FarrMan

I wondered about Northallerton, but I think it will have to be Newcastle - such an amazing complex of junctions with lines in all directions. Lloyd

I'll go out on a limb and go for Kinnaber Junction, where the 1895 races effectively ended. Must have been entertaining at the time. Lloyd

I fully agree with you, Frank, especially the first and last paragraphs. It appears to work well, and the effort to develop and produce such wonderful intricate engineering is well rewarded with the outcome. I agree with you, Frank, that the movement of the domed bolt up the side of the dished indentation will increase the sideways force on the bogie, which will increase the overturning effect which causes the inner bogie wheels to lift. All the reaction to sideways motion will be taken on the rail, by the tyre moving across the rail until the flange makes contact, when it will be mainly on the flange. All the sideways forces on the bogie will be above this level, i.e. the centre of gravity of the bogie itself, the sideways force from the body via the bogie pivot, and the resistance of the domed bolt riding up the side of the indentation. The last of these can be minimized by polishing the bolt head and the dished indentation, but the other two can't except by minimizing overall weight, which is the opposite of what you need for hauling capacity. This is why the outer rail is canted on the real thing, just as superelevation is usually applied to curves on roads. As applying a suitable cant to the outer rail is not easy in model form, the next best option is probably to add weight to the bogie, either to the bogie itself, or by increasing the proportion of body weight that the bogie carries. The latter could be done by moving the pivot of the compensation beam forward, but that would reduce the weight on the front driver with resulting loss of haulage power. I can theorise as much as I want, but I certainly cannot produce such a lovely model with such lovely engineering as you have Dave. Well done.

I have only been on the Leeds - Carlisle line once, 57 years ago, and never on any of the branches, so I will abstain from this poll. Lloyd

Good point well made. But as an engineer, if I did not allow for the sideways force on the rail, i would not want to be a passenger of any profession! Lloyd

I would respectfully suggest that your physics teacher was wrong. From my structural analysis lectures from University, a moving body will continue in the same direction at the same speed unless a force is applied to it. The reaction of the rail against the flange is the centripetal force applied to the flange. The force of the flange against the rail causing this reaction is the centrifugal force. If the wheel is to remain on the track, the centripetal force must be the same, but in the opposite direction, as the centrifugal force. If the system cannot produce sufficient centripetal force, the wheel comes off the track. That is also what I taught when I was lecturing in Structural Mechanics to Civil engineering students. Lloyd

The opposite of centripetal force. Lloyd

Tony Centrifugal force will encourage the loco to go to the outside of the curve. The longer the rigid chassis, the longer the line across the arc between front and rear rigid wheel centre lines. That means that at the centre of the arc, the distance between the true curve and the straight line of the chassis will be further. As with a 9F, depending on this distance, the middle wheel or intermediate wheels will need to have sufficient sideplay to negotiate the curve required. All this means that the longer the rigid chassis, the more overhang on the INSIDE of the curve and less on the OUTSIDE of the curve. Though this is not what happened on the 'real thing', it would look more natural on a model going round non scale tight curves. If the front bogie and rear pony truck are made rigid, then both front and rear of the loco would keep much more in line with the following and, if appropriate, preceding vehicles, making buffer lock much less likely. If you want me to produce a formula to calculate how much sideplay a given length of rigid chassis would need on a given radius curve, I am sure that I could come up with something! Lloyd

Quite a lot to choose from again, but this time it has to be Preston. Have changed there a couple of times in the past two years onto Lytham St Annes trains, and quite a few times in the past, too. I remember one occasion when we stopped at Croston for a few days, and I left some luggage in the left luggage there, including a second hand tailgate for a Ford Fiesta! The old fellow that took it had a problem classifying it! Lloyd

From an entirely theoretical point of view, i can see the point of bogie side control. I can also appreciate the engineering point of view to keep it simple to avoid adding possible problems. But surely it must depend to some extent on the proportion of fixed wheelbase to front overhang from fixed wheelbase. Any normal 4-6-0 should need less side control than a typical 4-4-0. And surely it would be essential in a 4-2-0. But if the fixed wheelbase is extended, e.g. by pivoting the bogie around the rear bogie axle instead of the bogie centre, that must help, provided all the wheels are in the same plane. The usual problem is that the front bogie is far too light and jumps off the rails. Therefore adding a good bit of lead would be much easier, unless the centre of gravity of the body was forward of the fixed wheelbase, causing it to fall forwards. Then either a lot of lead is needed at the back end to balance it better, or support from some part of the front bogie will be needed. I cannot speak from any practical experience, just from engineering logic. Lloyd

I always thought that Penrith was North of Weaver Junction. They move everything these days. No wonder I can't find anything! Lloyd

I will plump for Rugby for this one. Lloyd

Gilbert How about a poll of best Great Central station in Lincoln. It might have a chance then! Lloyd

Gilbert Point taken, but I will stick with Doncaster. Lloyd

I am so unfamiliar with the GC, except for the short section from Weekday Cross to Nottingham Victoria, that for the first time in this quiz, I have had to resort to looking on Railmap online! That shows how few junctions there were on the London Extension. In the South, apart from Woodford Halse, there appears to be nothing like a major junction. Nottingham itself hardly classes as a junction, let alone a major one. Beyond that, most of the GC is an unknown quantity, but looking at the map I see that it joined the ECML both North and South of Doncaster, so I will put forward Doncaster as my 'favourite' GC junction. I have at least been there, just not very much. Lloyd

I worked briefly at a school where one of the other teaches was Jo King. He did NOT like being called that! Lloyd

For midland main line, I can't think of any that would compete with Derby. St P to Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester plus North East - South west services, as well as locals, plus the works, etc. Lloyd

Large junction stations in Western or Southern? There are so many to choose from, especially if small junctions are classed as large! I did not venture very much into southern territory other than Southhampton/Bournmouth/Salisbury areas, and in Western territory you have an abundance of large junctions. Exeter St Davids or Plymouth North Road you have the advantage of Southern stuff as well as Western beauties, but I think it would have to be Cardiff General. Regularly visited when my grandparents lived in Cathays, on journeys to or from Peterborough North (so a connection there!) or trips to Barry Island, Porthcawl, or further afield occasionally. Main line expresses plus the valleys trains, through freight, etc. There was always something going on. I think probably about 1920 would be especially interesting with all the different liveries from the valley lines. Still well worth a visit today, as I did last summer. It still has the beautiful old tiled subway to the platforms. Lloyd

It has to be Hemyock again. curious small terminus with all the usual facilities plus a creamery, at the end of a branch so slow and with such tight curves that only very limited stock could use it. Also a lovely bucolic setting. For future polls, what about stretches of line - e.g. most scenic, most variety of views, most variety of motive power, most ugly, etc. ? Lloyd

I agree with that from memory. It must have been about 1962 or 1963 that there was a sudden change from all steam between Grantham and Nottingham Victoria to all DMU class 114. The timetable was speeded up at the same time. When changing trains at Grantham, I only remember seeing Class 114's. Very rarely was there a different class of DMU. With our preference for steam, we always used to call DMU's 'bugcars' (two clearly separate parts - no reference to the one with a double g). Lloyd

Large non seaside termini? Depends on the definition of seaside. If it is taken as holiday resorts, then that gives you quite a choice. If it is literally within 1 or 2 miles of the sea, then I can think of very few outside of central London. If the former, I would plump for Inverness, which is my local station. An interesting track plan, being almost two separate stations. If the latter, I would have to go for Manchester Piccadilly (and all it's previous names) even though I have never been there, as the only one I can think of outside of that filthy hole that is London. Lloyd

If you persuaded him to sign a model agreement form it would be OK. Lloyd

There are so many seaside termini to chose from, with so many individual delightful idiosyncrasies. This makes the choice so difficult. I think for the excellence of the station itself, rather than its surroundings or the stock using it, it would have to be Wemyss Bay. Such a beautiful building. Lloyd

Tony Very good point. It is just that I used to get annoyed when students studying surveying used such terms. Lloyd

Tony Please. It is not a 'two metre stick'. It is called a ranging rod. Handy for eyeing in straight lines, and also point forward for getting through crowds! Lloyd