jcredfer

Sssshhh .... message found in Dead Letter Box, this afternoon ....... Weeell .... yes ... and ... eerr ... no ..... I have just spoken to my clandestine contacts friends and from the plethora of information ... Westbury does control Trowbridge .... Salisbury was reported to have a signal box, but, apparently, not the one in the photo which long since closed and had its windows bricked in, hence the box over the steps. It was thought that the [closed] box was used for a rather gruesome storage task at one stage, after an accident, caused by a speeding train derailment. Interestingly the accident resulted in all trains having to stop at the Station, through ones included. Strangely, that gives some credence to what I thought was an Apocryphal story told by the Principal of our College. He was waiting for a scheduled train from Salisbury to Exeter, when another earlier train pulled in. He looked at the signs and saw it would go to Exeter. Naturally he got on-board and was making his way to a seat when the Guard approached him, to inform him that he would have to get off the Train. Prinny was not the sort of personality to accept that sort of instruction lightly, so enquired as to why that should be so. The Guard was slightly ruffled by someone challenging his position of responsibility and informed Prinny that the train was a Through Train and therefore did not stop at Salisbury and repeated that Prinny should remove himself forthwith. Prinny said that he gave the fellow one of his best sympathy smiles and told him that if it didn't stop at Salisbury, then he couldn't possibly be on it, then went on to sit down. ... Salisbury main through lines, apparently controlled from Basingstoke, but the local box takes care of all those DMU shed lines and the rest of the Shunting Yard, plus a few sidings to Grately in the East, also down to [i think they said] Gillingham and Warminster the other way. An introduction to some other closer Salisbury informants contacts was suggested and will get back to you if contact can be made. Sssshhhhhhh, keep it under your hat and don't even tell Grandma .....

It was interesting to see how Network Rail were getting along with their updated track. It seems they have had their spies out and have copied the idea of making the replacements from Peco Streamline sections. Point detail by Julian Redfern, on Flickr and ............. if you look carefully to the rear of the gentleman on the left ............. .............. electro-frog too ..... They have taken the Peco Streamline idea one step further 'though, as you can see they included the Point motors on the Points, very clever, that might be worth a thought ....... particularly with Servo driven Points ....... All in one by Julian Redfern, on Flickr ............... look at all that detail on the points [rivet-counters, to your marks ... Ready ... Steady ... Go!] ............... quite how they prevent all those Point ties from shorting across was not quite evident ..... The level of supervision was also quite remarkable, what with making sure the work was completed with safety in the forefront. The Peco Points will help with that ......... and they even had a watchful eye from the maker of the original maker of DP, to be sure they kept to his exacting standards ........ Checking by Julian Redfern, on Flickr

As some of you will know, I risked life and limb, driving along the M/A 27 and South-coast roads to get to Folkestone Show, at the very kind invite of dt, for which a big thank you is due. Whilst there, a couple of other opportunities arose, not the least of which was a non-photographic view of the DP layout. The other was a look at the desperate efforts made by Network Rail to keep up with the standards set on the DP Layout. To the first then - and I was in for a very pleasant surprise - such have been the detailed pictures, previously posted here, I was struck by how small all those details really are. It was great to get an overview of the whole room, with so much work in place. DSC01073 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr It looked quite busy too, even 'though it was weekend working. I tried to take the picture from one corner to give some idea of the size of the items on there. I have always liked the detail on the Signal Box on the platform, again I wasn't prepared for quite how small that Box was. I'm not sure I managed to picture the scale of it but had a go DP Signal box by Julian Redfern, on Flickr I managed to get a shot of work in progress on the Scissor Points. Scissor laying by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Oh yes ..and that joint program Fourgon, I just had to have a shot at that. DSC01102 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr I feel 'umble - very, very 'umble ... Thank you David, for a very pleasant weekend visit,

I'm not sure Trowbridge has anything much - apart from a couple of supermarket stores ..... It does sport a couple of small platforms and a set of points just outside which splits a single line from the Bath line, to run through Melksham to just outside Chippenham, where it joins the Bath - Swindon main line. Actually the Stn buildings are small, but look quite nice. however ... I do have it on good authority that the Salisbury Signal Box was dismantled some years back ... sadly [old as I probably am] - I cannot return to before that time to take pictures for you ........................................ ....................................... ..................................... but ............................. It is just possible that I might be able to obtain a picture or so ...... might be able to ....... ssshhhhh

Oh, come now ... be fair .......... ................ if a Pigeon had just done one that size on your cab ............... you would abandon the Loco right there and s*d the Rule Book too .....

WEATHERING!!! ............... that's not weathering ........... ....... ............................. more to the point ...... ....... if that is any indication of the size of the local Pigeons .... the Buzzard Chicks must eat Cows! ..... You had best stay in that cab of your's Marcus ............ ........... and the same goes for 66 too .....

...................... better take it with you ............. ............................ they have had nothing in the UK since LMR closed .......................... you will have to do a few modifications 'though ......

Thththththhhh ...... ... ............................... as if you don't have enough of the real ones to play with ....... J Just jealous .....

Hummm ... .... yes - well, there is a challenge now! J PS. - I bet he knows and it is in Trowbridge ...

Inside samples ... East end looking East DSC00961 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Same place looking the other way DSC00971 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Near the middle looking West DSC00972 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Far West DSC00997 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Love the pre-weathered chimney ... looking back East again. DSC00999 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Have views of the front of a couple of large sheds, DMU shed and Nwk Rail yard, plus some of the point-work runs

Hi, The weather was good ... the battery was charged ... the Boss was working ... Salisbury was the target ... Left side DSC00957 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Right side DSC00948 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr These are just samples from .. eerrr ... quite a few. I have from and including the bridge in the West, where the line leaves the city, to the junction from the tunnel in the East, where it splits to Sarf'ampton in the south and Lunun to the North East. You can just see the light glinting off the rails at the far end of the 250 yd tunnel. DSC01054 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr Orft to Lunun DSC01051 by Julian Redfern, on Flickr I managed to persuade the staff to let me on the platform for some too. PS. If anyone is going to do Salisbury, you have to like making bridges. I will put some more samples up, and you will see what I mean .....

Ssssshhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! .......................... .............. he didn't notice until the pictures were taken ......... ................ it's that pot of old paint left open over the weekend .......

Slight overkill ................ ................... for OO Gauge, maybe .... ?

Aaahh you have been ........ Sorry, but your dog's are not allowed, when you come to stay, when we go to the Folkestone MRC. Exhibition, next weekend. The "Sick Note", you submitted to the Missus , worked then. Still at the ballast, on dry runs', some of the darker,'tween the sleepers section's, I reused,from last time. Mixing in brickdust. GEDC0059.JPG GEDC0055.JPG GEDC0066.JPG GEDC0077.JPG GEDC0082.JPG How the 3D printed AWS has worked out. GEDC0068.JPG P1210693(1).JPG GEDC0069.JPG .......................... reading my Doctor's notes again ...... ... ........................ You will be safe from the dog too ..... he doesn't like model trains ,,,,, ...................... they make him burp for hours after having one and the Con Rods get stuck in his teeth .....

CONGRATULATIONS

The little piles od Ballast by the chutes are a magic touch - your mojo may well have returned .....

Nice [in the original sense of the word] piece of work there dt. It looks very like the DP pictures. Not easy around a 4 way set of points. J

Congratulations and best wishes for the future. Have a great Wedding Day. Julian PS. Like the Rugby idea to ensure the future B-in-Law arrive for the celebrations.

Happy Birthday ........ and good luck.

Not just a Pension [long since "coughed-up" for] ..... Free rides on buses ... Cheaper theme park tickets ... ​ Free colour movies of foregone trains ... B/W movies of long lost stations ... 8) Amazing the benefits that come with being an old f**t Pensioner ... ... J

Aah, at last ..... .............................. The Mystery of the Blue Black Train ..... ............................. The Voice in the Dark ..... The B&W does the film justice, very nice too. Julian

What DO you mean ......... ................................................ ............................................ ..................................... won?? ... You just paid more than anyone else was prepared to ... ................ ....... don't forget the pictuuuuuurrrrresss when it arrives. ...

Those Gully slopes should be finished as soon as you can ... no really ... top priority ...... ................................ before Network Rail realise they have more to do to keep up ... Like the Sleeper Cars ... very nice indeed. Julian

Perhaps they were so engrossed in Adrian Christie's new book ........ Given no passengers emerged ................ ....................... how about ............................................... Then There Were None. ..... ............................................................................................ Murder on the Lines ........ Ooo .. Ooo ...................................................................... Destination Unknown ... .......................................... ......................... 4.50 from Westerham .......... ............................................................................................ The Veiled Lady and the Mystery of the Brasted Chest ..... Regards J I bet they can't resist the bait ....

Delightful video Adrian, thank you for the time and effort to make it. J