Broadway Clive

Drivers were taught to pause the master controller handle at series before moving to full parallel once that speed had been attained. Many would ignore that and just move the handle right round, but the idea of listening to the RPA on the front car and responding to a fault is a fantasy. In the case of wheel spin one would just shut off and move the reverser key back from forward 2 to forward 1 position, which gave a slower rate of acceleration.

Brian Brown was the founder of Westward Models in the early seventies when he was producing white metal kits of buses and coaches. I constructed 122 of his Metro Scania single deckers and 50 of the double deck version. I also had a few of his Seddon Pennine midi buses too. I met him a couple of times and if memory serves me he was based in Gloucester and was some kind of professional, but I wasn't aware of the Westward loco kits back then and only learnt of them many years later.

Good to see its got a proper 5 pole motor, rather than a modern coreless type that can't be used with analogue feedback control. A few years ago DJ Models were claiming the future would be coreless, and Bachmann were using them in all their new releases. So what has caused the change of policy?

I'm confused why they are described as 'black' by Oxford Diecast when they are grey. Does anyone know if they will produce a black version later?

They should be able to put up quite a lot of blue plaques for immigrants at this rate! There must be hundreds of 'firsts' that are just as, or more 'important' than a steam engine driver. Personally I find this kind of identity politics nauseatingly racist, as if its so much more of an achievement for someone who is non-white. I had a 35 year railway career and found no differences between people related to their colour. I suspect one of my old colleagues, a steam engine driver from Uganda, who was expelled from that country by black people because he had Indian ethnicity, would also have found this plaque nauseating.

The Bachmann coreless motors dont suit DC feedback controllers. Its deplorable that Bachmann now seem to care so little about some customers that they've also ditched the sprung centre drivers that made other 0-6-0s reliable on all systems.

The Kingsway Models site was recently supplied with a faulty cookie banner that only works if one clicks the 'Accept All' option. If one clicks either of the other options you are given a blank white screen on that and all future visits. John Howe has emailed me about the problem which he is working on but is reliant on getting information from the website host. I've just tested it and found it to be as stated here:-

I don't believe Phil Radley has much appetite left for exhibitions so that's no longer a realistic expectation. I'd suggest phoning or emailing him. His website has always been rather user-unfriendly and inflexible, but that doesn't apply to Phil himself so I'm sure he'll give you a cheaper postage rate.

Class 02 Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-4-0 diesel-hydraulics D2850-69 weighed in at 28tons 3cwt and are noted as being permitted on some wagon turntables in Liverpool docks (P124 The Diesel Shunter by Colin J Marsden has an official view of one standing on a wagon turntable ). As direct replacements for the L&Y 0-4-0 saddle tank 'pugs', it would seem logical that they too were allowed. I dont know about other locations and locomotive types, nor whether they were actually allowed to be turned, so perhaps others may have the answers to that.

Another idea for detailing might be for the Hornby D49 Hunt to replicate the rotary cam valves. That should be quite simple compared to what you've done already.

Brilliant work Andy. You seem to have blown open the lid on a subject that others have been trying to keep shut for years now! Could you post an updated diagram with the list of components so we can source them locally and try it out please? I'm wondering if it will tolerate HF track cleaners and feedback controllers. Any ideas about those?

I have this one which I bought wrongly packed in a Rocket box!

Large London Transport depots would usually have a spare train prepared by the crew of the first trains into service, morning and afternoon. This enabled a dud to be cancelled at short notice and replaced by the spare without losing time on inspection and testing. IIRC this established the principle of a test certificate being valid for a period of time after being conducted by someone other than the driver who takes the train into service. Certainly there were many crews and drivers who neglected their preparation out of lateness or laziness, so reducing their input in favour of depot staff became one that was hard to resist.

Were there any steam MPDs where a ground frame operated signals?

I've had trouble with body mounted couplings on London Transport Q stock (EMUs with two trucks) as they make the cars lean inwards when rounding curves. In this case the couplings are simply a short straight wire bent at each end to locate into holes in the car rubbing plates. It made me think that having the train's weight and coupler forces put through the trucks as is usually done with models was maybe preferable.

On DC I've regularly mixed Bachmann 105 or 108 with Lima and Black Beetle based Silver Fox 105s (3 X 2) without any trouble.

As loaded wagon(s) would be unlikely to be emptied manually during the time of an operating session, they can be swapped for empties between sessions ready for next time. Anything that cant be reached by hand can be moved by loco.

See if this is any help. https://www.ltsv.com/w_ref_numbers_b1.php As well as this, part2 should also be useful, and there is mention of a book I have not heard of before:- 'A more detailed list (including builders, lots and diagram numbers) can be found in Volume 1 of the BR Wagons Numerical History published by HB Publications in 2007'.

Not moulded, just sheets.

I ordered one on Sunday and its arrived today, very nice, and crisply moulded, so thank you for your excellent work and advising us of availability. With the new Bachmann models I'm hoping it will be possible to exchange bodies with those from the original EFEs as I've no requirement for motorised Northern Line trains, and it would be an easy way to get my Piccadilly Line unit running.

They have a new website. Had to move at very short notice when the original site provider was taken over by another in the US. John Howe had a hectic time finding another provider, coping with new formats and protocols and making sure nothing was left out. But its all up and running now, and the back log of orders dealt with.

OGT606 - new 1953, BR number 225S, Fordson E83W Box van originally based at Launceston.

Hi Andy, I've always lived in London so only visited Hull three times during that period. What about you? These are my notes for Dairycoates with a few visitors, mostly from York it seems, but you should be able to pick them out if you have shed allocations to hand. I hope this helps. Good luck with the layout. Clive

Its an interesting concept you have here. I worked on London Transport railways as they were known and took inspiration from their idea of having localised controls in the form of AMRs (automatic machine rooms) that replicated a signal box. Control of which was then centralised at a remote control panel. So from my own control panel, buttons send 12v 'commands' to remote boards that contain relays and a CDU with connections to local points, some of which are permanently wired together. Safety interlocking, signal control, automatic working boards, and even panel indications can also use the 12v 'commands' so they've been very useful.

Yes, I've used a single track HF1 and two Relcos with common return for three decades on my extensive loft layout. The instructions state:- 'Any common return must be done after the HF track terminals and never on the controller side.' They are extremely effective at keeping things running and this can be demonstrated by fitting switches to their 16v power source so that the difference can readily be noticed between them being off and on. Of course they don't remove the need for normal cleaning, but they do vastly reduce the frequency of it and the risk of damage to scenic items and wiring. My loft layout endures many lengthy periods of inactivity so I've plenty of experience dealing with the dust and deposits when restarting, as I've been doing recently. I do have track cleaning wagons, but its the HF cleaners that enable the locos to move those around in the first place, and to move other trains so as to get access! The only problems I've experienced with them seems to be linked to a track occupancy detection module that requires a separate 12 volt supply to also share the common return. I needed to employ a number of diodes on a mimic module to get the panel lights working satisfactorily but now I realise no Relco will light when switched to this track. I'll experiment more but I may reluctantly need to replace it with a non track-linked detector as Gaugemaster do state that 'Any devices connected to the track such as lighting, sound devices or other electronic equipment will cause the unit to shut down'.