MickRalph

I was about to post a note about this video, but I see that @Schooner got there before me. The video was taken last September, when we took the Pulborough (LBSCR 1912) layout to display in the village of Pulborough during the annual Heritage Weekend. During the weekend Barry Luck took enough video content for 3 or 4 videos, so watch out for more content in due course. All the locos and stock were built by Barry or his son over the course of the last 40 years or so. During the weekend, we decided that the layout (and its operators) are getting too old and the layout requires to much work before each outing to make it viable to keep the layout in good operating condition; also, storage of the layout had become a problem. Thus, the decision was taken to withdraw the layout from the exhibition circuit. It was fitting that the last outing for the layout was in the village on which it is based - it is an exact scale model of the station as it was in the 1912 period. This was not a usual model railway exhibition and there was much interest from the local public about how their station area looked around 100 years ago and the way the railways operated in that era. During the course of the weekend we offered the layout to the Pulborough Society (without any stock or the controls) and they accepted it. I do not know how or whether they intend to display the layout in the future. Mick

De Dion Bouton seem to have built their own engines at some time; in the book "Voie metrique en Correze - P.O.C.", it is stated that 6 autorails bought in 1936 and 1938 (de Dion Bouton type ML) were powered by De Dion-Bouton petrol engines of 6 cylinders of type 100/140 of 70HP. The neighbouring Tramways of the Correze had several types of De Dion Bouton railcars; the JA and JM models had motors of 20HP and 25HP respectively - the builder of these engines is not stated. The book "Les Petits Trains de Correze" confirms that the MLs had de Dion Bouton engines and similarly doesn't say who built the engines for the JA and JM models. Edit: this seems to be at variance with the information given by Gordon above, These books state that Willeme provided the motive power for later Verney railcars. Mick Ralph

As one of Barry's operating team, I would point out that this is an exhibition layout, not full size, so that we have some constraints. We have to keep a steady stream of trains moving to keep the public entertained; and the distance to the fiddleyards is a few feet, rather than several miles to the next signal box. The layout (which is DC) is fully signalled, with full interlocking, and drivers drive away from themselves and must drive by the signals. The home and distant signals are on not actually on the layout and are represented by LED lights on the control panel indicating to the driver whether either or both signals is pulled. Clearly, there is no starter signal in the fiddleyard, so that when a train has been accepted by the Plumpton signalman, the indication that the train may leave the fiddleyard is pulling off the home signal (and the distant, if the train has been accepted by the other fiddleyard and the route is set all the way). As the train enters the layout shortly after the lever for the home signal has been pulled, we c ould argue that Rule39(a) was observed; of course, pulling the signal is necessary to release the train from the fiddleyard. As to closing the crossing gates to traffic before answering the bell code, this is necessay to avoid undue delay in the procession of trains through the layout. Mick Ralph

I have previously drawn attention to Barry Luck's P4 model based on Plumpton (ex-LBSCR) in 1912. Barry has started a series of films about the layout and its operation - we run to a "timetable" sequence and the layout is controlled by a fully interlocked mechanical lever frame, with communication between the "signal box" and the fiddle yards being by bellcodes using replica block instruments. The films are on Barry's Youtube channel. The first of the videos can be found here. Mick Ralph

I remember that I was in contact with Paul a few years ago. I have a house in the Correze (though sadly I have been able to visit it only once this year). It is near Treignac, which was a terminus on the POC, but the TC is my favourite line. There is are long-distance signposted routes (both by road and on footpaths) along the whole of the TC for the POC), though sadly the Syndicat which oversaw the creation of the trail is no longer around. Several of the station buildings and other infrastructure or vehicles have been restored. I, too, have four or five books on the lines. My avatar is of the Viaduc des Rochers Noirs. My intention is to build a model of the TC - the station being a copy of Lapleau (which had an engine shed and workshop), though named as Marcillac, so that I can also build the line ascending through Marcillac town centre on a 90 degree curve, before crossing a representation of the Viaduct. However, realistically, this is really too big to build, as the viaduct itself is massive and the valley it spans is very deep. I have put up a new bench in the garage, using old kitchen units, so that I may be able start the layout before toooo long I model otherwise in P4, so that I am modelling the TC in 1:55 scale, with a P4 track gauge - EM would be closer to scale, but ... I have some partially completed scratchbuilt models of the various early railcars of the TC and have been wondering how to model the Billard railcars - don't think Simon does the correct version yet? I have drawn up the plans for the Piguet locomotives and have used my Silhouette cutter to scribe the plans onto nickel-silver, but have not yet got round to starting to cut it out (after several years). I have a plasticard body for one of the locos, but need to start building the chassis - I have all the parts I need, wheels, motor gearbox, etc. I have also part completed models of the station and the engine shed, and also of my house to put on the layout. Mick

I presume that you are aware that the next issue of Voie Libre (due July) will cover the A80D in its Dossier feature? I would be interested in buying the Tramways of the Correze version in 1:55 scale. I have been contemplating scratchbuilding one to go with the earlier Saurier, Tartary and deDion Bouton railcars which I am building in plasticard. Mick Ralph

Oh dear! I haven't used the cutter for quite a while, but I have some work I need to do soon. I must connect the cutter with the laptop to see if it works or not. If not, it is a good job we are going to France on Wednesday, as the only non-win10 computer I have is in our French house. I will have to take the cutter with us so that I will be able to flash the firmware on it. Mick

... and the person in the foreground was an exhibitor (me), not a visitor! Mick Ralph

We will be exhibiting Plumpton Green (LB & SCR c1910) at the Bluebell Railway show over this weekend. I will be operating the layout on Sunday (in the carriage shed at Horsted Keynes) and will be operating the signal box at Kingscote all day on Saturday. Come and say hello if you visit the railway either day. Mick

The phrase in question (in broad dialect) was printed in a Progress Report on Torpoint Mk IV (not a letter to the Editor) in the December 1963 issue of RM. I have been scannining all my old issues of RM and MRC. Mick

Superb - I'm fascinated to see the approach to operating the jacks, as I have been struggling to work out how to operate a self-contained turntable mechanism on some French metre-gauge railcars, where a plate was would down to the rails and then wound further to raise the railcar, which was then turned to face the other direction by shoulder power. Mick

Graham, In the "material settings" area you can set the "number of passes" for the material you are using. If this is set to "2", then there will be 2 cuts made; if you click "Send" twice, then you will get four cuts in total. I would check this first. Mick

I, too, arrived at 11:00 on Saturday and found that the streets opposite were full. I found plenty of parking space on the roads just under half a mile back towards the motorway. A great show and lots of young families present. I would have gone on Sunday, when it is always much quieter, but I was otherwise busy then. Mick

The issue of scribing/embossing has been covered a couple of times in this thread, using a diamond dresser tool purchased from Ebay. You could look at post 541, or do a search for "diamond dresser" in <this thread> to get a listing of the various references to the techniue. Mick

Thanks for the information about the repair. I have one that probably needs that replacement. Now to look for a capacitor, with no Maplins to help out. Mick