Wheatley

Deleted because I skipped through the previous reply instead of reading it properly.

Appleby West had one gang based there in the early 90s but usually 3 personnel carriers parked up overnight as the Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen drivers lived there. Also Vauxhall Astras for the Bridge Examiner, PW Section Manager, Works Supervisor and Ops Supervisor, and a pick up used as a general runabout/mobile skip. Likewise Barnsley had one gang based there but generally had 4 or 5 buses parked up over the weekend for similar reasons and numerous small vans kicking about. Add occasional appearances from S&T technicians, relayers, other specialists, Tebay and Penrith PW on the cadge, C&W examiners popping in to use the loo and the station cleaning gang (on the odd occasion that they actually surfaced) it could get quite crowded.

Detection on a semaphore disc reading through a pair of trailing points isn't necessarily infallible, there are a lot of mechanical and human factors which can confound it.

No recovery taking place because RAIB were not attending, or RAIB not falling over themselves to get there because no recovery could take place until first light? That particular day a lot (all ?) of the available DBC recovery assets were dealing with the concurrent SPAD/derailment/cable chop which shut the west side of Sheffield station or the failed freight on the S&C which ran out of wheelskates and man hours. RAIB Accredited Agent. Several DTMs I know were signed up for this, the general consensus was that the additional hassle which resulted was not worth the effort and they would not be renewing their accreditation. As well as Beast's explanations, it's perfectly possible for a switch blade tip which is just within tolerance when the first bogie goes over it to be just outside tolerance when the second one goes over it after the weight of the front bogie has shifted along the switch/closure rail a bit.

City House is indeed the very tall bit alongside New Station Street, it was used by the Civil Service (no idea which bit) and had an excellent restaurant on the top floor which I was occasionally lucky enough to visit on the odd occasions when we ran out of meeting rooms in Aire Street Offices. Aire Street Offices was the bit about what is now the North Concourse. For the ten years prior to privatisation it was the BR(E) Leeds Area Manager's offices and had Leeds Control, retail, ops and civils back office functions based there. It then became RRNE offices and eventually (I think) Railtrack. There were some training rooms although they eventually moved to Crompton House at the other end of Wellington Street. Leeds panel was (I think) on the top floor of the Admin Block, which is the bit above what is now Platform 8 with the traincrew accommodation in it.

But the WR does. Are any of your examples on the WR ? I know Three Bridges and Caterham aren't.

Very few of them were, which raises an important point - BR generally rationalised things by taking stuff away, not by replacing/relocating/rebuilding it unless it absolutely had to. There were some exceptions where certain locations got shiny new facilities but most of us were making do and mending. For the 1980s you could do worse than look up some 1960s small MPD / goods yard plans on Old Maps and think how you would adapt them, As a minimum you need messing facilities (most important) and somewhere to stable things, so a hut and an inglenook. Beyond that there isn't really a 'standard'. Try these: York (Leeman Road) workshops - where Leeman Road dog-legs under the ECML. Appleby (in Westmoreland) - not really a PW yard (although the PW lived in it) but very modellable. Crofton (Wakefield) Beighton (Sheffield) Doncaster Woodyard.

Not on this occasion, the online price indicates that the retailer is open to discounting. But on this occasion I think I would follow The Snapper's principle and go somewhere else anyway. What's cheeky is asking a small retailer to match someone else's online price.

The 1938 batch, 6230-34 Buccleuch/Atholl/Montrose/Sutherland/Abercorn was built without streamlining if that helps. Recognisable by the curved front footplating rather than the gap on the de-streamlined versions. The 1944 onwards locos were similarly non-streamlined from new but they might be a bit late for you (Sheffield - Salford).

I assume you're one of the model shops in Andover. If so then taking a random item from the website of the one Andover model shop with a website (Hornby R4859 DVT), they're selling it at full RRP (£74.99) and the discounters (Hattons in this case) are undercutting them by £15. Conversely, products in other parts of the wider Hornby Hobbies range (Airfix Phantom and Victor) seem to be within a couple of quid of RRP everywhere. (£25 and £60 respectively). In other words, discounting on railways but not on plastic kits seems to be expected because, er ... it just is. See numerous other threads for opinions and explanations of why this should/should not be the case.

TOCs will hire units and crews from each other on a short term basis to cover failures but it depends on day to day availability. GC currently run one Northern service as the 180 would be sitting between turns otherwise. In general franchised TOCs won't have rolling stock spare for long term hire because if they had the DfT would have reallocated it already. The spot hire and charter operators do have stock lying around doing nothing most of the week so are the obvious choice.

A 'full royal' could be twelve or more vehicles including the wartime LMS 12 wheelers (HM Queen's and Duke of Edinburgh's saloons) 3 mk1s, some LNWR 12 wheelers, sundry other saloons according to need and a couple of LNWR brakes. Bill Bedford does/did sides for the LMS saloons and 247 used to do sides for the LNWR 8 wheel brakes (or rather, the LNWR 2-compartment BFKs from which they were converted). A shorter formation for a single royal travelling with minimal retinue might be one of the LMS saloons, mk1 dining saloon,mk1 equiry's saloon and the LNWR 8 wheel power brakes. This, or something like it, worked to and from Ripon in 1965 with (I think) Prince Phillip on board.

That thing was hideous. The stripes, not that it was obvious unless you were told, were supposed to represent heat reflecting back off a cold window - http://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk/news-insights/latest/pilkington-k-glass-s-keeps-momentum-following-launch Which doesn't help with your question, sorry.

Which is at least a start. The point I was trying to make is that the Rob's argument that SMG was opposed to operation on principle is incorrect, there's an awful lot of "it depends" involved in the decision making process of which originality is only part. I suspet cash (lack of) might be a greater factor.

Science Museum Group policy is to operate items from their collection where it aids public understanding: "As leaders in science and technology communication and learning, the SMG remains committed to operating historic objects, recognising that the high levels of interest and the educational value in “working objects” make a meaningful connection between the museum’s visitors and the collections. The value of operating a historic object for public understanding of the science and technology it demonstrates will be taken into account within the decision making process. The SMG’s selection, risk assessment and review processes (based on the tenets of the National Heritage Act, 1983) are to ensure that working objects are used in a safe, secure and sustainable way, according to best practice, now and for the future, letting the importance and condition of the object and the quality of the evidence for an earlier state guide the decision." My bold. The future is forever, not just the next few years. Link here for anyone who cares to actually read it. https://group.sciencemuseum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/SMG-Policy-Selecting-Operating-Objects-Approved-2014.pdf Something still largely in original condition (like Mallard) is less likely to be operated than something which isn't (Like Flying Scotsman). The National Heritage Act 1983 (cited above) requires the Science Museum Group to preserve its assests, exhibit them and make them available for research, not flog them to death for the short term amusement of enthusiasts.

Yes they can. It's a tool built to do a job. You'd soon get peed off with complete strangers telling you wha you were and weren't allowed to do with your car/telly/washing machine, even if it was a very large and old car/telly/washing machine and one of only four left in the country. You've clearly never met Mr Cameron.

Correct. Trainload Coal, ironically.

Half hourly service from Leeds to Shipley, but Outwood - Leeds is a bit sparse - https://be803fe5c416e39d38ae-aa21086260d3bd4e072d597fe09c2e80.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/images/timetables/bucket/doncaster-to-leeds-815.pdf Strike timetables are now on Northern's website.

to query the spelling. I remember it from my childhood as it collected track pins and filings until the mechanism jammed. Apologies, I missed the earlier spelling ! My gradients are only on hidden bits so I can get away with piano wire, 2mm or so garden wire will work too but is more of a faff to get straight.

SL-113s are the easiest way, but squishing the last fishplate on the Code 100 flat and soldering a Code 75 fishplate on top works too. I've never used the SL-112 fishplates.

The closer you get the magnets to the steel base the better it works. I have a Hornby Clan set up as a test rig - with two magnets screwed directly to the keeper plate (so higher up / further from the steel base than they could be if I faffed about lowering them so they were just above rail level) it can restart 9 Hornby Mk1s on a 1 in 60 gradient. Without the magnets it just slips. But - if I set a piece of 2mm piano wire in the four foot instead of using the PB bases (so bringing the steel nearer the magnets rather than the magnets nearer the steel) it romps away with 14 on. There's nothing to stop you using steel shim under the track and sourcing your own magnets, but the PB bases go round curves without cutting. Magnet set between the driving wheels within the chassis block to make the wheels literally stick to the track. Only works with steel tyres and steel rail, it was superceded by traction tyres when NS rail and tyres became more popular.

Slightly unfair on TPE staff, the re-livery will have been done by whichever contractor did the refurb. GNER/NXEC staff re-stickering sets at Kings Cross during turnrounds was very much the exception.

Here's 73104 in the up loop at Newton Stewart - https://www.facebook.com/treelap/photos/a.203421403097237/684245995014773/?type=3&theater

That's the one, I'll check the number tonight if no-one beats me to it Edit - it is 73100 but it's not in Andrew Swan's book, it's in George O'Hara's BR Steam in Scotland.

Std 5s were used on the Port Road as part of a circular diagram (or rather, triangular) from Corkerhill. I believe the photo Blobrick refers to is reproduced in Swan's book with the number quoted as 73100 but l'll check that. The number is not quoted in Cross's book. 73109 also put in an appearance, I might even remember where if you give me long enough! All sorts of foreign engines appear in photos of the route, especially black 5s.