Daveg66

Thanks all for the wealth of information. I suspect that the bar at Llangwyllog was a fouling bar then because it appears to be at the heel end of the loop points. Llangwyllog points and signals in the immediate station area where controlled from the external lever frame. Even though this was raised on a brick base, if a down train was in the platform, the porter-signalman would probably not be able to see the up end of the loop very easily and the fouling bar would certainly prevent the points being set in reverse to allow an up train to depart if the down train was within the fouling point. So, it appears that we have a lock bar at Amlwch and a fouling bar at Llangwyllog. Because of the way my model is set up, all I need is the three point rods as the points would be where my cassettes are. As I mentioned originally I think, the layout is only based on these two stations but I'm trying to capture the essence of them and make elements of them recognisable. Thanks again.

Thanks IKCDAB. This is another snip, at the south end of Llangwyllog station near the loop points. There was only one point here and the device between the rails shown in the book I referred to. I assumed that the 3 point rods were related to the points and the mechanism. Excuse the poor quality but it is a photo of a photo but you can just make out the mechanism in the bottom left of the picture. It does seem to be in an odd place given the use of lockbars.

Intersesting article describing Indian Railways practice, which I would think might be rather similar to UK practice in a number of ways: https://civilcrews.com/interlocking-of-signals-and-points/

Thanks very much for the very quick responses - at Amlwch it was definitely leading up to the toes of the points at the end of the loop so this would mean the points couldn't be changed if the train was within the lockbar length of the toes. The one at Llangwyllog appears to be at the heel end of the points at the southern end of the Down loop assuming it is the same piece of equipment. Perhaps it prevented the points from being changed if a train was over it because then it may have been within the fouling point. I got interested in these features because I have just started to use Modelu 4mm LNWR point rodding stools and couldn't work out why a single point at the south end of the loop required three rods. One for the tiebar, one for the FPL but I was baffled by the third but a photo in the Middleton Press Main Lines Bangor to Holyhead including the Anglesey branches was the only picture I have been able to find which shows this end of the loop at Llangwyllog, the only station on the line where trains were permitted to cross. With regard to the rodding stools - amazing things and they (in conjunctoin with square section rodding) really add something to the look of the p-way. Thanks again for the quick responses - I knew this would be the place to ask the question - I shall see if I can find any photos of Blue Anchor now!

Hello I am building a model loosely based on two stations of the Anglesey Central Railway, Amlwch and Llangwyllog and have noticed in photographs of Amlwch in particular, there is a long bar alongside the inside of one of the running rails in the platform road which is connected via point rodding to the lever frame. There is a similar set up at Llangwyllog as far as I can see from one photograph - well, the operating mechanism appears to be visible in the photo anyway. As the station was closed in 1965 and then subsequently demolished, I do not have any photographs taken by myself and any shown on the internet are likely to be copywrited so I shall just include a small snip of an example of the facility. It is purely for interest that I ask but I shall possibly try to incorporate a representation of it in my model, so the big question is, can anyone please tell me its purpose? It may be a retarder of some sort, not that the platform was on a steep gradient as far as I am aware so any information would be gratefully received. Many thanks Dave

Hi. I spotted that and thought that perhaps at last Hornby were sneaking in a reference to a push-pull motor coach, which given the existence of the excellent suburban brake seems like such an obvious choice. However, no shades over the windows is an obvious giveaway and a check of Jenkinson and Essery's LMS Coaches suggests it is a District Engineer's Saloon as mentioned already on this thread. (Which seems odd as Bachmann already have this covered.) I live in hope for Hornby to announce the motor coach.