Tony Cane

The switch should be marked with on contact/terminal marked C or COM, this is connected to the frog. The others typically have NO and NC standing for Normally open and Normally closed. The NC terminal is connected to the rail that powers the frog when the switch is no actuated. I have included a picture of a microswitch installed on a recent retro fit to a new layout, in case it is of use to you or others looking to solve this problem.

Try here https://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/magazines.htm Fair prices, sensible postage and helping coach preservation. No connection just a satisfied customer.

I have looked through the RCTS book on the LMS diesels, which has some livery information on those requisitioned by the WD, but the earliest references are to 2 inch numbers seen in 1941. The earliest pictures of diesel shunters in WD liver that can find are both of 1941 built engines. There is a builders photograph of an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0D in the booklet Engines of War. This has W(arrow)D above the number on the side of the cab in front of the doors in, what I estimate to be, 4 inch characters. The other is WD17 built 1941 and sent to the Middle East, and photographed in 1943. This has “WD17” as a single line of characters, again on the cab side in front of the doors, in similar size characters.

Attached is a scan of the Swindon drawing for WD lettering on the Dean Goods in 1939. I can see no reason why a similar scheme would not be used on the LMS 0-6-0T.

But could you get a 21 pin decoder in the space as was the original question?

On the older version of the model the boiler has a solid metal weight filling the boiler forward of the geared axle. Back from that is the cavity for the motor and gear box with very little space to spare. I suspect the metal weight has been modified to make room for the fiber optics and decoder.

There is no room for a DCC chip in the locomotive. If there are wires between the locomotive and the tender then there is a 21 pin socket in the tender.

There is an online video of dismantling the Bachmann WD 2-8-0. Three screws hold the body to the chassis. Remove the pony truck and the screw underneath nearest the buffers comes out, then the one in the centre of the bottom plate and finally the one nearest the tender lurking under the brake pull arm. For the last one it is easiest to un-clip the arm. The cab handrails then need to be pulled out of the holes in the chassis. Finally part of the reversing gear pokes through the foot plate, so ensure this is passing through the slots as you remove the body. As to the fitting of DCC is this the latest version with wires to the tender?

Test run of 1561S and nearly finished support train.

These locomotives have a split chassis and the electrical pickup is from the axle to the chassis. The most likely cause of the problem is that the oil is acting as an insulator. This can be for a variety of reasons. Best solution is to dismantle and clean the axle and bearing surfaces. A very light re-oil should give better running. In extreme cases the plating on the stub axles could be worn, but no simple cure for that. I recently serviced a loco with a similar split chassis. Ran very smoothly when power was applied to the motor via the chassis sides, but even after a clean off excess oil from the bearings still ran jerkily.

I have finally come across an article on moving water for whisky by rail that I had vaguely remembered. Attached is a scan.

On page 34 of this topic, near the bottom, you will find some quoted information from Mike King. Failing some photographs of the train in use this is probably the best information available. There is a picture of one of the Southern cranes attending a derailment in 1940 in the publication Southern Way Special No 3 Wartime Southern. This is probably 1561S as the location is near Guildford. The support train is present in the background and consists of two arc roofed bogie coaches. The only other detail shown is that the nearest coach has a lighter coloured roof suggesting that it has recently been repainted. The attached pictures show my current progress on producing vehicles to go with 1561S. Any modelling of similar vehicles is going to require at least a repaint. I cannot think of any source of a suitable ready to run arc roofed non corridor brake coach. The LSWR rebuild by Hornby is a possible option and simple modifications such as removing the duckets, 2/3 of the door and grab handles and adding a stove chimney, would get you closer in appearance. Other than that you are into the brass kits or conversion of Triang clerestory coaches.

Can I suggest you try try the vintage carriage trust back issues shop. https://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/magazines.htm Reasonable prices and postage, and helping preserve historic vehicles, just a satisfied customer.

Sorry, Dapol wagons are O Gauge. The Bachmann wagon is not the right type.

The tanks wagons built for the Air Ministry just before and during the war are covered in some detail in "Modllers Backtrack" April-May 1993. The Dapol tank wagon is sold as the Air Ministry tank in various liveries, but not as far as I can tell, the one you need. Rumney models do various upgrade kits for tank wagons that may be of use to improve the accuracy of the model.

Scalelink still have Matador models listed on their web site. May be worth asking them about current supply.

I have one in bits, but was complete before being dismantled. can send pictures once I dig it out of storage. Yours for the cost of the postage if you are interested.

Further to the reply from Mike King in the 45 ton Ransomes Crane topic, I have found a picture that possibly confirms that a pair of LBSCR coaches formed the support train for 1561S. In the publication Southern Way Special Issue No 3 Wartime Southern is a picture of a derailment at Betchwoth in October 1940. This is close to Guildford and the crane attending is of the correct type. Beyond the crane are two arc roofed bogie coaches, no other details can be observed, other than one has a lighter roof. Beyond the second coach is the locomotive.

I am currently building a set of support coaches to go with the 1561S crane. Like you I only have the Service Stock book for information. While there is little specific information on the vehicles used during WWII there are some clues in the text. In 1935/6 an ex LSWR 6 wheel passenger brake van was converted for breakdown use at Guildford. This could still be in use in 1940 and can be modelled using the Roxey kit. The Bricklayers Arms train had 3 coaches converted for it in 1932-4, but these were replaced during the war with newly converted ex LBSR railway coaches. A picture of these can be found on page 97. There is also a reference in the text to similar coaches being assigned to Guildford and Feltham (see page 124) . These are the initial stabling points for 1560s and 1561s. The photograph on page 97 shows that the duckets have been removed and the underframe strengthened with a girder on the side. My assumption is that strengthening is related to expected needs for wartime emergencies. Some extra heavy equipment perhaps. It is reasonable to assume that the other breakdown cranes were similarly equipped. Many years ago I converted some Triang GWR clerestory coaches to reasonably good representations of LBSR types, using the articles in the Railway Modeller. One of these is very close to the type listed as allocated to Feltham or Guildford and similar to that shown in the picture on page 97. For now I will be using a different ex LSWR passenger luggage van in the train, as I have one available. Eventually I will replace it with the Roxey kit. While not as definitive as a dated picture of the train, the above is my best guess as to the support coaches used with 1561S. A second van is also a possibility as, as well as a tool van a vehicle of timber packing may have been used.

This video should have a wider audience. It must have taken hours and hours to produce.

The best reference I have for Departmental stock to go with a SR breakdown crane is Service Stock of the Southern Railway, by Kinder. For crane 1560, based at Guildford, there is reference to a ex LSWR 6 wheel passenger brake van SR No 81 being converted for use in the breakdown train in 1935/6. The Nine Elms crane had ex LBSCR bogie 3Rd brake coaches 3897 and 3911, converted in 1937/38 During WWII Hither Green got ex SECR 3Rd brake 3283, and Redhill got ex LSWR 3Rd brakes 2958 and 2958. All of these presumably bogie vehicles. In general 4 and 6 wheel vehicles seem to be used prior to WWII and bogie stock after WWII.

The points I converted are Code 100, and have the gap in the rail between sleepers and no molded plastic in the gap. The code 75 that I have, have the gap centered on a sleeper and plastic in the gap so what I could do easily on the code 100 is impossible on the code 75. Sorry I got your hopes up.

I have had to retro-fit micro switches to Peco points that have been recently purchased and installed. I have found that a scalpel blade pushed down the gap between the rails where the link is, will sever the connection without lifting the point. We have used surface mount point motors and on most of the points use the other end of the rod moving the tie bar to actuate the micro switch. In one location there was not enough room to do this so the micro switch is actuated by the other end of the tie bar. A small block of plastic was glued on to the vertical pin of the tie bar and this acts directly against the pin on the micro switch. The small size of the micro switch makes this arrangement fairly unobtrusive. I could post some pictures if you are interested.

Some images currently on Ebay One very definitely before health and safety, the other has location as Folkestone.

For value for money this will take some beating https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Professional-Electric-Manicure-Pedicure-False-Nail-Art-File-Drill-Tool-UK-Plug/383301019064?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Deead504525d04952b657f75149cd8fbe%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D172957050238%26itm%3D383301019064%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 I have one as well as a "proper" Dremel. This has variable speed control and is man enough to cut OO rail for example. The lower power means it is not as quick as a Dremel, but the small size makes very useful.