Caley Jim

On the subject of interlocking, which seems to crop up from time to time on here, the following was recently posted on another area. Lairg M1.2.3.4 1946 DK.pdf Not only does it show the full signalling diagram for both boxes, the identification of each lever and the locking table, (showing which levers lock/release which), but also has a drawing of the arrangement of the rods and tappets on each locking frame. Both being relatively simple frames it is an interesting introduction to the subject. Note that the North box down starter and the South box up starter are both slotted with the ground frame in the booking office. I suspect that this was where the tablet instruments were located and these signals could therefore only be released when all the tablets for the relevant sections were in the instruments. A tablet would then be removed and passed to the driver before he could proceed. Jim

They are all of the same ilk. Their instinct is to herd anything that moves into a pen. I've even seen one go into the 'crouch' position to a passing car! Having said that, they are the most loyal and biddable of dogs. Farmers couldn't work without them. Jim

Looks like someone needs the services of a good border collie. 'I am a border collie, The best trained you could pick. Since you're the one who threw it, You go get the stick! ' (seen on a card in Haverthwaite Station gift shop) Jim

Another factor which has not been mentioned is that during WWI the Railway Executive introduced pooling, after which, in theory at least, any wagon might appear anywhere, hauled by a locomotive of the company on whose metals it was travelling. As time went on, wagons would become more and more randomly distributed, so, to my mind, and especially for the post-1923 period,this is a somewhat pointless exercise. If you want to 'sort out the regions' in order to understand which companies operated where, then the RCH atlases will give you a much more accurate understanding. Sorry to be so negative. Jim

In those days there wasn't much option! If you couldn't shoehorn in a Minitrix or Tri-ang X500 you either built your own motor, tried to modify a continental N-gauge chassis or did without! Jim

IIRC only the Midland and the Great Northern imported American locos and neither had any great success with them. Their light bar-framed construction not being up to the job for the work required of them. Jim

Agreed. I see an Assistant PW/Electrical Engineer post becoming available on CA, at which point the incumbent Chief Engineer may be required to look to his laurels! Jim

Insanity is a requirement for 2FS modelling! Did I not mention that earlier? Jim

I've similarly been puzzled. To me it's a bit like trying to work out where the driver of a car lives from the registration plate! Apart from rural areas only served by one company, many colliery companies had several pits which might not all have been served by the same company (there was fierce competition for lucrative coal traffic) so their wagons might be registered by different companies. Also many fleets of wagons were hired or leased and would be registered by their owner rather than the hirer. Jim

It's interesting to note that the most Westerly station on the British mainland (Mallaig) was part of the LNER. In parts of Central Scotland LMS and LNER lines criss-crossed, and even ran alongside, one another. Notably along the north bank of the Clyde. Jim

Welcome to the Association, Steven. As others have said it depends on what satisfies you whether you use rewheeled rtr or scratch built or a mixture. The prototype you're modelling comes into too, of course. As far as 3 link couplings are concerned, my level of insanity was at one time such that I used 3 links operationally, but I eventually saw the error of my ways and switched to Alex Jacksons (some would say only a degree or so down the insanity scale). I still fit cosmetic 3 links, one reason I chose A/J's, and make them out of 10thou p/b wire which has first been softened by running it quickly through a soft flame (e g. a match). It is then coiled tightly round a strip of 20thou steel which has had a section at one end filed down to 2mm wide with rounded edges. The individual links are then cut from this (while the coil is still on the former), slid off and threaded together and onto the hook. There is an article waaaaay back describing this, but I'm laid up with flu at the moment and not at the computer. I'll try and post a reference to it later. Jim

But they get put down as well as picked up????? A N Other Jim

I used the N/S wire and PTFE tube system sold by Model Signal Engineering (now part of Wizard). 6th item down on this page. I used modified Bambi staples, with each leg pushed in a little at a time with pliers, to hold the tubing in place (scroll down the post). Just don't press down too tightly or you'll squash the tubing and make the operation stiffer. Jim

It has just been noted on the CRA forum that it is available on Ebay It is also on Amazon, but at an eye-wateringly inflated price!! Jim

I wonder where the nearest asylum to Biggar is? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95081-kirkallanmuir/page-3&do=findComment&comment=2614666 There's the State Hospital at Carstairs, but you've basically got to kill someone and be found criminally insane before getting in there! I don't think building a locking frame counts. Happily-round-the-bend of Biggar

Not so. The Medical and Dental professions ( and their staff) along with the clergy have an ethical duty of confidentiality. Jim

I too think the second plan looks better and has more operating potential. You can always extend the platforms a little to the left by having the ramps tapering as the goods platform and goods sidings 'close in' on the main lines. Jim

Before tackling the big run down the ten foot between the Down Main and Down Loop, I decided to do the single rod run at the other end of this board. This goes from the catch point on the up sidings to the associated turnout on the Up Main. I knew this would be a tricky one as it is up against the boundary wall of the Allanmuir Agricultural Supplies warehouse. I have a habit of doing the hard bits first. After that the rest is easy (or should be!). In view of how small the tabs on the single rod stools are I used a No 11 scalpel blade to make the cuts, despite this most of the tabs didn't have much grip, but some DAS slurry took care of that. Again there will be a boxed in compensator to disguise the baseboard joint. Also fitted are the rods crossing over from the main run and the boarding over them. The turnout in the foreground has passenger routes over it in both facing directions, so it has a double FPL as was CR practice, hence the three rods going to it. Jim

My 7½ year old granddaughter is of the same ilk. Masses of Lego and always drawing or making. So far no sign of a railway interest, though she was heavily into Thomas in her younger years! From similar experience with a tender drive in the Kitmaster Evening Star, I agree about Derwent. Jim Edit to change to granddaughter (I'm not as young as I look - hopefully! I mean the 'look' bit. As my mother said on reaching 70 'I've had my three score years and ten, from now on is a bonus')

If you arrange the breaks in the rail so that only those parts of it which are in contact with the wipers when the table is aligned with a track, you will reduce the risk of accidentally driving a loco off the table and into the pit! Jim

The Caledonian is well served in this respect with recent books on the history, wagons (with a supplement just published), coaching and NPCS and signalling, all by the CRA. Locomotive are covered by 'Caledonian Locomotives 1882-1922' and 'The Caledonian Dunalastairs', buth fom David and Charles, and 'The Caledonian Jumbos' again from the CRA. Admittedly these are all separate volumes, but to produce the detail of information which is contained in them would require a tome of academic proportions at a corresponding price! Jim

From my experience daughter's rooms are never tidy! They're usually like Katie Morag's - 'a midden'! Maybe that's why our learned friend's flabber is so gasted! Jim

Or alternatively, 1mm MDF. Jim

The rebuilt Glasgow Central not only had scissors crossovers for loco release, but a second scissors half way along the platform so that two trains could be accommodated and the inner one could still get out, provided there was not one at the outer end of the adjacent road. Regarding the present scene, there is a tandem turnout in regular use at the East mouth of the North bore of the Mound Tunnel as you come into Waverley station from the west, mostly used in a facing direction.

Bit like a Rolls Canardly. Rolls down one hill, but can hardly get up the next! Jim