Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[TrevorP1]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Stupid boy! Gibson wheels of course, not Slaters. Original post corrected. I blame the extra-strength painkillers.

 

I remember when I had shingles. The doctor prescribed an anti viral and something called 'Zapain'. "Take 2 of those," he said. I only did it once... they made the world seem rather wonderful!

[Killybegs]

22 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

 

I remember when I had shingles. The doctor prescribed an anti viral and something called 'Zapain'. "Take 2 of those," he said. I only did it once... they made the world seem rather wonderful!

Probably morphine based. I had something similar when I had shingles, very good for the awful pain but only allowed to stay on them for 5 days. 

[St Enodoc]

The back is improving but I'm still restricted to light duties, so I've done some more work on 4270/4247.

 

Here's the loco as built by Graham Bradley and photographed by fellow BRMA member John Pavitt, who looked after the sale of Graham's model railway items..

 

I've changed the pony wheels and fitted a DG coupling, as I mentioned before. The loco will always run bunker first so I didn't fit one at the other end.

 

I tidied up the body and fitted a new vacuum pipe at the front, so everything's ready now for repainting in plain black and finishing off. I also need to reprogram the TCS T1 decoder.

 

It should be working, although probably not quite complete, in time for our next running session in a couple of weeks.

[St Enodoc]

I decided to fit the replacement gears to 3862 this afternoon. That went well and the loco ran fine on DC but, as I had suspected, the seizing-up of the drive train had blown the previous decoder. No matter - now that I've reinstated the old Cotswold 4206 the decoder from the Hornby version was spare, so I fitted that and reprogammed it.

 

So far so good but, in replacing the tender and loco bodies, two of the very fine wires connecting the loco and tender broke, one at the little white plug. That meant some delicate soldering, which I managed without too much swearing and gnashing of teeth (to my surprise!), so 3862 is now right for work again.

 

While I had the Sprog set up and DecoderPro running, I also reprogrammed 4270/4247's decoder so that's one more job out of the way.

 

On balance, a good afternoon's work.

[St Enodoc]

On 19/03/2022 at 08:32, St Enodoc said:

Thanks Mike. I think that Simon was suggesting co-acting arms though - according to Vaughan they weren't common, hence my comment. The only one I recall seeing a photo of was in Vaughan, at Norton Fitzwarren.

Well, while looking for photos to help detail 4247, I've now found a photo of another - right in the heart of Mid-Cornwall:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/34296320314

 

From geoff7918's Flickr page, taken by Peter Shoesmith on 22/6/53 (copyright Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse).

 

The caption's wrong - the train is heading for St Blazey from the Fowey line and is passing under the main line, as mentioned in some of the comments.

 

A future project!

[Tankerman]

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Well, while looking for photos to help detail 4247, I've now found a photo of another - right in the heart of Mid-Cornwall:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/34296320314

 

From geoff7918's Flickr page, taken by Peter Shoesmith on 22/6/53 (copyright Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse).

 

The caption's wrong - the train is heading for St Blazey from the Fowey line and is passing under the main line, as mentioned in some of the comments.

 

A future project!

 

I'm hesitant to ask this as I'm not sure of the exact meaning of 'co acting', I take it to mean that the two arms can be operated together to give a clear indication or the stop arm cleared to give a caution indication. If this is correct, then the signal is not 'co acting' as the distant arm appears to be of the fixed type. 

[Regularity]

The two home signals work in unison, and presumably the slotted distant signals do.

 

The slotting is an arrangement where if the distant signal is cleared by the signal box in advance, it will not show as such unless the home signal is cleared for entry into the section.

 

(In this context, the “home” signal is for entry into the section between two signal boxes, so is acting as a starter or advanced starter.)

Edited May 9, 2022 by Regularity

[Nick C]

18 minutes ago, Tankerman said:

 

I'm hesitant to ask this as I'm not sure of the exact meaning of 'co acting', I take it to mean that the two arms can be operated together to give a clear indication or the stop arm cleared to give a caution indication. If this is correct, then the signal is not 'co acting' as the distant arm appears to be of the fixed type. 

My understanding (which might be wrong), is that 'co-acting' refers to two arms, usually on the same post, that are physically linked together, so that both show exactly the same aspect. 

[5BarVT]

5 hours ago, Tankerman said:

I'm hesitant to ask this as I'm not sure of the exact meaning of 'co acting', I take it to mean that the two arms can be operated together to give a clear indication or the stop arm cleared to give a caution indication. If this is correct, then the signal is not 'co acting' as the distant arm appears to be of the fixed type. 

As others have said, co-acting refers to two arms of the same type operating together.  So in the photo, the two (main) stop arms are co-acting.  The turnout arm isn’t because it does not need to be reacted to until the driver is a lot closer.  (Whether we would take that approach if sighting that signal today is a different matter!). I think that technically the distant could be called co-acting too in that they both display the same aspect . . . !  (I would be happy to describe it thus in a professional situation and argue my corner if challenged!!!)

 

5 hours ago, Regularity said:

The two home signals work in unison, and presumably the slotted distant signals do.

The upper distant is fixed as the lamp does not have a spectacle in front of it.  Although it can’t be seen, the lower distant will be fixed too.

 

5 hours ago, Regularity said:

The slotting is an arrangement where if the distant signal is cleared by the signal box in advance, it will not show as such unless the home signal is cleared for entry into the section.

 

(In this context, the “home” signal is for entry into the section between two signal boxes, so is acting as a starter or advanced starter.)

Sort of!  As hinted above, what Hornby, Tri-ang, Dapol call a distant signal is indeed a distant signal.  What they call a home signal is actually a stop signal which may or may not be a home signal.  However, a lower (slotted) distant does not have to be just on the section signal.  It all depends on the required braking distance (whichever way that was determined at the time) and any stop signal at the box in rear which was within that distance would have a lower distant.

As two examples that I know well, at Wolverhampton North, both up stop signals had lower distants, whereas only two of three had in the down direction.  At Wolverhampton South, two of four on the up and one of two on the down.

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

14 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

The upper distant is fixed as the lamp does not have a spectacle in front of it.  Although it can’t be seen, the lower distant will be fixed too.

That's right, Paul. The signal is actually Par Bridge Crossing Down Home and the fixed distant is for St Blazey Down (Branch? Or was the Par Loop the branch, the Fowey line being the original CMR main line?) Home, which was only some 605 yards in advance.

[Regularity]

15 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

What they call a home signal is actually a stop signal which may or may not be a home signal

Also, that terminology can vary according to railway/region…!

[5BarVT]

59 minutes ago, Regularity said:

Also, that terminology can vary according to railway/region…!

Home 1, home 2, home 3 doesn’t come to me automatically as terminology, only when I’m reminded (as now), but from what I can see of LMS L frames they still differentiated between home and starting for their stop signals.

Paul.

[Stephen Freeman]

On 06/05/2022 at 09:02, Killybegs said:

Probably morphine based. I had something similar when I had shingles, very good for the awful pain but only allowed to stay on them for 5 days. 

Some of us have to use them long term as the likelihood of knee joint replacement is nil in the current affair of things. It's actually Paracetamol and Codeine (sort of a souped up Cocodamol). I believe the body converts the codeine to morpheine, anyway it's only ever had a painkiller effect on me.

[Regularity]

4 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

from what I can see of LMS L frames they still differentiated between home and starting for their stop signals

I didn’t specify any particular railway/region, but I was thinking of the LMR at the time…

(If you were reading my mind, it’s because it’s empty.)

[Oldddudders]

On 06/05/2022 at 10:02, Killybegs said:

Probably morphine based. I had something similar when I had shingles, very good for the awful pain but only allowed to stay on them for 5 days. 

Tramadol is favoured. Sherry found it gave her nightmares, even days after stopping the handful of doses in hospital. I found it did very little, but then 6 hrs of morphine drip had made v little difference to my pain, anyway. If I simply moved in the bed, the whole hospital knew about it. And no bones were found displaced, it was simply muscles. 

[Tankerman]

On 09/05/2022 at 15:22, Tankerman said:

 

I'm hesitant to ask this as I'm not sure of the exact meaning of 'co acting', I take it to mean that the two arms can be operated together to give a clear indication or the stop arm cleared to give a caution indication. If this is correct, then the signal is not 'co acting' as the distant arm appears to be of the fixed type. 

 

Many years ago now when I started my training as an engineer surveyor, I was told by one of the senior engineers in head office "The most important thing to remember is to OBSERVE, not just look." That has finally faded from my memory as I totally failed to see the lower set of signals! 🙄

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Tramadol is favoured.

That is what I was prescribed. It worked well for me in terms of getting a good night's sleep.

[5BarVT]

13 hours ago, Tankerman said:

 

Many years ago now when I started my training as an engineer surveyor, I was told by one of the senior engineers in head office "The most important thing to remember is to OBSERVE, not just look." That has finally faded from my memory as I totally failed to see the lower set of signals! 🙄

But you generated an interesting discussion so we all won!

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

After a session with the physio this morning, my back is a lot better but the rest of me feels rather battered, bruised and beaten up. Ah, well - if it doesn't hurt, it can't be doing you any good.

 

4247 is progressing. I touched up the paint on the chassis this afternoon, so I now need a good spraying day for the body. Tomorrow might be one such but that won't be any good to me, as I'll be at Rosehill Gardens playing with Charles' Uley Junction layout (0 gauge GWR, inspired by Bodmin General).

 

https://www.eppingmodelrailway.org.au/exhibition/

[Coach bogie]

Good to hear you are on the mend. My papers are through and we fly to Brisbane on Sunday. My wife has been told the Australian climate will ease her arthritis hopefully.

 

I bought the Hornby 72xx and found it was a poor puller compared to my K's and Sutherland/Cotswold/Nucast 42xx. I stripped out the Hornby and put lead everywhere I could. I even replaced the cab roof with a spare Cotswold lead one. Now it is one of my best haulers , taking thirty wagons up my the incline without a banker. All packed away now. Last train has arrived before final clearing of the layout.

 

Enjoy your show. Another one I have missed due to endless bureaucracy. I was hoping to be over by now and have this weekend in Sydney and come to the Epping show, then on to see the Garrett.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Bogie]

You do know Brisbane is receiving its second drenching this year, don't you?

[St Enodoc]

29 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

Good to hear you are on the mend. My papers are through and we fly to Brisbane on Sunday. My wife has been told the Australian climate will ease her arthritis hopefully.

 

I bought the Hornby 72xx and found it was a poor puller compared to my K's and Sutherland/Cotswold/Nucast 42xx. I stripped out the Hornby and put lead everywhere I could. I even replaced the cab roof with a spare Cotswold lead one. Now it is one of my best haulers , taking thirty wagons up my the incline without a banker. All packed away now. Last train has arrived before final clearing of the layout.

 

Enjoy your show. Another one I have missed due to endless bureaucracy. I was hoping to be over by now and have this weekend in Sydney and come to the Epping show, then on to see the Garrett.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Never mind. Next time you're heading for the Premier State let me know.

[Bogie]

Them's fightin' words yer know! 

[aardvark]

Oh no they're not.

[St Enodoc]

I had a very good day at the Epping/Rosehill show yesterday, splitting my time between working the points and signals on Uley Junction, looking round the show and generally having a yarn with folk - including a few RMwebbers (and the nephew of an RMwebber - sorry you couldn't make it Ian). We might have picked up one or two new BRMA members as well.

 

The show seemed to be well-patronised all day which was good. There haven't been many shows in NSW for a while and this was the biggest for nearly three years, so perhaps that was to be expected, but this was encouraging and must have been a relief to the Epping club.

 

I didn't actually buy anything at all though! I spotted a couple of ancient Airfix B Set coaches in the bring-and-buy, which at $10 per coach would have been worth having just for the bogies, but the queue at the checkout was so long I gave up. When I came back later they'd gone. Never mind - I've probably got enough anyway.

 

Today's weather forecast was wrong (again) so I managed to spray a coat of matt black on 4247. It now looks like one of those static models that were around a few years ago, purportedly hewn from a lump of coal.