Gary H

Well if that is indeed the case, its a shame. They have some nice 1:87 scale vehicles on there.

Is is just me or is the postage cost on this a little on the high side?? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Van-Royal-Mail-GB-1-87-Brekina-/181233699772?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item2a325ecbbc

Just to reiterate the above, Model Junction was selling off Titans a while back at nearly half price! It has to be said, I think they were having trouble shifting them, they do tend to reduce prices on stragglers that are slow to shift and they need room for new stock. I wish that Tsunami had the finesse in motor control that Loksound does but where the actual prime mover sound is concerned, the Soundtraxx product is hard to beat and just pips Loksound to the post. Ive also dabbled in Tsunami with the Alco sound, I custom installed sound in an Atlas C420 a couple of years ago. Atlas mechanism's what they are (excellent), I also had no problems in good slow speed control. Ive had the following video on my hard drive for a couple of years but I just uploaded it, this is one of my SD40-2's. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A-KnKR-fuY&feature=youtu.be Thought I had one of the Alco C420 but I cant find it at the mo.

I have many U.S sound loco's now and based on my own findings, here's what I think! Without a doubt Tsunami has the most accurate prime mover sound, especially where the EMD 567, 645 and 710 engines are concerned. I must have listened to thousands of youtube video's over the last few years and I know what an EMD should sound like, weather that be inside an SD40-2 or an F7 A and B set! I don't doubt for a minute that Loksound has better motor control but ive fine tuned my CV's on the Tsunami's and have no trouble at all with very slow speed switching performance on any of my loco's. I also find them easy to set up multiple locomotive consists now that I have a digital speedometer to help me match them. QSI I find use generic sounds on all their decoders, like the highly irritating air release sound on start (which just doesn't happen!) and the Revolution version I have in an SD35 is so nasty and 'shrill' like Ive disabled the sound altogether. The only thing I like about QSI is the horn sounds have more punch than a Tsunami. To give QSI the benefit of the doubt, I had a listen to a new Titan, but even these just don't sound like the real thing to me! Going back to my Revolution fitted SD35, even on a 'boosted' programing track, the dam thing will still not program! I will shortly be ripping out the Revolution for a Tsunami. Moving onto MRC, I can only echo the comments above! The last one that I can't recommend is anything fitted with MTH's Proto Sound 3. I have one of their SD70ace's. The sound to me sounds like a continuous loop and the as the loco notches up, it sounds much to like one sound finishing and another starting rather than a smooth transition of increasing throttle. PS3 is also designed to work with MTH's DCS system making it not ver compatible with NMRA DCC systems, advanced consists are a no-no with PS3 loco's unless that is you have the latest but even then, you cannot alter all the CV's!

Some rather atmospheric if not depressing photo's taken from inside the closed Thornaby depot. Not mine I hasten to add, just a page I found whilst trawling a while back. Scroll down abit for the stored 56's. http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/industrial-sites/47520-thornaby-rail-maintenance-depot-feb-2010-a.html

Indeed there is, all explained here aswell- http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:earthing_supply_types_and_bonding:earthing_arrangements

I just had a look at this page- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/russelliott/3rd-4th.html#Historical-overview and copied and pasted the following- """"recommended the adoption of a d.c. system using 3rd and 4th conductor rails, working at a nominal potential difference of 630V.""" I would take that as the 4 th rail being a neutral??? From a brief period during the late 90's I worked on the 3rd rail system in the Eastleigh area and I found out that the breakers in the sub stations will trip at about 8'000 amps.

No, not at the moment, Dave. I shall get around to it one day though. Thankyou very much for the comment.

Nice of uncle Albert to put in an appearance, Tim.

I was thinking that, hopefully its the compression in the pic making it look worse than what it is. I was on the Aylesbury re-doubling job (when ever that was?) and one of the ballast trains we were running came off because of track similar to that. It surprisingly doesn't take very much if you have a wagon with a certain amount of twist already in it and especially when empty!

A pair of my 'high hood' Norfolk & Western behemoths. EMD SD45 and a very kit bashed Kato / Cannon SD40-2 respectively. My first venture into using oil's for weathering. Kadee PS2 box car. 'Pennsy' EMD F7, Burlington Northern F7, both Athearn Genesis.

Here's some video of them trying to move 4014 from her slumber. Didn't go according to pan though so far! I think you'll need something more substantial than a wheeled loading shovel there guys! Can anyone say what axle bearings this loco would have, roller or friction?

I have to be honest, there's not very much that'll drag me away from watching American freights on YT these days but that was a very good video, Andy! Enjoyed it!

That sorts the men from the boys! I can remember reading an accident report a while back that I think took place on Cajon Pass. A similar train to the above went over the top with less than required operable DB's. Air was alone was not enough to hold the train back, the friction brakes burnt away and the train became out of control and derailed. Sobering stuff.

Even more worrying was the confusion about 'in rear' and 'ahead of'. They changed it to 'in advance' and 'on the approach to' so as to accommodate the numpties As a PICOP I never had any problem with the old terms personally LOL. Im way off topic now though!

You would be very surprised at the number of folk employed in the industry who only know them as catch points where actually they are referring to trap points!!

OK, Il start by saying that I work for the biggest infrastructure maintainer / owner here but that said I don't know a quarter of the answers for the above but Il hazard a guess or two. Here, we have a very effective train stop system known as TPWS which will intervene and stop the train if it blows a red signal or maybe in an overspeed situation on the approach to a red signal or other restrictive aspect. There is no dark territory to speak of or when there is, there is only one train allowed onto that line and its effectively 'locked in' by itself until it leaves. (Im thinking branch line working here) Secondly, we don't have anywhere near the gradients that America has. A train here will runaway if its continuous brake is relied upon to hold it on a grade without a running engine, the same as it will in NA but the risk of that happening is mitigated. (trains are not left unattended on running lines or 'the main' in US parlance. (For the benefit of our over seas posters-) Its ironic that the Ladbroke Grove disaster was caused by a signal being passed at danger and that the sand drag (similar to a catch) that would have prevented the accident was removed about 10 years before! Trouble was, we didn't have TPWS at that time either.

That's very true, Mike and its becoming more commonplace to 'break Hidden' in this day and age! No names, no pact drill. I don't doubt for a minute the logistics of crewing and accommodating these mile plus long trains in NA must make it difficult at times but I still say that leaving one unattended, on a grade, is railway / railroad suicide! As you rightly said earlier here, even within an engineering possession its fairly rare. Do you think an engineering train or any other train for that matter would be left unattended on the Lickey for instance? I would put a months wages on NO!

This video really brings it home. The 'FRED' still flashing on the rear of the train and the noise alone are haunting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPVRRgAtL4A

Those early tampers just go to show how far we've come! Would like to see one sat beside an 09.

There are some threads on RM Web which always make me yearn for a time machine, this is certainly one of them! A great set of pics Apollo, ive been in awe of them for the last 30 minutes!

Crikey, not just any UP diesel, the mother of all diesel's no less, a DD40X!

Yes, valid point. It was perhaps contributory but by no means the cause!

Allegedly, the locomotive that caught fire was a C30-7. There's a surprise- not. The only locomotive that could keep the brake pipe charged for the whole train and it was shut down because of fire. As someone pointed out from Highpeak's link above- """ When will the industry take decisive action to address the tendency for General Electric locomotives to catch fire? That was the primary cause of this accident when the fire department shut down the lead C30-7 that was supplying air to the train."""

Yeah I agree, Nidge. I suppose I liked that ole school BR kinda thing from days past where we were all the same 'firm'. Old habits etc As you say, that's business.