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Harlequin

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  3. Harlequin

    History in reverse

    By Harlequin,

    We hear today that the Government want to break up the GWR franchise and open more branch lines...
     
    It sounds like history is being replayed in reverse. Are we going to see the "London and South Western" franchise or the "Moretonhampstead and South Devon" franchise?
     
    The logical end result is that they'll propose the reinstatement of broad gauge!
     

  4. Harlequin

    Quote from C J Freezer

    By Harlequin,

    I found this sage-like quote from C J Freezer recently:
     


    I do not subscribe to the theory that it is somehow better for a modelmaker to rely solely on his own resources, making every item in his own workshop [snip].
    In pure model engineering, where construction is the object of the exercise and the pleasure lies in the work involved, the idea makes sense, but where, as in a model railway, the question of operation arises, then short cuts via the cheque book or credit card have very considerable validity.  

    "Model Railway Signalling" Page 60.
  5. Harlequin

    Giant feline

    By Harlequin,

    I just worked out (for obvious reasons) that my fat little cat is 67ft 6in tall at the shoulders in 4mm scale. That's roughly 20.5 metres - slightly taller than the Angel of the North.
     
    I dread to think what her tonnage would be...
     
    ;-)
  6. Harlequin
    I noticed that the new bullhead rail large radius points are still being described as 60in (1524mm) radius when we all know that's rubbish. They simply can't be if they are to give a 12 degree turnout angle and a 2in (50.8mm) separation between parallel tracks.
     
    I emailed Peco and they said the 60in radius is a "nominal" figure because the points include "combination curve"s. This is also rubbish because either "nominal" means the overall effective radius of the points, which you can measure and is not 60in, or the "combined curves" include some smaller radius sections as well as the 60in radius to achieve the 12 degree turnout and 2in track spacing - in which case they should be quoting the smaller radius. (If that's the case they may as well say the all their points are "nominally" infinite radius - because they include straight sections... ;-)
     
    They kindly gave me a phone number so I called and explained that mathematically the 60in radius is impossible for the large radius point, given the angle and spacing constraints. The person I spoke to:
    Was very resistant to accepting that the radius they had been quoting all these years was wrong. Said that it would be confusing to customers if they changed it now. Said that the radius was "given to them" by the original designer of the point and he probably worked it out by laying known radius curves onto a paper drawing to see which matched. Said that it doesn't really matter what the radius actually is as long as trains run smoothly over it...

    I said that I understood the problem of changing the quoted radius now but in the long run it must be better to give correct information rather than incorrect.
     
    Not very satisfactory, really...
     
    Phil
  7. Harlequin

    Old Pib

    By Harlequin,

    I've just been checking through the family history that my Grandma very carefully pieced together to find out exactly how I'm related to "Old Pib", Albert Pibworth, one of the drivers of Flying Scotsman on the first non-stop run from London to Edinburgh.
     
    I know lots of people claim this sort of connection but I'm pretty sure my connection is genuine.
     
    Albert's father was James Pibworth one of whose siblings was Thomas Pibworth. Thomas => Hannah Purton => Rosa Ann Hall => Edith Annie Martin (Grandma) => David William Martin (Dad) => Me
     
    So I reckon that "Old Pib" was my Great-great-great cousin - if there is such a thing...
     
    Phil
  9. Harlequin
    I had an idea to knock up some pointwork. Left work early to go to the local model shop and bought some code 75 points, track and joiners.
     
    After battling out of town through the rush hour traffic jams I realised I hadn't thought to buy any insulating joiners!
     
    D'Oh!
     
    Project on hold for a few more days now, sadly.
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