Innerhome

You may find "Operation Torbay" xpress publishing helpful -gives Summer 1957 train formations. Up Torbay Express: Brake Third Corridor Third Corridor First Corridor First Corridor Dining car (BR std) Third Open (BR std) Third Corridor Third Corridor Brake Third Corridor Coaches of GW origin except the 2 BR stds. (There is a companion volume "Operation Cornwall")

I think the answer in part depends on how busy your terminus is - ie if it's a two track main line the siding would probably be fully signalled - if it's a relatively quiet rural terminus then the ground frame solution would be fine - as Michael Hodgson says you do need a trap point. I've had a quick look through a couple of the George Pryer signalbox diagrams books - couldn't find anything which was a direct replica - but Pulborough - sidings joining up loop - has a ground signal before the points on the platform line plus ground signal for the move into the sidings plus ground signal from the sidings - ie 3 in total (and the point has a facing point lock). Also Worthing West - in this case has a ground frame to control dock sidings joining the up loop - with the ground frame controlling ground signals from/to the dock lines with various slotting from the main signal box. The signalling record society has a large number of diagrams on it if you think of a similarish location to your layout which might help. So I think it can be as simple or as complicated as you like - and you may wish to apply rule number one !!

RCTS British Railways Standard Steam Locos vol 2 gives 75000 -75008 : 75016 : 75020-75027 : 75029 : text says all originally lined green but some later repaints plain green

Two sources which might help: R A Cooke - Track Layout Diagrams - Section 41 - LNWR Dowlais & Sirhowy Lines - shows how layouts changed over time : Furnace Sidings would appear to be quite extensive. Unfortunately NLS Scotland don't appear to hold a 25 inch map of this area. Possibly one of the record offices in Wales would hold a set of OS maps. There is brief mention - but no maps/photographs in The Merthyr Tredegar & Abergavenny Railway - Tasker - OPC. Note - Cooke gives the closure date north of Furnace Sidings as 1954 - with the line south remaining open to 1980 (?)

That's the first picture I've seen of a class 17 actually banking. Thanks for finding that. I've seen pictures of them on the shed at Tebay and doing the odd bit of quarry trip working. I assume they were tried out literally a handful of times and given up on quickly - and with the end of steam over Shap in December 67 and the decline in wagonload Tebay rapidly became surplus to requirements. I hadn't realised the 4mts had such a short life at Tebay - perceptions are affected by the large amount of photography as steam came to an end.

Two thoughts: Any sidings shunting you do may end up going part way round the left hand curve which is fairly sharp - that might give you problems with derailment - so if you could ease the radius a bit would be better (and also - if possible - extend the scenic section a bit to avoid the shunts going off stage. The fiddle yard as you've drawn it - is almost a branch line terminus. If you have the space could you extend the width of the boards a bit and if you wished you could then create a second station as a phase two. As an out and back that's where a lot of the activity will take place. Some similarities with Bodmin - although that was a different railway company.

You might find it helpful to build a small station neighbouring Salisbury - which you can later incorporate into the main layout. This will give you a feel of the amount of time/cost everything takes: provide a learning opportunity : and reduce the risk of you starting a major project then getting fed up and abandoning it as everything takes so long (something I've been very guilty of). In terms of Salisbury - I'd assume you'd use two of your walls for station/yards as Salisbury is almost a right angle: small station on the third wall and fiddleyards on the fourth.

The NSR Potteries Loop Line would have crossed the A50 around here - presumably near the site of Tunstall Junction ? - perhaps it's meant to remind of a long forgotten railway - but have to agree - without an explanation plaque seems a bit pointless.

There are a small number of photographs of Cynwyd in the following books : Llangollen Line Ruabon to Barmouth Rear & Jones - Foxline and Ruabon to Barmouth Line - Williams - Lightmoor Press. If you haven't got them the books may be of help in modelling the line - though inevitably most photographs tend to be 1950s / 60s.

This is a link for a picture on Flickr showing the DMU - blue and green on a Carlisle - Keswick working. I'm pretty certain I have also seen a picture of this combination on the shap route but can't remember where - sorry. DLW-for-Keswick_c1968 | Derby Lightweight DMU bound for Kesw… | Flickr

This is what I was thinking of: Great Western Railway Service Timetable Appendices, 1945 Hardcover – 1 Dec. 1980 Available on Amazon

I think there was a reprint of the Great Western Railway sectional appendix for 1945 (?) done by OPC at some point. IIRC - this contained line speed limits and speed limits over junctions. That said I can't see it listed anywhere on the second hand book sites. Signalling Record Society website might be worth looking at.

Thoughts: Either of your junction arrangements is possible - ie double junction or the trailing arrangement with single slip - the latter would allow more fun shunting. I would suggest you may need to modify the fiddle yard to handle a branch freight going clockwise up the branch. There is also the possibility of extending the bay to make a back platform line along the lines of Brent - or you could have a very simple arrangement such as Maiden Newton. A good source would be the Signalling Record Society site - paper diagrams under the sales section will allow you to look at low resolution drawings of various layouts - so for example Yatton West shows double junctions to both Clevedon and Cheddar Valley branches. Another consideration would be how you wish to operate the layout - ie are you mainly wanting to enjoy watching the trains go by - or are you envisaging shunting from branch to main - perhaps transferring a through coach or a milk tanker to/from a mainline train - in which case it might be a good idea to have a second trailing crossover on the main line to allow for extra moves.

Sorry - neither books mentions the load - and the pictures only show the front of the train. One more source - Summer Saturdays in the West - David & Charles - survey 27.7.57 - quotes 6860 & 6812 on 10.20 Penzance Swansea with 13 on from Plymouth - the book is a fascinating / nostalgic look back - on a day when an overloaded Western Region timetable fell apart west of Newton Abbott . All major trains double headed Plymouth - Newton Abbott with mainly 4-6-0 combinations. If you particularly want train carriage workings and train make up - then see xpress publishing - operation cornwall and operation torbay

Have you got the Ian Allan book - On Didcot Newbury and Southampton lines - this is an A5 (roughly) sized hardback - circa 70 pages - with I think (I've mislaid my copy) - colour pictures of the 50s/60s era - which would probably answer most of your coaching stock types/livery questions. Available for a few pounds on Amazon if you need a copy.

OPC "Power of the Granges" p39 6873 and 6874 at Plymouth with 6.45pm service from Liverpool/Manchester 9.5.1953 one - 3500 gall tender with G W crest : other 4000 gall - caption says both in unlined black. Various other combinations - Grange with Hall/King/Castle - but that's the only double Grange combination I saw -slightly outside your time period Also - Bradford Barton GW Steam Double Headed p32 - 6873 and 6849 Cardiff - Newquay train at Stoneycombe 27.8.60.

Your contact is with your insurers - so if the policy says you are entitled to a replacement car - you should go back to your insurers in the first instance. Presumably the issue is that if they deem the car a write off you're not entitled to a replacement car. I would have thought your policy said you were entitled to a replacement on day 1. If insurance company refuses to do anything you could tell them that you're going to hire a car and will seek to recover the cost from the insurers either through the small claims court or by going through the insurance ombudsman - I think both routes are low cost (small claims) or free (insurance ombudsman) - but will take a very long time - but it all really depends on what your policy says.

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Starting to list some books on Ebay - and decided to try out the AI description generator - an example is below - what utter rubbish. I can see that auto generated descriptions will provide this thread with no end of fun. The worrying part is the comment made earlier (on anecdotal evidence) that using AI descriptions had the effect of increasing the sale value..... For my own sanity I will be sticking to simple factual descriptions. For "Profile of the Duchesses" Discover the world of the Duchesses with this captivating book by David Jenkinson. Published in 2005, this hardcover edition is a valuable addition to any book collection. The book features 128 pages of detailed information on the lives of the Duchesses, their influence, and their impact on society. The book is written in English and measures 280mm x 210mm, making it easy to read and handle. It is a perfect choice for anyone interested in railway history, as it explores the topic in depth. The book has been published by opc, one of the leading publishers in the industry. Get your hands on this fascinating book and delve into the world of the Duchesses.

In short - yes - provided the appropriate protections are in place. So if the branch is goods only then there would need to be at least catch points and probably a spur before it joined the single line. The signalling would need protection to prevent the points being moved while a train was in the station - which would probably be provided by a mechanical fouling bar - ie if bar depressed by vehicle on train points cannot be moved. If the branch line has passenger usage then the platform needs to be long enough to accommodate the branch train before the points - and I think you would need a junction signal part way along the platform.

Add: Princes Risborough Thame Oxford Railway - OPC - Lingard - has a plan - but probably too feint to be of use - also has drawings of some of the buildings - which you could probably scale off - though scale isn't obvious. If you're thinking of modelling the station the book would be worth having.

Three possible sources National Library Scotland - has 1:2500 maps on line Signalling record society has box diagrams for North and South Historical Survey G W Stations volume 1 R H Clark - OPC has a couple of pages with a plan covering the north end - and sketch of the south end.

Looking at the post 1971 diagram in George Pryer's Signal Box Diagrams - there would have been sufficient ground discs to cover the obvious shunt moves - but as LMS2968 points out the full semaphore signals would not be cleared as these would require a token to be withdrawn and give authority to proceed to Eggesford. The signalman might give a hand signal if the discs were difficult for a driver to see - say if he was in the cab at the other end of the engine.

From LSWR Engine Sheds - Hawkins & Reeve: (hope I've read correctly): Okehampton - 70ft - was 50ft changed 1943 Bude 50ft -(Pacifics still occasional visitors) Barnstaple - 50ft - engines could be turned on the triangle leading on the GWR lines - don't know if any Pacifics did. There are some photographs of Pacifics on Barnstaple shed - though would have assumed most worked through to Ilfracombe. Torrington - removed early on - again I think odd Pacific worked down Ilfracombe 65ft - from 1925 (?) Plymouth Friary - 50ft - I think engines turned on a triangle Launceston 50ft (?) Padstow - 65ft post war Wadebridge 50ft So - certain areas generated some tender first running

There is a book available from the Lightmoor press called "Great Western Railway Structure Colours". I haven't got it - and I don't know whether it includes internal schemes as well as external - hopefully other in RMweb will be able to advise