Dublodad

I also got the Feefo message before mine arrived, which it did later. Maybe yours ill be there tomorrow.!!!

Similar email, but in my inbox

Misspent many of my teenage years on that footbridge.

How about three types of London Transport Ex Metropolitan Dreadnought coaches

I wouldn't call them necessarily fakes. There were at least three makers of reproductions as far as I know and these are all separately identifiable by maker but not by me, but I know a man who can.!!!

The D end of the car has a central buffer and the A end a central rubbing plate. as depicted above. An adapter was required to mechanically couple D to D. this was the case until the 1960 tube stock and then the 1967 tube stock.

In my youth (early 1950's) some of us lads would frequent the Grand Union Canal between Brentford and Southall. Lighters were horse drawn along the canal, we saw lighters passing on several occasions. The lighters passed to their right and the towpath is on the west bank so the Southall bound lighter was on the far side from the towpath. The Southall bound lighter dropped it's tow and carried on under it's momentum and once clear of the Brentford bound lighter, was steered towards the towpath to pickup the tow again.

Some time in the late 50's the horses were replaced small tractors. Same crewing less hassle. I don't know when lighter use was discontinued. 

Hornby Dublo large radius curves are indeed 17.25 inch radius and standard radius 15 inch radius, dating back to 1938.

Dublo geometry is all based on the 15 inch radius circle.

BTW was anyone aware that 18000 needed 3rd radius before it was delivered, it will just about manage 18 inch curves !!!

Personally, I would go for the "Capital G Shape", as at my age this would be the most practical and you have the room.

The D end had a buffer above the wedgelock, the A end didn't, just a buffing plate.

I have a DVD box set of his programmes, really enjoyed his programmes.

A young Simon King appears in some, he is now a wildlife presenter 

Gwiwer Q stock (officially Q converted stock) were "car stock" so every car was fitted with Ward couplers.

The West end (No 1) car of R stock had a Ward coupler instead of a Wedgelock for emergency use.

The Car Designation used above refers to the letters printed on the cars by Bachmann to aid coupling the cars in the unit in the correct formation.

Non reversible units 1938, 1956, 1959 and 1962 tube stock have a rubbing plate in the A car and a central sprung buffer on the D car. Units can be mechanically coupled A to A, but the electrical connections on the coupler needed o insulating material between tem. To couple D to D, a D to D adapter had to be used as the buffers prevented the Wedgelocks even touching. All D end Driving Motor Cars carried an adapter under one of he transverse seats. This would have been particularly important on the Northern Line, where at times over half the fleet could be "the wrong way round. 

This is also true of O, P and R stocks.

Later stocks could be coupled mechanically either way but not necessarily electrically

S stock have purely mechanical Wedgelock coupler at each end.

Yes, my C car outer end towards the motor car. This is the NDM, is it due to the presence of shoe beams on the bogie. Mine won't be run for a while yet.

I haven't run mine yet, but certainly the Trailer and NDM when coupled will negotiate1st radius. The Driving Motor comfortably stands on first radius with clearance about the flanges.

I also think at the Red is too dark!!!

Only pre 38 tube stock and Q converted surface stock (plus service fleet) had Ward couplers. 1935 Tube stock onwards and O, P and R stock onwards had Wedgelock coupler. The Metropolitan Railway stock prior to 1933 used both Screw and some buckeyes (T Stock).

I don't know about modern tube stock though.

In the late 1960's, I among others have uncoupled Wedgelocks with a crowbar when there was no air connection to the uncouple air cylinder on one particular 1960 tube stock car!!!!

What is really needed is a Wedgelock coupler with NEM socket forks plugged in!!!!

Who s up to produce some - 3D printed maybe????

Britbus made a Dennis Loline III in Aldershot & District livery with a working sliding door. I can't find mine at the present though!!

Dublo clockwork track was the same the electric track less the centre rail, including the connecting tabs

It's interesting that the 5 and 7 car APT's are still on pre-order on the web site and the extra intermediate cars are in stock!!!!!

I have a "Black Cat" speed wagon, the speed readings are not stable and not really useful. I did use the distance output to measure the length of a circuit of the model railway at Holt on the NNR. This scaled at close to 0.75 miles. This was then used to create a speed chart for time per circuit, which I used to run the trains.

Freight trains at 20 - 25 MPH

Passenger trains at 60 - 70 MPH

Look good to me.

Still waiting for the Cravens RT

It's actually a "generic" design to cater for the 4 pre-nationalisation companies. Really the only "accuracy" is the wheel arrangement and the number for each railway variant!!

I have also had one

I seem to remember seeing photos of London buses from the 1920's or 30's marked with Overground.