DavidLong

Bob, The following may be of interest. A couple of months ago I learnt of a couple of new decoders from Doehler & Haass which they have produced for Modellbahn Union. These are small N scale sizes decoders which, according to the information, have two small capacitors on board. I haven't had the opportunity to try one out yet although I do have a converted Farish 64xx for which one may be appropriate. Modellbahn Union info is here: https://www.modellbahnunion.com/HO-OO-gauge/PD10MU-3-DCC-locomotive-decoder-with-6-pigtails.htm?shop=modellbahn-union-en&SessionId=&a=article&ProdNr=DH-PD10MU-3&p=802 They are also available via ebay and DM toys (an associate of Modellbahn Union): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384985473617 They are actually relatively cheap but of course the postage cost puts them up nearer the usual £30. D&H do generally seem to have a decent reputation. Somewhat surprisingly there don't seem to be any D&H agents in the UK but as these decoders are made for a specific company that mat not make any difference. David

I wouldn't normally offer a link to an article in the general press about the current state of the railway but Gwyn Topham has been doing the job at the Graun for a few years now and generally gives a decent summary. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/28/great-british-railways-is-dead-rail-industry-at-lowest-ebb-since-the-days-of-railtrack Summary "we are in a hole and are still digging"! It does, of course, feature a couple of quotes from the 'world's greatest transport correspondent™' David

If you like scenic modelling these branches south of Edinburgh in the valley of the North Esk are an absolute gift. Another similar station is Lasswade on the Penicuik branch with a tunnel at one end but with an impressive curved viaduct over the North Esk at the other. It also had a small goods yard at a lower level than the single platform station. http://disused-stations.org.uk/l/lasswade/index.shtml That link also includes a useful map of the lines in the area. Lasswade was featured in a small article by P D Hancock in the May 1953 issue of Railway Modeller. Incidentally, AuchEndinny appears as AuchinIndinny on the NLS 1905 map but helpfully translates it in the search box. Be interesting to know if the change in the name was as a result of the railway company mis-spelling the name. It has been known! David

Excellent work, as usual, Jerry. All in all though an excellent argument for modelling diesels! Although I believe in the early days of EE Type 1s use was sometimes made of still-extant turntables to get the cabs to face front. I thought that John Greenwood may get a mention. 'Bodmine' had one at the station but the real 'tour de force' was the train table in the fiddle yard which could be operated, several feet away, from the station. The noise that it generated confirmed that it was working! David

This station featured in a two page article in the May 1965 issue of Model Railway Constructor. This was in the series of 'Editor/A N Other visits' that they were running around that period. Passenger services had been withdrawn at the commencement of the summer timetable in 1964. A delightful station which wouldn't really make a layout in itself but maybe as an intermediate on a terminus to fiddle yard affair. A siding to shunt in each direction! David

I learnt about this from Tony Wilkins' writings in the Model Railway Constructor forty years ago and I've used this method ever since and that's in 2FS with code 40 rail. The difficult and often frustrating part with Code 40 is retaining the foot on the inside edge which isn't large to begin with on BH rail. For some strange reason I always find it easier with the switch on one side of the point but not the other. Tony also produced a (early) computer tabulation of the dimensions of standard point work for the 'Big 4' companies. This was my guide until Templot rode to the rescue . . . You may just be able to make out the retained foot on the left side switch on the attached photo: David

As usual ,Bob, Dr Allen has the answer! In 'Diesels in East Anglia' he has two photos on the Waveney Valley line which feature the 'big' Hunslets. Both were taken in 1964 and one features D2558 light engine at Ditchingham and the other, D2559 on the Pointers sand train just outside Ditchingham. As to be expected at this date they are both in green with wasp stripes. 'First Generation Diesels in East Anglia', the Transport Treasury volume featuring the Doctor's photos has two more. Both are the sand train, one at Geldeston and the other at Ditchingham. The latter volume has excellent reproduction of the photos but, sadly, the captions lack the intimacy of the the good Doctor's orignals in the former volume. Incidentally, at the opening of Ipswich diesel depot in late 1959 it had six 'big' Hunslets, three 'small' Hunslets, four BR 204hp and one Drewry. David

Morning, Bob. Is there a small window of opportunity up to the withdrawal of the the N7s? Ipswich diesel depot opened in November 1959 and had an allocation of Classes 21, 24 and 31. There are some excellent photos in the Irwell Press volume 'Diesel Depots - The Early Years' that were taken on the opening day, 4th November 1959. The 24 and 31 are easily enough solved but the sad NB Type 2s could provide you with another 'interesting' scratch build! They are also short engines which would suit them to a small layout. Your knowledge of the local network at the time is obviously far better than mine but a running of both elderly and newer steam locomotives with the new diesels would give a good impression of transition in East Anglia. David

Do you have a link, Ian? I can't find it in a Google search. David

I don't see the link between D2221 and DS1173! David

That'll be three different buffer shapes . . . David

John, Here's a 1:6 Outside Barry Slip in 2FS. Does this look ok? Done in PCB I suspect that the gapping may be interesting! David

John, Is the Templot for the Barry Slip created by overlaying two turnouts face-to-face? I don't think that Martin has created an automated way of producing one unless I've missed it. David

If AXC take the 221s from AWC there is always the full fleet of Meridians that will be available when EMR receive their Hitachi units. These latter should, by now, work 'out of the box' so apart from driver training could be available in a reasonable timescale. (Reasonable. The DfT . . .) I would have thought that the Meridians would be a more than adequate replacement for the GWR HSTs. The only other units that will become available over the next year or so are the TfW 175s. Selfishly I am rather hoping that they may be snapped up by Northern. Replacing thirty five year old Sprinters with twenty year old units may seem like a good deal but Northern's finances are so desperate I think that they may keep flogging the old 'uns for a while yet. David

That should keep Shop 1 happy for a while! David

Nice work, Bob. It looks like you perseverance was worth it. Are you teasing again. This looks like another layout. Where has this one popped up from? David

Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Merseyside Combined Authority is still in place. He is the equivalent of Andy Burnham (GMCA) and Andy Street (WMCA). The mayoral changes on Merseyside involve only the City of Liverpool and I'm still not sure that I understand them! David

And Peco track will never be as good as yours. Lovely work. David

That Vanwide is a bit good! David

Interesting, John. What control unit are you planning on using? David

A clever photograph, Keith. It avoids the headland at Tonfanau just north of Tywyn but still manages to include the Llŷn. A delightful scene. David

I think that I have found the answer to my own question, again from derbysulzers : "During 1968 a new terminal was established by Quickmix Concrete Co. Ltd at Thorpes Bridge Junction (opposite Newton Heath depot), roadstone was supplied from Tunstead in the ICI bogie hoppers. Additional terminals were later opened by Tilcon at Collyhurst Street, Miles Platting and Portwood, Stockport. The latter location was impacted by the construction of the M63 and moved to Bredbury, Stockport. These traffic flows ended in the early 1990s." Apart from Stockport, all these depots are in East Manchester and would account for the wagons being at Guide Bridge as part of the journey to one of these depots. https://www.derbysulzers.com/5274.html David

Tunstead is in Derbyshire and the Northwich trains usually progress across South Manchester, hence why I am puzzled as to why those wagons would be at Guide Bridge. Thanks for confirmation of the view. Edit to add: I couldn't quite remember the exact route but I just found this on the Derby Sulzers website (it's for the empties but loadeds just did the reverse): "The Lostock Works, north-east of the station accessed the main line via Northwich yard. The limestone empties would then head east and follow the route through Altrincham to Deansgate Junction and Skelton Junction. The route continued through Northenden and Cheadle, beyond which the trains would take the former Midland Railway route towards Hazel Grove and the lengthy Disley Tunnel. After New Mills South Junction came Chinley then Chinley North & South Junctions. After a short distance came the lengthy Dove Holes Tunnel, the deep cutting at the south (east) end was followed by the site of Peak Forest station and then the quarries and works located at Tunstead and Great Rocks." David

Is that looking North West towards the Llŷn Peninsula? David

Other interest in the photo: On the left is a train of ICI hoppers. Why would they be at Guide Bridge? Three what appear to be refrigerated ferry wagons in the train. On the left a still-intact water crane, three years after the end of BR steam. As this photo is half a century old (!) now and Guide Bridge is much changed, is this the western end that we are looking at and the train would be coming off the Stockport line? The headcode would certainly indicate an eastbound train. David