ianathompson

A request for information. Can anyone tell me roughly when these long wheelbase sliding door wagons were introduced please? 4-96a by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 96a A couple of transporters have become available to make a quick test of the layout's latest acquisition, a modern long wheel base van. I think that these sliding wall vehicles were introduced onto the German railways during the 1960s but I am open to correction about this. Anyway if I am wrong I will once again claim modeller's license because a couple more are on order. They need painting and finishing but come ready assembled with flexible axles so this was the first attempt to see how they performed around sharp curves. The wheelbase is so long that they cannot be accommodated on a single transporter but the first attempt to offset the wagon towards the right hand end resulted in the left hand end of the transporter to the left raising into the air! This obviously isn't viable (!) but I suspect that two of these vans could be carried by three transporters. Time will tell. Thanks Ian T

This week's photos are now available at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 As usual a selection is shown below to give a flavour of activities. 4-65 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 65. The express rolls sedately through the upper reaches of the Kasatritikakamparoj as it approaches Boursson with the signals "off". I hesitate to use a verb such as 'rushes' because that is something that train 11005 certainly does not deign to do. The well heeled passengers in the Pullman car are unconcerned however. They have comfortable individual seats. a copious supply of coffee and are waited on hand and foot. 4-67 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 67. The local, following the express, pulls out into the RN424 at Breĉo de Glissent. Road vehicles are few and far between in this isolated province during the 1960s and the few in the vicinity will have been expected, upon hearing the loco's whistle, to have made themselves scarce from the bridge over the Ero. The trains do not take prisoners! The train is passing in front of the Co-op where the top end of the siding is now empty. The hopper wagons that were parked here were removed by the Eromarbordo railcar, which acts as a station pilot as required. The road signs beside the engine show, from the bottom upwards, 30 kph speed limit, main road diverges to right and tram pinch, where the train will sideswipe any unwary vehicles driven too close to the track. The indifferent road surface helps to explain why the railway maintains its superiority as the transport of choice. 4-77 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 77. The FDV-RFK goods is running cautiously down the Aepto Gorge with the maximum weight of train allowed for an unassisted engine. This view is taken from the opposite side of the gorge and the stream is invisible between the rocks. The scene is directly below the preceding one and would be compromised if the rack branch was not straight. The loco has just crossed the electrical boundary between Ithilarak and Urteno. It will be left here for some time before running down to Urteno on local control. 4-83 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 83. The extra goods train was checked outside town before receiving clear signals. The 0-4-0TT casually stands in the middle of the canton's main thoroughfare to let the extra pass before it resumes its work. By chance, almost everything in this scene is complete, giving a good idea of how the finished railway might look, but the observant will notice that the brake van has no roof and the diesel needs minor attention to finish it.. 4-88 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 88. The up express is the first train to pass the new signal at Ithilarak with the distant in the 'off' position. The Bavarian Railways chose to give a positive indication to the driver rather than use the standard continental format of making a clear signal invisible to the driver. The distant normally stands in the 'on' position as in photo 9. I have had it suggested to me that some form of protection should be provided for this signal as it is placed in a vulnerable location next to the aisle, so I am contemplating a plastic shield. Ian T

This week's photos are now available at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 As usual a selection is shown below to give a flavour of activities. 4-65 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 65. The express rolls sedately through the upper reaches of the Kasatritikakamparoj as it approaches Boursson with the signals "off". I hesitate to use a verb such as 'rushes' because that is something that train 11005 certainly does not deign to do. The well heeled passengers in the Pullman car are unconcerned however. They have comfortable individual seats. a copious supply of coffee and are waited on hand and foot. 4-67 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 67. The local, following the express, pulls out into the RN424 at Breĉo de Glissent. Road vehicles are few and far between in this isolated province during the 1960s and the few in the vicinity will have been expected, upon hearing the loco's whistle, to have made themselves scarce from the bridge over the Ero. The trains do not take prisoners! The train is passing in front of the Co-op where the top end of the siding is now empty. The hopper wagons that were parked here were removed by the Eromarbordo railcar, which acts as a station pilot as required. The road signs beside the engine show, from the bottom upwards, 30 kph speed limit, main road diverges to right and tram pinch, where the train will sideswipe any unwary vehicles driven too close to the track. The indifferent road surface helps to explain why the railway maintains its superiority as the transport of choice. 4-77 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 77. The FDV-RFK goods is running cautiously down the Aepto Gorge with the maximum weight of train allowed for an unassisted engine. This view is taken from the opposite side of the gorge and the stream is invisible between the rocks. The scene is directly below the preceding one and would be compromised if the rack branch was not straight. The loco has just crossed the electrical boundary between Ithilarak and Urteno. It will be left here for some time before running down to Urteno on local control. 4-83 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 83. The extra goods train was checked outside town before receiving clear signals. The 0-4-0TT casually stands in the middle of the canton's main thoroughfare to let the extra pass before it resumes its work. By chance, almost everything in this scene is complete, giving a good idea of how the finished railway might look, but the observant will notice that the brake van has no roof and the diesel needs minor attention to finish it.. 4-88 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 88. The up express is the first train to pass the new signal at Ithilarak with the distant in the 'off' position. The Bavarian Railways chose to give a positive indication to the driver rather than use the standard continental format of making a clear signal invisible to the driver. The distant normally stands in the 'on' position as in photo 9. I have had it suggested to me that some form of protection should be provided for this signal as it is placed in a vulnerable location next to the aisle, so I am contemplating a plastic shield. Ian T

No. That will probably go against the trajnacefo of the URT-RFK goods, if control even notice it. If he is smart enough he can pass it off to the bridge having been open for the ferry. Even I draw the line at shunting onto the approach span whilst the bridge is open! Still thinking about implementing your suggestion to protect the home signal at Ithilarak. Could be a plastic shield (made from the sheet intended to glaze the block instrument if I ever get round to it) or it might possibly be a masonry extension. Time will tell! Tommo

It has been a relatively routine session so far but one or two operational problems are starting to rear their heads as outlined in the short selection of photos below. The full set can be found at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 4-51 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 51. Having taken the wagons into Gasworks Street yard and retrieved some others out of the sidings, there is some debate as to how much of this it will be possible to forward on the two trains booked to forward traffic from Lacono. The Urteno train is running near capacity and there may not be too much space on the FDV-RFK goods either. Whist it is standard practice to hold some wagons for afternoon services this quantity of vehicles will overwhelm the yard. It may yet be necessary to run another special. 4-54 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 54. Cadsuiane-Fabhuidol is one of those minor places on a large layout that just seems to get overlooked. As was noted in the last session an attempt to isolate a locomotive in the siding failed and a new section had to be put in. In this session my main concern was that the transporter would ground on the siding but this did not happen. Instead the SG van caught the overhanging side of the station building which surprised me as I remember testing it for clearance against the big Co-Co. The building was removed and slightly repositioned to allow the SG vehicle to pass. Thankfully the scene is not completed and the exercise did not create too many problems although a clean up will be needed. In the past wagons for the siding have been placed at the front of the train so the Instructions might need altering but then again they may not. 4-58 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 58. The problems with the blocking of the LAC-RFK local goods have come home to roost. Quite often slight problems become major complications if not attended to. In an ideal world the hopper of limestone (for the glass factory) and the grain hopper should have been on the rear of the train but, as was noted, there was insufficient time to block the train correctly before it left Lacono. The heavy workload at Boursson and the need to drop off and pick up wagons at Sojonno have resulted in the train arriving at Glissent in a less than ideal condition. Often an early arrival gives some spare time to sort out these problems but the train arrived on time today, leaving no leeway to deal with the problem. Ideally the Glissent drop offs should have been at the rear of the train but they are mixed into the consist. The grain hopper, bound for Eromarbordo could then have had a quick transfer on the back of the railcar and the limestone hopper could have been taken around to the glassworks. The need to propel for just under a mile to reach the glassworks mandates that no surplus wagons are taken along the siding and so the bogie hopper will have to be detached from the train whilst the rest of the wagons are put back onto the train. The grain hopper will have to wait until the loco returns before it can be forwarded along the branch. 4-64 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 64. There is some latitude in the timings and so the train is instructed to 'lift' the colliery traffic. Unfortunately the heavy loadings will exceed the limits prescribed for safely braking a train down the Vulpafaŭkangulo, even with the retainers turned up, and so one wagon will be left behind. Both the hoppers at the uphill end of the siding are due to replenish the bunkers of the AFK's ferry on the Spegulalaguno but there is no question of working them as a pair. This is a mountainous railway and trains must work to the maximum tonnage as far as possible. It is not quite an American drag freight, especially at only 14 axles (less the brake) but it is as close as I can come! Ian T

It has been a relatively routine session so far but one or two operational problems are starting to rear their heads as outlined in the short selection of photos below. The full set can be found at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 4-51 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 51. Having taken the wagons into Gasworks Street yard and retrieved some others out of the sidings, there is some debate as to how much of this it will be possible to forward on the two trains booked to forward traffic from Lacono. The Urteno train is running near capacity and there may not be too much space on the FDV-RFK goods either. Whist it is standard practice to hold some wagons for afternoon services this quantity of vehicles will overwhelm the yard. It may yet be necessary to run another special. 4-54 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 54. Cadsuiane-Fabhuidol is one of those minor places on a large layout that just seems to get overlooked. As was noted in the last session an attempt to isolate a locomotive in the siding failed and a new section had to be put in. In this session my main concern was that the transporter would ground on the siding but this did not happen. Instead the SG van caught the overhanging side of the station building which surprised me as I remember testing it for clearance against the big Co-Co. The building was removed and slightly repositioned to allow the SG vehicle to pass. Thankfully the scene is not completed and the exercise did not create too many problems although a clean up will be needed. In the past wagons for the siding have been placed at the front of the train so the Instructions might need altering but then again they may not. 4-58 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 58. The problems with the blocking of the LAC-RFK local goods have come home to roost. Quite often slight problems become major complications if not attended to. In an ideal world the hopper of limestone (for the glass factory) and the grain hopper should have been on the rear of the train but, as was noted, there was insufficient time to block the train correctly before it left Lacono. The heavy workload at Boursson and the need to drop off and pick up wagons at Sojonno have resulted in the train arriving at Glissent in a less than ideal condition. Often an early arrival gives some spare time to sort out these problems but the train arrived on time today, leaving no leeway to deal with the problem. Ideally the Glissent drop offs should have been at the rear of the train but they are mixed into the consist. The grain hopper, bound for Eromarbordo could then have had a quick transfer on the back of the railcar and the limestone hopper could have been taken around to the glassworks. The need to propel for just under a mile to reach the glassworks mandates that no surplus wagons are taken along the siding and so the bogie hopper will have to be detached from the train whilst the rest of the wagons are put back onto the train. The grain hopper will have to wait until the loco returns before it can be forwarded along the branch. 4-64 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 64. There is some latitude in the timings and so the train is instructed to 'lift' the colliery traffic. Unfortunately the heavy loadings will exceed the limits prescribed for safely braking a train down the Vulpafaŭkangulo, even with the retainers turned up, and so one wagon will be left behind. Both the hoppers at the uphill end of the siding are due to replenish the bunkers of the AFK's ferry on the Spegulalaguno but there is no question of working them as a pair. This is a mountainous railway and trains must work to the maximum tonnage as far as possible. It is not quite an American drag freight, especially at only 14 axles (less the brake) but it is as close as I can come! Ian T

Around about twenty new photos have been posted at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 A small selection is included here. 4-32 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 32. ...As a result the train is piloted from the front. I am unaware of any banking operation where NG locos attached to the rear of trains carrying SG wagons. It would seem likely that all such trains would be double headed as appears to have been the case on the Bulgarian and Polish NG. With no DCC the train engine had to reverse about three inches onto a separate electrical circuit to allow the pilot to attach. This is an 'uncharged technical timeout' where the clock is not moved. All moves are recorded against a click clock and charged at three minutes, as outlined in the Operating articles on the website. The legitimate moves have taken so long, however, that departure will be roughly ten minutes behind that shown in the WTT. 4-35 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 35. Needless to say the ERO-URT train gets checked as the distant is "on". The distant, barely visible in this photo is the yellow diamond. The curate is assiduously doing his rounds in his cassock before 7 in the morning. Perhaps he has a service in a remote chapel if he survives crossing the rickety bridge over the drainage ditch. He doesn't look too sure on his feet! 4-43 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 43. The RFK-FDV freight labours heavily as it enters Tunnel 231 on the Vulpafaŭkangulo. The train is the longest permitted by the Instructions, and with the two locos drawing power on straight DC the voltage is such that it isn't going too fast. The far side of the tunnel (right) has had rock inserted because it is visible from normal viewing angles. The near (left) side will not receive attention. Only the bottom end is finished but once the top is completed the ballasting will be finished. This is not the 231st tunnel by the way. It is just that all the infrastructure, bridges culverts etc have been included in one numbering scheme. There are plenty of gaps in the sequence to allow for the unmodelled parts of the railway. Ian T

Around about twenty new photos have been posted at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 A small selection is included here. 4-32 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 32. ...As a result the train is piloted from the front. I am unaware of any banking operation where NG locos attached to the rear of trains carrying SG wagons. It would seem likely that all such trains would be double headed as appears to have been the case on the Bulgarian and Polish NG. With no DCC the train engine had to reverse about three inches onto a separate electrical circuit to allow the pilot to attach. This is an 'uncharged technical timeout' where the clock is not moved. All moves are recorded against a click clock and charged at three minutes, as outlined in the Operating articles on the website. The legitimate moves have taken so long, however, that departure will be roughly ten minutes behind that shown in the WTT. 4-35 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 35. Needless to say the ERO-URT train gets checked as the distant is "on". The distant, barely visible in this photo is the yellow diamond. The curate is assiduously doing his rounds in his cassock before 7 in the morning. Perhaps he has a service in a remote chapel if he survives crossing the rickety bridge over the drainage ditch. He doesn't look too sure on his feet! 4-43 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 43. The RFK-FDV freight labours heavily as it enters Tunnel 231 on the Vulpafaŭkangulo. The train is the longest permitted by the Instructions, and with the two locos drawing power on straight DC the voltage is such that it isn't going too fast. The far side of the tunnel (right) has had rock inserted because it is visible from normal viewing angles. The near (left) side will not receive attention. Only the bottom end is finished but once the top is completed the ballasting will be finished. This is not the 231st tunnel by the way. It is just that all the infrastructure, bridges culverts etc have been included in one numbering scheme. There are plenty of gaps in the sequence to allow for the unmodelled parts of the railway. Ian T

Having inadvertently started this mini debate about layout designs I appreciate your point of view Martin. If you, or anyone else, are thinking about double deck construction I have an essay on my website. It is available at https://myafk.net/double-deck-construction Hope you find something of interest if you choose to follow the link. Ian T

After posting yesterday i went into the railway room and ran a train into one of the hidden areas.Guess what? Bang! Six wheel coach onto the sleepers. Alright easily fixed after fishing the stock out and the fault attributed to one item of (scratch built) stock in five vehicle train. What gets me is that these things always happen on the hidden corner, right after the same train has traversed a similar curve in the open! Anyway, at the risk of hijacking your thread, the (7mm scale) layout runs on 'planks', although the 9 foot 3 inch room width allowed slightly more latitude in setting it out. They can be made presentable and don't require too much effort either as there isn't much there! Photo enclosed from current operating session. 4-11 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Ian T

Martin It is probably a bit late to say it, and it might have been said before, but I would be worried about getting between the two operating wells. When I designed my own layout in a similar sized room (the AFK) i deliberately avoided the need to duck under anything, except the entry point. There are also two places where trains "disappear" before entering the other operating space. This is one Achilles heel of my own design, forced upon me by a half built terminus in the wrong orientation to the rest of the line. Guess where many problems occur! Wishing you well with this project. Ian T

I saw it swing a couple of years ago. It only seemed to take a couple of minutes and then it was back in place for rail traffic. I am not sure how it was being operated at this juncture. The tongue in cheek comment about the tide was a reference to the deep mudbanks that surround the Ouse at low tide. I believed that the river drops somewhere in the region of 4 or 5 metres between high and low tide. Ian T

Lovely model of an area that I know well. My parents lived there for a while and I sang in the Abbey for some time. Will the tide go up and down? That would be impressive! Or alternately do you intend to ram the bridge with a barge, as often happened! Great modelling. Ian T

If you follow the last suggestion I'd suggest turning it to maximum and adding a bowl of water! I remember playing football at Tilney St Lawrence years ago when one of the players thought hailstones were falling. They weren't. It was rain lashed into our faces by the gale! I reckon that the ball was on the pitch for about 10 minutes in the second half. It spent the rest of the time one or two fields away. Ian T

The operating session is now well under way and a selection of photos is shown below. As |I pointed out the full set can be accessed on the website at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 4-11 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 11. The following Fenditavalat goods crosses the Kasatritikakamparoj in the early morning darkness. It too has a number of SG wagons in the consist including a bogie flat to take away some of the forestry products backed up in the upper reaches of the line. Control have insisted that a large diesel is turned out for this train due to the snow in the high passes. The rabbits give an indication of how the local ganger supplements his income. 4-12 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 12. The cement train marks time at Cadsuiane-Fanhuidol. There is supposed to be two or three feet of snow at this location but it is not possible to change the scenery to reflect the winter season so this area is modelled in high summer. The train is being held here as the station is a block post, although there is no loop. It is waiting for the snowplough to clear the line to Ospicio. It eventually left 20 minutes behind time with the engine and transmission screaming as it restarted the heavy load on the stiff gradient so there will not have been too much sleep for the station staff tonight! The train faces the prospect of losing more time waiting at Ospicio for the plough coming up the Orbon valley. This is one of the operational problems that I wanted to simulate in running a busy railway over a high Alpine pass. 4-14 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 14. In a well tried and trusted set of moves the motive power from train 2401 runs round its train before the ferry is "pulled". This provides the station with motive power at both ends and helps to avoid too much congestion. As I have remarked before, these sort of working procedures were carried out every day and railwaymen knew what was required to get the job done. It is often difficult to replicate this on a model, especially if it operated infrequently. The 0-8-0's engine has put the reverser across and is about to back down onto its train. The pilot's crew have wasted no time in pulling the wagons up the steep slipway into one of the loops. 4-19 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 19. The congestion in the Lower Market at Fenditavalat is such that the railway would most likely have been removed during the 1960s. On the right the cement train has just arrived, in the middle the loco and part of the Relforka goods stands in front of the pilot whilst the remainder of the train stands in the loop at the left. The three phase wiring shows up nicely. Having assembled the train in the yard there was insufficient siding space to pull it clear of the yard points hence the convoluted manoeuvres necessary to re-assemble it. 4-23 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 23. The crew have cut their losses and have opted to go into the goods loop to fish out the van of cans. This will make working at Glissent slightly more difficult but there is still the Co-op siding to shunt and time is getting short. There is also little chance of pulling some time back at Sojonno today because there is traffic into and out of the factory there. The crew have cleared the main with more than the 5 minutes to spare, as recommended by the Instructions, replaced the point lever keys into the locking frame and worked the block instruments before clearing the signal to give the railcar a clear run. The chances are that they will already be over the main road with the loaded van before the railcar leaves. I hope that any new readers will find something of interest here. The photos have also been posted in two other forums. (Fora for those that took Latin at school?) Ian T

The new operating session is now underweay and a full set of photos is available at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 4-11 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 11. The following Fenditavalat goods crosses the Kasatritikakamparoj in the early morning darkness. It too has a number of SG wagons in the consist including a bogie flat to take away some of the forestry products backed up in the upper reaches of the line. Control have insisted that a large diesel is turned out for this train due to the snow in the high passes. The rabbits give an indication of how the local ganger supplements his income. 4-12 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 12. The cement train marks time at Cadsuiane-Fanhuidol. There is supposed to be two or three feet of snow at this location but it is not possible to change the scenery to reflect the winter season so this area is modelled in high summer. The train is being held here as the station is a block post, although there is no loop. It is waiting for the snowplough to clear the line to Ospicio. It eventually left 20 minutes behind time with the engine and transmission screaming as it restarted the heavy load on the stiff gradient so there will not have been too much sleep for the station staff tonight! The train faces the prospect of losing more time waiting at Ospicio for the plough coming up the Orbon valley. This is one of the operational problems that I wanted to simulate in running a busy railway over a high Alpine pass. 4-14 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 14. In a well tried and trusted set of moves the motive power from train 2401 runs round its train before the ferry is "pulled". This provides the station with motive power at both ends and helps to avoid too much congestion. As I have remarked before, these sort of working procedures were carried out every day and railwaymen knew what was required to get the job done. It is often difficult to replicate this on a model, especially if it operated infrequently. The 0-8-0's engine has put the reverser across and is about to back down onto its train. The pilot's crew have wasted no time in pulling the wagons up the steep slipway into one of the loops. 4-19 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 19. The congestion in the Lower Market at Fenditavalat is such that the railway would most likely have been removed during the 1960s. On the right the cement train has just arrived, in the middle the loco and part of the Relforka goods stands in front of the pilot whilst the remainder of the train stands in the loop at the left. The three phase wiring shows up nicely. Having assembled the train in the yard there was insufficient siding space to pull it clear of the yard points hence the convoluted manoeuvres necessary to re-assemble it. 4-23 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 23. The crew have cut their losses and have opted to go into the goods loop to fish out the van of cans. This will make working at Glissent slightly more difficult but there is still the Co-op siding to shunt and time is getting short. There is also little chance of pulling some time back at Sojonno today because there is traffic into and out of the factory there. The crew have cleared the main with more than the 5 minutes to spare, as recommended by the Instructions, replaced the point lever keys into the locking frame and worked the block instruments before clearing the signal to give the railcar a clear run. The chances are that they will already be over the main road with the loaded van before the railcar leaves. Ian T

The AFK: A room sized layout that hosts intensive operating sessions. One recurring theme throughout the Layout Topics section is many members' wish to read, see, hear about or actually build a large layout. As my main modelling activity is the construction of a large continental narrow gauge layout I initially posted elsewhere. I then discovered the Overseas modelling section of this website and posted there as well. I have noticed, however, that some foreign layouts use this forum to drum up interest. I have decided to follow suit and hope that this posting may be of interest to a wider band of modellers who might otherwise be unaware of the layout. I appreciate that my preferences may not be to everyone's taste as this is a scratchbuilt freelanced continental narrow gauge system in O scale. It contains over a dozen stations spread along a mainline that extends for nearly one and a half scale miles arranged as a helix around the room. Although everything is scratchbuilt the modelling standards are fairly basic and the emphasis is on operation. A variety of landscapes are modelled to increase the impression of making a journey along the length of Altonia canton. Trains run to timetables (actually sequences) and wagons are distributed using consignment notes rather than at the operator's whim. 001 (4) - Copy by Ian Thompson, on Flickr This is an older photo that gives some idea of the size and complexity of the layout. Half the layout is visible here. There is another aisle to the left. The right hand margin of the photo is double decked and the left hand side of the aisle is triple decked with a seaport barely visible underneath the cantonal capital (centre left with the glass roof). 009 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr An AFK railcar crosses the Altingablecautoj. This is a fairly typical indication of the standards achieved. Being critical you can see commercial track, dodgy off the shelf fir trees, a lurid background, replete with a large crack in the cosmos, and a railcar bodged from the prototype running on the wrong gauge. (The railcar is now knocking 40 years old by the way.) Alternatively you might like to take the overall view that it is a fair representation of a railcar running on a remote upland stretch of line providing a service between two far flung settlements (both of which are modelled).Take your pick. The layout is has just commenced another operating session after a long interregnum for construction. If there is sufficient interest I will post updates here as well as the other regular spots that I use. Forum posts usually include a small selection of photos and direct readers to the layout's website which is available at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 As I will now be posting in three places these messages will most likely be brief and identical between the sites. Ian T

The AFK is now back in harness following its long shut down. 4-3 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr 3. There is some continuity with the previous session in that the 2-8-2T is running the big rotary down the north side from Ospicio. It stops at Caladonno's home and proceeds at caution as directed by the Instructions for Working (a cross between the Rule Book and a Sectional Appendix). It will not meet anything in the thick snow! The plough is a bit bright and reflects modern practice on the Rhaetian. I suppose it might not have been so garish in the sixties. There are only a couple of photos at present. They can be found at https://myafk.net/operating-session-4 Hopefully more should follow in due course. Ian T

53 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Preliminary preparations are under way for the new session. So much equipment has been moved around by hand to avoid damage during works or to act as photo props for web site articles that a "roll call" is needed to make sure that everyone is present and correct. Given the large amount of stock discrepancies inevitably appear between what is on hand and what should be there. Some of this it must be said is down to my administrative incompetence as wagons have obviously been transferred between stations by train without the wagon cards going forward. In other cases the cards disappear into the ether. Every vehicle here has its correct card except the painted bogie van just below the new floodlight pylon. This has become such a regular occurrence that some time back spare cards were prepared to act as temporary documents until the originals eventually turn up. VV440 is running on one of these. Hopefully the new session should start by next week. Ian T

I have vaguely toyed with the idea of a modern "electrified" AFK as an occasional alternative to the current system (no pun intended) but I can't see it coming to pass. I would just build 3 or 4 emus and declare all the intermediate sidings shut. There would obviously be no catenary. Freight traffic at the few remaining rail served industries would exclusively use SG vehicles hauled by a couple of the big diesels. There would be a lot of choice for the heritage stock! I have also occasionally contemplated a temporary regression to the nineteenth century but that is not likely to happen either! Ian T

To be honest I have never considered the maximum speed limits applicable upon the line. This might seem strange but the timetable was based upon average speeds, although some adjustments to timings were made for the steep uphill sections. These timings were based upon those published in continental NG timetables. Many line histories include these somewhere in their pages. One problem, however is that many of these lines were metre gauge railways that could run at higher speeds than 750mm, which is what 00 track most closely approximates to in 7mm scale. 35 kph, which is what the AFK railcars are timetabled to run at, equates to roughly 22mph. The suggested 70-75kph works out at around 46 mph which is a little faster than the speeds claimed for Donegal railcars. I would suggest that 50kph or 30mph would be the maximum AFK speed. There are 750mm railways in Europe that nowadays run at much faster speeds(as is noted in the timetables section of the website) but these are modern railways which use deep rock ballast and continuous welded rails. The AFK's roadbed cannot match these standards. The ballast is sand, gravel and ash mixed in roughly equal proportions. As I observed before it might not be capable of taking SG wagons on transporters in reality and I seriously doubt that it would stand up to being pounded at 50mph! Ian T

Gentlemen. Thank you for your interest and the points that you raised. To some extent I have manipulated the continental systems to suit my preferences but most of the French influence has been obtained by referring to Histoire de la Signalisation Ferroviare Français (A Gernigon, Vie du Rail, 1998). Extracting information from this is a little hit and miss because, like most French technical books, it doesn't include an index. I would not attempt to suggest that the AFK signalling system was an accurate portrayal of any real system but rather that it has been influenced by prototype practice. I suppose that I could cite Rule 1 (Its my railway etc, etc.) but that would be the easy way out! What I have attempted to show as the standard AFK installation at an intermediate station is derived from French voie unique (VU) or single line practices. There were many variations in provision, all of which are outlined in the book, along with representative diagrams. One problem is that in some circumstances stations were laid out on the Regie voie directe (VD) principle (i.e. taking the through (straight) route) and others were laid out on the Regie de la voie de gauche where the left hand route was always taken, as in British practice. VD translates into Thalnian as sola viva vojo so what we have is the SVV-AFK system. None of these French systems appear to have had an avertissement warning of the home signal. It must be said that even within the pre-nationalisation companies there was a wide range of provision. The PO sometimes provided a carré yet in other circumstances provided a disque rouge as the first signal encountered. In certain arrangements a carré and rappel de ralentissement were also provided by the points at the station entry whereas in others it was not. It was against these disparate methods that the SVV-AFK was devised. I decided to use the carré rather than the disque for a couple of reasons. The interpretation of the disque rouge at danger was "stop and proceed on sight prepared to stop short of any obstruction". In practical terms this meant 'watch out for any shunting moves that are standing on the main line between you and the station'. The distances between the various AFK signals and the entry points are much foreshortened as on most model railways. Shunt moves at Boursson often (illegally) proceed beyond the home but I accept this as a reasonable compromise. The electrical arrangements for a disque would also be complicated as I do not use DCC. In any case the avertissement would have to be sited beyond the halt at Lamassco on the model which is supposed to be 1·8 kilometres distant. This would stretch credulity. One last thought on this is that the Regie simplifé system did indicate the approach to stations with a "Gare" sign but this seems to have effectively functioned as a home signal. I suppose that a German "kreuztafel" could be supplied but again this becomes a problem of foreshortening. The northern approaches to Breĉo de Glissent and Cadsuine-Fanhuidol are two locations that might present more realistic options for one of these signals. The carré violet or its predecessor the disque jaune (which wasn't necessarily a disc, such as on the Etat or the Midi) were used for freight trains leaving lay-bys or sidings. In my earliest attempts to use French signalling I did not realise this and erroneously provided one for shunt moves on an older version of Fenditavalat. Signal bb at Lacono Vecchia is effectively a carré violet placed at ground level as it is used to authorise freight train departures from the yard. It is of course a colour light signal. It will eventually be supplemented by a full height counterpart at the northern end of the yard (designated signal T). I suppose that in my home brewed numbering system signal bb (I quoted the wrong number originally) should be redesignated as a mainline signal (H appears to be spare). As I noted, there were no purple LEDs available at the time of construction so I settled on blue as an acceptable substitute. There are no other locations on the system where these types of signals are needed as semaphores so the violet or blue slatted examples cannot be justified I am afraid. The closest that I have come to a carré jaune is the shunting aspect in the Fenditavalat home which displays red and yellow. It is intended that all the shunt aspects at Urteno will be shown by yellow lights but the embryonic signalling scheme which has been prepared probably diverges further away from prototype systems. With regard to the speed restriction signs there are not any at the moment. Again one of the problems is placing them at a sensible distance from whatever they apply to. The 'Instructions' book specifies that all train should slow to 15 kph when taking the diverging route on entering stations and I may eventually provide reminders. There are plenty of signs missing at the moment. A lot of level crossings need a whistle sign along the line and gradient posts are currently absent. I tend to do these things as batch jobs like I did with the kilometre posts which follow German practice in being provided at (allegedly) 100 metre intervals or the level crossing cross bucks. I have run out of both of these at the moment so I will need to make some more. The only signs provided so far for railway operations are those warning the driver to engage and disengage the rack drive, high on the moors in the Győrsmorabű. The disengage one is shown here as it seems to have escaped inclusion in the website. small layouts 011 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Its counterpart is visible in the background of the photo although nowadays it seems to spend more time lying on its back. Perhaps the local ganger should concentrate more on this rather than checking his traps! Hope that this is of interest and explains a few things. If any one has any other queries I will be glad to answer then as far as possible. Ian T

Continental signalling Ben, thanks for your comments. I have just posted a massive tome about the AFK's signalling onto the website. It is available at https://myafk.net/signalling-methods I suppose that continental signalling systems will only be of interest to a small minority but it is one of my particular interests within the hobby. I would be interested to know of any obvious errors in the info provided or malfunctions of the website. If there are any these will be my shortcomings rather than anyone else's. Ian T

First impressions on the road Citadel had its first run out away from home, not an ideal situation, but one created by my late decision to go ahead with the build. I had expected a few problems and I was not disappointed! The first problem arose from my carpentry skills, or lack thereof! When placed on the table at my sister's the layout overhung the edges by some margin and adopted a shape akin to a French circonflex accent (i.e. with the extremities sloping upwards towards the middle). This caused the trailing wheels of steam locos such as the 4MT tanks to derail, especially in reverse, as the fixed wheelbase lifted the bogie above rail height on the adjacent board. This will require some woodworking bodgery to correct. The diesels were a little happier and so work in the yard was handed over to them. The performance of the Peco pointwork was indifferent to say the least. There were a few problems with derailments but by far the more worrying aspect was the failure of all the rails to energise when they should. The three way point at the entrance was dead on one blade which gave poor running until rectified with the soldering iron and, in desperation, a paperclip soldered to an adjacent rail. One of the older points, with built in switching (?) failed completely, both at the crossing and the blade. Running was further compromised by a failure at the adjacent double slip, which was live at the guard rails but dead on the crossing. As I have previously noted I am quite happy to build my own track and it was only laziness that led to the use of Peco's products. The problems can easily be rectified with a soldering iron and some wire so I am not too worried but it does raise the question as to how other modellers cope with these shortcomings, especially those who are unable to solder. Four points exhibited these problems out of the dozen or so bought. A number of rail joints were slightly out of alignment and will require attention before the layout goes out again. I had quickly forgotten just how picky N gauge is. The transition to the sector plate also proved problematical and the nearest road could not be accessed at all, although it was checked before it went out, honestly! Never mind, there is a slight difference in levels which will need addressing before it is used again. 1 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr On the operational side the layout had not even been test run until it was set up. The long siding leading to the quayside (red arrow) quickly proved to be a white elephant and the latest thoughts are to access the quays (off shot at the bottom right) by a crossover from the headshunt and use the space for a coal yard. This will free up the siding in the yard (top right, occupied by 16T mineral wagons) for general goods. It will also make the quays available without having to reverse too many times. The blue arrow indicates another operational problem area. The point in front of the dmu (in a temporally challenged livery!) will be removed and placed closer to the buffers. This will then be worked by a groundframe. It should then be possible to shunt wagons with the loco locked into platform 1 rather than pulling out onto the approach road (on the sector plate) for every movement. This will please the signalman even if it doesn't the shunter and loco crews. A fair length of the goods siding as laid is redundant anyway. No timetable as such was in use and it is intended in any case that the goods trains will be trips, as required, from Seafield Yard. The complexities of the layout, forced by the space restraints, resulting in short headshunts and a number of kick backs, call for some care in shunting if the yard is not to become tangled up. Passenger services were operated by the dmu(s) covering the Nairn suburban service and the steam locos the Elgin services. 2 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr A passenger arrives from Elgin behind a standard 5MT whilst the 2MT waits with a short fish train. 3 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The coal siding in the foreground will in all probability become a general siding and a bridge will eventually hide the exit, crossing over the position where the vans are standing. Whilst I would not want to think that this was my main layout there is plenty of scope for development. The problems will gradually be addressed so that work progresses towards a more complete rendition. The main layout, the multi stationed AFK, has been standing idle for far too long and this is where effort will be expended in the immediate future. Ian T

Inverness Citadel: Practicalities After all the blather of the previous post the idea here is to take a look at the actual model. I have, over the years gained experience in designing and constructing models that were supposed to be compact; easily portable and quick to set up or dismantle. They were not! This is my latest attempt based on these failures. I am not holding my breath that I will be any more successful! Inv Cit 001 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The shenanigans in all its glory! The idea is that the whole thing is self contained and that I can walk in, put the layout down and be up and running in five minutes. To this end the baseboards are much deeper and more complex than usual (and heavier as well) because they are meant in the finished version to include stock trays, integral control panels and controllers and a cubby hole for tools, quick release clamps and a quayside extension. It has just been found that this latter is too big to fit into its designed recess (as shown)! More work with the hacksaw and chisel is in prospect. Inv Cit 008 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The intention is that everything is integral and slides out to allow the layout to operate. The controller will live in a drawer and the switch panels will also slide out. Note the quick release clamp which allows the quay extension to fit onto the layout end. Two other clamps will make sure that the joint across the hinges is secure. Inv Cit 004 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The sector plate also hides within the framework of the layout. Inv Cit 006 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Simply remove a bolt and unfold the layout and you are ready to go. The layout is crammed with track with the two island platforms at the left. The goods arrival line runs through the double slip in the bottom centre and trains have to be reversed into the yard to release the loco. Designing this layout was a bit hit and miss as despite three goes on a full sized sheet of paper using Peco templates there were still problems once the pointwork had arrived which necessitated a re-arrangement to get it all to fit. It looks to flow about as well as can be expected using fixed formations, although there are a few unnatural jogs here and there. This is my first use of proprietary pointwork since Noah left the Ark and I am used to just 'going where I want'. On the other side of the coin the trackwork was put down in one go rather than taking weeks to assemble. Even then the use of a slitting disc and a few tweaks with a soldering iron and some copperclad sleepers were called for. I suppose that the cramped nature of the layout, seriously over crammed with track made this inevitable. 005 - Copy by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The main layout, continental 7mm narrow gauge, has track that just goes where it wants, including through the middle of a point on the quayside at Eromarbordo. There are plenty of other weird and wonderful formations elsewhere on the layout.... 005 (2) by Ian Thompson, on Flickr ... but on the other side of the coin you cannot just slap it down at one go! Wonder what chance there is of Peco replicating this! Inv Cit 012 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Back to the job in hand. The sector plate is pivoted outwith the layout itself, as seen at the right. The drawer is pulled out and locked into position with the bolt at the left. The previous intention of using a hinge, hence the recess in the baseboard, did not work. Inv Cit 015 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The sector plate has been bolted on and all is ready to go. It will receive sides and an end stop in due course. Inv Cit 016 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Within five or ten minutes, maybe longer depending upon how long it takes to position stock, the first train pulls in from Elgin/Aberdeen. The camera battery was running down at this point which I hope explains the fuzziness of the photos. Inv Cit 018 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The points are operated from the front of the layout and I have used my preferred techniques as far as possible. The rods are surplus rail and operate the microswitches which will change the point's crossing polarity, although some of these proprietary points don't seem to have the wiring connections that I think they should! I will wait and see what happens when I try to wire them up! The black styrene stops the loops round the tie bars from overriding them. These connections are so much easier to arrange with a copper clad sleeper! It was originally intended to put the microswitches at the back until I realised that being unable to solder activators to the far side of plastic tie bar massively complicated the issue. Eventually the styrene will be covered by landscaping materials as will the switches. The 'knobs' are chocolate block connectors. I don't usually bother to cut the plastic housings off when I use them on the main layout but the small nature of N gauge and the close proximity to some of the sidings suggested (after the inevitable false start) that it would be a good idea. A couple of (ungapped) copperclads have been inserted to keep the alignments and also slightly tighten the curve of the 'curved' point. Inv Cit 020 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The flour mill (left) and the meat packing plant (right) will be flats hiding the sector plate and will travel in one of the drawers. They come from a Walthers kit and will be adjusted as needed. That reminds me that somewhere or other a grain elevator kit lurks in a drawer. The coal merchants' siding is in the foreground. Inv Cit 022 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr Unfortunately out of focus but the battery was flashing red by now! The top end of platform 1, the old departure platform, may be better used for parcels and Post Office traffic hence the full brakes parked here. This would then free up the goods shed road, behind, for other traffic. There is easily room for a dmu to come into the platform. Inv Cit 024 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr The use of the semi redundant platform and the more varied role of the goods shed raises questions as to what this siding ought to be used for. The obvious choice of a whisky distillery does not appeal as the one at Auchintoul has more space than this one and even that is undersized.. Maybe a tannery could go in here. It would seem to be a prototypically noxious industry for a port area. Inv Cit 027 by Ian Thompson, on Flickr I have managed to cut off the front of the loco but this shot does show the short nature of freight trains that can be accommodated. The line in the foreground leads to the quayside. The next job is to complete the wiring and then run the layout intensively, away from home, to discern any areas that need attention. I suppose that, if it proves viable, it could be exhibited but that would seem unlikely given that most Saturdays are taken up watching or being involved with sport and that church music takes out most Sundays. Ian T