Davexoc

Yes, recorded on RTT as passing MKC at 15.12, camera time about an hour out though...

A fox runs across infront of 350256 and 350408, having run across the other way a few minutes earlier with food presumably for its cubs...

390130 and 390136 pass just north of Central Milton Keynes

Same location as last week, longer lens and with a Freightliner presence this week.... 4M87 Felixstowe - Crewe being passed by 390141 4M29 Felixstowe - Birch Coppice 6O51 Daventry - Dollands Moor 4M23 Felixstowe - Hams Hall 6E84 Stewarts Lane - Tunstead 4M47 London Gateway - Hams Hall 66715 also crept up and passed southbound on 4L05 Birch Coppice - Felixstowe. And all in just over 90 minutes....

Empty leading flats allowed this going away shot of 90010 and 90047 through MK earlier on the 4L96 Crewe - Ipswich being passed by Pendo 390046 - 1A53

Wasn't the Nitric Acid carried in some form of ferry tanker? Seems to have been 4 at a time possibly what we would know as an ICA or TIA, similar to the depressed centre ECC, but a parallel barrel. Something along the lines of this... https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/T/TIA-RIV-UK-registered-tanks/i-NZsNxbT/A

The downside to contact adhesive is that once laid it might be difficult to lift and adjust if you find running problems. I laid all my track using small CSK woodscrews between sleepers (between and on the outside of the rails) to get and hold alignment, which also allowed me to add super-elevation on curves where required. Testing by running a variety of stock was then carried out and a few tweaks to iron out any problematic areas, before the whole lot was ballasted and glued down with PVA. Then the screws were removed and the resultant holes filled with blutac and more ballast/PVA. Take your time and don't rush the track laying, there is nothing more infuriating than de-railing or auto-uncoupling trains....

Don't forget that if you hinge it, the hinges have to be higher than the board so the hinged track clears the fixed track. Alternatively, have a lift out section.....

4 GBRf workings through MK in under an hour this afternoon. Tried the Bradwell Village footbridge for the first time, OK for northbound, and could use a longer lens and see right down to CMK station, southbound more of a challenge through all the knitting..... 4M23 Felixstowe - Hams Hall with 66729 4L05 Birch Coppice - Felixstowe with 66752 4M29 Felixstowe - Birch Coppice with 66715 6O67 Daventry - Dollands Moor with 66727 Should have been a 4M87 about half an hour before this lot, but it was running 3 hours late....

The short freight version came through MK today, light loco(s)... So how come Rail Adventure appears on RTT as operator SO?

Recent update now posted.... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68491452

And that Lego Duplo isn't cheap....

I knew there was something odd about the Pullmans. So supplementary question to the OP, if an ETH diesel dragged an AC loco and its coaches off the juice, could it supply ETH through the AC loco jumpers? Assuming there were contactors on the AC loco that stopped DC going somewhere it shouldn't....

Brings back memories of teenage summer holidays staying with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Portsmouth. Back then a bunch of us would take a bus to the Harbour to catch the Sealink slowboat to Ryde, then jump on the old 4VEC 3TIS sets on the IOW, all for a couple of quid each. And Rover tickets to get anywhere along the coast, Littlehampton, Shoreham and Worthing to name a few places we visited. Or just to do a bit of spotting at Eastleigh which meant a Thumper as their was no juice rail on the Fareham line..... Happy Days....

The Railtec decals I have used have been initially sealed with Johnsons Klear, (also used before application), then a blow over with a laquer from Halfords. Their matt goes on quite nicely, and if you get it on the glazing, it will look like the windows are dirty. OK for engine room windows, but not good for windscreens....

The ETH jumpers were all something DC (anything from about 650v up to 1000v), the variation depending on where they were in the country and what the power source was. AC electrics rectified to DC so partly dependant on how much AC there was, SR from the third rail dependant on the rail voltage which is more prone to voltage drop than AC, or if from a diesel, dependant on engine rpm and load with some sharing the same generator as the traction supply, others seperate generator. Later diesels could have an alternator, but it would be rectified to DC as with only one type of jumper, there had to be a standard throughout the network, and coaches used to run all the way from Scotland to Cornwall with various traction changes en-route.

Naked Pendo....

All seems to be running more or less to plan today on the Bedford service. I see there is a Bletchley CE move to Aylesbury in conjuction with the land slip just south of there later that is having to go the long way round, 5 hour trip. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U04090/2024-03-02/detailed Considerable savings to be had if it could have gone the EWR route, if the connection gets reinstated at Calvert. Savings to be had even if it could of gone via Bicester, could have been used as one of those 'track settlement' trains going that way....

Got to like this one best in this batch. Lovely lighting and excellent composure, with a fairly recently ex-works loco up front...

Good old bog standard ETH was DC from generators, or third rail on the SR. AC came about when the HST arrived, powered off an alternator, but LH Mk 3s were still DC.

Yet another one.... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68433405 RTT has bustitution at the weekend...

The ETH generator on the class 50s also powered the radiator cooling fan, which took a fair chunk of output. Like the HST power cars, it notched up the engine rpm when the ETH was switched on. In theory you could split a train in two halves and run ETH from both ends as the interlocking would allow it, and if you had a defective vehicle part way through the train, by disconnecting you would still have the connected portion working. I changed a few jumpers that got ripped out when shunters forgot to disconnect them...

Mainly Humbrol 173 track dirt, and some very thinned black, a bit thicker around pointwork, and generously brushed on black for heavy oil spill areas in the platforms and where locos stand. I'm going to try some black oil paint for some really oily areas to create that clogged up ballast look....

If you're stripping them in a pint and it needs refreshing, don't forget that Double Diamond works wonders......

I'm inclined to agree with @Nick Holliday on the bi-directional through line, it needs to operate without conflicting either main line. I would extend platform 2 to be closer to the length of 1, and have access to the maintenance depot directly from the branch platform. For maintenance it could be MU sidings with raised walkways for the carriage cleaners and a fuelling point. For the workings of a through line look up videos of Reading in the 80s.... The actual branch is geared up for loco release, so is the plan to run an excursion in, run around, and then back the stock into the siding? If so, is it big enough to look convincing? Just thoughts....