R A Watson

I am sure it is only a li(n)ttle mistake and no one will notice! My advice was based on modern practice and your escape will fit the bill perfectly. At least with the gates in that condition you do not have to worry about them spontaneously combusting! Keep up the good work. Wally

Brian, I don't think there was any broad gauge down there as the Cattewater branch was L &S W R not G W although it was dual gauge where it passed under the Laira bridge, due to the reduced clearance it was interlaced with the 4'6" Plymouth & Dartmoor (later Lee Moor Tramway) which terminated on the quayside adjacent to the bridge. Some time ago there were photographs in, I think, Railway Bylines of mixed gauge track on the corner of the dock but that was crane track not real railway as we know it. To the best of my knowledge that is still in situ but under the present concrete. There is a short length (about two feet) of original mixed gauge quayside track still on the Barbican but it is normally covered by cars, if you go to the marina original wooden pier then return northwards about fifty feet towards the harbour office there is a turnout in the cobbles, adjacent to the crossing nose you will find the extra rail. Wally

As someone who was employed on car parts supply (albeit at main dealers not accessory shops) based on the offices I had to visit the "ladies" employed therein would not have displayed such literature, it will be a peaceful rural view, but you may find a sign on the outside of the door stating HERE BE DRAGONS! In the workshop, on the other hand..... Wally

If you look carefully at the cast iron posts on the nearest gate you will see that the thicker one (with the finial on it) is the carrying post and is mounted into the ground, whilst the left hand one (with the "horns") is part of the gate itself and rotates with the wooden parts which are in fact hanging off it. The carrier post has a pair of horizontal brackets with vertical pins attached on to which the other post is placed using other brackets with holes in them attached to it to form the hinge of the gate. Also attached to the carrier post are two strap hinges which support a side or pedestrian gate which fills the gap between the carrier post and the concrete strainer for the boundary fence visible on the extreme right hand side of the photo. This gate will give access to the inside (railway side) of the main road gate as this is where the locks and catches would be fitted to stop unauthorised operation of the gates. The gate pivot post as I stated rotates as an integral part of the gate and this is why the horns have the strainers attached the sheer bulk of this setup is to carry the great weight of the gate assembly whilst it is moving, indeed longer gates will be fitted wit supporting wheels and possibly tracks at their outer ends to assist in this matter. On mechanically operated gate setups this post will extend below ground level to terminate in in a quadrant gear worked by a worm gear driven from the big hand wheel in the adjacent signal box. Wally

A lot of these brick arch viaducts are in fact hollow being constructed of smaller arches inside the structure. Some have access manholes in the track bed, others such as Cann Viaduct on the Plymouth to Tavistock line have a doorway in the arch structure. This is to reduce the total weight imposed on the foundations can you imagine how heavy this structure would be if the arches were filled with soil or stone? That is without considering the cost of providing the material. Wally

Stubby, The straight escape is the better option and could run either way even over the door appature if necessary! On the subject of the office building which I still remember as the SWEB building there is a spiral stairway on the outside but it is not large enough to be a designated fire escape as it is too small to handle the numbers of personnel in the building. You will find that internal staircases are constructed to be protected escape routes, that is why they have the marked doors on the lobbies on each floor. Differing from the location of the model I remember when the Plymouth location of this office was all woodland before the A38 and A386 were built through there. Strange that the A38 was not too far from the model location as well so there is a link between the two places albeit tenuous. Looking forward to seeing all of these buildings in one place soon. Wally. Ps there is not need to display the fire safety certificate as it would be kept in an office drawer to be consumed in the flames, that according to a fire officer was why they kept a duplicate!

Being a commercial premises at that time it would need a fire safety certificate issued by the local brigade. The second (lower) flight should be outside ie farther from the wall than the first to take the escapee away from the building and help to avoid contact with falling debris. The return landing needs to be supported by a set of legs and not cantilevered from the wall to make the structure self supporting if the structure of the building becomes unsafe or collapses. One further point you cannot use a spiral staircase (or a fireman's pole!) as an escape in case there are flames below the structure and the escapee would have to descend through them. Guess who has had to write fire statements as part of his work. Wally

Raw pre made pastry is sold in sheets sometimes, and this is a scratch build after all! Wally

Funny enough I stumbled across this footage together with two John Betjamen films from the early sixties on the line. Well worth looking for if you wish to spend a Saturday afternoon not doing what you planned to do! Wally

Thanks to Ozzy I have just come across this thread so this reply is somewhat late. Powerflow flux(and similar) can be dissolved with I P A after soldering just apply and agitate with a cotton bud or piece of Scoth Brite and then wipe off with kitchen towel. Any residue you miss will fall into the bottom of the U S cleaner. Wally

Mike, I stand corrected as I am not a member of the study group and therefore do not have access to their publications I thank you for the correction. The only experience I have of the Super Saloons is that of helping cable two for 240 volt power systems whilst they were static on the early days at Buckfastleigh, not exactly a traffic situation!

I think it is most certain that the Pullmans only worked on the Torbay services and did not take part in the Ocean Mails operations, after all they were hired from the Pullman company for specific train services on scheduled timetables, the Ocean Mails were specials only run to connect with specific sailings. If you refer to the Russell books he illustrates the 12 wheel mail coaches which formed the "goods" portion of the specials.

I do not know the history of the "Welsh" liner traffic and therefore cannot comment on this, but, the Millbay traffic is part of my local history and perhaps require a deeper explanation given some of the thoughts expressed above. Originally the liners called into Plymouth as the journey was shortened by at least a day for both passengers and mail through landing and then onward transport by train. It seems that many do not realise that there were two Ocean Terminals in the Three Towns (Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse, this Is before the City was founded), the G W at Millbay and the L&S W R at Stonehouse Pool. The G W had only the mail contract and the L& S W R the passenger traffic with a strict demarcation upheld between the two. In time the G W started to to offer passengers the opportunity to travel on the mail train as an alternative to the Southern journey. You must remember that at this time the L S W train had to pass through both Plymouth and Exeter stations which were controlled, and owned, by the G W at either end of the circuitous route via Okehampton, delays were inevitable due purely to operating pressures. This lead to a free for all situation with speeds on the L S W increasing until the horrific derailment at Salisbury which was the primary cause of their withdrawal from the traffic. Only then did the G W develop the "Ocean Mails Specials" that we all are familiar with and which the the O P is seeking to recreate. It will be obvious from this that the boat trains were mail trains with passenger accommodation rather than passenger trains which carried mail. I hope this helps clear up any misunderstandings.

Just seen this but speaking as someone who was selling Ford bits in those days, thems not Classics, thems An Angle Box and a Curser!

The sign on the bottom of the O/S rear door deserves closer scrutiny!

Well I've seen it and it's like the owner, small but perfectly formed!

When I was scanning some long mislaid slides that were re-discoverd earlier this year I came across these, unfortunately they were taken when my memory was still in good working order so no notes as to what, or when, the subject was exist. Firstly the previously mentioned bridge Secondly this is what the people were waiting for Hopefully someone else can provide the details

One of our (now ex) regular exhibitors had a specially built trailer for his layouts which included extra insulation and a thermostatic fan heater and dehumidifier. The layout lived permanently in the trailer and never seemed to come to any harm, I hasten to add that the stock was kept in the house!

Looking forward to inspecting your work next weekend. Hope you have shed your chains by then! Wally

Gas - Electric, or Parking?

Pray tell where? I regularly visit several select premises in the City and would love to find it. Have you been around long enough to remember the old P B mild? But to return to the original point brings back memories of touring Bridgenorth in the early days of the S V R, it was described as having a pub on every corner and a chip shop between every two pubs. Now I realise where my heart condition started.

I actually heard someone ask, whilst looking at Lime Street at the Ally Pally, this weekend; "Is it in Protofour or scale?" Did not wait around for the answer as my chuckles may have been misconstrued.

Duchy Originals?

Just waiting for some potatoes to make more pies?

It was highlighted as a forthcoming item on the 18.30 Spotlight tonight, but I missed it as I was looking around S Wales with Mr Portillo at that time. I suspectt it will be on IPLayer if you look for it.