Mike_Walker

Maybe. Has it not come to your notice that the Treasury is starving the UK rail industry of funding? CP7 is coming. The money available for that 5 year period is only about 60% of what was available in CP6 and it doesn't even allow for inflation. The Government controls the purse strings, not NR or the TOCs - the latter have to get DfT approval for any expenditure over £500!

That line of buoys down the river marks the boundary - please have your passports ready for inspection by Kernow Immigration officials.

But again it needs some form of signalling to prevent the possibility of two trains colliding. However remote, it has to be taken into consideration.

There is another example of this kind of reversal and that is the Looe branch. This too has no signals and is in two sections. Liskeard to Coombe Junction is NST with the token released by the Liskeard Bobby and Coombe Junction to Looe is a Train Staff. The points are set by a GF at Coombe Junction unlocked by the token and worked by the traincrew. The staff is captive in the frame and can only be removed when the road is set for Looe.

But it would. The only way to get a second platform at BA is to reinstate the former Up one. To access this would require passengers to cross the line which means a footbridge as no one is going to sanction a new foot crossing in this day and age - they are trying to get rid of them wherever they can. Lifts aren't a requirement as the bridge could have ramps rather than steps to make it accessible. Lifts would require the station to be manned during operating hours in case of failures. Even if the old Up platform reverted to being an island as it used to be and the present former Down platform abandoned there would still be the question of passengers having to cross the line to Tavistock. I can assure you that a lot of highly qualified engineering and operating staff have been pondering this and have yet to come up with a cost effective, workable solution. So what chance do we amateurs have?

Not exactly. It's two sections, Maidenhead to Bourne End protected by No Signaller Token (NST) working and Bourne End to Marlow with a Train Staff. There is a Ground Switch Panel at Bourne End and motorised points with point indicator signals. The GSP is operated by the traincrew in co-operation with the signaller at the TVSC. This allows a two train service in the peaks with one train shuttling from Bourne End to Marlow and the other to Maidenhead - there are two platforms at Bourne End. In theory, yes. But... You would still need some signalling to prevent a second train entering the station when the first is already in the station or on the other line. Just saying they are timetabled sometime apart isn't acceptable, any train can run out of course.

At present, the whole line from St. Budeaux to Gunnislake is one section. There is a Stop board at the end of the platform at St. Budeaux (Victoria Road) where the driver takes a train staff. This is used by the conductor to unlock and operate the ground frame at Bere Alston in both directions and the driver then gives it up once again at St. Budeaux. This is done in conjunction with phone calls and release from Plymouth Panel. The only way to provide a service with one unit and no additional signalling etc. would be to run to Tavistock with a side trip to Gunnislake either on the Down or Up journey but would those travelling to or from Tavistock appreciate being forced to make the side trip which, as mentioned above, takes the thick end of 3/4 hour. It is a conundrum which is causing a lot of head scratching at both NR and GWR - there is simply no easy or cheap answer. Incidentally, the line was the site of one of the longest SPADs on record. A train arrived at Bere Alston and the conductor walked up to the cab window holding out a hand for the staff. The driver looked mortified and said "Oh s**t!" A Stop board is regarded as a signal and passing it without complying with its instructions is a SPAD.

My friends at GWR tell me "slowly" and likely not completed at the end of the year.

That's what I call "keen" or should it be masochist? Agreed, an excellent selection of layouts and I consider myself fortunate to have it almost on my doorstep.

Do you accept cards for admission or is it cash only?

I always wipe the super glue nozzle after use with nail polish remover which I think is acetone based. Certainly seems to prevent it clogging up so it might soften in this case.

Here's one of the Midland Pullmans passing Bletchley whilst working a special from Preston to Wembley on 2 May 1964 in connection with the FA Cup Final where Preston North End met and lost 2-3 to West Ham. Also, Stovepipe's photos of West Hartlepool on the previous page would appear to be one of the Western sets; note the branding "Pullman" rather than "Midland Pullman" on the power car.

I think the lack of volunteers is the saddest part. Our local railway society (real not model) is typical. At the end of the evening you almost get trampled by the rush for the door even as the speaker is wrapping up in case they have to put the chairs away and generally clean up. That's if you can get them to come in person and not sit on the sofa at home watching on Zoom and eating Hobnobs. Suggesting we stop Zoom and you'd think we were suggesting culling their first born! It's not just a railway thing either. Our local cricket club has the same issues, no shortage of players but are they prepared to arrive a little early to set things up and stay late to pack away? No - some can't even be bothered to stay to watch the end of the game if we are batting second even if it looks like a tight result is in prospect. Legislation issues mentioned by others have resulted in the club having to disband its Colts section as none of the senior players want to go through the bureaucracy required before they can coach the youngsters. Locally we have lost two exhibitions, the Beaconsfield show and the High Wycombe club's Wycrail which was always much looked forward to by many. I understand that in both cases the main reason is diminishing club membership and an unwillingness among those that remain to organise them. The Wycombe club did have a much smaller show earlier this year as an experiment but despite being well attended I hear that it's unlikely to be repeated - hopefully that will not be the case. The internet is responsible for much of this, and in our field, RMweb in particular! Here are dozens, nay hundreds of inspirational layouts and any "how do I" questions will almost certainly be answered by our most knowledgeable contributors within minutes. I'm not a member of any MRC but I have considered it. However, it's the cost that puts me off. I have only a certain budget for modelling and I can best use that (in my opinion) in actual modelling rather than subscriptions - ten or twenty years ago it would have been different. Hopefully, that doesn't make me sound "selfish". Every time I see those BT adverts on the TV with the tag line "Staying in is the new going out" I want to scream!

A classic "Trigger's Broom".

Are you going to model the broken teapot? 😂

Yes, I'd thought of doing that.

Ironically, it runs more smoothly than 30585.

Another couple of my version of Helland Wharf.

A few more images... I think Ben Ashworth must have visited Cornwall. Here's my version of the Peter Gray classic at the start of this thread. I can't get the angle quite right as I'm having to poke the lens through the hole in the backscene. 30586 has been along as well. I must get some crews from Modelu.

The GWR power cars are regularly swapped about for maintenance just as they always were.

Sadly yes. There's a farewell special on 26th September using the two heritage livery power cars 43007/8.

A friend of mine used to run a very tatty Mk2 Cortina. When important clients were expected, his boss used to ask him to park well away from the premises.

The infamous "whitewash car"... Originally a Toplight but hard to believe by that late stage of its career.

Easy done at EXD with that "foreign" railway confusing things!

Just looking at this link, in the case of the GW signals it's not comparing like with like. The Dapol arms represent the earlier wooden arms with separate spectacle plate whereas the over laid etched arm is a later pressed steel type with integral spectacle plate that was a totally different shape although the Dapol version isn't totally correct. The difference in length may be explained by Dapol possibly representing the earlier 5' arms which were later replaced by 4' ones in both wood and steel. The square posts would also fit with the wooden arms whereas the steel ones came with the tubular posts although many wood ones were replaced over time.