ikcdab

At Williton on the WSR, the level crossing gates adjacent to the box are worked by hand, not by a gate wheel. Once the gates are across the road, then they are bolted by a lever in the box. When I first started as a signalman at Williton in 1984, the gates were closed by hand, then locked with a hand lever on the gate. This lever was connected to a long rod that reached back to the hinge post: moving the handle moved the rod that then caused a simple bolthole at the hinge post to rotate to line up to take the bolt that was operated by the lever from the box. I always thought this was a weak mechanism, the rod always seems whippy and if things were worn, then i think the gates could have been opened even when bolted. At some point this mechanism has been replaced with a much neater solution that just locks the catch - the attached pic is fairly self-explanatory. I presume that the original design was of GWR origin, maybe even B&E as the gate locking dates from the 1870s. I also presume that the current mechanism is a more modern BR(W) design? I cannot now remember when the locking was updated, i guess it was more than 20 years ago. Its a pity as the original was (I presume) a heritage feature that was unceremoniously ripped out and discarded. Can anyone add any details on GWR or BR(W) manual level crossing gate bolting mechanisms?

I guess this is the old split chassis design. With any problem like this you need to approach it systematically. I would apply power directly to the motor terminals and see if the motor runs. Then work back from there. Its split chassis, so you need to make sure that there is continuity from the wheel treads to the chassis and nothing is bridging the insulation gaps.

The Hornby pullmans have a similar mechanism and mine were also derailing in the same way. I found that there was roughness on the upperside of the cam that prevented it rotating smoothly. sanding off these rough edges sorted the problem for me.

I do stir very well between prints as I do think there is some kind of separation of the resin if I let it stand. But I don't think resin goes off like that? It isn't an organic compound. I have recently been printing parts with 4mm scale rivets. I am finding miniature indentations on the FEP after printing. I am now thinking that maybe some of the rivets were not supported and ended up floating in the resin. Next print they end up getting compressed by the build plate and indent into the FEP. So filtering resin is my new cause celebre.

Its worth remembering that regular or normal services should only use a properly signalled route. In an emergency then different rules apply, but here I am referring to normal, timetabled services. For passenger trains, that means that any facing points must be capable of being locked and there should be a signal authorising movement over the points. If those are not supplied then the answer to your question is yes, the train will always take the left hand route.

The standard pw hut came with a toolshed that is similar to the one you show. But the ones I have seen do not have windows, so I'm not sure. The whole point of these prefabricated buildings was that parts were interchangeable and so all sorts of variations can occur. The only thing we can be certain of is that it's a storage shed of some sort.

So after all of the advice on here I am now getting good results. I now need to print some track bases today need to be perfectly flat on the bottom. Supports always give me little lumps that need sanding off. Would it be ok to print these bases directly on the build plate? I will have a go later and see, but wanted any input you guys had. Ian

Sounds like that's a lifetime's supply.

I don't know but in 40+years of modelling, I have yet to empty a pot. The real answer is that it depends! How many coaches, how many coats, how much you thin it. I think one pot will go quite a long way. Certainly it will do 3 or 4 coaches.

Hi Rob welcome to the forum. I am in Taunton so not far away. I have also used MERG kits, mainly SERVO4 and love them. My track is also hand built, but in 16.5mm. if you're passing we are always open for visitors. Ian

thanks. i had not really given much thought to the fact that a train might have had several kitchens and hence several sets of cooking staff. No wonder the fares were so high. New question, when did roof boards stop being carried? Their use looks intermittent anyway?

March 2019 That issue shows a picture of the kit and has an article "How to customise a terraced house kit" I think thats the one.

Hi guys I don't want this to run away with itself. This is a model railway that, like most, is imaginary. I have included features I like, not necessarily all fully plausible. So I have no runrounds because I enjoy the fun of engine release. I have a gantry by my tunnel because I like signal gantries and tunnels. I also have an engine shed with 10 engines sat in it doing nothing and a track gauge of 16.5mm.... But I want it to look right. Plausible (that word again). This is 1960s on the southern region. It's double track mainline probably West of Salisbury. But it could be East.....but definitely the LSWR main line to the west. I have a double track branch to an urban terminus that was modernised. Above Tulse Hill was mentioned and, coincidentally, the signalbox is a model of Tulse Hill. So imagine Tulse Hill, 1960s, but transplanted to the west and modelled as an expanded Minories terminus. Photo below shows the approach. I now want to add some signalling cables that look right. I like the concept of the concrete trunking being like a tree and individual wires out. How many wires run to a point machines such as the one in the foreground? I now plan to have a location cabinets on the left, the trunking running towards it, then a cable going under the lines to the point machine.

Hi Michael thanks for the comments. All valid points, but the railway is built and I'm not changing it now. It works well and we use shunt release for incoming trains. The layout is basically Minories with added sidings. So the two crossovers are as designed by CJF. My thread shows progress. What I am doing now is adding the details such as the point wiring. Ian

Ok. HW on the plan is hand worked so no GPLs needed there. I think I am just missing one on the exit from the top left goods headshunt. I do actually have RIs on the gantry, just didn't show them on the plan. I am sure you are right about the shunt signal on the gantry, but I like gantries and wanted to have one! I also have RIs on the platform starters.