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Leeds City, the Midland Side, in 4mm.


TheLaird
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I have now completed the construction of the beams both longitudinal and cross beams. The smaller components have now been drawn up and cut from ten and twenty thou plasticard on my silhouette cutter.

 

347406465_CanopyP56c.jpg.9a4bbeb3f3b619fa55b253d899741de8.jpg

 

The clear perspex octagons are cut on the laser from 3mm and 1mm Perspex, these will form the feet and collars on the columns.

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47 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

Yes, we're going to need a bigger boat...

I believe, This chap may be saying that the operations team, may be putting on weight during lockdown. That, without the fortnightly foot patrol (footplate) or stress out (signalling) or incredulity-fatigue (control) we may collectively be expanding!

 

Edited by Steve Taylor
grammar
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6 minutes ago, Steve Taylor said:

I believe, This chap may be saying that the operations team, may be putting on weight during lockdown. That, without the fortnightly foot patrol (footplate) or stress out (signalling) or incredulity-fatigue (control) we may collectively be expanding!

 

Not me guv.

 

Minus 7.5 kg and counting :)

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4 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

Flippin eck thats impressive

  What are you (not) doing

Less 'boredom' eating and much more physical work with a  garden building project; though no specific exercise regime.

Edited by leopardml2341
Space between 'with' and 'a'
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3 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Less 'boredom' eating and much more physical work with a  garden building project; though no specific exercise regime.

Eat less and do more: it is the only sustainable way to lose weight and gain fitness.

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On 23/07/2020 at 17:18, TheLaird said:

Just a little reminder of what it is all about.  Not a WTT move but something that was set up for a photo shoot to demonstrate some signalling moves. I had to fire up the layout for the first time since lockdown began and was suitably amazed that it all worked, apart from adjusting a couple of drooping signals!!

 

1148222740_MRJLCJ1cCroppedFramed.jpg.7e7bec25131429b6a4a8ad9bdede3680.jpg

 

45110 is awaiting a road back to Holbeck Shed whilst sister engine 45253 works in on a six coach from Birmingham, crossing from the Down Main to the North Arrival. In the background the North Pilot extracts a rake of empty vans from the North Carriage Sidings on to the Down Slow, whence they will be propelled back into the station for loading. Happy Days!

 

Proper regulating. Was there a policy, or was this sort of thing a control decision?

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3 hours ago, Steve Taylor said:

Proper regulating. Was there a policy, or was this sort of thing a control decision?

 

I would imagine that, back in the day, the local  signalman msde these decisions. 

Having left teaching I went to work in boxes during the early 2000s in East Anglia.

At that time the signalman was trusted to make this sort of call.

 I have to add I was workinkg in a much simpler location than Leeds North.

 

It was only in later years that Control expanded its empire and tried to second guess and micro-manage signalmen.

Once London had taken over the decisions for single line priority I point blank refused to make such calls.

 

On one occasion, when Control were very busy, I ran up to ask for advice.

"What would you do in these circumstances?" they said.

My answer was sinmple. "Whatever Control says".

This did not play too well but I  pointed out that they had muscled in on our previous independence and taken a pay rise for so doing.

I suggested that they earned their pay and did the job themselves.

 

We shortly thereafter received a newly minted Regulating Policy,

 

Ian T

 

 

Edited by ianathompson
typo
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What Ian said - away from major centres, as late as 1993 signalmen were trusted to get on with it and tell Control by exception, unless they had shown they couldnt be trusted. As an Ops Supervisor I only ever had to issue two local instructions - 

 

1. At Hellifield late running down class 2s were to be given priority over steam hauled class 1s coming off the branch from Horrocksford, as the class 1 would be stopping for water at Garsdale (especially for one particularly awkward s*d who delighted in letting them go in timetable/headcode order and watching the carnage unfold further north);

 

2. Up gypsum trains from Kirby Thore were to be looped at Blea Moor until Skipton confirmed that the Knottingley crew had arrived to relieve them, after we managed to block platform 2 at Skipton for 40 minutes waiting for them. 

 

Detailed regulating policies ballooned after privatisation when delays started costing actual money. 

 

Arguing with control was always fun. 

 

"You can't examine with a passenger train, there are 5 tunnels in section"

"We're looking for a fallen tree, I guarantee it's not in a tunnel"

"If you let him go I'm going to page Gold On-call"

"Fine"

 

Currently suffering some major attacks of rose tinted nostalgia about the grottier bits of what was then the PCD reading this thread btw, love it !

Edited by Wheatley
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As late as this century, I know that trains were still being regulated by the signaller at Melton Mowbray. I may or may not have been paying a visit to a mutual late friend of our host and me when the following may or may not have happened...

 

A slightly late running empty train for Mountsorrel was ahead of a passenger train for Birmingham, and if there was going to be a clear route to the MML at Syston, he would be able to go straight through. As control weren’t sure, the freight was put into the long loop at Melton by the signaller, with the idea that if they couldn’t get it clear onto the MML, the passenger train would be able to pass and not be delayed. Even if the freight was looped, there was still sufficient headway for it to come straight out and get away, if control would make up their minds/find a path. 

 

The freight drew very slowly to a stop in the loop. The driver then sat in his cab for 5 minutes (he was visible via the CCT camera) before getting out and walking down the outside of his train to check the tail lamp. He then walked back up between the main and the loop, before climbing into his cab. He sat for another couple of minutes before climbing back out and phoning the signaller that the tail lamp was intact. When asked why he had taken so long, he said he was concerned that the brakes hadn’t been working very well, and wanted to check the wagons. When told that this was a shame, as if he hadn’t had that concern, he would have been signalled out of the loop and given a clear run, even I heard the epithet he exclaimed, and I was nowhere near the headset. Signaller grinned: some drivers if they were nearly home didn’t like being held up, and tried to make life difficult if they felt aggrieved. He felt his guess about this one was correct.

 

Of course, by this point the passenger train was severely delayed, not having been allowed into the section, but duly turned up 15 minutes late - it had been on time. Passenger train departed for Leicester, and once the section was clear, the freight followed it out to heard north at Syston and home to Mountsorrel.

 

Then the phone rang. Control were on the phone and wanted to know why the passenger train had been delayed, as the TOC was (already!) looking for compensation. The story was explained - backed up of course by all the details in the train register. And Control rang off. I asked what was next. “They’ll contact the freight TOC and ask them to inspect that rake of wagons and the loco to see if there is any evidence of there having been a problem,”

 

We later found out that no such evidence had been found, with the sole exception of a similar event involving the same driver. He did try to get the Union to “sort it out”, but they told him not to make a fuss as he was clearly in the wrong. “Interestingly” the driver was never seen on the route again: rumour had it that he was demoted to shunting and other tasks.

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On 24/07/2020 at 22:02, Steve Taylor said:

Proper regulating. Was there a policy, or was this sort of thing a control decision?

 

Policy? Did that word exist in 1962? Can't say for sure but I think it was left to the signalmen to regulate. However, I think there was a Platform Inspector on duty at City North most of the time and he would liaise with the signalmen regarding LE moves etc. The loco working diagrams also give on and off shed times so there is some guidance.

 

Must all sound a bit odd to you Steve in this day of over regulation!

 

Regards John E.

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8 hours ago, TheLaird said:

 

Policy? Did that word exist in 1962? Can't say for sure but I think it was left to the signalmen to regulate. However, I think there was a Platform Inspector on duty at City North most of the time and he would liaise with the signalmen regarding LE moves etc. The loco working diagrams also give on and off shed times so there is some guidance.

 

Must all sound a bit odd to you Steve in this day of over regulation!

 

Regards John E.

As a tune once said.... "Bow down before the one you serve", oddly informing them it won't work, why and the ramifications on a piece of timing that was tight if it went right in a slack WTT, and impossible in one with the TSR taken out..... or if a seldom used shunt failed to come off got me my approval and a train through 3 minutes earlier than the indicated timing (and out of my hair). Given some of the other complications it's be nice just to run and regulate trains. Can Mr Sharpe CCTV the layout and we work out an internet based control system?

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On 26/07/2020 at 11:38, TheLaird said:

70052 LCJ SA TCE StormyFramed.jpg

Looking very nice. Photoshop is coming on a treat. Now..... con-boxes, Locs and cable runs? Edited.... cos I forgot that "bluetooth signalling" was in its infancy in the '60s so can we book S&T for detection, rodding run and wire runs too? Oh and some where in the 4' needs at least one exploded loo roll.

Edited by Steve Taylor
forgot to include half the point.
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