Michael Edge

The "graphite revolution" was just that, it has completely transformed layout operation - and it's not new either, I've seen references to it in magazines from the 1930s at least. It started for me at Scaleforum some years ago, Bernie Baker was doing an S4 demo and had one of our Ruston 88DS locos running up and down on track made from two lengths of aluminium angle. The loco was running so slowly that I had to look away and look back to confirm that it was actually moving. When I asked how this was possible the answer was "graphite". We applied graphite (with a graphite pencil from Hobbycraft) to the Herculaneum Dock track for the Southampton show in 2016 and I've hardly cleaned any loco wheels since - I've not cleaned the track much either. Since then no locos with tender pickups have ever stalled and the tank locos very rarely - if they do they are run up and down on a stretch of freshly graphited track and they run perfectly again. On the DCC side (the dock railway) the results were even more spectacular - we have two locos on the system which were always unreliable. One is a Hornby L&Y 0-4-0ST which usually made one run out from the fiddle yard and back before needing it's wheels cleaned - since the start of the graphite era it has run continuously and still not been cleaned. The other is the Barclay 0-6-0F which caused consternation to Andy Ross working the dock when he realised he'd been shunting with it all weekend. There was of course much speculation about a reduction in adhesion but I hink Wentworth Junction has cleared that up - there's no visible effect. I know all the down trains are banked but going the other way all the up trains have to be lifted up the same gradient out of the fiddle yard. I've been promoting this for six years now, once I actually get someone to try it they are usually converted but as always there are lots of theoretical objections - I've said on here in other threads that I don't care how or why it works, I just know that it does. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

I first used DCC on Herculaneum Dock when the Overhead Railway was added, simply because I couldn't see any practical way of wiring this up with conventional sections. In the long run another benefit appeared with the ability to add automatic colour light signals (powered from the DCC track supply) with the addition of two connecting wires along the structure. The next step was to convert the dock railway system to DCC, the expected benefit was more reliable running with full voltage on the track all the time - and all with very small locos. Nothing was changed in the wiring apart from severing all the connecting lines to the CLC, this wasn't an operating problem since locos never cross these, only wagons are propelled across. The control panels simply had all their sections switched on. That's where it has stopped, the main line part of the layout will remain DC. Since the graphite revolution running reliability has been all but perfect and there is very little difference between the two systems - I'm not really interested in sound (all the locos on the dock system should have continuous bells!) and I find shunting almost impossible with any deceleration delay (and no brakes). Adapting the fiddle yard to Wentworth Junction produced some complication at the ends since parts of it connect to the DCC part of HD, this meant adding two changeover switches at one end (these will need some sort of locking system) and a different connection in the plugs at the other. One of the biggest benefits of DCC on the dock system was the ability to leave locos anywhere but this part of the layout is not signalled, all trains ran visually. The big disadvantage is that the operator needs to know the identity of each loco and there's no way of seeing what's inside the loco shed. This isn't much of a drawback with the dozen or so locos involved here but it's an enormous problem on Carlisle with more than 200 locos, any of which might be 100ft away. Noting Frank's comments above about banking operations on Clayton, I don't think DCC is really feasible here - it certainly isn't on Wentworth Junction. On WJ all down trains must be banked so any one (or more) of 5 or 6 banking locos have to be matched with any of the train locos running in that direction. The complications of setting up and using the DCC "consist" system for this would be totally impractical and otherwise you would need another operator/driver for each banking loco. The simple solution of running all the locos (and there might be four per train on the Worsbrough) off one controller works very well in practice. The DC/DCC debate so often turns into a matter of almost religious heresy, I just use whatever works best in the situation.

Fair enough, that's a prototype for it but I still think it doesn't serve much purpose on your model. They had to use the running line for shunting there - there's nowhere else to shunt the long sidings from - your layout's goods yard can be easily shunted from the loop.

That would be extremely unlikely - the loop would always be used for shunting but that wouldn't prevent you from putting a train in there when no shunting was required.

I think it's probably the high pivot point, I have a pair of these which I've run together for many years but never reliably. I've tried all sorts of springing arrangements, mostly out of a pig-headed desire to make these old Hornby Dublo models work, I have no use or place for them on any of my present layouts.

What is the crossover at the bottom (goods to main) for exactly? Doesn't it just duplicate the one at the end of the loop? You wouldn't want or need to shunt the yard from the running line and departures can be made from the loop in either direction. Otherwise it all looks good and very Midland like.

It's not the traction tyres, the bogies still tip under load when completely re-wheeled.

Doesn't look as if there's much left to do!

It certainly isn't possible in 00, Carlisle is EM.

The switch blades should flex easily enough, we have some shorter ones than this in Carlisle's switch diamonds - but they did need much thicker wire in the Tortoise point motors to drive them.

I would agree with that last comment, start by building one rigid before trying anything more complicated - walk before you run.

Sprockets and chain readily available from a number of sources, I usually get them from Branchlines. The system is well known in the 7mm world but rarely used in 4mm, the chain is quite wide and does require a narrow gearbox for the driven axle - the 1-Co-Co-1 bogies above are for EM but it is possible to use them in 00.

It's Slater's corrugated plastikard, the brass angle is to keep the bottom edge straight and provides a handle to lift the door. There's no mechanism, it's just hand operated - on the layout it's the backyard of the loco depot with CISL's last steam loco parked out of use (but kept as a pet).

The peg (it's not a hook) isn't vertical, it has to be angled back slightly to let the loop ride up over it. I had to guess this angle on the etch but it seems to work perfectly - the peg is parallel by the way, anything else is an illusion. No reason why not, the drawing is all done, just not for etching. It would be later in the autumn now though at the earliest.

There's one on my Cwmafon layout at the back of the steelworks loco shed. It's just a sheet of corrugated plastikard with a length of brass angle glued on the bottom. It runs in brass guides on the inside of the building which curve over into the roof - just visible at the top here with the door partly open. It works very well and as one of our operators discovered it springs off without any damage if accidentally driven into from the inside - "what door?" was the reaction to "did you open the door before you parked that loco there?"

You might want to wait for this to go into production later this year. First test etch shown here, I have a second one to do, then it will be in production.. Since the first build I've worked out a way of simulating the upper arm which keeps the head horizontal. More in Judith Edge kits thread.

You should always check that the loco can still spin its wheels - this is an essential safety valve, prevents burning out stalled motors.

They are all the same wheelbase so yes.

The wheels are old Romfords, machined down to 20mm. They may well have been 21mm ones but they came out of my 3mm spares box, already turned down a bit. This needs doing with care as the heat from machining can get the tyre to come off the insulated ones if you go too quick or take too deep a cut. Romford did make 3mm wheels at one time but I've not used many of them. Depending on the wheel you want Gibson wheels are OK for TT but there are sometimes problems with excessive crankthrow or not enough spokes. I've only built two locos (14.2mm gauge) with the society wheels and I didn't like them at all.

Obviously I've answered the wrong question there! 10201 and 10203 have the same bogies as the EE type 4 - easy enough to etch what I've already done. I probably would have done but I thought I didn't have time - turns out I had months to spare....

The etch will fit those anyway since couplers are on the bogies. I've sent a pair to Andrew for him to have a look at, one or other of us may put this into production. I'm thinking of modifying the latch to be a fold over the peg, this will look more like a Dingham latch.

It's cheaper and easier to source, I haven't tried them yet so I don't know how well thye will work.

Markits wheels are fine although they are overscale width in EM gauge - not too much of a problem with this loco, especially if you leave the cylinders in the standard DJH pushed out position. Gibson look much better, they are now just about 100% reliable but some modellers have great difficulty fitting them. The Gibson crankpin system may cause clearance problems behind the crossheads.

The old style Romford wheels are no longer available, all replaced by Markits wheels which are not the same. EM axles (and even P4 now) are readily available.

Yes it's a Barclay 0-6-0DH - AB615?