philip-griffiths

Andy, how are you providing ventilation into the space now that you’ve sealed up the garage door? Concerned that if the door is closed you have no ventilation for adequate indoor air quality. regards.

The other option is Middleton Press Cardiff to Cae Harris. It has the profile as far as Ystrad Mynach. While the Rhymney and New Tredegar Lines book has it north of Ystrad.

RW Kidner’s book The Rhymney Railway from Oakwood Press. I was surprised that it did not have a gradient profile but in the appendices it contains ruling gradients between junctions and stations. I’d recommend you try the Welsh Railway Research Circle. They have line specialists who would be able to help. regards.

Looking forward to seeing this when we can gather at shows again. Just glad that you managed to skirt my wife’s family farm and not plough through the middle of it.

Depends which valley. They were cleared for the VoN.

So last issue a model based in Killybegs, this one a model of Killybegs. A bit of a trend there.

Thanks Andy, that is very informative. I had not thought about latching on the Gaugemaster - an oversight, that is very useful. I looked at the NCE and noticed a similar issue with accessing F9 and upwards. When I looked at Signatrak, the limit on the functions on the hand-set looked like an issue, but are you saying that the screen on the main box can switch to be of use by both the throttle on the box and the hand-held? regards

Andy. I see you use Gaugemaster and Signatrak DCC systems. Which other offerings have you tried and what is your verdict? thanks. Regards.

When I lived in Buckingham, it was clear it had an identity crisis. It was at the far end of the county nearly as far as you could get from London, dominated by Milton Keynes. The ultility companies couldn't decide where we were. We had our water from Anglia, our electricity from East Midlands, ITV was Central, BBC was South East, Thames Valley Police, Southern Gas. When you went shopping it was a toss up between Northampton (was good back then), MK or Oxford. Aylesbury was never considered - jumped up newcomer that stole the county town title.... South Midlands was a good title for it. I can understand Bedford not knowing what it was. Bed-Pan line certainly pulls it into London's orbit. we had to get in a car and go to MK, Aylesbury or Bicester to commute into London. Now Brackley, only a few miles up the road, over the border in Northants, felt much more like a South Midlands town. When I drove down to my parents, I'd pass through Anyho, Deddington, Chipping Norton and Stow. Brackley felt/looked more like those towns than Buckingham did. regards

The UK is required to comply with the 2010 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive before the end of the year. One requirement of the EPBD is a mechanism on each dwelling to charge an electric car. This is causing a headache - how do flats/houses without off street parking comply? how is this complied with, building regs or planning permission? The HMG consultation which closed yesterday dropped big hints towards photovoltaic panels being essential to meet the new standards, but again raised the issue of apartments and the reduced roof area per dwelling compared to a house. Of course PV / solar thermal panels would require us to orientate houses with 15 deg of south and that would require a big rethink over development layouts - it was proved in research undertaken in Milton Keynes during the 1980s that it is possible, but it would require developers to maximise solar access instead of maximum dwellings.

Hi, Well it was more of a flippant comment as you were posting and there were no replies directly to your e-mails. Then one came along from someone else which suggested potential PM traffic. regards

hello, Yes familiar with these books, though they post-dated my work. I had input from LNWRS members in drawing up these and a number of other LNWR bogie coaches that were used in South Wales post 1935. regards

Yes That is true Miss P. it is a pity that it is not longer but there must be a good reason for this. It reminds me of the decision process use when the Irish gauge commission determined on 5'3". regards

when I first saw the email from Hattons announcing these coaches, I thought good idea, but not for me. Then I started reading this thread at around 11:00pm, it is now 12:50am and I think I'm going to order some of these. why? You have to acknowledge that Hattons are trying to help and economics means that they cannot produce separate carriages for all these pre-grouping companies. The manner in which they have responded to comments and suggestions is fantastic. I was wondering if Miss Prism was having fits with all those unanswered postings..... It led me to dig out some drawings I did 15 years ago for LNWR coaches. I am in need of some 28' 4-wheelers to represent those that the LNWR introduced into South Wales around 1900. They were electric lit from the start, close coupled (was wanting to throw darts at Miss Prism when she started on buffer lengths), and lasted until the mid 1930s. I don't know if they were used on excursion trains to Barry from Tredegar, there is documentary evidence that these started after WWI and I have photographic evidence of excursion trains of 4-wheelers on the Sirhowy line, so South Wales modellers could use a set of these for a fictitious outing from Tredegar :-). The train packs are a bit far-fetched, but a nice idea. I would need the following to make something similar to the South Wales sets - all four wheelers, BT, third, composite, third, BT, so I was wondering if they would be willing to do other varieties of sets? I had a conversation with John Redrup at Scaleforum as I've been hoping for some time that he would produce the South Wales versions of his 28' LNWR 4-wheelers . He has always told me that the under frames were wrong for South Wales and that he would be drawing up the South Wales under frames. Well I told him last month that as I was possibly the only person who would be wanting the South Wales under frames I'd take the North London sets under frames anyway. John however informed me that he will be drawing up the under frames, as he has evidence that the London and Birmingham sets received the newer under frames at some stage. So when he does, I'll be buying a set of the etchings as well. The other use of these coaches would be as representatives of the miners trains used in South Wales. They were known to be very long and had to be pulled up twice at certain stations. This one below is of LNWR stock, but there are pictures of North London Railway stock used for the same purpose in South Wales, with up to 15 carriages in a train (http://www.lnwrs.org.uk/Mystery/index.php?display_base_mystery_mobile=45). Below are some of the drawings I did of LNWR 28' stock. some of this may answer Miss Prism's comments about moulding on the 5 compartment carriages.

there was a follow up on the colliery in January 1988. The North Gwent Modellers had a layout in the MRC in the early 80s, of Blaenavon LNWR. regards

It was built by North Gwent Railway Modellers, based upon Blaenavon LL, RM, May 1987, Blaenycwm.

The problem is the Beeching Cuts. The MTA, Sirhowy and the services in the Eastern and Western valleys all succumbed before the Beeching Report. regards

I have James Page's book, never noted the comment about the orientation of the wagon for tipping. I should have another look through my books, but this famous photo from the 20s showing Burnyeat and Brown, Nixon Navigation, Davis & Sons etc, shows there does not seem to be an order as end doors are facing different ways on these wagons. https://images.app.goo.gl/Z4GU3mPtm8ys5qzk8 regards

Sounds like a job lot, 98 and 171 were also Tredegar locos prior to 1959.

Dont know about Stanier 2-6-2T on the S&D but 171 was a south Wales engine - Abergavenny/Tredegar from nationalisation until 1959.

Hi, well with places like RMWeb you will always find good advice close at hand. What i may suggest is do things in stages. Good to hear you plan working signals. Interlocking, whether it is electrical or mechanical is something you can build up to. You have a grewt talent for model making.

Why not consider interlocking? The Scalefour Society frame is an excellent product or there is modratec product. Would really add to the enjoyment of operating.

According to another diagram on the SRS website, the route indicator was for 'Down sidings', 'Up main', or 'Up sidings', so it must have been an interesting item for the mechanical locking, as it must have been released and the indicate activated by the setting of the turnouts. https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gww/S3282.htm. The 'down sidings' indicator would need 7 and 8 to be reversed, locking 14. The Up main would require 8 and 5 reversed (oh and all the locking mechanisms), with 14 locked. While the 'up sidings' would be activated by catch point 12 (locking 8) or 14 being reversed. Well that is my reading of the diagram, but there are others who understand signalling much better. It is difficult to tell from the diagram, but as there is an up and down line through the platforms, any train arriving from Bala Junction would approach the home signal and then turn left over the crossing into the 'down' platform. If it was proceeding along the branch it would then depart northwards. The platform starter with the indicator would allow a train terminating at Bala to then reverse and head back to the junction from the 'down' platform. However, I note that on the approach from the north, there is a main and a branch home signal, allowing a train to be signalled into both the up and down platforms. It really makes for interesting moves. All the distant signals look like they are fixed. regards

Hi, which books have you ordered? The Aberbeeg to Ebbw Vale book in this series is excellent, have not seen the one covering the lower part of the valley. https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Railways-and-Industry-in-the-Western-Valley-Hardback/p/11749 By the time of your modelling period, there was little freight on the ex LNWR branch. The passenger shuttle to and from Brynmawr went by 1951 and freight was worked via the Sirhowy line. regards

Have you looked at any station diagram for South Wales? RA Cooke diagram books are useful. If you dont have access you can get some inspiration on the signaling record society website. Cattle pens were around south wales, for example, Tredegar had some near the station. It also had an outlet from the Tredegar Company’s own lines to the north of the station platform. Instead of a colliery you could have an NCB depot for the repair of wagons ans locos, this adds to the type of traffic. Regards.