AlfaZagato

Hatton's may be gunshy on that. They still had stock of the very late patterns until recently.

First you had my attention. Now you have my interest. N scale? These little 100hp Sentinels were neat. Your print, or from Newman? I think I saw he had done one of these.

...I can't even have a Sten, and I'm American.

Have a pint (or a dram,) sigh, and try again.

I'll say about the crane. I don't think I've seen mention of light English cranes using cable. I'm probably wrong, and welcome to being corrected. Chain is much more probable, methinks. You're good with the chain.

I don't know that that's entirely a problem. Possible the light came after the crane.

I'm guessing there is some agreement with MR as to prevent sale of a LNER pack?

All the 'odd' timings were most definitely the result of interlocking scheduling beyond the passenger service. One train probably started the schedule on an hour early Monday. Everything else would be scheduled around that. I have no support for this suggestion. Only whatever my head claims is logic.

Still could be put to some shunting. Is there any known examples of a road loco being used to shunt? I know I've seen photos of tractors being used as such. Would a road loco have been considered too ungainly or expensive for such use?

Probably earlier, more consistent dieselization. Everyone was trying to make diesels to match or better the performance of the largest locomotives.

No, 66 is no longer a US Highway. I think the equivalent in the UK would be an A road. Many places still call it 66. Anything 'official' is a state highway at most, equivalent to a B road.

Your steeds for the Grand Canyon trip are of mixed lineage. They're both F40FH's, similar to what was on Metra in Chicago. 237 is ex-Amtrak, while the second loco, 4128, is ex-NJ Transit. Your mystery loco marked BM&LP is a GE E60CF from the Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad. BM&LP was an isolated line strung at 50kAC. Ran coal between a dedicated mine and a power station. The line was closed in 2019 with the power station. The E60CF is interesting. Big, beastly thing showing when the American loading gauge is used for a freight electric. Comparably recent, as well. They were built between 1973 & 1976.

Haven't tried yet. Came with NEM pockets, though. I don't see where there'd be an issue?

I'd definitely be in on shirtbutton. I even spelled that right this time. These were largely suburban and intercity, correct?

I, too, think this excellent news. Happy to see the 5600 did well enough to encourage more GWR tanks. Maybe we'll get the eight-coupled ones next...

Wouldn't the appropriate companion to a clerestory be a toplight?

@paul59There was an issue a couple of months ago with RMWeb. Their servers failed catastrophically. All images before a certain point were lost. Replacement is up to the individuals who posted the pictures. Those dead links are images that were lost.

I'm surprised you didn't seal the transfers before weathering. Do Fox Transfers hold up to paint?

I don't know about a Nelson-based railcar. Maunsell wasn't really afraid of ICE, though. I could see him approaching EE for a four-cylinder version of the six they loaded into his shunters. I wonder is a useable genset could have been built small enough to fit under a carriage floor in the 30's.

Drifting a bit, with all this coaching discussion. There were a number of railcar experiments by the Big 4 (and others, in other countries) pre-WWII. GWR in particular had success with their cars. Where would development overall have gone if the other railways had made good of their attempts?

I hazard Collett would have been further evolution, as was his known way. Admittedly, without the direct influence of his superiors at GWR, he may have come to similar solutions as Riddles. Wasn't Riddles working largely from Stanier's influence?

I scavenge window glass scraps from a local hardware store.

Your mystery loco is a Siemens SC-44, apparently. We don't get Amtrak through West Chicago, so I've not seen one. The long-distance locos are GE Genesis P42DC's. Amtrak has nearly 200, and some are filtering out to Metra service. The diesel everyone was afraid of was built by Montreal Locomotive Works, Alco's Canadian partner, for the Yukon & White Pass. That railway was better known for their shovelnose diesels. Lastly, you were able to ride behind a K-27. I'm kind of jealous. I've never been farther west than the middle of Iowa. If you ever come back, base out of Chicago. There's enough railway museums in this area to make a week of it. Especially if you come on Labor Day. Most of the museums have special events on Labor Day, with less used equipment making runs.

I thought that was slide 26?

Yes, those two additional rails are guardrails. Still common (possibly legally required?) on most US rail bridges. Used there to minimize possibility of collision with the platform in case of derailment. Also helps protect worker's feet from the third rail. Only place in Chicagoland I've seen concrete ties was Metra trackage in and just outside Ogilvie Transportation Center, the other central Chicago station. I gather they're more common out west, on heavy UP & BNSF lines.