C126

Thanks, @Ravenser , for the reassurance. I was not planning on running Mk. IIIs into the platform, but made the foolish assumption the 1" from the track centre-line would allow for curves for all stock as well. I have learned another lesson. I did wonder if the platform height looked o.k.; I think Brighton, for example, had a high step up to the loco-hauled stock's floor on the old Kensington Olympia inter-regional trains. Thanks again for your contribution and time, and best wishes. Neil.

It has been another case of 'two steps forward, one back', spending a few days off in the garage on short tasks. Panicked last night at realising - why only now?! - that if my track around the passenger platforms was raised on 2.5mm. cork, there would be an unrealistic step up to the coaches. It had not dawned on me that wishing to sink the buildings into a 'scenic base' to eliminate gaps, meant they would be too low. Next I was worried the curved platform was too close to the track, so the edge stones would soon wear a groove into the sides of passing coaching stock. I rushed out to the garage to check this morning: Thankfully, the former fault appears to have negated the latter, with under-frame detail safely within the loading gauge, at least on a Mk. I coach. I will need to check the multiple units when I get the viaduct wired and powered, and can only pray their battery boxes, air tanks, etc., do not stick out any more than loco-hauled stock. Apart from this, progress has been pleasing. The dairy-man now has a modified Ratio lineside hut as housing for his milk-tank filling machinery. The roof is weathered asbestos sheet, and I sunk it into the cardboard 'concrete' base after seeing the photographs: I had a go at painting my first passenger, a free Airfix sprue with my late father's model railway mag. about fifty years ago: ... and enjoyed it so much another seven followed (please excuse the bases still attached): The beautifully dressed ladies are Andrew Stadden, of course, and my painting does not do them justice. From left to right: Sir Humphrey watches 1122 arrive, to form the 07.40 to London Bridge, although he requires Victoria for Whitehall. Col. Chutney, K.C.I.E., waits with his wife Eliza - she of the Fundamentalist Victorian Wing of the 'Irrational Dress Society' - and their maid Maud (Airfix) in the long brown coat (my first attempt at using Milliput to lengthen a costume to an attractive silhouette) for a day in Town. Meanwhile, their daughter, Harriette, harrangues young Tom, alighting at East Croydon, for his lack of hat. Major Bloodnok gazes into the middle-distance, wondering when he will ever be able to retire from a dubious financial scheme of his that works. 'Master Stephen' is off to Head Office, to report on progress on the latest widget design by the manufacturing plant in Atherington. I thought my first attempts at head-swapping, body-carving, and pricking-out moustaches with a pin better than expected, and am pleased with the ties on Sir Humphrey, Tom, and Master Stephen. It is a shame Col. Chutney's stick is not more visible, made from a bent Peco track-pin. His fore-arm, 'donated' from a Preiser figure, is not quite right at all angles, but again I was satisfied at these first attempts. I must pluck up the courage (and find the ability!) to supplement some of the gents with umbrellas. Boyed up by my unexpectedly steady hand, I added name-plates to 33 025 'Sultan', bought at D.E.M.U. Show-case 2023: ... which sits on slewed and re-ballasted track to fit in the retaining wall behind without fouling the rolling-stock. Always measure, never assume! Another day of my life I will not get back. I started laying down a load of chain for an OCA: This comprises second-hand jewellery chain (mostly of the wrong link design) upon a card base painted black and reinforced underneath with long match-sticks (although it still distorted a little). Put cling-film in the OCA and press the base in, covering it in P.V.A. glue, and slowly lay the chain into it. After letting it dry, I brushed over Humbrol silver enamel paint. It requires more 'layers' of chain and paint to fill in the gaps and cover that chain with the 'wrong' links, though. I have also started re-painting a Coles crane to convert to a grab - three coats and still the logo is visible (should have rubbed it off first): ... made two-dozen brown boxes for pallet loads, and must get on with the bodged 'Inter-frigo' IIB on a Hornby VIX chassis. But these will be for other posts.

Wonderful. Glad to see the first S.R. lineside hut in situ. Are you intending to paint the ballast? For sanity's sake, I suggest not... 😄

Sorry, @spikey , but is it an article on to-day's web-site, or this one: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/apr/15/uk-pensions-how-much-retire-cost-of-living-inflation-income by Patrick Collinson, 15th April? Thanks.

This could not be more timely for me, as my retired Beloved has had enough of being woken by the alarm-clock so I can go to work, and 'suggested' I investigate early retirement and drawing down pensions. Forecasts received so far say I would have about £8K per year to live on, which just pays my share of the essential bills. But to be honest, I am not sure what to allow for these 'essential bills' annually. Look forward to reading others' thoughts as well. Thanks.

Please permit me to differ, but I thought this is exactly what it did not do, digging deeper into the problems revealing the cause as the dead hand of H.M. Treasury, etc., beneath. I will watch it again a.s.a.p., as I could be wrong.

Can I thank you all for your advice, help, and kindness with my questions. I regret that the track is laid and ballasted, and if I have to modify it again (already wasted last weekend relaying the carriage siding), I will lose the will to live. Half the goods yard already needs relaying owing to broken points, which I am trying to find the motivation to do. I see Dapol do a 'R.T.R.' S.R. Platform Starter signals, so I will save for and buy a couple of those and see if they can be 'de-motorised', and I have Pryor's 'A pictorial record of Southern signals' for a picture of a Ground Signal. Not sure what I will do for the Inner Home/ Platform indicator yet. I invite you to amuse yourselves with further tales of exasperation and incompetence on my 'blog', forthcoming. A thousand thanks again and all good wishes. Neil.

I liked the programme very much, and even my partner thought it amusing and informative. A shame he did not touch on the dismal 'Restoring Your Railway Fund', but there was only so much time available. Will watch it again soon. I hope there might be a follow-up, perhaps in six months. Hurrah for Mr Elton.

Their uneconomic nature being commented upon thousands of times, it feels, in hundreds of different threads on RMWeb, does not stop me wishing for almost any decent R.-T.-R. S.R. E.M.U. I am now desperate enough to want a '377'.

@bécasse Thanks for your beautiful diagram. But would the 'inner home'(?) (The bracketed twin arm signal in line with the box, indicating which platform the train is heading for) need to be pushed back up the line, to permit shunting moves? Or would such a loco just obey this signal (and/or the ground signal) like every other train? Thanks again and best wishes to you all.

May I thank you all for your continued interest in this question, and helpful remarks and contributions. I fear I should have posted the proposed layout in this thread before laying and ballasting it! However, I will try and explain my thinking as to its operation. Only Platform 2 would handle loco-hauled trains (a daily inter-regional (poetic licence with only three coach capacity), rush-hour 'extras' receiving E.C.S. from London to start like the Uckfield and East Grinsteads, and newspaper/ parcels). So only one loco at a time. I was thinking of Eastbourne in the 1980's with the Saturday 'Sussex Scot' being handled on its P1, and returning E.C.S. to Brighton. Yes, the station was electrified just before the war; P1 is long enough only for two coaches (plus a bit more) and will contain the two-coach E.M.U. shuttle to the coast. P2 would be the D.E.M.U. to the (unelectrified) main line. I know this is unlikely (the London line not elctrified) but I wanted to run a representation of the loco-hauled commuter 'extra' (as above). I assumed signal f would be required to permit propelling of the loco-hauled inter-regional back into P2, after the loco had run round on the running line, ready to depart. Would something not be needed to protect P2? Thank you for @Flying Pig 's additional ground signal. I think I see how this is needed. But would this then be 'pulled off' for all trains arriving, or just locos shunting within the station limits? The Milk Dock I was thinking of shunting (I assume the loco would not stay with the tanks while being filled, like modern COY Block Trains) by having it pull into P2, run round as above, and draw out onto the running line to be propelled into the Milk Dock. This would be in a 'quiet period' of the station. (I assume one may not un-couple on the running line on arrival (if short enough so to do), pulling up short before the 'Y' point to the platforms, and run round via P2 and propel directly into the Milk Dock.) I confess I am quite out of my depth and rely on your advice, perhaps sought too late; I had not thought of single-line token requirements. My thoughts were 'unformed' about the nature of the two lines feeding the station, presuming they would be single-tracked, part-way at least, for rationalisation purposes. I hope this explains my methods, and helps any further comments. Thanks again and all good wishes.

There was an academic (female) in our library reading room a few months ago calling our holdings of such periodicals to study. All titles, it appeared. I was too nervous to ask just what she was studying them for. These are notorious for the bound volumes being labelled "Imperfect" on the spines, library jargon for 'some parts missing without trace'... 😀

Thanks so much for going to this trouble. Got to start dinner now, but will read and digest properly later. Best wishes as ever.

Wonderful little essay; loved the vignette about the First Class passengers supplying the 'wall-paper'. Something which would be lost/ unknown to most. Not surprised to hear there were no 'quiet rooms' at depots for those wishing to have a doze. Thanks.

@Michael Hodgson (I feel I should start this 'dear' as thanks for your reply 🙂 ) The "Limit of layout" is literally that. I included the rest of the track layout because I thought that influenced the signals actually on the bit modelled. The twin-single-track (rationalised) junction being just beyond the end of the run-round loop (and less than a train's length plus safety margin) from the platform starting signals I thought would mean one needed a bracket signal to indicate which route to take. If not, I am most grateful, as this means the signals are more simple (and available 'R.T.R.'). Hurrah! Again, the run-round loop cross-over with its ground signals worked as a pair, etc., I feared might influence what was on the model and 'visible' in signalling terms. I know almost nothing about the subject, and hoped this context would help any contributors of advice. All of which is most welcome, I must reiterate. Thanks again to all for your help.

Just to update the diagram, thus: Hope I have incorporated the changes suggested, although I am not sure how to indicate point locks and detection bars. And I could not find a diagram in my papers of a semaphore ground signal, alas. With thanks again.

Thanks, @The Johnster , for your tales. It is good to hear 'the human side' of any work, as this is so difficult to capture in photographs. Please could you tell something of how it felt to be on constant variable shifts - 'the human toll' - coping with horrible sleep patterns, balanced perhaps with the pleasure of being up to appreciate a sunrise, etc.? Chatting to my train-crew when commuting, it amazes me as to (a) why they can not do the same work for a whole week, and (b) how they cope with waking at such varied times on days so close together. So it must have been worse, I assume, for the poor old freight guard. Thanks.

Sorry for the delay in typing this, but thank you all for your kind remarks and suggestions. I have corrected my platform no. error, typing in haste. "2" was indeed the platform required. I was invoking a 'Rule 1' for the milk traffic, having a declining dairy 'hub' on the Sussex Weald and surroundings dispatching a few tanks up to London, part of a longer (and again fictional) train to Vauxhall, for example. A stretch of credulity I know, but I hope tolerable. Sorry also for confusion in drawing the signal arms round the wrong way! Helps if one looks at a diagram first... In answer to @Jeremy Cumberland 's second post, the loco would simply be part of an arriving/ departing passenger train I assumed first, but typing this I realise I need signals for just such a light loco movement to deliver and collect the milk tanks and parcels trains. Bother. Thank you again for your thoughts and contributions. I have much to think about and new jargon to research: e.g., "facing point locks", "detection bars", "stacked signals" (I think I have seen the latter: where the 'discs' on the ground signals are arranged vertically and overlap). It is much appreciated, and always a delight to learn about a new subject. Knowing almost nothing of the subject, I was naive to assume 'Ready to Run' models of all the 'Big Four's main signal variations would be purchasable. I will need to improve my kit-building skills as well, I fear. With many good wishes to you all. Neil.

Sorry, missed this remark. The idea is that the loco-hauled train arrives in platform 2 [Previously erroneously read "1"]. Propels/reverses train into run-round loop, and then loco is un-coupled to go forward to the start of Platform 2 [Previously erroneously read "1"]. Waits for signal to be pulled off (pukka or shunting?), and, via running line and signals (c) and (a) into the head-shunt stub, reverses onto the train and propels it back into Platform 2 [Previously erroneously read "1"] ready to depart again. I hope this is procedurally correct?!

@Jeremy Cumberland Thanks for your comments. I am quite at sea with this, so all help is appreciated. (b) looks irrelevant, as you say. I had in mind some sort of 'Limit of Shunt' (not sure what this is). (c) I thought would be needed to allow a loco onto the little 'stub' of the adjoining head-shunt. As you say (if I understand correctly), I need also a ground signal to allow a movement from Platform 1 straight ahead to the run-round loop as well (and one also to go back to Platform 2?). With thanks again for your help. Neil.

@Stationmaster Big thanks for this resource. It appears from Caterham's diagram - a similar layout to my little station - one can proceed to the main line from a shunting signal being cleared, so that is one question answered. It should be a "Milk Dock" not 'siding', as well. I will get trawling the diagrams.

I wonder if anyone could spare a few minutes to advise on the (probably multiple) errors on the signals of my passenger station, thus: I am unsure what the 'shunt'(?) signals should be and where. The track layout has been 'singled', with a run-round loop above, before the bi-directional running-line diverges off the layout. E.g., can a milk train start from the siding just with the clear from the ground signal, or should it be protected by a 'pukka' semaphore like the platforms? Apologies for the crude penmanship, and probably using symbols wrongly. I intended using colour-lights, and then realised I would need more wiring and soldering... Hope it all makes sense. All advice greatly received at your convenience. Thanks for giving this your consideration.

@young37215 Quite agree. If you would like to run off a couple of dozen more in the three colours for a fair price, I would be happy to buy. 😀

Keep up the good work, Andy. Glad to see the scenic bits continuing. I am still amazed how quickly you laid the ballast. All good wishes, Neil.

I forgot to mention I was quietly pleased to see the infiltration 'north of Watford' where the layout is set by the Southern Railway, with the concrete Tool Hut.