HeatherKay

I imagine there were sound reasons for roofing over tanks. For one, it would help prevent a lot of rubbish getting in - including personnel! Secondly, I expect it helped prevent freezing to an extent.

That's some structure you've made. I am very impressed.

I think I'm correct in assuming that even such large tanks were covered in wooden planks. That might help your water problem.

Nice work, though. Very impressive.

Looking very nice. One thing, though. That open door on the phone box would be very unlikely unless the door closing mechanism was broken.

I remember when I was a kid that it took a fair amount of effort to open the kiosk doors, and as they were made of cast iron they were also quite hefty in their own right.

Oh, I forgot the reprofiling cost

Hi

Membership is

Hi

Regarding S7 wheels, you can buy them directly from Slater's. All the main styles of wagon wheels are available to the S7 profile and back to back, as well as the coach wheelsets. Loco wheels are a different animal. The Group is working with Slater's to develop a range of suitable driving, carrying and tender wheels for a variety of steam outline locos, which will only be sold through the S7 Group Stores. The other method is to have normal FS O wheels reprofiled, either yourself (the Group can sell you a profile tool) if you have the relevant lathe skills, or by the Group (there's a service run by one of the members, at reasonable cost). If it helps, I've been a ScaleSeven member since the late 1980s, and never once had to run a lathe in anger!

The Group's web site has a fair amount of technical info scattered about, but I agree it can be hard to find answers to questions if you don't know where to look. The best bet is to contact any of the committee members and ask! 

If you visit any large scale shows, look out for the S7 demonstration stand. The guys who man it are always friendly and willing to answer most questions people might have about the standard. 

That pile of locos looks very daunting. Perhaps you should consider not trying to build them all before your layout's first exhibition. As long as you have enough locos to run things happily, to show some variety and get over what you're trying to show with the layout, and to provide a spare or two if something goes awry, you can look on the stash that remains as things to build when you have time.

Hi Bill

I wondered if there was a Rule 55 reference online, and lo! Wikipedia has a page dedicated to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_55

I hope that makes interesting reading. 

Heather

Hi Bill!

The white diamond on the signal indicated to the train crew that track circuits were installed on that section of line. This meant the signal boxes on the line were aware of their presence, and if they came to a stand in the section Rule 55 (which meant the fireman had to go to a telephone and call the signalbox to remind the signalman the train was there) could be ignored. I think that's essentially what it means. No doubt someone properly clued up on the British Railways Rule Book will correct me!

Heather