Caley Jim

I suspected that's where it was, but haven't had time to check. I'll see Alistair tomorrow and will ask him about the other building. Jim

At first look it would appear to be one of those on the Strathmore line, many of which were to a similar plan and had that V window. I'll look back through the copies of 'The True Line' (the CRA's journal) and see if anything fits. It might be a day or two before I get time to do that. The drawing may have been for a layout we started constructing in the 1970's based on a station on an imaginary line running North West from Dundee, but which never got beyond the bare boards and track stage. Jim

While I'm waiting on the etches for point rodding stools coming I've been making some of the boxes and ramps which the Caley were considerate enough to use to cover over the cranks, compensators, FPL's etc. I've made up the cover over the rods etc. at the front of the box along with the first sections of the rods which will cross under the Down Loop and then run along the 10 foot between that and the Down Main. The ramp in the 4 foot covering these rods means that they can be made in two sections avoiding any risk of touching the rails and causing shorts. The Down Main Home will have to be moved a couple of mm to keep it clear of the box covering the other ends of these rods. This has allowed me to get the signal box finally bedded in and the lamp hut and coal bunker fixed in place. Compare these with the lower photos in post 113. Here endeth the saga of Kirkallanmuir Weighs signal box! Jim (edited to correct post number)

I do indeed! There was a layout at the Perth Show last year - I can't remember the name of it, but it was of a prototype location - which had a backscene done in that style and it struck me as being very effective, setting the scene, without drawing the eye away from the layout. I have a notion to do a similar thing for Kirkallanmuir, though I have to admit to being 'artistically challenged'. In other words my artistic abilities are somewhat less than nil!. Jim

Put 'Character Map' ( in Windows Accessories) onto your taskbar. Then all you have to do to get any character not on your keyboard is open that, find the character you want, click on it and look in the bottom right corner of the dialogue box. This will say 'Keystroke Alt+0xxx'. Note what the 'xxx' is, go to what you're typing, hold down the 'Alt' key and type 0xxx. For example è is 0232 and ½ is 0189. Seemples Igor! Jim (sorry to those who already knew this)

Just had an email reply from Gareth saying that he has been very busy at work, but hopes to deal with orders by the end of the week. Jim

But when did Hollywood, or for that matter journalists, ever let the truth get in the way of a good story! Jim

I 'm getting a bit worried that I'm beginning to lose the plot here. Is this thread about a model railway or the JA appreciation society? Confused of Biggar

Indeed not! He was a good Presbyterian and, as such, equal in status to all his fellow Ministers of Word and Sacrament. I do, however concur with your abhorrence of the American term in a UK context. Jim (One of whose ancestors was a Covenanting martyr)

Andy is correct. When I looked at the photos on my phone something didn't look quite right, but i couldn't put my finger on it. Now that i see them larger on the computer I can see what you've done. The two lower rails coming in from the left (crossing end) should flare out wide of gauge. The switches are then on what would be the continuation of these rails. I hope this photo (which I posted before waaaay back) will make that clear. (My stretcher bar is phosphor/bronze wire, so you can barely see it in the photo.) Having said that, fiddling and fettling is all par for the course and you've come a long way in a short time and conquered one of your demons. Well done! You'll be scratch building loco chassis next !! Jim

I'm in the same boat re. shop 1. I was assuming Gareth was on holiday. If I don't hear anything by tonight I'll email him direct. Jim

An Ell measure can still be seen on the wall of Dunkeld Cathedral. Jim

Or as we say up here, pick a windae.....yer leavin'! Jim

I should have mentioned that the foil needs to also go under the stockrail, between it and the stretcher bar, its purpose being to stop everything getting soldered up solid! Jim

Re the gap between the tip of the switches and the stock rails. It may be that the switch is not soldered quite vertical to the stretcher bar. Slide a wee piece of kitchen foil between the switch tip and the stock rail, hold the tip hard against the stock rail with tweezers and touch the joint quickly with the iron. Either that, or there is something stopping the switch going over that last few thou., e.g. a small fillet of solder on one or more of the slide chairs near the tip of the switch. Examining under magnification will show this and a scrape with a sharp craft knife is often all that's needed to remove it. Likewise any other crud or debris. Jim

A further thought. I read somewhere that every time they relaid the trackwork at the north end of Preston station they had to put in place a 10mph speed limit for several months until the trains knocked it all into alignment! Jim

We've all been there, done that, etc., etc.! As I've said before, he who has made no errors has made nothing! :-) Jim

A joggle and a set are two different things. A joggle is where there is a double kink in the stock rail producing a very slight widening of the gauge into which the tip of the switch sits (used routinely by the GWR I believe). A set is a distinct slight bend in the curved stock rail, or both if it's a 'Y', against which the planed face of the switch sits. You can just make out the set in the right hand turnout in this photo (cropped from a much larger image. The switches here are loose heel, so are separate from the closure rail and attached to it by a fishplate. An open switch tends to lie parallel with the adjacent stock rail rather than curving away from it, thus having a distinctive look. Jim

I can see that better now. The easiest way I've found to determine where the tips of the switches should come is, with neither switch in place, slide a track gauge along the approach to the turnout until it will go no further. This is the point at which the stock rails start to diverge. The tips of the switches should lie at this point or even perhaps slightly nearer the crossing. I'm not saying this is the 'correct' way to do it, but it has always worked for me. Jim

Not so. This scan, from the aforementioned book, includes a photograph of early carriages (thought to be ex Scottish Central Railway) in the carriage sidings alongside the Dundee line on the north side of the Tay at Perth. The caption explains things. Other photos in the book clearly show the bung in the lamp socket and the empty ring beside it. Jim

I couldn't make out the tips of the switches, but as long as the gauge between the tip of a closed switch and the opposite stock rail is not tight, there shouldn't be a problem. This is probably less of an issue in OO than in finescale track. It's more important that things run through it smoothly rather than whether it is 'technically' right! Nice work. Jim

Not knowing the location, my guess would be that these are the two starting signals for adjacent sections and the box in advance is switched out (possibly only open at certain times). Is the signal on the outside of a curve? this could explain why both were on the one post with one on the 'wrong' side of the line, to make sighting of it easier. This would be the case whatever the date. Jim

Oil lamps simply sat in a socket in the coach roof. To close the hole left when they were removed (e.g. during the summer months or when the carriages were out of use) a bung was provided sitting in, and attached by a short chain to, a ring adjacent to the lamp, often on the centre line or sometimes to one side. Therefore you have to either model the lamp top and the bung beside it, or the bung in the lamp socket and the empty ring. Modelling the chain depends on your level of pedantry! Jim

I use Carrs 188 solder paint for etched kits. Cost me around £11.00 several years ago. If it gets a bit thick I just add a spot of water. I've built umpteen kits with it and there's still loads left. Jim

According to Mike Willams' book 'Caledonian Railway Carriages', Alexander Allan was experimenting with gas lighting on the SCR in 1862 and consideration was given to adopting gas lighting in the late 1870's, but it wasn't until 1881 the a tender was accepted for fitting gas lighting to existing stock. Two sets of oil lit stock were still rostered in 1921. The same books states that The Railway Returns (Continuous Brakes Act) of 1878 required companies to make six-monthly returns detailing the types of brakes in use, this being designed to put pressure on companies to adopt continuous brakes, but it wasn't until The Regulation of Railways Act in 1889 that companies had to 'provide for and use on all passenger trains continuous brakes; the brakes must be instantaneous in action; self applying in the event of any failure in continuity; capable of being applied to every vehicle in the train; and in regular use in daily working. This of course spelled the end of the likes of the simple vacuum brake and the Clark-Webb chain brake. Can't help with the types of handbrake on early non-brake vehicles I'm afraid. HTH. Jim Edited to say sorry, Chris. Our posts crossed.