LNER4479

So today we were graced by a visitor all the way from the land of Oz. That's a heck of a way to come to operate a model railway. Mr Andrew Emmett, better known on here as 'Woodcock29, gamely agreed to take the controls at South box to help us out. He might even been getting the hang of it by the end(!)

Pictures from an exhibition: Jonathan happy in his work (possibly) Stock starts to amass. Steve being reminded why he doesn't use 3-links on his own layout. I don't usually put the buildings out. Wonder where this one goes? A few more hours this morning to figure it all out until the great British public are admitted.

At slight risk of pedantry ... ... it's actually a Luton van with tail lift. This is the contents at York show, with just a few of the domestic sundries unloaded - the full layout is in there at this point. We did originally use a LWB transit, but the stacking and packing was indeed becoming like a Krypton Factor challenge; the Luton (and the tail lift in particular!) does make life a little easier these days.

Not had a Fairburn (Noo Year challenge) update for a while. Quietly plugging away in the background ... Tank top details. Lifting lugs and inspection covers waiting to be fitted. The tank straps are quite distinctive. As the boiler and tank units separate, needs to be a close interface. With the two assembled together in the frames, straps are soldered to boiler, to align with fixing points pre-soldered to tank tops. Filler caps. None of the right size in stock so simply fashioned them by lopping the tops off these long term residents of the 'spares' box. No idea what loco type they were originally intended for? Moving on to the front of the loco, here's the all important 'face' coming together. No LMS style smokebox doors to hand (WHAT?!), so I took a similar size one and turned it back to plain so I could ... ... add the detail. Not too shabby? Tried in position. Front footplates now need detailing Adding steam pipes, lubricators and front sand box fillers. Are we - perhaps, just maybe - starting to look like we're on the home straight? Hopefully!

SO ... We're on our way to Brissle. Long way back home if I've forgotten anything! 6 day adventure this one, in total. Today: 4pm pick van up, load up and get some miles under the belt Tomorrow: to show venue and commence set up. Friday: complete set up and be ready for the adoring public from 1230 Saturday: full show day Sunday: last show day, pack up and get some miles under the belt Monday: complete journey home and unload Tuesday: take van back at 8am There must be easier ways of making a living 🤔

A classic, if ever there was one 😆

My understanding is that the two train service does not run low season, only the morning train currently. So, a plausible explanation behind the announcement is that the second service was due to start on 6th May but not yet enough suitable stock available yet to put together a second rake similar to the one currently running? Just my interpretation; happy to be proven wrong.

I can confirm, quite categorically, that the CDL was being worked and operated as designed, ie all the CDL-fitted doors were locked and unlocked from one of the door panels - the guy was right by where we were at the Glenfinnan stop. The toilet retention tanks thing is completely separate to the CDL debate and is not being driven by legislation per se. That's a Net Rail driven initiative, partly due to union pressure (track workers being exposed to unpleasantness, shall we say).

Being forced to photograph the train crossing the viaduct on the way out ... ... and being forced to photograph the train on the way back. Dreadful behaviour indeed!

Fine in the MkIIs today; not sure what it would be like in height of summer with no air-con running ... I was just referring to the fact that the doors themselves were locked out of use; otherwise free to walk through them (and in fact had to at both Glenfinnan and Mallaig, as the MkII at the rear was off the platform. Oh yeah - doh! Sorry - not very good on diesels! No. I wasn't doing any sort of audit(!) I was actually there leading a tour group and they were my priority. I grabbed the above photos as and when I could.

Coaches connected by ETH and RCH cables But loco ETH power supply NOT connected. I'm struggling to remember what the CDL control system uses but it's all running off battery voltage (28v DC?) HTH

Steam at the business end. Diseasel at the rear. Sunshine in Mallaig 😎

So ... FWIW, today's Jacobite report : MkI doors locked out of use; MkIIs CDL fitted. No seating allowed in the MkIs, but you can walk through. They really are towing empty coaches about. Everybody in MkIIs; obviously fully booked. Florence and her stewards patrolling, dissuading folks standing in vestibules taking photos through D/L windows. Those toilets in use on MkIs are retention tank fitted (they were last year - paid for by Net Rail). Didn't check whole train, but MkII toilets I saw were either locked out of use or 'do not use in station'(!?) More to follow...

Like this you mean? All sliding doors Sorry that pic is too head on to show clearly but you get the idea. Due to travel on the Jacobite 2moro; will report back.

Thanks Jonathan for the updates Yes, it has been possible to put up bits of the layout in turn, to attend to a few ailments. Here's the north end, surrounded by the general chaos in the chapel with TWO large exhibition layouts effectively being stored in here between shows. Once Bristol has been and gone, it'll return to some semblance of normality. Here's an example. One or two of the boards have developed 'ski jump' ends, which have periodically been attended to. This piece of track was noted as being particularly bad at York so up it comes for due attention. Above it is the errant Signal 20. Most folks might not have even noticed but we've had multiple signal motor failures which spoils the authenticity of the operation. So ... Now you see 'em ... ... now you don't! Is this a light on the road to Damascus moment? Well, initially not as me and Andrew between us manage to upset 3 out of the 4 replacement servos. However, they eventually settled down and Signal 20 has been signed off as working satisfactorily. With the useful byproduct that the one good recovered Veissmann motor has been used to replace a further 'dud' on South box Signal 3. It now has to pass the 'does not twitch' test when locos of all makes and origins pass by it. And very much a test bed for future projects rather than the start of a campaign change out on Grantham per se. We'll see ...