unravelled

In primary school I learned all the imperial units, and tables up to sixteen. Come metrication talk, always about a year behind me, schools suddenly had to start teacing a new area of maths called bases, I remember this because my mother was a teacher and kept coming home with new teaching aids and schemes of work. What amused me, and is something that I've rarely heard mentioned is that Imperial/everyday units used bases 2,3,4,7,8,9,12, 14 and 16 implicitly, wwithout the dry theory of bases. Thanks Dave {Still looking forward to some news on the trackwork...}

I always find bound volumes a bit dry. There's something about the advertisments which brings back the experience for me more strongly than just the proper content. Dave

Very off topic, but is that the case for a bomb sight computer? It's very like one I have. Unfortunately the bomb sight itself was dismantled for parts many years ago. Dave

Sorry, I was referring to the standalone diagram of the sector plate at the end of your post #18. Anyway some photos which I hope are close enough to the area. First 3 photos at Maryon Park The junction west of Charlton, from Victoria Way And finally, an irrelevant picture on the branch to Angerstein wharf. I like it as it's so unexpected a scene in London. Thanks Dave

At the right hand end of that diagram, the sector plate only aligns with the adjacent track in one position. It can release a loco, but doesn't replace a point. This is the innovation idea, which might do the job: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/61640-flex-track-as-sector-plate/ I'll look out some photos, and will go back for some more in a couple of weeks. Dave

This isn't far from me so I'll be watching with interest. Let me know if you want any pics taken for reference. One thing I haven't got my head round is the reference to sector plates. As I understand them with the current setup, you have one siding with two runround loops, as all you can fit on the sector plate is a loco. You won't be able to run a train on to the outer tracks other than a couple of vehicles at a time. Or are you using that cunning lift over flextrack point fron the innovations competition a couple of years ago, which would do the job well. Another option would be to put the sidings on a sector plate or turntable in their own right. Apologies if I've misunderstood your plans! Dave

The other classic building material of the 50s is hardboard. I will probably be using mdf, as I've not been too impressed by ply. It may be my cellar conditions, but ply warps horribly, and so is impossibe to lasercut well because it's not flat. While overscale bricks have a certain charm, I think I'll be going for scale. I did consider Bilteezi sheets to give a suitable large brick period character, but I feel that enlarging any printed material won't produce good results. Dave

I was wondering about blowing up card kits too, but paper size and loss of detail issues bother me. They would have the "flatness" of tinplate, but would lack its impresionistic suggested detail. Airfix blow ups will be my first attempts, but I may end up with something different. I have already stepped out of the pure tinplate experience by using wooden sleepered/chaired track, so tinplate style building probably wouldn't suit. I hope to post some samples soon thanks Dave

Recent progress has been slow, although all the track is now wired up. The section switches have arrived, and will be wired in as soon as I have lasercut suitable mounts. The switches will be mounted to the sleepers and cut the power to the stud supply. One thing I'm working on at the moment is what to use for platforms and buildings. I have no original tinplate buildings to work with, so will have to invent something. The idea I'm toying with at the moment is to scale up an 00 range, possibly the airfix kits. I think they will have the right model railway look.Time for some mockups I think. Thanks Dave

Thank you Garry for the original question, and Rob for the answer. I've had it in mind to ask this question for some time, as I want a FS as first preserved for my layout. Now I know what to look for. Jut have to build the layout now... Thanks Dave

Unfortunately not. On a couple of occasions, probably in the early 60s, a single track circuit was put out, and some trains run. These would have been clockwork and pot boiler steam only. In the mid 60s the portable track was constructed with the idea that the curved sections could be used on the existing concrete base, though this never happened. When I bought my house in London, (late 70s), a similarly shaped track was plannedm but never got beyond the posts, which are still there. Again these would have used the portable baseboards. In spite of a few false starts on the indoor section, my present efforts are the furthest I have got. Whether it will ever circle the garden is uncertain. Thanks Dave

While slow but steady progress is made on th electrics, another picture from the past. This is 1955 and an aerial view of the trackbed then in progress. That's me playing with the boats. Indoors this was the simple layout. Things were later modified to put the 4 track crossover into a widened opening, and make the trackbed double throughout. Coming back to the present, I'm using a H&M CU1 controller once part of a Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout. This is fed 24 volts from a transformer rectifier unit made from government surplus parts, (and Juneero), by my father. It's at least as old as I am. For those who worry about such things, it has had a new mains cable and is used with care. Thanks Dave

I think this was bought with a view to chopping it up into component points/slips, but the garden layout was replanned to use it as a station throat. 4 patform faces on one side, and out to the garden on the other. I think the rebuilding has made it look better, even with the lack of chairs on the added sleepers. I felt the point levers and widesleeper spacing made it a bit toylike. I haven't compared it with G1MRA standards,but it won't take some of the old coarse wheeled locos. One interesting feature is that it is built with properly keyed chairs. None of your slide on chairs here. I'll take some detail photos later. Thanks Dave

While I make slow progress with the wiring, I thought this picture might be of interest. It's a full view of the piece of trackwork in the bottom left corner of the first post, taken 50 years ago when first purchased. The packing case got bad woodworm and had to go. The person my father bought it from told us it had been made for Count Zborowski, of RHDR fame. He had been killed before it had been used. It proved not to be practical to use as is, having been built to finer standards than some of our stock. I will just be using it as siding space. It has been stripped of the point levers, and extra sleepers have been installed to improve the look. The intention at one stage was to fit stud contact to the new sleepers, but that is unlikely to be done now. Thanks Dave

Thanks, It was your initial post which spurred me into action with this. I hope there will be plenty of updates as I can see the way forward quite well. For 32a here are pics of the current test locos. As well as the tinplate and scratch built locos I have a Bachmann Brassworks pannier, fitted with radio control, and am building a Hibberd Planet kit from Woodbury Models. I'm taking photos of the planet build and hope to write it up. Locos are steam, clockwork and electric. Thanks Dave

If you mean the locos in the pictures, they are a clockwork 112 tank, and a handbuilt electric dock tank used for testing. I'll get some photos later and post them. Everything needs a bit of a clean at the moment. I also have a load of archive pics I'll post in this thread. thanks Dave

Thanks.There won't be much to show for a couple of weeks, as all the track is coming up again for electrical work. Running rails will be bonded throughout and each siding controlled by a switch beween the sleeper ends isolating the stud feed. This should be simple enough for a little playing. The stock won't come out until the track is permanently down. The track is relatively modern, having been built by my father in the late 50s and early 60s. Dave

When I was a child, my father was building a Gauge 1 railway round the garden, sadly never completed. For a time in my teens, we had a portable track which went to about a dozen exhibitions, with live steam running provided by members of thr Gauge 1 Model Railway Association. It had its last outing at Erith in 1980, by which time I was employed, and had bought a house in South London.40 years on, and the models were gathering dust in the cellar despite some false starts at getting a line round the garden. Retirement allowed me to get the cellar dug out with reasonable headroom, and space for a workshop and train room. There are plans for gauge 1 and 00 on different levels. Another 5 years on, and the latest stall to the 00 layout is a wait to see Peco bullnead... So a couple of weeks ago I decided to again try to do something with the gauge 1. I have been playing with trackplans for ages, and baseboards were alrfeady down. After ferreting about in various locations for the old pointwork, I worked out what I could do without building anything extra. The result is this, essentially Minories layout, though without as smooth a flow. There is still some track to cut and fit, then it'll be a case of working out the electrics. It will be stud contact of course, but at present I'm trying to decide how complex. The current options are sections controlled by the point settings, or simple isolation of all sidings. Once it's wired up and operational, I'll get the stock out , cleaned up and play trains. Glad to answer any questions, more soon if anyone is interested Thanks Dave

I would rather have consistent (current code 75) fb track than a mixture with bullhead, so I'm hoping for a full range. Mixed formations might be right in some situations, but not for what I want to model. If a bh single slip wasn't fothcoming, I think I'd save up for a C&L readybuild, assuming they get them into production. I feel they would match reasonably well. I'm hoping for an improved design, and can't see a problem if it's geometry doesn't match the fb range. They might even bring out a new fb range with UK timbering to match the bullhead... Thanks Dave

This is a helpful reminder that there is more to this than just the points. Perhaps the defining item ought to be the slip. What would points be like to match a slip with, say, a minimum 30" radius? I'm assuming a larger radius slip would need a smaller frog angle to keep the ability to make a crossover with the desired track centres. Thanks Dave

If the points are the same geometry as the code 100/75 fb track I'll still use them,. However I would hope that Peco take the opportunity to create a new generation of pointwork. With the introduction of the bullhead range, I doubt if there would be a need or wish to create a mixed bullhead/fb crossover, so why continue with the old geometry? The current code 100/75 geometry is constrained by the decisions that were made decades ago when the small radius points were introduced. I wonder whether the large radius points were intended when the range was started? Thanks Dave

My mistake, it is by Renwall. I hadn't realised the Revell was a re-release. Thanks Dave

I have a Visible V8 bought for me in the early 60s, ( or possibly 50s). Sensible offers considered, if you're still hankering after one... Hoping the Airfix loco is 1:32 scale Dave

I managed to take another walk to Aristotle Lane after Christmas, and there is track in the future down slow/loop, as well as the beginnings of pointwork additions to what used to be the up loop. Closer to Oxford not much change in the area of the sidings, though many new trees have been planted near the river channel. http://Aristotle Lane by David Harvey, on Flickr For the first time I actually made it to Wolvercote, where the connection to the Down line is in place. http://Wolvercote by David Harvey, on Flickr Complete set of picturees at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157662881635111 THanks Dave

Flying Scotsman Anniversary special 16/4/1966. Taking water at Hawick. Dave