bbishop

But not around in 1917. Bill

I think it may have been Sir Sam Fay*, which provides the GCR link. Seriously, what options were there if a fairly modern eight coupled loco was the option. Further refinement would be two cylinders, leading pony truck, simplicity of maintenance - that just leaves GNR and GCR. Bill *I can't off-hand find a reference for this so am prepared to stand corrected.

I take a Brunswick green highlight pen, sit down with the guide and mark those layouts depicting a certain unmentionable company. Then work out routes avoiding the highlighted areas. Bill

The LSWR acquired some ROD locomotives after WW1. Couldn't do Saturday reliefs at 50mph or the Ascot race specials. Returned with thanks. The LSWR decided on the 4-6-0 for its freight loco. Busy drafting the notes for breaking down the Stevenage exhibition in January. Better permit the use of hand trolleys. Bill

Tony, Thanks very much. Bill

Gentlemen & Ladies, For an LSWR and DB aficionado, could someone explain the various O4 sub classes? I think the O4/7 is the GCR locomotive with a Thompson boiler, but I could be very wrong! Bill

Kangaroo? B

So there are "right" layouts and "wrong" layouts, and GJ is very much a right layout. I was working the station and perhaps my main problem was remembering which were up and down. I operated all the stopping services and some of the fast trains, which tended to slow for a signal check - so I could eyeball some prototypical train formations. Andy would warn me when he would operate a fast train. A very pleasurable three hours passed in no time at all. Bill

I visited thegreenhowards yesterday to collect the GNR horsebox and was invited upstairs to operate a chunk of the East Coast Main Line. Is was a very enjoyable session - three hours just flew past. It's DCC, so when I dialled in "36", I was expecting an A3; instead it was a Britannia on the Cleethorpes. Bill

Baz, I looked into this when I became a exhibition manager over ten years ago. Couldn't find anything on the interwebby thing so used common sense, but I set minimum widths to The Office, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963. This meant six foot between stands (including barriers) or four foot between stand and wall / window. Bill

Dorchester; the proposal was for the LSWR to strike to the West from Dorchester. The plan was derailed by lack of finance and the line was built from Salisbury rather than Dorchester.. Of course, it left Salisbury with a quirky track plan and THE accident. Back to Dorchester. There were a set of plates with numbers on (screwed to sleepers?), which were the drivers' stopping point before reversing into the up platform. Bill

I've looked up limonene, and I may be allergic to it. Limonene is a hydrocarbon found in orange peel. If I eat oranges or grapefruit, or drink their juices, I spend the next few hours upchucking. Unsure exactly which chemicals I'm actually allergic to, but will be steering a wide berth away from limonene in the future. Bill

SB lives in a garden shed and is sensitive to changes in the weather. The impact of a derailment can be affected by a number of factors - how quickly did the driver react, was it under 'A' box. I'm sure we had to wind over a few point motors (pulling out the tray requires a slim Loco Yard operator) but I don't think any points actually failed during your visit. Points #65 and #79 have a bit of a reputation. So SB is not an exhibition layout, but it is an operational layout and we are delighted to receive visitors on six Saturdays a year. Bill

Mr Whizz, I thought you were commenting on St. Mellion, I which case I would have disagreed with you. However, I do agree with you regarding Sidmouth. If you regard LLS as a working diorama, then it is a superb layout: I spent an hour in front of it at Warley, absolutely worth the time. I walked straight past Sidmouth. How about Southwark Bridge is you are considering a reasonable sized P4 layout. Fifty odd foot, terminus to fiddle yard, with some very complex trackwork and an intensive operating sequence. Not an exhibition layout, but visits to an operating day can always be arranged. Bill

I just let them bounce. But there is a fair amount of lead to ensure the wagon stays on the track. But the modification I so make is to insert a filed smooth Peco washer behind the top hat, this obviates slop. Bill