5BarVT

Didn't see you but probably heard you. I was in John Ellis house all day (the bit of the original station building on Platform 1). If I had taken a photo of the 20s I could have played SNAP! Paul.

Don't worry, you just do a 'nearest branch' search and it will tell you there is one in Ilfracombe and another in Bangor (NI)! Paul.

I like this. Like you were, I'm just getting round to starting a layout after 15 years without. If I can achieve your look I will be well pleased: previous layouts have never got beyond wired track on baseboard with a few plonked buildings and platforms. I'm interested in the (white) case shown in the top photo in post #8 just by the front of the pacer and what looks like another slightly different just off the left of the photo. Do you know who makes them and whether they are still available? Thanks, Paul.

Grommet as an led shade is brilliant. When I eventually get started on my layout and then get to the scenic stage I hope I remember it. Thanks, Paul.

They are all part of NRs drive to do on track maintenance when no trains are running, that means at night, and these are the way of illuminating the site. I think that they are designed so that they do not cause problems for drivers on adjacent open lines. Paul.

Look closer at the photos and you can see the point clips too (sorry I can't think how to describe them for those that don't recognise them). The near point has a scotch to hold the open switch blade open (wedge shaped piece of wood just at the toes) but that for the further set of points appears to have fallen out. Standard way of securing a siding out of use. AWS magnets can't be mounted on steel sleepers, they affect the magnetic field, so one of the pains with steel sleepers is putting in the wooden ones in the right place. Paul.

But there was a GWR goods yard at Battersea (or so says Ian Allan pre grouping atlas) accessed that way. Paul.

Your understanding is correct. Paul.

H reg must be August 69 or later. The trees haven't turned so if the slide is stamped before 1970 then it must be Aug or early Sept 69. Paul.

Frinton, aforementioned in this thread. Paul.

Realistic to the point of all red lights illuminate then two extinguish. Just like the real thing (means there is always a red light illuminated so you won't get away with claiming you must have looked at them during the gap between phases). Paul.

Ardrossan Town. In the 80s/90s was a single platform with AOCL just beyond the platform. At that time an hourly service turned back there and a few trains went beyond to connect with ferries at the harbour. The service has since changed to hourly over the crossing. OK Ardrossan is not as 'urban' as East London, but it is urban enough as an excuse. It has had barriers added more recently due to mis use problems but perhaps your model will need that to in its future. AOCL = Automatic Open Crossing Locally monitored. The driver got a white flashing light to say that the crossing was operating. Photos of almost any crossing on Central Wales line will give the idea. Paul.

All Mr Apple's fault and me being lazy. I browse RMweb on my tablet because I have it with me when I'm away or sitting in my recliner and it doesn't bring up the toolbars in the reply box. I suppose I could always use my work laptop . I'll just have to be patient and wait 'til I get home! Thanks AndyP. Paul.

Can I join in on 'still relatively gold plated pensions' discussion or is it going off topic for too long? The salaried section of the BR scheme was always 60 (at least in 1975 it was). The wages grade scheme was 65 and you had to have 10 years service to be allowed to join I think. I recall lots of ex wages grade scheme people being able to buy extra years in the scheme. I never made EG1 while it was called such, so at an interview with Railtrack in about 1996 I had to ask if the post 'had sufficient Hay MSL points to have been previously graded EG1' (it did!). I'm counting the weeks to changing from active to pensioner member!

ES4 is on the Up Line (towards Sheffield) at Bamford station. The photo will have been taken from the end of the Up platform. Paul.

I think I prefer choice 7: provender store at the back with loading dock (and probably crane) at the front. Paul.

North end bay at Cambridge I think. Paul.

Dropped in for 1/2 hour on my way south today. Well worth the visit - you have a superb layout there. Not being into scenic modelling myself, I found it interesting to see the scribed cobbles beside the tramway on the bridge and the ground in the loco yard. I'm going to have to learn not to be frightened of plaster/polyfiller/paint! Looking in the fiddle yard, you have some seriously long curved pway - no wonder the 12"/ft track engineers shy away from them too. Once again thanks to the whole team and well done. Paul.

Try this: http://www.hwilliams.co.uk/railways-s-c-signalling-crossings/loc-power-cubicle/ Ignore the power bay at the end, but you might be able to manipulate the view through the double doors. It's not particularly full, but is a good example of a current loc case internal design. Paul.

Agreed, but I'm one who can! Only just seen this layout and I like the idea of an open door location case (loc for short). FYI the two photos in cromptonnut's post are actually telecoms cabinets: you can tell by the thick door which contains all the air-conditioning kit. You might be able to get some suitable images from one of the signalling manufacturers' web sites. Paul.

Ouseburn probably doesn't give the right image to me as it was a right smelly thing 50 years ago. It ran past the bottom of our road when I was a child (between Armstrong Bridge and Byker Bridge) but I had never actually worked out where it came from so never associated it with that part of the Metro. Claytons on trip workings and metrocam DMUs in my day. Paul.

You need a couple of nice old wooden Railway Phones, one in the shed and the other back in the house, so you can be asked what you want for your tea first and then be summoned later. Paul.

And Lansdown Jn (Cheltenham). Paul.

Buffer lock can be sorted by soldering/glueing a very thin wire across the buffer faces and painting it black. In the middle of fixed rakes it won't be that visible and certainly a lot better than tension lock. I saw it on Broad Aston in 1972 and I m sure I have seen it somewhere on RMweb too. Paul.