MarshLane

Yay! Well done Steve - already looks good, so the additional track can only make it better Rich

Amazed how calm that guard looks considering his loco is on the move with no driver Or has Beale Street found a method of remote control for steam locos! Lovely purchase Andy, I do prefer the Minerva lined green livery for both of their locos just looks spot on to me. Rich

One other to throw out to everyone/anyone reading or taking an interest in this thread! I also seem to recall there was an enquiry, like an F4 for train, but for a location or specific wagon pool that didn't just give an overview of the number of vehicles there, it specified the actual details of what was at the location, loaded/empty, the customer, origin destination etc.. Any can anyone jog my memory with the details? Thanks to all for your help so far - all much appreciated. Rich

Thanks Kevin, Thats really helpful - can you recall what an LP 2A enquiry was ... In the back of my mind I've got that it was a power report on a particular traction pool for locos? Rich

Hi Ken, Just drop Steve at Railtec an email with which number you want and he'll sort it out for you. Tell him it's for a Dapol model. Rich

Hi Rod, Two thoughts occur to me - if you wanted to keep it the same as it is now, assuming that the theory behind it works when the tortoise arms go fully across - you could invest a little bit of cash (ok I'm being extravagant at £1.48 post free!) in micro switches with longer arms (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5Pcs-Micro-Limit-Switch-Long-Lever-Arm-Miniature-SPDT-V-153-1C25-Action-Home-/381549751664) so that the tortoise movement is guaranteed to activate it. Alternatively, you could run a couple of relays off the switches to achieve the same outcome. When 22 is thrown reverse, the relay activates the power to 26. There's also the potential to automatically set 26 up, when 22 is put normal, but the wiring would be somewhat more complicated for that scenario. I think, if it were me, I'd go with the longer armed micro-switches to start with, unless anyone comes up with some other brainwaves Nice idea tho, I like the reality - the modern modelling equivalent to interlocking in the box Nice Rich

Hi Hugh, Yes I've had that email from Dapol too. Id suggest thats probably not far off. The guy on the Dapol stand was a little reluctant to put a date to it, but I said so what are we talking middle of the year/early Summer kind of period, and his replace was ..ermm yea somewhere around there. So no disrespect to the chap at all, but I'm guessing Dapol either weren't publicly saying a date, or possibly didn't have a good enough confirmation from the factory to give one. I think we're probably safe to say somewhere in the second half of the year! Not wishing to hijack the thread at all, but Hugh, through your FTG operation - have you thought of scaling up the CAD drawings from 4mm to 7mm for the SPA wagon? Id certainly be interested in committing to several! Rich

Hiya, Yes he does - he's on here as Pauliebanger - but does sound for 20s (I think), 25, 37, 47, 56 etc.. Paul's sounds were also used on the Minerva Peckett and Kerr Stuart - available direct from the man himself in his ProtoDrive version, which are superb! No connection other than as a customer... Rich

Phew! Rich

Well done Andy ... you won't regret that purchase! Rich

Thanks for that Kevin, Thats just made the Tag system a bit clearer to me - always wondered what the logic was behind it! I guess with my layout being set Yorkshire area, then anything for Toton, Bescot, Tinsley, Doncaster, York, Healey Mills, Scunthorpe, Immingham, March kind of areas would be useful to know. I've put a couple of queries out to other people for traffic types, customers and tags with in that area and see what comes back. Im quite interest to see any info on the East Midlands/Yorkshire MGR circuits, either from an operational or TOPS point of view. Its all fascinating, and something I have a personal interest in. From what I remember the TRAs were based around key yards/locations, and things likes Flood's power report would have been TRA based I think. Sure I've got a list of the TRAs here somewhere - I do have a complete TOPS location list from the early 1990s that somehow found its way in my direction, which is useful as customers are marked on that as well. Cheers Rich

Thanks Flood, That greats - that looks like a TOPS Region power report to me? Rich

Thanks Kevin Rich

Where is the OMG! Wow button when you want it Really nice track work there Martyn. Complicated to build I bet, but it will look fantastic when in place. Looks great now! Rich

Hi Jinty, Looking good - I was hoping a last minute change might have let me get over to Pontefract and say hi to you and Chris, but alas not to be. Sounds like you had a good time - nice move on the 31, and pleased its going into a decent livery Shall be following along Rich

Hi Jon, You've obviously not got enough signalling commitments if you've spare time like this ... what was that .. you thought the hobby was about enjoyment? <Capt Mainwaring voice>Stupid Boy!</end voice> Hehe! Looking good mate, anyone who can do anything in brass has my admiration. That chassis looks superb. Glad you also got your 10001 sorted out after its little 'hiccup'. Rich

Hi Andy, The Peckett is a lovely model. I had one of the Kerr Stuart's on order, but cancelled it because of other requirements on the diesel fleet at the time, but still looking to get one. But the Peckett I've got here is superb, and I have to say Paul's sound on it, is one of the most realistic steam DCC sounds I've ever heard. I really took some convincing that it would be decent, as I'm not a fan of DCC Sound on steam, the 'chuff' (excuse the expression) never seems right. But on the Peckett it is exemplary and I'm certainly a proud owner! Rich

Really good mate - was scrolling down thinking, how does this driver see where he's going then ... then the first one where the side window was clean, I though - ah! typical Liverpool loco .. window's been put through! hehe .. then I realised you'd cleaned it! Bloody good as ever mate. Well done. Rich

Hi Rod, The new signal box looks superb. Paul really does do a good job with those. I've had an initial chat with him about letting him do the boxes for my new layout - leave me to concentrate on the stuff I can do reasonably well! Are you using the microswitches for detection there, or just polarity switching? Rich

Kev, Those are great thanks - I'd forgotten that the likes of E3 enquiries could have multiple locos, each on a new line. I never found out what the 1 stood for or resulted in after the E3 command - any idea? Does anyone have any documentation for non South Wales yard tags at all? Rich

I'll put the crystal ball away now! Looking forward to seeing the result Rich

Kevin, Many, many thanks. I'd worked out about 60% of the column headings, but you've just filled in the remainder for me! Apologies, had I correctly read your original message I'd have realised the pages had changed! Sorry mis-read that. I wish I'd kept the notebooks that were passed onto me by one of the controllers when he left, consequently when I left, I passed them onto one of the new guys. Shame I don't know where they went, as they were a mine of information on various enquiries and data sets! Rich

Great work Marcus, the fence looks great and that feeling shed really makes a difference. Great stuff. Apologies for any typos, at a family do - bored stiff and surfing rmweb on a very dodgy 3G/GPRS signal Thank god for the internet and rmweb!! Rich

Hi Simon, Is that one that is en route to/from MC Metals / CF Booths? Somebody seems to have cut the bodyside away! I bet if I went and looked the flame cut number is already on ebay! Im presuming, going off the black marker panels, that this is your 37350? Rich

Hi Kevin, Thanks for your input, much appreciated. Many thanks - thats great. Would I be right in thinking then that an F4 was a quicker way of getting a consist? I always used to do a TRJC on the head code then 'v' to get the consist? Is there any change you would be willing to photograph or photocopy the pages from it for me? I'll happily reimburse you any costs. Rich