brightspark

I have just looked up Branch Lines around Ascot by Mitchell & Smith. It contains an extract of the 1936 map of the mill. It shows a long siding going towards Addlestone. Inside the gate of the mill is a passing loop. Where the loop ends the line crosses the road and then splits into two sidings that end at the wharf. It also shows an internal tramway!

I grew up in Byfleet and Chertsey. Pre-1975 I used to cycle out to Cox's lock along the canal. I can remember box vans being in the yard, perhaps two or three at most. I seem to recall the siding to the mill was very long heading it seemed almost to Addlestone and a single point in the yard for two roads. (Although I could be wrong after this time and I was very young). I think that the siding was controlled form the box at Addlestone, but by the time I was allowed to loiter there it would have gone and the line controlled by a central box (Wimbledon? or was that later?) perhaps that is why you could see the lever frame from the crossing? My recollection of the crossing keepers house was that it always looked empty and overgrown. Also Network Southeast did a very nice poster of a train crossing the bridge with the mill to the left. I can't seem to find it on the web.

Hmmmm I wonder where they are going with this. The ITV Corry site has the strap line "Marcus's guilt weighs heavily. Will Roy get back to normal? Sophie gives in to temptation." Marcus, weight....got to be something about nicking lead for loco weights Sophie gives in to temptation...I bet it's a Blue Pullman she saw on flea-bay. Will Roy get back to normal? Only when he rings 2-1 and sets the signals back.

For those worried about cardboard models not lasting take a look at this. It was going around the test track at ExpoEM last year (2013). This is a "modern image" model as the livery was current at the time of build! So that should give away it age. The model is from the layout Metropolitan Junction. It is now on it's third motor bogie. The original motor was hand wound...now that is proper model engineering.

A jig that I made up from an Iain Rice idea. (Etched chassis construction????) A frame building jig. Made from a bit of MDF worktop, more MDF and lines drawn out at 90degrees. Check they are at right angles using the old trig. MDF off cuts can be found in skips. Two sine bars...steel bars that are flat, parallel and the same size, can be obtained from your friendly engineering shop/factory etc. Do Eileens do them? 1/8" Silver steel bars. I used it to make my first chassis that ran first time! Wish I had made one ages ago. It is an aide in making sure that everything is parallel and square. Note that the coupling rods are at the end of the silver-steel rods so as to reduce the error at the chassis. I hope that this inspires someone else who has trouble building locos.

It was nice to finally see the layout in the flesh. I didn't get to see the somersault signal work (save that for next time). One thing I particularly liked is the way that it has gloomy corners under the awnings, this works well with the height of the layout. Oh yes, and the sound is set up properly on the steam locos! (they don't go chuff-chuff until they stop)

I believe that is now regarded as Heresy! The petrol heads in the ministry of cars and lorries know that 1. petrol will never run out. (we can get it from somewhere...go on turn out your pockets) and 2. that (private) cars are better than trains any day. The cynical part of me suspects that the earlier mentioned option 3 is a real contender unless KC & Co can come up with an economic option for repair in a timely manner. Even if the line is repaired I fear that it could be argued that the cost of running the line (including repairs lost business, lack of future growth, upgrading with over head electric etc) will not be viable. I hope I am wrong of course. A question has occurred to me that others may know the answer to. How did this line fare in the Beeching report?

Very nice simple conversion. Beware of re-gauging the wheels. Some of the OO wheelsets can be a bit course and it may be worth considering buying some new EM wheel sets as they can be narrower and have a shallower flange. The only way to find out is to run the model on an EM layout. Tip: If you don't have access to one go to Model Railway show where there is one and ask if it can be run. (I have done this with some of my models and as a group we do this at shows...normally at the end of the show or at least when it has gone quiet) Another thing to consider is inserting brass bearings for the axles. With moulded underframes it is a curse to get a drill into the hole to open it up. As you got the axle boxes off your task is so much easier. The advantage of doing this is smoother running. Plus we have found that the moulded frames wear alarmingly during use and this leads to poor running. Anyway well done. Let us know what layout you have run it on and post a picture. What is the next conversion going to be?

Any pictures of the prototype to compare?

Ohhhh! nice pictures. Right I think the ends of my Lo-Mac are going to get some attention.

I have just finished working one up. This is an ancient Airfix one. (assuming that it is the same one) The type being an Lo-Mac EU. I converted it to EM and added AJ's as well. I have so far avoided fitting the vac pipes as they might foul the AJ. I cut off the outer brake links (don't know what else to call them...the bit that hold the brake shoe) and with the remains made up a pair of masters then cast them in white metal. I wish that I had taken a before picture now.

There was some discussion on that point some pages ago. The thinking is that it is for shunters graffiti, i.e. which train/siding to send it too. Nice film though. I love the seemingly wasteful practice of the guy in the tower having to take the ticker tape and feed it into the point machine. I would have thought that the shunters keyed instructions would have been able to go straight to that printer and auto feed into the point machine. But I guess that the technology was brand new and no-one had figured out how to do that and the guy in the tower would have been out of a job.

Is anyone at Dapol looking at this. this. this. thi. thi. th..t......echo...echo...echo...ech...ech...ec....e.....e....

Actually for those of us that "mess around" with rtr stuff to convert it to EM P4 or to add extra detail etc, a kit of parts would be ideal.

Yes I use it. I haven't seen it for sale these days so check out builders skips. You need the type that looks like an E in section. The slider is a PCB and you solder two wires up through the board to the point blades. The slider sits in one of the slots normally the top one the bottom slider is used for screw heads. I think the article you are after was written by my good friend JD Smith (it is the system used on Swaynton) in MRJ 131. I don't have a copy to confirm but the article appears on the index.

Any progress report yet Dave? I fancy a couple in 1970's condition. One question though, and I suspect that has not been on your remit, how easy will it be for conversion to EM or P4? (how about an EM/P4 conversion pack as an after market option? perhaps through the two societies) Also for those of us who don't want a hook and bar coupling or an empty NEM Pocket is there going to be provision for a blanking plate?

For some reason I see a life saving ring hanging there. But that might be out of period and there would be two T-nuts. (I assume that there are two T-nut visible?)

I think it's time for a quiz. (with your permission Chaz) QUIZ QUESTION What would you put on the wall to cover the T-nut? First prize is a half eaten apple with a maggot in it. Second prize is a half eaten apple with half a maggot in it.

I wouldn't have thought that you would have one for a marshalling yard, unless a "modern" hump shunting yard. Hence the point levers next to each point. You may have a ground frame to the exit of the yard. Iain Rice (I think) expresses the view in one of his books that each point in a yard should be operated by a switch/lever next to the point on the edge of the baseboard. So that you have to drive up to each point then stop and change it. Not so sure how this works in practice though and might prove fatal to chips on DCC if you try running through a point the wrong way. But might make interesting with battery power though? Still I like the idea of route indication. Even the best signal boxes have track circuits. Keep the updates coming Chaz. Would you also describe the circuit and components arrangements please? I wouldn't mind having a crack at something like this myself one day.

Thanks Bodmin 16. I wonder if I can convince her to do special orders on the train cakes.