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Tony and Aditi, Away for a couple of days. So sorry about Robbie. bILL

We do it on Southwark Bridge: analogue, 120 lever box with interlocking (albeit by computer). It is possible to have six concurrent stock movements. We need ten operators, two on the box, three drivers, three subsidiary roles with both signalling and driving work (goods yard, loco yard, crows nest) plus two in the fiddle yard (who have a controller, but that one doesn't really count). And, in due course, an eleventh for the gas works. Bill

Round about 1911. I've got both types of lettering for a 1913 layout. If you were at Warley, you would have seen my stock on Lancaster Green Ayre. Bill

x2, but also a not a Valentine's card and March BackTrack Bill

Off to be ashed. Best wishes all. Bill

Catching up after about 36 hours. Commiserations to Rick and concerns about Debs. Spent some of today on the charity's bank rec. Going nowhere slowly. Bill

I'm magnetic, so can only wear a digital watch. Actually, I've only got a fob watch whilst on duty, otherwise relying on my mobile phone. Which actually isn't working as a phone, just as a watch, alarm clock and radio (for listening to The Archer's whilst on the move). Went to the RFH yesterday (Mahler 4), duty this am and dentist this pm (a grind needs building up). Off to training in a minute (I think it will be Annie tonight). Bill

So people notice that Chris's post are shorter in the winter than in the summer. A function of the rate at which his bathwater cools. Bill

F, I would add 5), it costs maybe the equivalent of six month's salary to recruit and the thought of having to repeat the exercise within five years ..... Mind you, the high flyer they do acquire is off within two years before their f*cking up of the business comes to light. But sorry to hear Mrs iD's news. Any chance of going sick with a stress related illness? Bill

Good news about Debs; and others. Bill

They are both wrong - go for P4. Bill

But he has gone for some time. Someone check the snowdrifts. Bill

If it is the largest number of carriages built to a single "diagram", I think the record was held by the L&Y. Bill

Wise man, Vincent. Strange creatures, women. I have found to my cost, that HJ is at her most dangerous when she has on her "cute" look. Bill

Vincent, You still alive! Present handed over yet? Bill

Kelly, And, finally, literally meeting as in a head to head collision. After which the L&G changed to left hand running. Bill

Mike? Enter SER kits into your search engine. So remember that Dan is a "garden shed" manufacturer, working at his own pace and that not everything is available all the time. Bill

Modelling the Longmoor Military Railway? Bill

Bill, You have to be canny with Dan's kits, he uses a very soft alloy with a low melting point. I would recommend araldite, in preference to lmp solder, especially for the small bits. Make very nice kits. Bill

Kevin, So you sent me off to find my Gould. He confirms there was also a through carriage for the LNWR, this of course would be a Tri Compo, detached at Herne Hill and onto a Manchester London Roads express at Willesden. Gould has the carriage for the MR attached to a Manchester Central train! But he isn't always correct. Herne Hill could get busy. Bill

Folks, The SECR built three series of Bk Compo carriages for through running to other companies. Two series were tri compos, the third for the MR were bi compo. Now for some supposition. The through carriage would start at Bradford, probably last vehicle, and be detached at some point (St Albans, Kentish Town ???). It would be attached to a local MR train through the Widened Lines to Herne Hill, where it would be attached to an SECR express. The staff at Herne Hill were pretty nifty, because the timetable only gave a couple of minutes to couple up, connect the gangways and set a vacuum. The SECR train was fairly unusual, because it started at Victoria on the LCDR and used the (fairly new) Bickley loop to the SER; in effect the Boat Train 1 route. The LCDR and SER were still effectively operated as two railways in 1911. I'm guessing that if there were problems with connexions, the shunting engine at Kentish Town (?) or Herne Hill would whip the carriage through the Widened Lines as a special train. I've probably got this wrong and am happy for a MR or SECR expert to correct me. Bill

HJ and I exchange not Valentine's Day cards; which reminds me, must go and find one. Best wishes to Debs, Beth, Simon et al. Bill

I may be in trouble on another thread. Pointed out a fact and was immediately challenged to provide chapter and verse. Suggested that he could do the research himself. I await developments! I'm on a fasting diet for bloods tomorrow so RMWeb has kept the mind occupied and the body out of the kitchen! Keep well all, Bill

Guys, we don't know the criteria that the judges were working to. At the CMRA show, I disagreed with the judges about the award of the Denis Moore cup until they pointed out to me that their criterion was the layout that Denis would have considered to be the best scenically. Bill

Bill, Because the SER and LCDR spend a fair chunk of their money on fighting each other, their was minimal replacement of stock. So an SER layout, set in the1890s, would have locos and coaches going back at least to the 1850s. That would let you run Dan Garrett's splendid locos (and I had a small hand in the F class, doing some research for him at the NRM). Many South London railways were on viaducts, as can be seen in the photo of Peckham Rye. What you can't quite see, is that the LNWR / MR coal yard is at ground level. Some of the trackwork is still extant. But an alternative to a coal yard could be to invoke either the London docks or the Surrey Canal. Passenger station on a viaduct, sidings to a wharf on the front scene. Sort of a bit like Inkerman Street, albeit different location and era. Coasters could unload coal into Cory wagons, although you might want the actual unloading to be off scene, with just the shunting on scene. Bill