Davexoc

Yes, the red light is quite noticeable in the cutting near Salden Crabtree Farm (Tuckwell's) for Bletchley bound traffic...

Well as the bridge over HS2 is now completed (as reported on the HS2 thread), it will be interesting to see. There are signals in now at the Bletchley end as far as Mursley at least, but I don't know how far west they have reached. Shouldn't be long before you can go in one end, and out the other....

Looking at Paul Bartlett's site that does appear to be the case, but there are exceptions like this one https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brsealion/eb67f9c2 which resides in the Sealion section...

That was part of the new trackwork that was completed in a later blockade that also swept away the semaphores...

Not on the WR, but before resignalling, this was what was used at Lincoln on the approach to East Holmes from Central. Mini-stencil type boxes, one for each route.... Route speed here low due to the curves and level crossing behind the train, so does that explain the diminutive size?

A class 116 in the summer of '76, not hot enough yet for all the windows to be open though....

This is how it was reported in that evenings Evening Standard. I was working at Padd ODM at the time, and most were late that morning. I was with Paul Koch and it might have been one of the following days that after checking the battery room at the telephone exchange, we went up onto the roof and watched some of the re-railing proceedings. A class 47 was being attached to the drag-gear to pull the loco on greased up rails out from under the bridge, while the coaches were being re-railed. I remember one sleeper starting to roll towards Westbourne Park, spitting out scotches placed on the rails in an attempt to stop it. It did stop eventually, having gone through one crossover....

Listed in the '79 ABC are just 3 ER class 116 3 car suburban sets, so it could be as they were back then class 116/1 MS 50897,898 or 920, with class 175 TC 59335, 353 or 375. And the missing vehicle that the 105 was filling in for was class 116/2 MBS 50844, 845 or 867.

I've used Peco code 55 out the front, with code 80 around the back. Medium and long pointwork out the front, with easy curves, and nothing too tight at the back. Depends on whether you are dropping to N to save space, or make better use of the same space. Rolling stock comes from whoever makes it, as although there is some duplication in N, not as much as in OO. As for seeing small bits, that's what magnifiers are for. And there are small bits in any scale that will require tweezers and the like to handle.

Fear not, it travelled quite a way from home, often with its light blue sister, which was available from the GF Collectors Club. First one heading for Corby, second at Gloucester... https://www.flickr.com/photos/jezgould/5843061538 https://glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/3750137502-gloucester-1641988/

I think that the sounds, good though they are, can't recreate the effect of load. A light loco will romp away on full throttle, but a heavy freight needs to crawl away making alot of noise. I know the speed steps can be tweaked, but that would need doing differently for both cases. I would love to recreate somewhere like Didcot in the 70-80s, but I don't think there is enough space even in N to get both the full chat of Valenta powered HSTs on departure of the stoppers and also get the 125mph non-stop passing through effect too...

The driver of 47901 has failed the loco with a faulty windscreen wiper, so being a nice day the fitters have had it pulled up outside the shed. Platform in place while they go and find a replacement... Similar shot under the cover of darkness... The route learning bubblecar sits in the siding alongside the shed entrance Class 31 brings a down parcels service through the station, while a class 128 MPV sits in the parcels bay on the up side.

The leading GUV on that train at least is gangway fitted and has pipework to fill the toilet tank, listed as a Newspaper Packing Van, so they must have been staffed. The GUV is also riding in B5 bogies, as is the one at the other end and only have external handbrakes. If the BGs have as noted in P5 books had the handbrake removed, so presumably the guards accomodation, then I think the BFK would be needed to provide guard accomodation regardless if there were packers on board or not. I assume the packers sorted the bundles into van load piles for the various drops en-route, having received several bulk deliveries from the printers....

390016 approaching And passing

They could if the emergency coupling bar was attached, which was carried on board. Plenty of photos of all sorts dragging them over the SW banks. A pair has even been used to haul the Night Riviera when the class 57 failed...

I'll add a drag, but not an off the juice one, 57308 with 390029 heading north through Wolverton...

Number two leaning through Wolverton

Flush fronted 47522 was done as a train set only release. The real thing was somewhat accident prone because it was flush fronted at both ends while in blue, then in apple green (GF model 2017ish), but after a smash at No2 end, emerged with a recessed panel in parcels red/grey. Flush fronts were quite common, but not that many at both ends, hence the wondering if either, and or is a possibility....

I've got quite a few, so I will start at one...

Probably why Rails went for 47628 SDG rather than 47484 IKB, 484 being the other way around to 799 in having the flush front at No1 end.... Might mean that the tooling can't do different ends at the same time. Be nice if it could though.

A workbench update, as some more recent aquisitions needed to progress. A bunch of WHWW 3D printed bits painted with a first coat, including platform tugs (got too many now, but hey ho), inspection platforms (probably too many of them too TBH), gradient signs and an oxy-acetylene set, plus then P&D Marsh mobile yard crane and a front bucket loader in whitemetal, which need priming. The yellow used was Railmatch faded warning panel, but it doesn't look very faded when applied directly onto the 3D prints. Will try and get the details picked out on this lot in the coming week, ready for plonking on the layout.....

July 83 Modern Railways mentions a possible BT10 development based on the workings of MagLev. So the primary suspension would be magnetic, but whether it came to fruition I don't know...

The class 115s went to Bletchley from Aylesbury prior to the arrival of 165/6 Turbo servicing facility. Milton Keynes then needed aggregates which came up from the west country by way of the line to a depot just outside Wolverton. And then there was the Akeman Street fertilizer, or was that just an undercover operation to feed into the Top Secret MOD rocket test facility at Westcott? The line now being a road connection from the A41 for all the lorry bound waste to the the Greatmoor EFW facility.

Evidently, it wasn't the only one so fitted, this link shows BT35s on 42257, where you can just about see the inboard discs, but it does have more dampers... https://www.flickr.com/photos/82085846@N02/42430509350

I don't recall curtain linings being a thing in the 70s. Bright colours yes, but once the roof is on the colour might become more subdued, unless the houses are being lit internaly...