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If I remember correctly the yellow stripe engines didn't fit south of Stafford - but they said Crewe as it was much easier to replace an engine at Crewe. The difference in what was allowed was due to cost cutting on the WCML electrification project. It had got to Stafford in 1961 (I think) but then got stopped for a year as it was too expensive. To get the project going again they had to make cost cuts. One of the big cuts was to reduce the loading gauge by something like 6 inches (the WCML had a higher gauge than most lines so they could do this). This reduced the number of bridges and tunnels that need to be changed, caused some steam engines to be banned and removed the need for the 6.25KV to be used on the WCML. Rob

I found I do have a 4th reference - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28083135@N06/41981679972 says that D7012 ran to Leicester on the last day of through services on the GC. Rob

Another route to the 'North' that Hymeks worked trains was the Great Central until closure as a through route in Sept 66. They worked to at least Leicester on the nightly parcel's trains to and from the WR. However, as they ran at night there isn't much information about how frequent they were used- could be every night or infrequently! I have seen about 3 references to them working the line so far after years of reading everything I could find about the GC. The nighttime GC trains in the last few years are not well documented - those 3 references are all I have seen about what worked those trains! One reference is from Robert Carroll half way down this link https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10077 Wonder what that Hymek book is. Hopefully someone can add to my 3 references here! Rob

I used to be alcoholic but I managed to break it about 20 years ago and now have no urge at all to even taste the stuff. So I fully under stand how you feel and wish you the best in breaking the cycle - it is well worth it. As mentioned by other posters I would say you have made a great start by admitting you have a problem, I am not sure I could ever have done that. Note - I see a I type this that the video advert in bottom right is for "Shop Total Wine" (it is repeating over and over). Just not going to work..... Rob

I don't see these on here (hopefully I checked correctly!) but here are some youtube videos taken in 1969 around Bristol during the change to MAS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp6ca-gw1Go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfWK-kl73Jw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPuGERb4I30 I am sure there will be more of interest to many on BobBishupDiagonal channel https://www.youtube.com/user/BobBishopDiagonal/videos Rob

As that looks to be a US sign it can be explained that the four letter word in question is not known here. Which leads to a story that I hope is true! Around 100 years ago there was a conference in Australia (I believe) to assign international radio call signs. At the conference the US were very demanding in their requirements. They wanted four Call signs - one for the Army, one for the Navy, one for radio stations on the east side of the US and one for the west side. What's more they wanted A for Army and N for Navy but they didn't care what they got for the east/west coast as long as they were one characters. In the end they got W for the east coast and K for the west coast (as I am sure a lot of folks know) as well as A and N. So they got W. A. N. K. - and none of the US delegates realized! This https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITU_prefix implies that this may be true! Rob

Michael Harris in his MK 2 book says the LM allocated ones were repainted in 1966 when they were added to the new WCML sets. On the Southern you could still see green ones until the end of steam (7/67) but would rapidly disappear after that as they were taken out of service to be fitted with air brakes. By May 68 they were back with air brakes and in blue & grey. No clue what happened on the Eastern! Rob

Three XP64 coaches were included on rail tour - https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/660326ec.html that included 3 steam engines (45596 'Bahamas', 48467 & 61302). I have seen pictures of this tour at Weekday Cross heading for Nottingham Victoria. Rob

The book "British Railway Centers - Exeter Central Summer Saturday 1961" says there was a 12:15 Portsmouth to Ilfracombe express that rum summer Saturdays as a relief to the normal Brighton to Plymouth. It has the formation as: BSK (L) Portsmouth - Ilfracombe CK (L) Portsmouth - Ilfracombe BSK (L) Portsmouth - Ilfracombe BSK (L) Portsmouth - Torrington CK (L) Portsmouth - Torrington BSK (L) Portsmouth -Torrington SK Waterloo - Exeter SK Waterloo - Exeter As the 3 Sets are listed as (L) that would make them Bulleid. The book doesn't list an exact return train but has a 10:02 Plymouth to Portsmouth as a relief to the normal Plymouth - Brighton. This departed Exeter at 12:12. The formation in this case is BSK (S) CK (S) SK (S) BSK (S) BSK (S) CK (S) SK (S) BSK (S) SK All Plymouth to Portsmouth. I don't know if a 4 coach S set is Bulleid or MK1 or... Rob

To go back to this question - looking at G. A. Pryer signal box diagrams I am going to take at guess with Bishop's Waltham. The single track, signal on the 'wrong' side of the track and the position of the signal box all match. The one big problem with this is that the signal box is said to have closed in 1935 - so did the signal box not get demolished until later? Also, is that that signal fixed at danger? Bishop's Waltham does have an entry in the disused stations site http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/bishops_waltham/ but there is no shots I could see that show this side of the station clearly. However the other pictures seem to show the scenery matches. Rob

There is a picture in the RCTS British Railways Standard Steams Engines Vol 5 of the exact same formation (and could well be the same two coaches). The RCTS one is the 3:10PM Padstow to Okehampton hauled by 80041 taken on 22nd August 1964. The BCK would be one that was transferred to the WR in 1963 when the SR lines in the west were moved to the WR - a number of these were repainted in maroon. The SK will be one of the Thompsons that were transferred to the WR to replace MK1's transferred to the SR (I believe) - there was a lot of transferring going on as the SR wanted ETH fitted coaches and MK1's to rebuild into 4TC/REPS. So the above photo is likely to be a local train and not a portion from somewhere else. Rob

It signals the line to the left of the 25 - the down goods - so has been moved from its expected position for some sighting reason. I am going to assume the photographer is standing on a bridge and that bridge is the reason. Rob

Is that the prototype MK2 W13252? Rob

And another one I believe - https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/2597708810/in/album-72157603648348394/ from Robert Carroll's Flickr site. I assume the MK2 is one of those Neil mentions above. Rob

Think I have found a photo of it happening https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=174601 - 5th coach back looks to be a green MK2 FK with D820. Such occurrences wouldn't happen much longer as the SR converted their FK's to air brakes later in 1967. Rob

Yep - this is the book I was talking about. Rob

Actually it seems the blue/grey coaches on the GC/GN were XP64 coaches - https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/660326ec.html - so even more unusual. I have seen this stated elsewhere after researching that same picture. They were added due a special request by RCTS. Another strange one for the GN in Nottingham is in a picture in Hayden Reed's excellent new book on the GN Back Line. it shows the 4-15PM local to Victoria departing the bay at Basford & Bulwell station. While the A5 and most of the coaches are what you would expect in 1959 the first coach is a ex-GN twelve-wheeled dining car. Hayden says he has no clue why such a coach would be present in the train but I am going to take a guess that it is being worked from the carriage sidings to Victoria to be added to a train there. Rob

I have replied to your PM. Looking at the diagram the thing that looks strange to me is the lack of shunt signals for reversing back from the down line to either the up line across the slip or into the shed. But when I look at pictures of the place in Blackburn's Railways in the 1950's and 60's there seems to be no shunt signals - so I would be wrong on the need for them! Rob

Both drawings are correct - just depends on the date you are modelling. Somewhere around 1933 the layout was changed from your newly found diagram to the single slip layout you have modelled. As your are doing postwar then you are in luck and have no changes to make. The diagram in the book is for the single slip layout. Rob

The signal box diagram for Lower Darwin Engine Shed appears in the book - https://www.amazon.com/Signal-Boxes-Lancashire-Yorkshire-Railway/dp/187322821X If you don't have the book or cannot get a copy and want to to see the diagram then let me know and I can PM the details. Note - Mike has got the details correct! To answer his question there was one yellow arm signal just where he expected it to be. Rob

As they were still allocated to Neasden until the mid 1950's then they must at least passed through Woodford Halse to get to and from works - which I assume was Gorton. Rob

Could be just moving the parcels from one platform to the another without manhandling them over the bridge. I am sure I have heard of that being done at some point. Rob

Looks like the west end of Guide Bridge station to me. Rob

The best place I have found to get some of these answers are the Great Northern Railways Society's Journal - Great Northern News (https://www.gnrsociety.com/great-northern-news/). They did a series of articles in 2006 describing the run down and closure of Colwick yards from 1956 to the end. If you can find them then you would need No 146, 147, 148, 150, 151 and one other! They describe the changing of the track layout (but no signal diagrams) as the yards slowly closed. I say there is one other as I am missing at least one which describes what happens in the 1970's - so I am not going to be able to answer all your questions. But what I can answer: 1) The Cotgrave branch opened 25/1/1964 so that does nearly match the diagram you were looking at. Colwick yards closed April 1970 - I don't know what happened in 1971. 2/3) East Side of the triangle - are you asking about the East side of the Colwick triangle (which closed April 1970) or the east side of the Cotgrave triangle (closed May 1976). 4) On the closure of the yards in 1970 the avoiding lines were disconnected from Colwick East and converted into sidings at that time. I Could not find a picture of the Colwick East diagram but it had changed from the SRS diagram. In 1965 the Up avoiding line became the down and vice versa. The junction itself was re-done at this time to remove the diamond with the two avoiding line splitting just after the point onto the line to Grantham. 5) Colwick East closed June 72. The light railway was still in used - closed 1985. Don't know what controlled the junction - a Ground Frame I would guess. Hope this helps, Rob

Major fire today in one of their amphibious assault ships (USS Bonhomme Richard) while in San Diego for repairs - https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/07/video-pics-us-navy-ship-still-on-fire-after-23-hours-21-hospitalized/ Rob