Sitham Yard

I would suggest looking at rapidonline.com as a supplier for all you require and XLR connectors as used in the music and theatre industries. Also look at Cinch automotive connectors from rs-online.com for multi pin connectors. Andrew

Was it normal practice to allow locos to cross weighbridges? I would have assumed that the weight of a loco was more than the maximum weight that the weighbridge was intended to weigh with possibility of damage. I have seen photos where there is a second set on rails, on the same track, to allow the loco to pass over the weighbridge without getting weighed. Andrew

It was quite normal to apply brakes only on two wheels. Many wagons fitted with Morton brakes only had two brake shoes, normally on the same side e.g. BR 16 ton mineral wagon. Sufficient for use as a parking brake. Andrew

This is correct. Brakes were independent (described by the LMS as "Double Brake") with 2 V hangers on each side. You are presumably thinking of Morton brakes. Andrew

From Historic Carriage Drawings Volume 3 by Peter Tatlow page 15. Rebuilt by the HR from post office mail van in 1919. Panelling removed and replaced in the then current HR fashion of vertical match boarding with the addition of guards lookouts. The book has another two photos (different photographers) of this vehicle at Birmingham New Street , one of which is dated 5th May 1954. Andrew

Although I have no pictures I have a story from, I think, 1964 involving a Dragon Rapide and being weighed. Hopefully I have not told it before here. My parents and I were going to the Scilly Isles for two weeks. Having family friends with a guest house in nearby Ottery St Mary we were flying from Exeter Airport. I had not flown before, not sure about my parents. Check in at the airport and the first surprise was to be weighed. The second was to be told, while having coffee, " we will go when you are ready"! We three were the only passengers. The flight was to call at Plymouth to pick up another couple. Because of this we flew relatively low over Dartmoor, feeling every bump, with the expected consequences for all three of us, not just my mother. Not unexpected for her as her claim to fame was being sea sick on the Gosport Ferry but that's another story involving two passing destroyers. Having collected the Plymouth passengers a nice flight to the largest island St Mary's in bright sunshine. After two weeks of mixed weather the same five passengers arrived at the airport in overcast weather to find staff on the balcony of the traditional Control Tower listening and looking. The airport was on a bit of a plateau and the cloud base was low. Word came that the incoming aircraft had missed and was going round again. I think the only way he got in was to fly close to the sea and climb up to the airport when he found the island. We were told firstly, that the couple for Plymouth would have to fly to Exeter as they could not get into Plymouth because of the cloud and secondly, in order to get enough height to fly over the cloud they could not take our luggage! A nice flight above cloud followed and we saw a second aircraft flying out to collect the luggage. Ours was delivered to Ottery that evening, what happened to the couple from Plymouth and their luggage I have no idea. Andrew

The OP refers to shock absorber type springing, not the wagon body. I take this to mean the type with J hangers with what appears to be a shock absorber (rubber springing?) on each end where the spring is attached. Andrew

Be wary about any wagon in the M360xxx series as this series was used in the early days of BR to number assorted wagons that had been purchased from various sources. Wagon historians and enthusiasts have been confused because some received LMS lot numbers and were entered into the LMS diagram book. This number was for a wagon built in wartime by the Southern Railway for the Ministry of Supply, very similar if not identical to wagons built by the SR for themselves. It had a fairly standard unfitted 10 feet wheelbase steel underframe with side door springs in the SR style. It was later fitted with vacuum brakes as part of the 1950's BR Modernisation Plan. However I cannot remember how good a match the body moulding is for that number. My stock is not available to check as it is currently in storage but I think the moulding is of a BR or LMS wagon. Probably suit the underframe you mention but then the number would be incorrect. Details of this wagon from An Illustrated History of LMS Wagons by R.J. Essery and The Acquired Wagons of British Railways Volume 5 by David Larkin. Andrew

How about Rubery Owen at Rubery? Andrew

Again much the same. I like to terminate everything in either chocolate block connectors or solder tag strips (prefer the latter for moveable layouts) and then label all the terminations. If you use Excel for this you should be able to adjust the number of pixels to get a reasonable match to the spacing of each wire and can therefore provide laminated labels for the terminations. Also label all point motors and anything else under the baseboard. Have a system, that suits you, for identifying all wires to the track e.g. if two isolations in platform 1 then the feeds could be labelled Platform 1 and Platform 1A and the returns Platform 1R and label all the holes in the baseboard where a wire comes through, a marker pen will do. Colour coding can help e.g. black for return, white for all point crossing v's (frogs) etc. By doing all this I find that often an issue can be resolved without having to look at the written notes and diagram. Others have suggested in the past that the underneath of a baseboard should be painted a light colour to help see all the wiring and labels. I just paint both sides of a baseboard with a light grey primer. Andrew

(it says new in the TV guide but they’re talking about the tunnels 25th birthday - think that was a few years ago now) I have recently realised that saying new in a TV guide can mean just new to that channel. Andrew

Even with my dodgy eyesight I can see the sign on the left is not 14'0". I think it is 14'6" or possibly 14'8". Andrew

Slightly off topic I have a vague memory (as a lot of memories are these days) of an HST power car being changed in a station, I think Edinburgh Waverley. The power car was changed in between booked workings of the unit. Andrew

According to David Larkin The Acquired Wagons of British Railways Volume 2 page 25 "Compensation was being paid on a weekly basis to the owners for the use of their wagons... This caused much debate in Parliament and there were calls for the nationalisation of the railway system after the end of hostilities" Andrew

Have you considered tinned copper wire. On a club layout I have seen this used with the end soldered to a small brass wood screw and the feed wire also soldered to that screw. This was for DC but presumably would work for DCC provided wire of appropriate thickness is used. Andrew

Sorry don't understand these whatsits which I have trouble seeing anyway due to my current eyesight. Will need cataracts operated on near future. It was a serious question however as I was not sure of the answer. Andrew

Not sure if you are being serious or not? Before the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 were there any controls on what was built where? Andrew

The mention of routes from the AA brings back memories of my parents. Only my Dad drove, having learnt "halfway up the Himalayas" (Royal Signals in India during World War 2) and got his first car in I think 1958. Mum did not like main roads so routes were obtained from the AA avoiding major roads. She navigated while I as a young child was in the back possibly asleep lying on the back seat - pre seat belt days! Roads were classified as A, B C and Mum roads, the latter single track with passing places probably with grass growing in the middle. Fine until you met something large such as the local dustcart coming the other way. If Dad was left to his own navigation he had a reputation for finishing up in either a trading estate or Kingston-upon-Thames. We lived in the suburbs of north west London! Andrew

@DevilsAdvocateAre you able to visit Guildex at Bingley Hall, Stafford Showground, 2nd and 3rd September? Not only will you see what is available in O Gauge but there will be a small layout being built live during the show. Andrew

Understood. probably best to fill up to at least the top of the sleepers before any infilling if not to top of the chairs. Andrew

This photo shows what, to my mind. is frequently forgotten with infilled track and that is to fill in the slots as much as you can without fouling the wheel flanges. Look at any prototype situation and these slots fill up with dirt etc. Spoils an otherwise very nice view. Andrew

If you are referring to Squires they have gone part way with an online ordering form and response which apparently avoids phone calls. See website for details. Andrew

Sorry. I had not realised it was something so obvious. Andrew

Which one(s) are you saying are wrong please? They look all right to me. Andrew

IIRC the film was actually run backwards. My memory is that there was a tail lamp on what is supposed to be the front of the train. can anyone confirm if I am correct please. Andrew