Metropolitan H

I almost expected the first wagon behind 4870 - the wee tankie - to be lettered for "S.C.Ruffy"! (With apologies to Rev W. Awdry). Regards Chris H

The rumours are right, during the PPP years Electric Locomotive No. 12 and the exBR Mk1 4TC set vehicles were the only railway rolling stock "Directly" owned by LU - note the initials - but they were under the care of Metronet SSL. As indicated above TfL, as the overarching body, has many other rail vehicles including trams. CH

While I have some sympathy with your view, there is a problem with the double chimney fitted locos without the deflectors - the crew can't see forward at least half the time due to lazy exhaust clinging to the boiler top at speed. So for me its a choice between a single chimney loco or the deflectors - of which the German type were the most effective. Regards Chris H

Alternatively it might have been an Adult male challenging what it saw as a a rival for territorial rights - I seem other avian species adopt the same behaviour at this time of year (mating season), especially if the windows are clean giving a good reflection. Regards Chris H

Already offered by CDC / Streetlevel Models - see www.shapeways.com/product/E3JCL8VJ2/0-gauge-kit-for-millwall-extension-railway-2-4-0-t?optionId=60279104 Regards Chris H

Yes, Magazine boots were (are) soft soled for just that reason. Most Gunpowder / Explosives vans had one or two pairs hung just inside the doors - so they could be reached without entry, before putting on for entering the van. A good example of a shell filling facility and expolsives handling practices can be seen at the "Needles Lower Battery" on the Isle of Wight. Makes a good day out. Regards Chris H P.S. - You all got there before I turned the page. Bother! CH

As I understand it the ground "Flint" is a fine Silica, which becomes a constituent of the pottery glaze - especially if you want a good white glaze. Think Cheddleton Flint Mill - now preserved by the National Trust - as a destination of the flint stones (pun not intended) for processing into powder form. Going back to the use of "Beach" as ballast by the LB&SCR and other impercunious concerns "Sarf of the river" - wasn't that part of the reason for the 927 Sevenoaks derailment of SR loco A800 "River Cray"? - I know the locos got the blame but I understood the track wasn't as stable as it might have been - a problem with the rounded stones of Beach ballast which don't knit together like broken stone ballast. Regards CH

It is worth noting that one of the same type of Aveling and Porter locomotive, "Sirapite" is alive and well. It lives on the Leiston Works Railway in Suffolk - see http://lwr.org.uk/gallery/ Regards Chris H

One thing to remember - the normal Sewage Works digester beds are built up of layers of stone, just like a railway track ballast-bed. The construction makes an ideal home for the bugs that go "Oh yummy" when they receive the sewage and digest the nasties to leave a good clean soil / compost and clean water outfall. Consequently the track ballast bed is a very good and under-used "Digester bed", which eats the out-fall from track discharge toilets / oil residues from vehicle bearings / conductor rail de-icing fluid / other nasties - leaving clean water to drain through into the soil and water-courses. Of course the top of the track ballast-bed and the underside of vehicles using track discharge toilets is still hazardous to track and train maintainers. One of the benefits of working for LU rather than the main-line was not having to worry about vehicle toilet systems. This info came from a friend who used to ork for Thames Water (?) before joining LU about 20+ years ago. Regards Chris H

Gentleman's Light Sporting locomotive! Chris H

Very arty. I agree it was a good show, but near half of it didn't appear for the Sunday! But it was also relatively expensive - my wallet was £90 lighter when I came away. Regards Chris H

I agree about the N5 - especially when there is a perfectly serviceable C12 available - even better than a grimy N2! Regards Chris H

?? - What is a LSWR Class N when it is at home? I can recognise a SECR later SR Class N 2-6-0, which has a relationship to a GWR 43xx, but I wasn't aware of an LSWR class N! I reckon though that a GWR Modified Hall would see off the Black 5 and the B17 - and look rather smart doing it! - But then I like GWR locos as well as LNER ones. Regards Chris H

Very good, it really looks the part. By the way do you have a suitable set of Starter signals? Regards Chris H

Regarding the "Baby Deltics". During the 1990s I worked for a gentleman - John Vint - who as a younger man trained with EECo. One of John's jobs was the commissioning and support of the Deltics running out of Finsbury Park. John was involved in instrumenting and testing the Baby Deltics to find the reason for their too frequent engine seizures / failures. The most convenient location for the instrumentation was on top of the "Boiling ring" in the engine-room. All the tests went well - without hint of any problems - till one day John bent over the recorder while the loco was accelerating. He then felt the botttom of his overall jacket tugged by the engine's air intake draft, although the interruption of the air flow was momentary the engine coughed and seized. Further investigation found that nearly all of the failures were co-incident with the second-man using the boiling ring to brew tea. The alternative air intake was from a grille on the side of the loco taking the air from outside the engine-room - along with pages of broad-sheet newspapers from the commuters waiting to board at Hatfield or Welwyn etc. - leading to similar engine failures. Hope that is of interest. Regards Chris H

But as I understand it PN had been under threat of "Redevelopment" to improve the curves and alignments through the station from GNR days - certainly before Grandfather (Arthur Holmes) returned to New England as a fully fledged signalman in 1925. Perhaps by 1956 the powers that be really did think it was going to happen soon? Regards Chris H P.S. - I really enjoy the pictures, especially the B&W ones. But you really need to have approach extensions on both ends of Crescent Bridge! CH

Not sure you should be bothering with "ply and strip wood". I think you may have got a better look with the mounting board and felt-tipped pen. Keep at it - then you can get back to working on Birlstone. Regards Chris H

The Hamilton-Ellis painting is set just SE of Northwick Park station (Met), where the MET - with GC - cross the WCML (LNWR) just south of Kenton station on the DC lines. The viewpoint is from the NW corner of the bridge - above the park in front of Northwick Park hospital. Regards Chris H

If you look closely you will notice that the Gentleman with the Boater is wearing breeches and is a Revd. gentleman - he has a dog collar. Regards Chris H

Does that signal with the more modern post (not latticed) actually appear on the layout? - I hadn't noticed it before on the model, but that might just be me. Or, when was the main post replaced on that signal - between 1958 & 63? Regards Chris H

Assuming that signal posts were painted white with a lead based paint, they would quickly discolour to a mucky grey colour - in the same way that coach roofs did - as the sulphurous smoke reacts with the paint and rain and attacks the paint. It is only with the general use of modern pigments in the late 1950s - 1960s that true "Brilliant white" became common - before the lead based paint never stayed white for long. Regards Chris H

Kevin, If you mounted the tall cupboard on its side - with a form of top hung door - above the fiddle yard, it could provide more box space and keep the dust off that side of the layout. Also it would still be available for the storage of long / thin thing - and for placing electronics out of the way of children! RRegards Chris H

If you want a really dainty 2-4-0T and from Manning-Wardle, why not look at the possibility of a Milwall Extension Railway loco - as drawn in MRJ No. 53, with photos in Nos. 55 and 57? - One even ran with full tank side adverts for Pears Soap at one time. The only downside is the three locos were still in PLA employ till the early 1920s. Also see: http://www.shapeways.com/product/XCQBT4X6D/pla-millwall-extension-railway-2-4-0t-kit?optionId=56885706 Regarding the Met D class, it is worth remembering that they were originally bought for working the outlying Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway (under Met ownership) before the rest of the Met reached Aylesbury. Regards Chris H

I take it you are referring to AB of Chesham. He doesn't have a traction engine - he has an Aveling steam-roller, plus living van etc. It will take a few days and bags of coal to get from his place to P'boro area. Chris H

I do like the view down past the railcar to the pilots standing in front of the shed - that does look real and the C12 shows up nicely. Regards Chris H