BMacdermott

Hello Gilbert I'm happy to forward The Wishlist Poll coaching stock data to you. Brian

Hello Pannier Tank Just looked at my Churston branch book...no pattern there. And when the Autotrailer is 'leading', there is only one central bracket for it to go on (excluding the tail lamp one which is lower and to one side). Brian

Hello GWR Modeller That code was used on many branch lines, continuing into BR days. For example, if you look at Chris Leigh's Railway World Special "Cornish Riviera", you will find on page 43 a photo of two small prairies at the head of the St Ives portion of the train in 1958...with lamp over centre buffer beam of the leading loco. The coaches cannot be counted accurately due to the angle of the photo, but there are at least eight and probably more like ten. As an aside - but related topic - empty stock trains to and from Old Oak Common (or West London Sidings) and Paddington carried lamp under chimney and lamp over right buffer (when viewed from the cab in forward direction and often with a duty number disc over the left buffer). This was a freight code elsewhere. Brian

Hello Jonathan Top marks from me! Brian

Hello everyone The only WTT I have for the period is Summer 1961 and shows trains from Bristol (Temple Meads) to Bath (Green Park) and then Bath (Green Park) to Templecombe which - by default - shows those progressing to and from Bournemouth West. No matter Up nor Down, the code for many trains between Bath (Green Park) and points south was 2B92. Photos show that the code was seldom displayed on the loco. No matter Up nor Down, the code for many trains between Bath (Green Park) and Bristol (Temple Meads) was 2B93. I have also seen 2B95 on a Peak (in 1963) and 2B74 on a Hymek (undated). I'm sorry that I can't offer you any reason as to why the Peaks in question show 2B92 - unless the document referred to by Mike above says something different to my document. No-one from the S&D that I ever spoke to could say who was responsible for putting train reporting numbers on locos. There was certainly no-one allocated to such a task at Branksome (the shed at the Bournemouth West end) and that is why you will see many trains heading north with the number of what was a train heading south earlier in the day...a fact that has tripped many an (unaware) author when writing captions to S&D line photos. There are many photos with captions stating that (say) "Here is train 1X01 heading to Bournemouth West" when - clearly - it is later in the day and the train is northbound. On odd occasions, the incorrect number will have been 'turned round' by the fireman, but many just remained in situ until the loco was back at Bath. Brian

That is correct. Brian

Hello again Chris Sorry, I should have said that I drill small holes in locos (front and rear) and employ the same track pin and lamp method. Brian

Hello Chris Hope you are well. I use Springside lamps. I drill a small hole in the base (with difficulty, in a vice, but if I can do it so can you) On the coaches, I drill a small hole in the relevant position. I insert and glue into this a Peco track pin which has already been bent into an L shape. Using a pair of long arm tweezers, it is fairly easy to drop the lamp on 'the bracket'. Not 'prototypical' up close, but fine from 'normal viewing distance'. Brian

Hello Mike Interesting point above. It has probably been discussed elsewhere, but it has always struck me as odd that LMS (then LMR) lamps were black...which seemed to make a Signalman's job very hard in daylight, particularly in poor light weather conditions. White lamps were used from about 1961, I think, but old habits always die hard...or not at all. As a 'slightly off topic' subject - but clearly related to headlamps - train reporting numbers on southbound S&D trains more often than not remained on northbound workings. These often trip up those writing captions who were unaware of the situation. When 4-character headcodes were introduced, the 'niceties' of typography weren't detailed to S&D crews. Peter Smith well recalls Donald Beale saying to him (such as) "We're on the Ten-Ninety-Five tomorrow, Peter". What they took as a figure zero was, of course, a capital O (thus, One-Oscar-Nine-Five). Understanding of such matters wasn't helped as a plethora of different typefaces and sizes were employed, often pasted on white discs. On the S&D, it is easy to see the same disc in use year after year. Brian

Hello Mike Are we drifting from the topic? Brian

Hello again I should have added there that - whilst the headlamp code was not a particular detail for the Signalmen - the tail lamp was. (Just in case anyone thinks S&D staff were 'cavalier'). Brian

Hello Mike I hope a little later to have some detail for you concerning 1958 when the WR took over control from Bath (Green Park) to Templecombe. The entire S&D line retained its own lamp code right up to the end (apart from what I will detail later as above). There were some other exceptions over the years, such as: 1. When a loco was incorrectly lamped up (and I can find no more than a handful of such cases). 2. An Inspection Train (with Class A headlamp code). 3. When The Pines Express headboard was carried on the loco's chimney lamp bracket, a lamp was placed above each buffer (looking like a 'normal' Class A train). Speaking with Mike Arlett - who spent many hours in Midford Signal Box (and others) - tells me that headlamp codes on the S&D were of little or no consideration for Signalmen, such was the nature of the line. A somewhat 'comic aside' happened on 24 December 1959. The Up Pines arrived at Evercreech Junction to find no assisting loco available for the climb over the Mendips. A Jinty was summoned from Radstock (No.47496) and proudly piloted No.34028 Eddystone up to Bath (Green Park)...with a lamp over each buffer! Brian

Hello Mike It's possible we are talking at cross purposes...it all rather depends on whether we are 'driver & fireman' or, say, a signalman or other observer. To the best of my information, drivers instructed firemen to lamp up according to direction of travel and driver's left or right hand (not from observer perspective). All the drivers I spoke with were noted for their knowledge and respected in their community - one was S&D man, Peter Smith. (And, yes, I have met one or two drivers who would have you believe that they have driven 60103 and the Royal Train on the same day at record breaking speed!.) Attached is a snippet from a 1961 WR WTT - the statement 'left hand buffer' refers to the driver's left hand in forward direction (no matter chimney or tender first). The 'normal' code for a passenger train on the S&D. Brian

Thanks Nick That does fully concur with what I found when speaking to the drivers...some of whom have sadly now passed on. The 'checking' arose (some years ago now) because an ex-railwayman author and publisher had stated on a web group that railwaymen described lamp positions according to the clock face. That might have applied to 'semaphore codes' as used in an area of Scotland, but none of my drivers from the north, midlands and south had ever heard of anything different to that described by Nick. When I asked my driver friends, I sent them one or two 'sample headcodes' and asked them what they would say to their firemen to achieve the correct position(s). They all took it 'as viewed from the cab looking forwards' (not from the view of an observer standing in front of the oncoming loco/train). Brian

Hello Mike and LMS 2968 I discussed the question of viewing direction with a number of BR steam loco drivers some years ago. They all said as viewed from the cab in a forward direction (Driver's left or right hand). I'm fairly certain I have seen an Appendix that states that, too. I'll have look to see what I can find. Brian

Hello everyone All the best to Rails and Accurascale with this possible project. The loco has been consistently High Polling and often in The Top 50 or very near. In 2019, it was overall 9th position. Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

Hello hap Have just had a quick look at the Bolger BR Steam Motive Power Depots LMS book and find that the only 'straight and narrow' depot is Holyhead. Let me know if you want the track plan via PM. The depot has the advantage that it was home to 'big engines' such Black 5s, Scots and Brits as well as some Jinties - so would fit fairly well with your stud. Like most layouts, some compromise and ingenuity will be required. Brian

Hello Combe Martin Nice to see you writing! Hope all is well with you. This film was played as part of my Nice Cup of Tea with... series that I used to run weekly on the'old' MREmag (under Phil Parker). I have attached the notes that I sent with the film (with thanks again to Nick Stanbury, Peter Smith and John Lewis). Brian Time for a Nice Cup of Tea on the S&D.pdf

Hello hap Link below may help (although not LMS). If you ignore the 'station tracks' at the foot and 'straighten out' the rest, it should be practical for your space (possibly!). Uses your double slip; enables big engines; uses a small coaler; can be operated 'as prototype'. Brian

Hello hap All the best for this project...it is normally something that I would go into deeply to help you but time is against me at the moment, so please accept the following as 'a starting point'. There are many track plans to be found via Google, The Engine Shed Society and various books that detail loco sheds, such as the Paul Bolger BR Steam Motive Power Depots. It will be worth investing a reasonable amount of time to get it right. It will pay dividends. Brian (in haste!)

Hello Andy All the best with this excellent venture! Just donated. Brian

Hello Jack Many thanks for posting the photos - very interesting. S&D author, Mike Arlett, saw the posting and has asked me to send the text below on his behalf. Brian Although not identified by name in the above posting, this is 'Aqueduct Bridge' (S&D Bridge No.268). The map which accompanies the posting is a little misleading in that it shows the road (or drove) as Hulk Moor Drove whereas, in fact, the name has become 'Back River Drove' by the stage it reaches the former Aqueduct Crossing. It lies about a mile west of the site of Glastonbury & Street Station. Hope that makes sense! Mike Arlett

Hello woodenhead I think Flight Radar explain the phenomenon of planes not being where they are in reality somewhere on their website (and that's too technical for me!). I have sometimes 'seen' a 777 land on Harrow! And the occasional plane flying backwards! Or sideways! But - generally speaking - they are not too far out. I can look up at the sky over my my house in Milton Keynes and be darn near spot with my focal point for planes outbound from LHR to the north coming into view out of the clouds. Brian

Hello Adrian Attached is a screen grab from Flight Radar website. I have been using Gold for probably more than a year now and find it worth every penny (or dollar). Works really well either on my laptop or cheap old iPhone 5. There are still plenty of planes flying and air freight seems to be doing well. Hope it helps. Brian

Hello everyone I emailed ex-Somerset & Dorset Line Fireman/Driver Peter Smith as I recall seeing a photo of him with goggles. That photo is plate 163 in Ivo Peters’ book, The S&D in the Sixties, Volume 3, 1960-1962. Peter replied: “Sometime around 1960, BR issued goggles to all footplate crews and a few wore them for a short time. Donald Beale and I have worn them on the odd occasion with a West Country class on a heavy turn when cinders and sparks throwing from the chimney were commonplace. But, in general, they were hardly used by footplate crews in this country. I have a photo of Donald and I taken on 12 August 1961 at Evercreech Junction. We were working the down Pines Express and recovered a prodigious amount of time on the run to Bournemouth West. The story was published in the Railway Magazine in two parts: January and February editions, 2012.” For those who would like to read more about the S&D, Peter has recently had published a reprint of his book, The Somerset & Dorset from the Footplate, with photos by the late GA Richardson. See Crecy Publishing for details. Brian