind is at Millers Dale on the former Matlock to Chinley line of the Midland Railway. Between Millers Dale Lime Coys Siding signal box and Millers Dale station box the double line was quadrupled for a short distance across the River Wye. The original double track viaduct was duplicated by a second in a sllghtly different style. The lines from east to west became Down Fast and Down Slow across the new viaduct; and Up Slow and Up Fast across the original viaduct. The two viaducts can still be seen; and, I think, one of them walked. That's as close as I can get to "Passing loops on bridges". No doubt there were more to be found somewhere.

I have too many. If it has to be one: Nottingham Victoria. The Powers-That-Be could not suffer such excellence to be, in the era of new Euston/Birmingham New Street.

It is "Cleethorpe Road", the train has almost reached Grimsby Docks station, travelling from Cleethorpes. - Have a look on the map; http://maps.nls.uk/view/114645459.

I could probably "Armchair model" this a dozen times over, so may I offer a few suggestions, based on "prototype affinity" rather than modelling necessity. I think I understand that the intended "Down" is "going left". So let's work on that assumption. Whilst referring to the real-life track plans/signalling diagrams of Garsdale/Bakewell. So how to make and configure a direct route from branch to goods yard, which would most probably have been referred to as "Down Sidings". First. Straighten the curved dead-end siding leading from the crossover (from down sidings to up main at the station end of the goods yard), to run parallel to the down main line and join end-on to the branch platform line. This will need trap points to protect the branch platform road from the sidings exit. This can be done by moving the points of the run-round loop at this end to "outside of" the crossover from branch to down main These points then serve the dual purpose of trap/lead to the run-round. The other end of the run-round does need trap points to protect the branch. But this could be extended to make a siding or spur parallel to the branch (more stock storage/operational/shunting options). Then to the junction itself. I don't much like it as I see it. First and most obvious improvement - put a single slip in the diamond crossing trailing to the down main and facing to the branch, to provide a direct connection from branch to down main. Or crib Tebay! Make the junction a double junction where the branch lines merge to single shortly after the junction, with a trap spur protecting the down main, having facing points in the down branch. Then the branch platform line can join the branch single line further along, as it already does! Another "Settle & Carlisle style" option that screams "put me in" is, add an up "Lie-by or Refuge" siding opposite the down sidings, with trailing points in the up main located between the platform and the crossover to the goods yard. There would of course have to be trap points or a trap spur at the exit from the Lie-by. Then what about signal box placement? One or two boxes? One box might just do it, placed at the yard end of the station, perhaps between the branch and down main lines, or by the up line. The crossover from down sidings to down main would then have to be worked by ground frame. It would no doubt be necessary to "scale the distances" to ascertain whether or not the "maximum points pull" would be exceeded. Two boxes might be placed, one at the junction, and the other on the up side central between the two "yard connection" crossovers. The crossover from down main to down sidings might be improved by making the connection in the down siding a double slip, which would enable the two sidings behind the goods shed to have a better alignment for clearance round the corner of that structure. Such a scheme bristles with so many options and possibilities! But that will have to be enough.

The photos were most interesting. So here it is for the Loco: (41N/1979) THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER 1979 - KINGS CROSS PASSENGER The locomotive Servicing Depot has been closed and the following alterations to points and signals have been carried out:- The connection from Loco Spur to “D” route (No. 2011 points) has been secured out of use in the normal position pending removal and the associated ground position light signals (Nos. 10 and 11) have been abolished and the associated routes on signals 12, 14, K290 and K292 have been disconnected. The connections within West Sidings (Nos. 2010B, 2010A and 2009 points) have been converted to hand-operation. The trap points in West Sidings No. 1 (2009A) have veen (sic) secured out of use in the reverse position pending removal. A double side illuminated notice board has been provided on the site of former No. 8 ground position light signal worded as follows :- “STOP TELEPHONE” applicable to movements from West Sidings and an adjacent telephone to the signal box has been provided. “STOP, AWAIT INSTRUCTIONS” applicable to movements facing from Gas Works Tunnel. An illuminated “STOP AWAIT INSTRUCTIONS” notice board has been provided adjacent to the hand-worked trap points in the Oil Tank Siding applicable to movements facing from the Tanks. (Amended Item) (44) ​And for the West Sidings: (12N/1988 ) SUNDAY 12 JUNE 1988 - KINGS CROSS STATION The West Sidings will be taken out of use. The points leading into the West Sidings will be secured out of use in the normal position pending removal. All associated signalling will be disconnected. (14) Then on 18 September 1988 Platform 11 was brought into use.

What about this? 372-331 BR Standard Class 3MT Tank BR Plain Green Late Crest. In the catalogue since at least 2013/14. Bachmann.co.uk shows it due May/June. But no other word than that. Cash is poised and there is a sale to be made. It's not as if it's even a new tooling?