Model Rail #264 Summer 2019

[PaulG]

I am pleased to see my 4mm scale/OO gauge model of Colchester c1955 appears in this issue. The superb photos were taken by Chris Nevard and this is the only one that doesn't appear in the magazine.

[The Stationmaster]

Colchester is a really nice looking layout - good to see it.

 

However it appear in the same edition of MR as one of the most atrociously written and badly researched articles I have ever seen in a model railway magazine - 'Master(sic)class about signals.  I don't think I have ever seen so many basic errors published in so few pages anywhere.  The sketches - which in themselves are nice and clear don't always agree with the descriptive (???) text which accompanies them - in one case the text says one thing but the sketch shows something totally different, and it's wrong.  A great pity that the authors either didn't ensure proper sub-editing or simply didn't understand what they were supposed to be writing about.  Alas their errors will no doubt sow confusion in the minds of some modellers for a long time to come.

 

And they couldn't even get right one of the most important dates in British signalling practice - obviously a lack of research because saying a change occurred more than 4 years before it was proposed to carry it out out does not come over as indicative of decent research.  But then other things in the article show equal lack of much more basic research.   Bad mark for MR on this one I'm afraid.

[Silly Moo]

As someone who knows very little indeed about signalling, I was pleased to see this issue and was planning to hang on to it for future reference.  I would humbly  suggest that Stationmaster contact Model Rail to point out their errors so they can rectify them in a future issue. Their response will show how much they value accuracy and their readers. 

[The Stationmaster]

On 03/09/2019 at 16:31, Silly Moo said:

As someone who knows very little indeed about signalling, I was pleased to see this issue and was planning to hang on to it for future reference.  I would humbly  suggest that Stationmaster contact Model Rail to point out their errors so they can rectify them in a future issue. Their response will show how much they value accuracy and their readers. 

That has occurred to me and I might drop CJL a line.  The problem is that it needs a total rewrite - e.g.

 

Alas the authors seem to not understand the term 'in advance' in a railway context as they consistently get it wrong nor do they seem to understand what a block section is (not the same as 'a block').

Text on page 30 two fairly significant basic errors, plus one incorrect date and one omission which carries on into an error in the first piece of text on 

Page 31, one error in the first piece of text.  second piece of text (stop signals) one serious major, one piece of ambiguity, one incorrect description.  Basically the entire item needs a rewite to clarify it and remove the errors.

Page 32.  one serious error in the first line of the top text item and another error (or punctuation error) in the second line.  further errors in the first and second lines of teh second paragraph and a significant date error in the final sentence. 

The second text item is a total mess and is basically a load of nonsense among some correct(ish) information about Shunt Ahead Signals - which was a strange title to choose at this point in the article and the sketch has a major error as it shows the Shunt Ahead  arm on the wrong signal!

Page 33 one text item is poorly expressed, one caption includes a piece of nonsense (amber??????)

Page 34 The kjuncytions item isn't too bad apart from the splitting distant but one of the picture captions has a major error.

Sighting Signals - the picture of the signal on the wrong side (Twyford East's Up Main Line Home Signal as it happens) fails to note that the GWR, and some other railways, used right hand drive.  the replav cement colour light was at the end of the platform on the left.   What's in a letter has a couple of il-chosen examples as one is obsolete while another is on a preserved railway and is actually incorrect!

Page 35. starts with a strange term for colour light signals - quite why is inexplicable.  Text isn't too bad but could be a bit clearer in my view.

Page 36. Where do I put colour (sic) signals? could have been worded a lot better

I don't like the 'feathers' caption because it is slang - albeit widely used and the text is reallu y inadequate to explain the whole situation in respect of router indiv cation as it is today - let alone how it has developed over the years.

'What no signals' isn't too bad for a condensed piece.

 

The further reading omits some of the best sources of the lot!

 

There's a lovely howler in the piece about sources because the Sprinside ground discs are very obviously (from the photo) models of WR Pattern signals.  The Kinghtwing (non-working) colour light signals are also a bit undersold because they are the only readily available source of 4mm scale models of 1990s onwards Br standard colour light signal components.  A shame they don't work but they look superb.  Incidentally CJL's piece about (G)WR fixed distants is excellent and he has produced an accurate model of one.

[Steamport Southport]

Slight error/omission in the fixed distant signal article, although I can't criticise the article. There was one available in 00 from Ratio as I've got one. Should be available second hand or still on the shelves of some model shops, but I can understand why Chris didn't include it.

 

Bought for a GWR BLT that never got completed.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/420465/ratio_463_gwr_fixed_distant_signal/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

 

 

Jason

[dibber25]

1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said:

Slight error/omission in the fixed distant signal article, although I can't criticise the article. There was one available in 00 from Ratio as I've got one. Should be available second hand or still on the shelves of some model shops, but I can understand why Chris didn't include it.

 

Bought for a GWR BLT that never got completed.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/420465/ratio_463_gwr_fixed_distant_signal/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

 

 

Jason

As it's not available, it didn't come up anywhere that I looked, so it didn't get mentioned. Also, I've since heard from Dapol that the 'N' gauge operating signal that I featured was 'old stock'. The newer models no longer have the instruction about not using 12V dc. (CJL)

 

[johnarcher]

On 16/08/2019 at 15:15, PaulG said:

I am pleased to see my 4mm scale/OO gauge model of Colchester c1955 appears in this issue. The superb photos were taken by Chris Nevard and this is the only one that doesn't appear in the magazine.

Very nice in many ways, especially the extremely well-blended backscene (either that or it's a very very wide board!).

[PaulG]

7 hours ago, johnarcher said:

Very nice in many ways, especially the extremely well-blended backscene (either that or it's a very very wide board!).

Thank you for the comments, the baseboard is only just wide enough for the shed and running lines about 3ft.

Paul.