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I have a plan for what is essentially an extended minories. I want shunting so I am using parcels traffic to give that. Newcastle 1970's certainly had enough moving of parcels stock to justify what I'm intending to do. Paul.

More or less pure Minories. There may be a plan somewhere in the thread, but you can easily work it out for yourself using the photos in posts 2 and 16.Paul.

It doesn't! At least not as written. If you imagine the whole layout to be wired in L&Y phase, a L&Y train will depart in forwards, circulate, and enter the FY. A GN train will depart in forwards, but as soon as it reaches the main lines it will need backwards polarity. Feeding the GN chord through a bridge rectifier allows the controller to be put to reverse while the train still runs forwards. Dead easy if your direction is by switch. If you want I can do a diagram to explain, but it will be the weekend before I have time. This work stuff doesn't half get in the way. I hadn't realised how many locos you had, but I did know that DCC wasn't an option for you. I'm going DCC to enable computer control, but as you say: it ain't cheap. Paul.

Three alternative solutions spring to mind, one untenable, one that avoids the need to stop, and one that also does not require the full 8 car length.Let's get the untenable out of the way first: go DCC! Avoiding the need to stop: feed the 8 car sections through a bridge rectifier and change polarity on the move. This does prevent shunting out and back on these lines. Keep shunting option: feed groups of the station sections via double pole switches for polarity change selected GN or L&Y. Possibly a double wafer rotary that progressively switches the station from L&Y polarity to GN polarity. Paul.

They made one in Reading works in autumn '75. No idea where for, or whether that was one of the last.Paul.

We will! Ignoring complications like junctions and even bigger complications like four running lines, a typical double line box would have from the left with lever no.1: Distant, home/starting signals in order, points/FPL/shunt signals, starting/home signals, distant signal. FPLs would be adjacent to the relevant point lever (without checking diagrams I can't say whether one side was usual) The two shunt signals reading through a crossover would be either side of the point lever. Your layout seems to be actual Aberaeron, so is simpler than above. The lever numbers can just be made out on the SRS website http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwm/S2106.htm. It is a very small and efficient frame. No yellow levers (no Up distant, Down is fixed), 3 and 4 are crossovers, 5 is FPL for 4, 6 is Down Home, 2 is Up Starting, 1 is Up Home OR sidings to main shunt signal. There is no signal protecting the exit from the headshunt/engine shed and I can't see what operates the shunt signal for the run round move. (It may be a point indicator worked with the points, not sure if GW had those.). You will also need a token/staff instrument in the box. There are other threads on GW signal box interiors that you should be able to find by searching, including a very informative one by Mike (Stationmaster) himself. He operated and managed such boxes, I'm just the engineer who didn't write enough down when younger as I didn't know I would need it to help others with their modelling! Paul.

Not a steam expert, but looked just like Machynlleth to me too, so needed to be a BR standard 2-6-0. Paul.

That's so as you know what colour the cheese will be . . .

And do you remember how they came out in hot summer weather?Paul.

Sooner than that. First possessions start next month.Paul.

Wot, no Delorean?Paul.

Andy,Is the pole nearest the bridge fixed in concrete yet? Think about there the wires would go and how a bus or truck would get across the bridge. First option is to move the pole up to the bridge so that it is higher, with another pole immediately the other side of the bridge before descending to track level again. Second option is to say that the route was cabled under the bridge so that high sided vehicles were not obstructed, but then you would need a stay wire in line with the route to stop the pole being pulled over. Third option is to say "stop being so pedantic . . ."! Paul.

Mike,Whose distant is it anyway? (I don't mean in a Rule 1 sense, but that applies too.). I assumed it was the distant for the box at the station junction (other end of the loop), not the box in the photo. Unusual, but not impossible for it to be the other side of the box in rear (you know what us S&T are like). As a back story, how about an incident where a (foreign?) freight overran the home signal and the joint inquiry recommended moving the distant further out. :-) Paul.

I wouldn't: in those days going into the section without the token would most likely be your last ever shift. Look carefully and you will see that she is the signalwoman holding out the token!Paul.

It would be a 2 core cable (black) down the post from the lamp case back to an equipment case by the signal. A long life 1.5V battery is all that would be provided (DS1 cell about 4" square 10" tall, or DS3 2" sq 6" tall) so a very small cupboard. Earth return back to the box, so only one wire on the pole route for that circuit. If the route had been cabled there would also be a larger cupboard for the cable terminations near the distant so that the lamp repeat circuit could be picked up there. WR tended to bury their cable routes in the 60s, so probably no troughing visible.Paul.

Called a pyrometer in the signalling trade. Sits in the 'chimney' bit at the top of the lamp case.

Don't worry about which side of the line they are, are they the right way round? !! ;-) I think the arms go on the Paddington side of the pole (doesn't work at a triangular junction) and photos seem to bear that out. Not sure what happens on branches where the connection to the main line is 'away' from Paddington. (An excuse to go for either way and still be correct?)Apologies if you don't want the water muddied that much. Paul.

Until you want something all the box shifters have shifted! It's a different business model but probably works.Paul.

i know that these days traincrew get taxied all over the place, but then I would have thought that the unit would need to return to PZ to get the crew home. Advice needed from someone who knows rather than me who thinks he does. Paul.

Whereas in Glasgow a puggie is something completely different: usually involves losing lots of money whilst failing to win the advertised big prize!Paul.

Looking really good Mr P. Paul.

Once I have a layout, can I join that club too please? ! Paul.

That looks really good Andy. Might I suggest the fence up by the farm track if you can. Fences were generally along the boundary of the land the railway had to purchase, so normally at the bottom of an railway embankment and at the top of a cutting. Try to imagine where the original land levels changed to get the flat formation in and put the fence there. I think it will work with what you have done thus far. Paul.

I hope you don't mind me posting a photo of a (G)WR fixed distant. Feel free to ignore my signal rivet counting. This one is on the bracket at the Birmingham end of Shrub Hill station. You will see that the lamp is different to a standard lamp in that it has a yellow lens. Also there is no back light blinder behind the lamp (as the signal will never clear). So if you still can, you might want to remove the blinder from your signal. (One can just be made out on the back of the signal in the background - I can see it , but that's 'cos I know what I'm looking for.) Paul. Edited to remove double post.

Or design a layout that looks like it needs a trap when it doesn't actually require one and see if any of the 'trap point police' fall for it! :-)Paul. (Secret member of the trap point police, guilty as charged!)