Caley Jim

Is that a beagle perchance? If so, you have my sympathies! Good to have you back here, James. Having been through a period of Ill health earlier in the year (major bowel op) I can confirm that modelling is the answer! Now what was the question? Jim

This reflects the fact that a large part of the CR's traffic was in coal from mainly (but not only) the Lanarkshire coalfield. Of that 65,615 1905 total, no less than 42,885 (65.3%) were mineral wagons, including many early 'bogies' of 6 or 7 ton nominal capacity. These latter were replaced by larger wagons and the company tried to introduce high capacity wagons, vis. the 30T bogie wagons, but were thwarted by the intransigence of customer industries to upgrade their handling facilities to accommodate these. They also had proposals in 1901 for 15T and 20T long wheelbase steel mineral wagons, but these were likely to have encountered problems on sharply curved colliery lines and it assumed this was the reason for not proceeding with them. Jim

I was simply quoting the CR's own publicity! 😁 Jim

That's because the Caledonian was The True Line! 😀 Jim (windae picked)

Did the removers do a first class job, or just good enough? Hope you settle in well and find where everything was packed! Jim

Another example of WSLR livery lurking in the background! 😉 Jim

We have a few in the Forth and Clyde AG, all of whom are involved with Burntisland 1883. Jim

Pith helmets at the ready? Jim

Of course. I'd forgotten that that was the answer to everything! 😁 Jim

When using a round file for a reamer, aways rotate it anticlockwise. That way it won't jam. Jim

The AI might? Can you ask it? Jim 🤔

There is a range of horse drawn vehicles here and there are also some in the Langley range. HTH, Jim

I don't think having the signal box name on two lines was completely unknown. Camperdown Junction (Dundee) for example, although a large box, had the name boards on the end with 'Junction' below 'Camperdown' on one deep board and I'm sure I've seen photos of others. Jim

Depends on how they turnout! Jim (windae picked)

Too early for 'The Golfing Girl' It didn't appear until 1910. Bigger selection of courses than on that Sou' west one! And a more attractive lassie IMHO! ( could even be our esteemed host!) Jim

Why not have the loading dock at normal platform height with just a ramp up for end loading at the buffer end? Jim

This shows the point I've got to with the 900 class drive. It has 6'6" driving wheels, which means there isn't room for the driveshaft above the axle, so the whole drive has to be angled to take it under. I had to do the same with my 98 class 2-4-0 which has 7' wheels. One benefit will be that the majority of the tender weight, which will come from the capacitors lying alongside the motor, will be at the front and will transfer to the loco chassis through the drawbar resting on the rear loco chassis spacer, the front bogie being lightly sprung. Jim

Ideally, with a bogie tender, you want the tender end of the shaft behind the pivot of the front bogie. I'm currently designing the chassis for a CR 900 class 4-4-0 (Dunalastair III) which has a 4125gal bogie tender. I'm putting the motor 'back to front' to the arrangement for the Jumbo with the motor sitting over the front bogie and the gears between the bogies. As far as the loco end of your 4-4-0 is concerned you could run the shaft just above the centre of the rear axle to a worm in the bottom of the firebox, worm wheel on top of it and then a gear train on one side from there back to the rear axle. In 4mm you'll have much more space to play about with than I have in 2FS! Hope that makes sense. Jim

It avoids the drive having to take up too tight an angle when going through an 'S', e.g. a cross-over. There's nothing to stop that happening, but , although there is a slight tendency towards it before the body is fitted, it doesn't happen. This was the first run of the 0-6-0 chassis and there's no sign of any tendency for the loco chassis to spin on the driveshaft. Lack of adhesion means it can hardly drag itself along, though! Jim

No, NO! Brass tube for the boiler! 😉 I keep the driveshaft under the footplate out of sight. That involves having a pair of gears in the tender to drop the drive down and the worm in the bottom of the firebox with the wormwheel on top and a gear-train from there to the driven axle. Drawing of the arrangement of my 'Jumbo' 0-6-0 Numbers are the teeth in the gears, but that's for 2FS. The driveshaft is a piece of 10thou steel guitar string with a loop on each end which fits in a slot in the end of the gear shaft in the tender and the worm shaft in the loco. The shafts end flush with their bearings, which stops the drive shaft falling out. there is about .75mm end play in the driveshaft to allow for negotiating curves. Note that the ends of the driveshaft must be within the wheelbases of the loco and tender. This shows the bare chassis where you can just make out the driveshaft. The springs take current from the loco frames to those in the tender and the while 'blocks' are the decoder and stay-alive circuitry at the front and the capacitors alongside the motor, both wrapped in PTFE tape for insulation. The full build of my 417 class 2-4-0, which uses the same arrangement is detailed here. Jim

And, presumably, the injector clack valves and their copper pipes. Where are the injectors? In the cab? Jim

I've always thought it one of the most attractive (of many attractive buildings) in the city. Especially since it can be viewed from all sides, standing as it does in splendid isolation in the middle of St Enoch Square. Jim

Or doon the escalators tae the Argyle Street entrance tae the Low Level ablow the Heilan' Man's umbrella! Jim

I wouldn't class it as at all decadent, but Glasgow Central must be one of the most practical large terminal stations in the country and still retains essentially it's original layout from the 1901-6 enlargement. The approach track layout has been rationalised, doing away with the original 4 track bridge over the Clyde, some of the kiosks at the end of the platforms have been removed and the original departure notice windows replaced with modern screens over where these kiosks were. Despite the track changes, it is the busiest station out-with London. The concourse is light and airy and the buildings on it were all designed with gentle curves so that you are extremely unlikely to bump into anyone when turning a corner. It is also on a gradient sloping down from the platform ends to the Gordon Street main entrance so you can see over the heads of those in front of you. I am, of course biased! Jim

It's not just on this side of 'The Pond' that politics has been " .... perverted by rogues and charlatons to the cheers of the deluded". Jim