Joseph_Pestell

"taken over their manor". Sounds like the plot of a gangster movie or EastEnders.

Douglas, I so agree with the others. You have made a super start to this project with some of the best buildings ever seen in 2mm/N. Pity that project has stalled but I am sure you will find the mojo again. I am surprised that none of the mfgs have brought out a Mogul - such a useful choice as pretty much a "go anywhere" on the GW.

SEEP do a latched motor - so you can get rid of the spring and its ugly mounting plate. I think the SEEP ref is PM4 (there never was a PM3 IIRC).

Can't have been that bad if you are having difficulty remembering it. I was not thinking of Ansell's but something more Black Country such as Batham's or Banks's.

Most important question has been omitted so far. Which brewery? And will there be a fully detailed interior with electric diaphragm dispensers serving only Mild?

I think it would have been an Army colour which is generally called Dark Olive Green (although there is probably a more correct official term).

I think we must have been together for about a year when I first took her to Railwells. I figured that, as one of the best shows featuring "proper" model railways, she might get the point. No chance! Within about 15 minutes she had headed for the coffee room. She does not have a hobby of her own and really does not see the point. I get a bit less grief about railways though than I do for watching football on telly. Very grumpy last night that I insisted watching a magnificent performance by Moyes' boys at Cheltenham. PS; She is a bit concerned that I have chosen a hotel for our stay in Paris that is just round the corner from the rue de Douai.

I think a lot depends on both the viewing height and the scenic treatment around the viaduct. The photos of Mike's viaduct in situ make the radius appear less tight than it is in reality (as shown on the photo after removal from the scenery). South of Dent there is a small viaduct (4 arches IIRC) which would do quite nicely to set the scene. Is a deeper valley/taller viaduct not going to conflict with the hidden sidings anyway?

When you feel down about space, remember Garsdale Rd was only 13 ft long. Viaducts on curves of less than about 12 ft radius never look good. Think that you may need to settle for a much smaller one.

Not in passenger use, but single HST power cars used to travel around with a single BSK as barrier vehicle.

Go away for just a few days and miss out on a really important bit of news! I need to sit down and work out how many metres of track I need for Tamworth LL. Track for HL can be a (much) later order. Really looking forward to seeing what Wayne has in store for us by way of pointwork.

Before the track layout at Dent was "rationalised", there would have been no difficulty in dropping off/picking up wagons in either direction. In the up direction, the train would have been left on the mainline while the loco cut the appropriate wagons out of the train. I suspect that livestock would have been the most common and those wagons had to be marshalled at the head of the train. So it would have been quite quick and easy. In the down direction, the train could be set back into the layby. The wagons to be detached could then be brought forward in front of the signal box and the loco run round them by way of the down main before propelling them to the loading dock. I'm not sure in which year the second set of pointwork into the layby was removed. Old-Maps.co.uk does not have many years available.

A lot about food and drink on this thread - but not too much by way of culture. I love the old pubs and beers of the Black Country. First came to know them back in the 70s when canal cruising. Back then there were plenty of pubs that only sold mild on draught. If you wanted "bitter" or lager, you would have had to buy it in a bottle.

A broad chapel in your case.

Love the modified Peco trackwork - especially the curved slips. Just a minor point (pun not intended), the "mega-scissors" should probably have more checkrails.

According to the Daily Mail, that activity was banned by the EU.

Tempting to go for one of the larger viaducts, but I think Dent Head would be my answer.

I wonder why no-one (especially one of the Sheffield shops) has commissioned a Class 13 based on one of the new-generation 08s?

I certainly agree Jeff that now you have put the switches in, you should not take any out which would ruin the appearance of the panel. But I can't agree about "it looking like the real thing". In a modern box, the switches (latched push buttons with integral bulb usually) are indeed on the track diagram. But they are not at each point. They are on stretches of track and move all the necessary points and signals by way of route-setting ("entry-exit"). The sort of thing that Mike seems to have (very neat solution to use that moulded box with carrying handle). In a more traditional box (e.g. Settle and Carlisle), there is nothing on the track diagram apart from lights (track circuits). All the switches are in the form of a bank of levers - even for the colourlight distants. The way that you are doing it is the traditional way for model railways. It has the great advantage of being easier to use for new operators. But it does not look like the real thing.

You will soon get fed up of moving two switches rather than one! Especially when you forget one and cause a derailment. Rewire really would be better. On the real thing, crossovers are always on one lever.

There were Hull-Liverpool "boat trains" but outside the scope of this Manchester Central thread. They transported emigrants from Central and Eastern Europe to the USA. In Hull (and Liverpool?) they were escorted through the streets in large groups surrounded by police for fear that they would pass on exotic illnesses to the local population.

Always pleased to get a laugh. I just recall the early part of this thread and the amount of work that you put into making the railway room. I had not considered that there might be a door missing. Obviously, as a physicist, you are well placed to know about expansion co-efficients. But some layouts seem to have had problems with lower temperature variables that that. 1mm gap should be plenty. It is, after all, equivalent to a 3" gap!

Certainly used to be the traditional method. Perhaps something better nowadays? I have always thought that epoxy would set too hard and not allow enough for expansion. That may not be an issue for Jeff in a well-insulated building.

If you have wheels, back-to-backs, etc set up for use on Marcway, then Peco 75 should be fine for a fiddleyard and rather less trouble. Code 100 would be a different matter.