mcowgill

EON tried fitting one at our house, after 5 minutes the chap left saying it wasn't possible as there was no mobile signal... Martin

A lot of the information in Boyd has to be reconsidered in the light of more recent detailed research. I believe the current understanding is that up trains were short and hauled by 1 or 2 horses. The formation is very narrow, unlike the back end of a Welsh Cob so I imagine they were harnessed in front of each other when in pairs. Down trains were combined with multiple dandy wagons at the rear to accommodate the returning horses. Down gravity trains would still be fairly leisurely and stop at all the loops to let the horses out so that they continued to work on the same section - each of the 4 sections of line was contracted out to different operators so normally horses would stay put on that section apart from some rotation to get them to farriers at Boston Lodge and Blaenau Ffestiniog. The line was running at full capacity in the early 1860s before steam was introduced, at which point there would have been a quick cutover and retirement of horses due to the haulage capacity and speed of the new technology. This was also the point at which non-stop down gravity trains may have begun as there was no need to stop to swap horses at staging loops on the way down. For more details I would take a look at https://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/Horse_operation Martin

Run out of 6 & 7 on the transfer sheet, waiting for the next exhibition to pick some up and finish the project?

Gravity slate trains on the FR continued until passenger trains were suspended in WW2. Up until that point the empties went back up on the rear of passenger trains and the loaded slates then worked back under gravity. Once the passenger trains were suspended the empties had to be hauled up on their own so to avoid a wasted light engine run back down they were hauled both ways. Martin

Anyone seen my wallet? I last saw it scuttling off into a dark corner making a whimpering sound... Perhaps my BR(GE) branch can manage without one....

Being brought up travelling when platforms had proper numbers I missed a train at Stratford a few weeks ago, assuming that 10a was one end of 10, so running I headed up the steps to 10a just as my train ran into 10... :-(

I suspect the lack of wires between Ely and Peterborough will be more of an issue for electric locos used on VEC Cambridge diversions

The Holographic Principle - Epica

The WHHR wasn't able raise sufficient funds to construct the section that they had agreed which would have taken them all the way to Pont Croesor, in the end only about half of the section was built up to a temporary loop, as a result the F&WHR had a section to build which wasn't budgeted for in the grand scheme.

There are unlikely to be any nuclear waste trains, although there's the possibility of constructions materials being brought in if anything ever happened at Trawsfynydd. Waste trains have stopped running to Sizewell now that the A station has been largely decommissioned, nothing runs in relation to the newer B station - it has never sent a single flask of waste in 20 years of use, it is all stored on site and a new store was recently opened that will hold a further 20 years spent fuel. Martin

F.E.A.R. by Marillion

There aren't two standard guage platform faces at Blaenau, the other platforms are both 2' gauge Martin

Reported to be 660 vehicles from Bombardier Derby and around 400 Swiss built Stadler bi-modes.

I met Christopher Trace while he still was a Blue Peter presenter at (I think) an Easter (?) Harrogate model railway exhibition, must have been fairly shortly before he left the show as I was only 5 at that time. Somewhere I've still got a signed Blue Peter annual that Dad bought for me that day. Martin

That gives me more time to save up

Have a look at this old topic, some interesting photos and details, I knew I had posted a couple of photos somewhere http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28869-a-bullion-van-other-storage-facilities/ Martin

There are two critical dimensions with a Kadee coupler, the height of the knuckle so it can couple to other vehicles and the height of the trip pin above the rails to allow the magnets to open the knuckle. If the NEM pocket was at a different height to the existing standard Kadee would have to tool up a duplicate range for 00 with different length trip pins. Martin

Shunting the Ffestiniog Railway Victorian train early in the morning after it was stabled outside overnight. Martin

Finally gave in to temptation and have ordered D5000 with sound, perhaps if I wrap it up and put it under the christmas tree nobody will ask any questions when it appears? Martin

An issue with the timescale and plans announced yesterday is that we need to build new gas power stations which will then be at risk of early closure before they have paid for themselves to meet future carbon emissions targets. I would have thought it better to push for more biomass and renewables power generation while winding down coal rather than switching to short term imported fossil fuels. Martin

Essence by Panic Room (then off to see them in Cambridge tonight) Martin

When I got home yesterday there was a loco shaped box waiting for me. As I had a prior appointment at the Royal Albert Hall to see David Gilmour I resisted the temptation to open it until this morning - looks wonderful. However - I've just received an email from that well known Liverpool emporium to say my D16/3 has been shipped, but yesterday's box came from points South-West. Looks like I forgot about my pre-order and ordered another one at some point. Oh well, the only thing better than a D16/3 is two D16/3s! Looks like one will need renumbering. Martin

Secrets of Angels by Karnataka seems to be on repeat after seeing them last night in Islington! Martin

The brake hangers/blocks aren't right for the Ivatt pacifics - the only things I can think of that had anything like that were Bulleid pacifics. Martin

I've just found mine whimpering quietly in a corner, hiding behind one of my GER branch books...