Aberbrothock

There's a nice pic of the Stannergate 'box on page 231 of Jim Summers's book on Signalling the Caledonian Railway. All the rodding is of course neatly hidden away inside the 'box, but it must have been quite a challenge to maintain.

I know the son of the former signalman at Stannergate 'box in Dundee who had to do much the same for every shift - and he had to carry his pushbike up with him! Not sure if he had a cuppa once he got there...............

Finally got round to pretty well completing the Ladyloan Junction Signal Box and placed it in position today. I did add most of the internal fittings but they don't show up obviously, BUT I know they are there......... It has quite an attitude, I think.

After a long late Summer break, progress is again being made on the latest, (tall), story /storey on the layout, namely a pretty tall signal box to protect Ladyloan Junction. Tall enough to let the signalman see over the bridge abutments and down towards Elliot, the 'box owes a lot to the former 'box at Stannergate in Dundee, and has been a nice diversion from the other "standard" 'boxes at my other junctions. Enough chat - to the photos of it in position, with lots of work still to do, including a dizzying staircase up to the rear entrance, but far enough advanced to get a flavour of the finished article - see what you think........ Ridges to be added to the roof first, probably.

On 16 April (!) on this thread, I noted that I was going to build a tall signal box to be sited at my Ladyloan Junction, so that the signalman would be able to look over the bridge parapet to see trains approaching Arbroath on the Down line. The pics show the front and rear elevations with the staircase sketched in - quite a climb for my miniature signalman............., and progress to date with the walls and window frames basically made, and the brickwork given a "mortar" coat prior to dry brushing in the red brick colour and sooty weathering. With another short caravan break coming up, it'll be September before the 'box is finished, but everything comes to those who wait, apparently.

The direct line from Arbroath to Kinnaber Junction via Montrose was all originally single track and the line was doubled in stages latterly by the LNER, but, as has been said the two viaducts over the Esk and Inchbraoch island were too expensive to tackle and have just about managed to cope up until now. Incidentally the steel viaduct over the river is currently being refurbished as it had developed a nasty sag at one of the piers - hopefully now rectified.

Been doing a repair to a coach which was sitting in the storage sidings and came off worst in an encounter with one of the lights I use to illuminate the stygian darkness of the lower loops - quite bit of heat from the bulb unfortunately, but the repair passes muster, although not by any means perfect. Before........ .........and after repair. More of the train as it passes by. On another tack altogether, I've added a little walkabout controller to the main panel, so that I can see past the huge bulk of the high pressure water tank we installed some time ago - now much easier to follow trains as they progress round the layout. (Just a bit of control freakery).

Sorry about "misfiring". Here are the pics. Four ex LNER thoroughbreds waiting for their next duties in the "Aberdeen" loops. A group of local locos simmering at the sheds, while 46463 passes by on a local passenger to "Forfar." An EE type 4 waits for the off on a van train to the south.

Far too good a day to be in the loft, but the camera was around to catch a few shots around the layout. 1.

Hopefully you will excuse the bare nature of the storage loops approach - no attempt at artistic impression here - it's all about technical merit.......... Three shots, well two actually, with the third being a cropped version of one of the others, showing the results of shoehorning the two new points/turnouts into the southbound loops approach with my little 05 tester loco tiptoeing around to check all is well - just a bit of track cleaning to be done, and the loops can once again host their allotted trains ready for their next jaunt round the layout. Good old (!) H&M point motors and the operating wire bent to include an omega loop and the business end inserted into the central operating hole in the tie bar - it works for me! Lots of insulating fishplates to give separate feeds to the three storage loop roads.

TRACK MAINTENANCE In order to get "back from Dundee", trains have to run round the reversing loop, and for a while I've been dissatisfied with the performance of the two point leading into the three "southbound" roads, so I lashed out on two new Peco large radius points and got them basically in position this evening. There will be a small bit of adjusting to do, plus reconnecting the point motors to allow remote control, and the rails round the loops will need to be cleaned as they haven't been used for a while, after which "normal" services will resume. Rain forecast for tomorrow morning so there will be a short time window to get the job done. No rest for the wicked! I may post a picture or two to show the shiny new track in position..........

As a result of a discussion with colleagues in the Angus Railway Group as to how local Dundee/Arbroath trains ran round their stock before returning to Dundee, I took these shots showing how it was achieved. In the gullet/cutting arriving from Dundee, signal cleared for entry into platform 4. Approaching the platforms, with a V2 about to depart south. Stopped at platform 4, passengers disembarking, we assume. Now drawn forward to the starter signal, waiting for it to clear. Having uncoupled from its coaches and run up to the loco shed 'box, the C16 is about to cross over on to the up main, once the points have been set........ Now running over the scissors crossing in front of the North 'box before picking up its coaches. Returning with its stock back over the scissors crossing to regain the up main line. Moving past the "calling on " signal into platform 2. Finally, (!), about to leave for the return trip to Dundee East station. My fantasy from 60 years ago..................

Took this sequence of a local Dundee to Arbroath train arriving, running round at the North end of the station and ready to leave for its return to Dundee East station. C16 67502 on the local arriving and passing a V2 about to depart south. At Platform 4 disgorging its passengers. Waiting for the home signal to clear before running round. About to cross over to the up main while running round. Recoupled to its coaches and negotiating the scissors crossing over to the up main. Being "called on" to re-enter the station at platform 2 Champing at the bit for return to Dundee. (Memories from 60 years ago...........)

Finally nearing completion of my four signal cabins - two pairs really as they're right and left handed. Planted on the layout tonight - Hospitalfield Junction covers the sidings on the central loop line towards "Dundee." Panmure, named after the area of land behind Carnoustie, and this box acts as a block post where the "Dundee" loops enters the storage sidings. Cauldcots - this box was originally intended to be Ladyloan Junction box, but I've since decided that that box should be a tall one so that my signalmen can see over the bridge abutments to visually check on the approach/placement of trains - box drawn but construction yet to be started - so the box has now been named Cauldcots which was actually a box between Letham Grange and Inverkeilor on the Montrose line, and is being sited at the entrance to the "Aberdeen/Forfar" loops - confused or what? Finally the only box which is sited basically where it should be (!), is St Vigeans Junction, and was one I made earlier............ After my previous fixation with the Arbroath pubs, it appears that I've now moved on to signal boxes - believe it or not, but I still have two more to do - watch this space, as they say. Incidentally, I haven't glued the roofs in place, just in case I'm ever masochistic to add the internal details - I may just make do with the signalmen looking out for the next train approaching.

I see you managed to do the lubricator cranks from the driving wheels - you're more dexterous or courageous than me!

Re the "Ladyloan Junction 'box, it has occurred to me that the poor signalman will have no view down the line towards Dundee, and a tall 'box similar to the one at Stannergate just outside Dundee would be more appropriate - back to the drawing board then........... (Drawings and model to follow).

Progress on the "Quad Art" set of signal boxes. All four posing before siting. Ladyloan Junction. Hospitalfield Junction. Panmure Block Post. Of the four, only St Vigeans Junction existed, while Ladyloan Junction is where my lines diverge after the Arbroath South 'box, Hospitalfield Junction is where some industrial sidings are sited on the "Dundee" loops, and finally Panmure is a block post further round the Dundee line where the lines enter the storage loops. They are all based on real localities in the general direction that the lines are following - how's that for a justification! Just about to head south to Lincoln for a week or so, and further progress will await my return.

Grotty weather today - progress on the signal box/cabin production line........... Too keen to wait until the side windows have been scribed in before assembling the side walls - I'll just have to be extra careful to keep the lines straight when adding them!

A short tour round some of the layout today............ Ladyloan Junc. 'box WIP. View under Keptie St bridge with plenty of passengers waiting - patiently? Station throat, north end. Light and shade at the north end of loco shed. St Vigeans Junc. with askew skew girder bridge - must glue it in place some time! Early BR livery Glen class, (to be named Glen Murran), at the coaling stage. Natural light seems to give quite good results..........

The latest "project" was not planned! I received an Ian Kirk LNER 3rd class coach kit from a colleague in the local choral society, and this week has involved cutting it out and putting it together. Not the easiest of kits, but the end result is quite pleasing, and was far enough advanced today to be posed in the station yard. Still to have couplings and numbers/lettering added, but I may leave that to the kit donor for his "enjoyment". My BR liveried J37 is intruding on the LMS/LNER contents in the first photo, but if I don't mind, why should you? I think my singing colleague mentioned 5 more kits he has in stock, but I don't fancy spending a lot of time on an unrelated project. Selfish or what?

You folk don't miss a thing! Thought it would add a bit of extra interest, and as you can only see one side at a time, it's a useful dodge.......... I mounted the totem the wrong way round initially, but it was corrected. I wonder if it might also have been overhauled at Inverurie on occasions, but Cowlairs would be the natural place for an ex NB loco......

I do get round the layout with the camera from time to time, and some of the results feature over the 17 pages of this thread, but it's always tempting to do few more shots. I will do another tour soon...........

J37 arrives in the main yard at Arbroath and simmers............. Perhaps a bit too clean???

"J37 in revenue earning service." Heading down / uphill towards Montrose having just traversed St Vigeans Junction. On the layout, with my contorted geography, the line below is part of the "Dundee" reverse loops...........

J37 almost finished and ready to go on to the layout - must give it some wagons to play with.............