roythebus1

The 2EPBs did have a collector shoe on the outer end of the driving trailer, otherwise the unit would only have one collector shoe each side and would be liable to get gapped, something which most Southern electric drivers will have had experience of. :)

From my memory of driving EPB stock every day for 10 years, 4 car units didn't have shoe beams on trailing bogies, nor did the 2EP units either. Having said that the 2EPs had collector beams on the outer end of the driving trailer.

Try Harsig, signalling diagrams may have some of the siding lengths, or the District Dave underground website, someone on there will know, or the FB Metropoitan Railway past and present group.

Hornby Dublo tinplate clockwork is the answer, no wiring required. :)

John Bull printing sets spring to mind. :)

Blick Dry Print was another early form of press-on transfers. the Kings Cross range only done loco transfers as far as I remember.

Being old school, it's possible to use solenoid motors with a + and - pair to every motor and one wire to work the solenoids, same principle as two-way light circuits at home and the -12v and +12v mentioned above. You switch 15v ac round the + and -  to every motor and on the control panel a single pole changeover switch to feed - or+ down the control wire. 

I've seen DCC wiring on club layouts, it's so complicated I really can't get my head round it. People say yes but there's only 2 wires required, maybe so to every board but under every board there's more wires than under my DC analogue layout. And loads of expensive electronic gadgets and more wires. There's no easy answer to wiring except a circle of track with 2 wires going to it.

You might find it beneficial to post on the "Handbuilt track and Templot" group further down the page.

Havig evicted the family of mice that have lived in the railway room outside for the last couple of years, most of my collection of transfers was unusable, most were well over 30 years old anyway. who does transfers these days? I'm looking for BR pre-TOPS wagon numbers, parcels vans like Siphon G, and DMU whiskers for the front of my railbus. 4mm scale, waterslide/pressfix/whatever. A couple of websites listed things but were then shown as out of stock.

You're doing a great job there. These sort of modelling skills are hard to find these days. Everyone seems to just want perfection out of a box from China.

I remember seeing a Cheltenham race train at Paddington in about 1964 which comprised a mixture of all liveries including a Bulleid coach in green , super Saloons in maroon, brown/cream Mk1, blood n custard Mk 1 and other maroon coaches. ISTR hauled by a sand coloured Western from platform 1! Sadly I never had a decent camera at the time. A bit later I did get some pics of GW super saloons at Old Oak Common..

yes, well worth getting.

3 hours ago, Artless Bodger said:

I think I read that Volk's at Brighton originally was 2 rail electrified, but changed to 3 partly due to current leakage. I can't imagine Sussex commuters accepting a Volk's style train though.

They may find the Volks stock more comfortable than some of the modern offerings.

I've used the Kean coupling close-couple adaptor on my B set. It needs a bit of fettling to get it working properly but certainly looks a lot better as does most of my other coaching stock. I've managed to get some coaches down to having the corridor connections actually touching. Yet to be tested on very sharp train set curves, they run ok on my layout. Fitted with the little magnet couplings make them run even better 

I suspect there weren't many small locos that had inside valve gear, there wouldn't be room for it, plus it would need a pit for very basic inspection.

I was about to mention brass wire hammered flat as well! Been doing that for many years for lamp brackets and now for diesel handrails.

Yes, don't try to re-invent the wheel.

Somewhere in my collection I've got a lot of close-up detail shots of either  2-car or 4car EPB unit taken at staines sidings back in the 1980s. Not sure what type, I only used to drive them! they were all the same to me, big brass handle for go, little silvery black handle for stop.

There's plenty of instances in Europe, especially the eastern countries. Belgium seem to have a lot. of level crossing incdents i the clips on FB are to be believed.

Re the Wooton Bassett incident, it turned out the drive used to work at the same depot as me back in the 1980s. I was a bit shocked to discover that a few years after the event. I've not seen him for many years so have not broached the subject with him, but we're still in touch on social media.

I happened to work at WH Smith in earls Court in 1969/1970. their main kiosk on the Earls Court Road District Line concourse was brown varnished wood, as was the small rush-hour only kiok on the Eastbound District Line platforms. Gold lettering. Manning the concourse shop got a bit tedious with the lift to the Piccadilly Line announcing "stand clear of the gates" every 2 minutes!!

You might find it in the Grauniad. :)

Sounds interesting. black Beetle bogies are indeed still available as CCTrans says above. I recently bought about 6 of differing sizes for 1959 tube stock, Kitmaster Blue Pullman and Q23 motor coach, and a few to spare.

Are you sure different motor bogies were fitted? I thought they were the same as those used in LT Standard Stock. They had one motor bogie in the driving cars.

Both. :)

And using different combinations of KKs.

Thanks, on this Lima Siphon I changed the BR type bogies for cast bogies, but that was so long ago I forgot whose make they were!! Keen KKs with Kadees now fitted, jus the buffers to sort out.