simon b

That will happen in time, but the problem is the line is in much the same condition as the line through Verney junction was. The only way to do it properly is to rip it up and start again, which just isnt in the budget right now. It would also need to include a major upgrade of the Aylesbury to Risborough line to make it worth doing.

I understood the junction pointwork and signals are going in now to save disruption later. It would be available for freight use, but not for passenger trains until the entire line between there and aylesbury was rebuilt. It will probably be used for getting material trains up to the maintenance depot site.

Bookmarked, I'll be following this with intrest.

Any more progress with this layout?, would be great to see some new pics.

The S1 was unofficially clocked over 140mph multiple times, there was a claimed top speed of 156 reached on one occasion. With 7ft driving wheels and northwards of 6500hp it is quite possible the S1 managed to reach those speeds. The lessons learned from the S1 were used to build the T1 class, the last steam locos built for the PRR. There is currently a new T1 being built (5550), which if they decide to go ahead with the record attempt will finally put the rumors of their top speed to bed.

Allegedly the fastest steam loco ever built too, depending on what you read.

That's looking great, has the urban hemed in look to it. What plans do you have for on top of the retaining wall, building backs or something different?

Looking great, can we look forward to an update on the layout?

I think they used 3 quin-art sets for that run, there are pictures of it on route and I counted 15 vehicles plus the mk1.

Excellent news, I've been hoping someone would release these RTR. A much needed model and I'm sure these will prove very popular. I've just pre ordered half of set 85.

Hornby do a R8006 Diesel depot, which is based off Ripple lane fueling point. Whilst an old model, it is cheap and can be improved very easily.

Another in the Neasden area is Taylors lane power station which was served by an oil train, the sidings are still there but disconnected. There was also a large distribution warehouse the other side of south junction which took ferry-vans full of bottled water till the late 90's, up to 3 trains a day at it's busiest. This site is still rail connected although not used in many years. It's last use was to receive chilterns ruston shunter by road, which is a whole story in itself.

Thanks for that, I've read something about a loco on display there so must be that one. Do you remember how you left the station? I'm having a hard time figuring out the layout of things post war.

Hi all, I'm trying to find pictures of Moorgate station buildings before it was destroyed during ww2. I've seen pics that show some sort of glass roof over the platform ends with steps up to street level, but nothing that shows how it all fitted together. In all the pics I've seen of the station from the 1960's there doesn't seem to be any building there at all, you can see all the way back to the row of shops the other side of the street. Can anyone help with info on what was there please? Ta.

A few that I can think of. Park royal had trains of VGA vans into the Guinness brewery and a dogfood factory. Mile end had sand trains from Marks-tey formed of HTV hoppers, interesting situation as they were using the former coal drops to unload. Greenford had cement traffic till at least 1985. Go back to 1980/81 and there were 16t coal wagons into Chelsea basin yard.

Geoff Marshall made a video on British steel Redcar a few years ago, iirc there was no way to leave the station except by train.

Not an island platform or high speed, but the extension to the up widened lines platform at Barbican had to be seen to be believed. How that was ever allowed is a mystery to me, not even close to the minimum width.

There's your four track tunnel, iirc it was built large enough to allow both platform loops to be reinstated.

A thoroughly good read, the part about freight on the SR has some very interesting tales.

That is hands down the best re-imagining of the Minories concept I have seen, altering the platform layout like that and viewing from the other side makes quite a visual difference. Also a great use of y points to ease the snaking effect of long vehicles. Build it!

That's quite an impressive gathering, makes me want to have a go at a module. Love the pictures, more please!

My understanding is the boiler was broken loose by the force of the impact, it was the point at which the wetrol wagon rolled over underneath the loco that catapulted the boiler out of the body.

It was called a test in name only, demonstration being a better word. You can have as many scientists and politicians as you like on TV to tell you that those flasks are safe, but watching that demonstraion will do more to prove it to most people than anything else. So money well spent in my opinion.

Greenpeace really did make themselves look silly over this. There were all sorts of claims pushed out that the test was rigged, all of which were proved as false. The engine bolts were not removed, the engine stayed firmly bolted to the frame as can be seen in the link a few posts ago. Iirc it was the stem heating boiler that can be seen flying through the air, not the engine. Bear in mind this was after they had first tried to say that the engine was removed to lesson the weight of the loco. The flask was positioned at that angle so that the drawhook of the loco impacted the flask lid, this was to put the most force on it. Those who claimed it was so the flask was pushed out of the way need a lesson in physics, the loco is heavier than the flask therefore the flask moves when hit by it. Some wanted another derailed loco or train behind the flask, all that does is create a giant crumple zone to absorb the crash energy and deflect the 46 up and over the flask. The class 46 was used as they were basically life expired at that point, and being withdrawn. They are also very heavy. Why not a 56 or 58? Simply because they are a very expensive asset, not to be thrown away to prove a point. The outcome would still be the same. I'm sure there were more, but those are what I remember off hand.

Hi all. For some reason Hornby do not seem to offer their class 73 with the correct size of buffers, the ones fitted are far too small. Looking at the online spares catalogs nobody list's the correct part as being compatible with the 73 either, the ones you need are: x9774. These are what used to be fitted to the lima class 47, and are the correct size for the 73. Hopefully this will be useful to someone.