FraserClarke

Yes, the telescope is an interferometer, which combines the data from multiple telescopes; the resolution you get being equivalent to the separation of the telescopes (further apart == higher resolution). The counter being that the field of view / sensitivity you get is inversely propotional to the separation (further apart == smaller field of view / lower sensitivity). So really you want both telescopes close together, and far apart. The advantage of building the telescope on the long straight formation was that the telescopes could be moved, changing the separation to adapt the combination of resolution and sensitivity for different observations. VLBI over many countries does the same thing, but gives very high resolution on very small / bright targets. Same idea, different implementation. But like comparing HS2 with local services I've no idea if the telescope was a driver in closing the line; seems unlikely to me unless someone else was looking for a reason...

Quite a challenge indeed! I'm sure you know, but a good fraction of the Eynsham loop platform survives at Didcot Railway Centre. Still doing good service nearly 80 years later :-)

Indeed it is. There is a small fleet of 4-5 wagons which are mainline rated for things like coal transfer / taking the bins out etc. They are marshalled at the centre's gate, and DBCargo pick them up with a 66. For the filming mentioned, the Crocodile F made a very rare trip over to pick up some of the equipment. This I believe meant an ultrasonic on the axles, FTR checks, TOPS registration, and a top-tail of 66s, even for the 500m trip to the west yard...

But that already is the killer -- at least for British coal. New open casts have been proposed -- and they don't get licences because of environmental issues (local and global). The irony that it will cost far more CO2 to bring in dirtier coal from the other side of the world is either missed, or ignored in the long term goal of stopping burning any hydrocarbons. I appreciate you are generalising, and have obviously encountered some bad practice -- but I think this is a rather unfair view of things. Volunteers give up their time for free, to do something they get enjoyment from doing -- amateurs in the original sense of the word (i.e. "for the love of"). I suspect we all try to be as competent at the job as possible. Those who treat it only as a way of climbing a ladder will be seen for what they are, and won't get very far...

And it's not the first time an entire class of headline express passenger locomotives have been hastily withdrawn from service following the discovery of cracks... Kings and Merchant Navies at least both suffered the same ignominy.

He is I'm sure quite right - and completely missing the point... I'm sure the same could have been done by GWR/LNER had this problem happened 1 month after they introduced the class 80x... then it would be dead easy to just pull a few more of the HSTs / Class 91s etc and keep using them for a few months more. Five years down the line it's a different matter... (Blue trains were introduced in November 1960, so presumably by December 1960 the "former steam service" was still pretty much intact!)

The GWS covers more than Didcot of course, but there is more than enough to do in developing DRC. It's not really trying to be a heritage railway in the sense of others, and the strategic vision focuses much more on being a living museum. I suspect productive 'coopetition' with other local railways is the way forward. A discounted train ticket between Cholsey and Didcot would be fantastic wouldn't it! DRC and CWR both got a shout out in parliament yesterday https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=886641025217029&id=101861917948838

Seems like it is time for my annual March update... They layout has been packed away for most of the year, so I haven't done anything on it -- but I did decided over the last week to finish off the scale scenes engine shed I started many many months ago. I would not rate this as one of my finest builds, but the scale scenes kits are very enjoyable to put together. This is the smallest version of it you can build (it's only a small space) - but overall the impression of the scale scenes kit is not unlike Mallaig shed, which is in keeping with west highland theme. It still needs a good coat of varnish (or rather a coat of good varnish?) and a bit of weathering. I placed the shed so the open doors try to make you walk into the pit if you're not careful -- represents my real world experiences at Didcot Class 25 being stabled before its next run round the loop... That parking will really p*ss off the shed staff... Hopefully the garage will get more amenable to a bit of evening tinkering over the coming months, and maybe I'll get a bit of the shed area done.

A few months ago Didcot was asked by one project for the pattern for - I think - a steam fountain. After a few emails, I believe the foundry ended with orders for half a dozen or more!

Great videos. I like the noise -- it seems to capture the all pervading rumble of being close to a train

"Scottish branch lines 1955-1965" by C.J. Gammell has a picture of A3 60060 with three on in the up platform at Corstorphine (June 1963), with a 2 car DMU in the down. Noted as "a useful place to put an A3 out of the way".

Interesting prototype. I'm sure I have read somewhere that Corstorphine would often see some pretty big engines on filling in turns out of Waverley before their runs back down South. So potential for a few special appearances throughout the day... Can't find the reference just now though!

I'm not sure you do in this case... I am pretty sure the corrugated iron is cladding on a frame, so it would probably sit slightly above the surface. Have a look at the pagoda hut at Didcot, half way down this page: https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/article.php/19/the-branch-line/17404ed6589ce7ade465470e053b9897 There is a good inch between the cladding and the platform surface there... which I think your model captures quite well at the minute!!

Thanks for the concern No progress on the layout for the past few months. The current 'situation' means the spare room has been turned into an office (for the foreseeable future), and the garage has spent the summer hosting a bathroom which was meant to be installed at the start of April (finally done a few weeks ago). So the layout has been packed into its storage box for a while now. I plan to do some insulation work on the garage in the next few months, so I think it will be a while until there is a clear space to work on the layout again. I've been fiddling instead with some small dioramas which are easier to get out of the odd bit of 15 minute work. Kids too busy running around outside over the summer too, so not that bothered about trains.

That does sound like a rather unappealing experience - but I don't think it is universal. By way of comparison, we went to the Isle of Wight steam railway yesterday, and it was excellent! All facilities were open, with reasonable alterations (sit out vs sit in catering, controlled numbers in the shop, masks needed for inside areas). No restrictions on when you could turn up or leave. You do have to reserve a specific train, but they are using compartment stock, so no masks required on board. A simple queue to get on, and waiting until the guard opens the door on return means the numbers on the platform are really managed. Their excellent 'train story' museum is open, as was the catering, shop, kids play park, and onsite woodland walks. We spent a good four hours including the 1hr train ride. Plenty of chance to sit and eat ice cream whilst the pair of 2MTs bustled up and down the line ready to be photographed! Didcot (where - full disclosure - I am a volunteer rather than paying visitor) are running a similar system, and it seems to work equally well.

Fair enough! I think I would do the same. As you say, far more to be gained by pushing on than fretting about minor hindsights... The latest grouping of trees is well placed.

There is a lovely natural feeling to the groundwork Too late to fit a curve into that back scence corner?

There is a 10 mph limit when propelling. There are a couple of true auto-trailers at Didcot (i.e. ones where the engine can be driven from that end), but I don't think we have any operational locos fitted with autogear at the minute. The steam railmotor sometimes runs with auto-trailer #92 and is driven from both ends. Otherwise, as others mention, the Didcot brake coaches are adapted to provide a lookout for the guard when propelling, who can put the brakes in if needed.

It's certainly Didcot. Long before my time, but none of the diesels are locals so probably a gala. The steam engine is I presume 3822. It's just coming up the ladder and past the end of the coaling road. You can see one of the cooling towers of Didcot A (recently demolished) on the far right. You could try asking on the GWS Didcot facebook page? Someone on there would know I'm sure. https://www.facebook.com/groups/6230720903/ (it's a private group so you have to join it first I think).

GWR was similar in that it had a couple 0-6-0 diesel shunters and ordered a bunch more just before nationalisation -- so it was the way they were going. For mainline stuff, it was experimenting with the gas turbines (18000 & 18100) -- which turned out to be the wrong technology at least for UK operating practices. They also had ~40 diesel railcars from the mid 1930s onward, and were used on some quite long runs, albeit lightly loaded (e.g. Birmingham->Cardiff had a 'businessman's railcar service') I'm sure there was also a (1920s?) plan to electrify west of Newton Abbot (due to the severe gradients on the south Devon banks) -- but I can't find any reference to it now :-\ So it was clear steam was on the way out -- but it still took diesel/electric design a while to catch up with the 100+years of knowledge on how to make steam engines work well. Many of the early-build diesels had even shorter (and probably considerably less useful) lives than the late-build steam engines..

Well done and well deserved! I look forward to reading it.

The boy child has very much enjoyed building this Metcalf cottage @queensquare kindly gave him at the Southampton show back in January. I was given the job of painting edges and doing the tricker glue jobs, but he did most of the cutting/assembly himself. He specifically requested the lilac window frames! Not sure where it is going to fit in the layout though!

Great idea! I think it would be very entertaining to watch. I would have thought there is also a family of configurations with the loop in the middle?

Regrettably, we have made the decision to CANCEL ABRAIL 2020 due to public health and specific volunteer concerns. Whilst this will be disappointing to many visitors, exhibitors, and members of the club, the committee feel that on balance and considering our specific circumstances, it is the right thing to do.

I looked it up, and 4709 will indeed have new - and narrowed - cylinders. Indeed they are in production now : https://www.4709.org.uk/4709blog/cylinder-casting-date-draws-closer https://www.4709.org.uk/4709blog/patterns-for-4709s-cylinders-complete