DonB

I've just looked at their web site. It is vastly more "commercial" than my last visit, probably 5 or 6 years ago. It no longer seems to be a Multi-gauge system, so the swap over mid loop will no longer exist. It was, as I recall, a uni-directional loop, the swap being done without point-work, controlled by check rails. Whether such an arrangement would work on a reversable cassette , my tiny brain won't tell me!!

Statfold Barn (near Tamworth) have a dual gauge out-and-back line with a reversing loop where the Shared rail swaps sides half way round the loop. My photo of the track at the swap-over position disappeared in a computer crash! It's a popular outfit, there must be other RMwebbers who have photographed this track feature.?? It would be possible to copy the side-to-side swap at the middle of your cassette length.

I don't hear the charities complaining...

Reported in today's Times. IT Dept. Receives a Panic call. :- "Any one available for a Picnic on level 3? " Problem In Chair Not In Computer.

I, too, have no idea how the digital wizards do the designs which you are using so effectively. There's probably a maths formula to generate the catenary shape, but such things were beyond me when I was a student, such a long time ago, and totally out of my league now! (That and the inability to sing in tune are my greatest regrets!)

The mention of the wrong type of telephone / telegraph poles, a few posts back made me look again, I was impressed by the catenary sag of the wires in photo https://i.imgur.com/jfyhHsM.jpg. That feature seems impossible to replicate in model. (I do miss the post numbers that used to appear at the top of each post!)

My wife went to a Girls High School which had previously been a fee-paying school, where the intention was to output "Young Ladies", so almost her first classes were Elocution, to eradicate all the local accents. They also instilled a love of singing which she still does in various choirs, religious and secular. It's a hobby more time consuming than Railway Modelling! Sorry... almost back on topic there!

Standard size for normal delivery to pubs was the "barrel" at 36 gallons, Smaller sizes were 4.5 gallons IIRC a "Pin", 9 gallons a "Kilderkin" , 18 gallons each size had a name . There was also the "Hogshead" at 56(?) gallons, And the "Tun". Don't remember the missing !8 gallon name or content of the Tun, didn't have them in my Father's cellar. Precise Physical size , I haven't a clue, but I could still recognise each size

Annie, I'm lurking, open mouthed at your patience in back dating and modifying your layout. Especially the forestry clearance. ..... Have you been taking notes of the Rain Forest clearances??? Never having delved into the virtual world, may I ask what happened on screen when you over-ran the buffers? Did your loco just disappear 'cos it wasn't allowed off-track? Also what cargo was transported in the covered wagons? I don't recall seeing a picture of the wagon cover style.

The tea cup is a bit modern perhaps.... we have the remnants of a set of that style in the loft! Sorry!!

There was a proposal to model a fictitious NG line into Ullapool in (I think) the late 1960s /early 1970s. A range of heavy duty locos was proposed and side elevation sketches drawn which seemed to me to be heavily influenced by the BR standard classes. and featured in (Again ,I think ,) the MRN . The proposed layout did not appear in the three magazines of the day. Regret that I can't be more precise, I no longer have my Magazine archive !

At my grammar school we had a Classics educated Headmaster who would wander into the (lesson in progress) classroom and spout some Latin quotation and depart laughing.. I didn't understand any of them, any more than I do the furrin Quotes in recent posts.

Don't know if it is worthy of note, from memory, the pictured Austin 7 is a post-1929 production type, earlier models had a split screen. ( in my mis-spent youth I owned a total of seven examples of both types,, best Meccano set ever made ! Everything , except the rivetted Chassis A-frame , held together with bolts, and totally dismantleable in an afternoon !)

True story.. The law may have change since:- Daughter, " I want my ears pierced" Father, " You are not getting your ears pierced!"(she needed parental permission being under 18 y.o.) D..... "But I'm past the age of consent" F..... "You can sleep with who you like, but you are not getting your ears pierced"

Many years ago I made a portable layout on a 6 x 3 ply door, ( all the rage at the time!) for my two nephews, 7 and 9 Years old ( now in their early 50s , with no interest in model trains!) A central long divider with improbable tunnels each end . simple single track oval. Side A. had a station platform and a two sidings with direct access from a car factory , low relief against the divider. Cars emerged from the factory door. A loading ramp gave access to the car carrying trucks. Side B. was similar but with provision to unload newly delivered cars direct into a low relief car show room. Pushing a car into the showroom found it emerging from the car factory ready to go round again. It lasted for about 4 years when a house move saw it scrapped.

I have no intention of entering into this topic to comment on modellers choice of colour, there are other topics in RMweb on the subject. My mother worked at Manders Paints in Wolverhampton before she married in 1931. It being an important employer in the area, it is highly likely that Manders supplied the Wolverhampton GWR works with their paints. There could be historical data about the paint works in local museums, or in the British Library at Kew... Has anyone published any research ??

I seems to me that Martin and Ian have much common ground despite (apparently!) fairly fixed ideas on operating /control systems. If my geography is dependable, they do not live too far apart. I'm sure that a meeting between the two would have a lively debate and much cross fertilisation of knowledge on non-contentious subjects related to larger layouts.

In a garden, Goats will eat everything! So will Sheep (except Leeks, if the visitation I endured a few years back is any guide !)

Some years ago I was a member of a G&S am-dram group. We displayed our meagre talents on stage at the local Methodist church hall. One year we were within a month of staging G&S's " The Sorcerer", when a new , officious Minister was appointed who promptly banned the work as being "Heathen and unsuitable for the venue" (but not, apparently, "old hat".) I agree that the operettas are funny, and are great fun to produce and participate in.

Great 2-part story..... with more than the ring of truth about it,,, Gilbert expressed it rather well...( The Gondoliers ) "Search in and out and roundabout and you'll discover never a tale more free from any doubt no probable, possible shadow of doubt no possible doubt whatever"

Rambling on..... one of my works colleagues would have a contribution to make on any and every topic of conversation... in consequence he was known as "Talking Ron"... One day the subject of home-brewed beer was the topic of the day in the works canteen...there were a few contributions describing the progress of someone's latest brew, and hopes for a drinkable outcome! "Ah," said Ron, interrupting . "I bottled last week's brew over the weekend, and sampled the result last night. It tasted fine but must be quite strong because after a second glass-full I found myself chatting on" ... Keeping a straight face has never been more difficult ! Is home brewing a fresh subject for CA? (but very passé nowadays.) Just to approach a rail topic, I could have bored you with details of how Wagon brake blocks are cast...

Martin asked:- "I wonder if a station would have the two faces like this numbered differently as my plan shows, or whether both faces would carry the same number so I'd have only 3 platforms? Can anyone clarify?" Both Burton upon Trent (MR) and Derby Friargate (GNR) have /had island platforms with opposite faces numbered differently. Burton has steps from the booking office down to Down (Derby) end of the passenger platform, Friargate had a subway access from the street level booking office with steps up to the centre of the platform. There's a prototype for everything ( so I'm told!) It would make sense to segregate Up and Down passengers to avoid confusion to dim-wits like me as to where the train now arriving is going! Do I recall the coach doors were / are locked while in motion? Being unlocked for passenger access at each station. Did I imagine that???

Not intending to muddy the waters, since my knowledge of signalling practice would fit comfortably on pin head.... As I understand your intentions, you (your operators) will have in front of them, the diagram and a human operated miniature lever frame suitably labelled with the point numbers as outlined so clearly in the posts above, Frame and diagram to have the same orientation. If so, then the location / orientation of the (model) box and bobby do not enter into the practicalities of operating the layout, apart from the desire to get things "looking correct" and the little problem of the flag waving from the box window ! I'll retire back into my armchair now!