Gordon A

A number of British locos were / are fitted with steam reversers. One of the negative comments was that they could creep from midgear to a positive direction. Or if the crew were not used to a steam reverser the fireman accidently turning off the steam supply to the reverser, leaving the driver scratching his head for a while. Gordon A Bristol

Thanks John, I will try to tie a visit in when I am on leave. Gordon A Bristol

As the design is for a shunting loco, you need to have lever reverser not a screw reverser (The one fault on Karel) so I would reccomend nothing fancy in the valve department. Gordon A Bristol

Full outside valve gear, Walscherts (cant spell) Mechanical lubricator, and external oil boxes. There should be no reason to go between the frames on a daily basis. (Thats why I like driving Karel our Polish tank engine!) A hopper ash pan and a smaller version of the British Railways rocking grate? Cab side windows that slide? On the front you need somewhere for the crew to stand clean out the smokebox? How are the crew supposed to get at the coal in the bunker to make sure that there are no empty spaces left when coaling? Small central doors in the back of the cab? Comfortable and practical seats for the crew and a tool box. Had you considered sloping the fron tops of the tanks like the GWR 4575 tanks for improved buffering up visibility? Gordon A Bristol

Chaps, Many thanks for the replies. John - Thank you for your time. Is it worth me e-mailing another request or popping down one day. I seem to remember that thumbnail pictures are available to look at before ordering? Gordon A Bristol

Andy Y - many thanks for the added help. Avonside - That sounds like fun. I will give it a try. Many thanks chaps. Gordon A Bristol

thanks William, I e-mailed a request a few weeks requesting for details of any photographs of Butterley and Clee Hill, but have not yet received a reply. Shame to hear that you aborted your plan to publish a book on the Clee Hill system. There are a number of industrial railway followers around. Gordon A Bristol

Branchlines price list attached: Usual disclaimer - no conections with the business, just a satisfied customer. Gordon A Bristol

01373 822231 sales@branchlines.com Tenshod spuds and Black Beetles listed on their current list. When I get a minute I will scan their current price list. Gordon A Bristol

Thanks Hesperus. All that is needed is for the weather to improve, and work not to get in the way! Gordon A bristol

Hand built track will give you more realistic trackwork, especially enabling you to design (Templot) and build flowing point work which will look the business and give you smoother running. This is the best approach to planning that I have seen, the skills for which I am quite envious. I look forward to seeing track on base boards. Gordon A Bristol

WPR No 15 at the Avon Valley Railway, Bristol. These are a lovely engine to drive and fire, but a right pain to dispose, especially if you dont have a pit! Gordon A Bristol

Hi Happy Hippo, Method would be suitable as the runner on Clee Hill was always at the bottom of the incline, Industrial Shame that your picture did not show as I have a passing interest as I regularly see Littleton No 5. Thank you chaps. Gordon A Bristol

Ask English Heritage at Swindon what information and aerial photos (RAF) that they hold. Gordon A Bristol

Osgood, i have a couple of RAF pictures from English Heritage. I am looking at 1950/60 s period. Does Google Earth have historic aerial photos covering that period? Gordon A Bristol

Thank you Hesperus, That is an interesting offer which i would like to take up some time later this year if possible. Gordon A Bristol

It sounds as iff the loco is a pretty good, which can be improved with some careful of detailing to bring it up to current standards. A few pictures of your efforts would be appreciated. Stationmaster - If you are looking to have a an etched cab backsheet produced, could guard irons be included? Gordon A Bristol

So what changes are you going to make to the detailing to gain those extra 3 points? Gordon A Bristol

Hi mjcampbell, Yes I am thinking about scanning a 1970s map which does not show any track to give me the size of the site into Templot, then plot the track on top. Gordon A Bristol

mjcampbell, Yes I have tried Old Maps. Unfortunately the OS did not revise the track layout on their 1953 /54 map. Gordon A Bristol

Chaps, Thank you for the further replies. Angel Bank is based on Bitterley, however the engine shed has been brought down from the top of the incline and the relative locations of the incline, signal box and road bridge have been changed round. I have seen Angel Bank a couple of times which I liked. As a layout I would be very chuffed if I could finish a model to that standard. I would like to build a model of the foot of the incline as it was just before closure, from the road bridge to the buffer stops. I think my next stop will be to order a copy of a large OS map to calaculate the size of the site. A brainwave reminded me that I have a copy of R.ACooke's Track Layout Diagrams for Herford. In there the scissors crossover,the two aditional sidings adjacent the incline and the re routing of the incline into the headshunt are shown in a plan dated 1923. There must have been a serious upsurge in traffic to justify those changes and others to the track layout. Gordon A Bristol

Thanks 5050, the information could be useful. The next hurdle is to work out how to pick up and drop the cable remotely - no HoG. I havestarted to look at this location as a possible small layout - 4 turnouts and a trap point if you use the road bridge as a scenic divider, with the possibilty of extending the layout to include the scissors crossover and loop at a later date. The inspiration for this are Juniper Hill and Stoating Bank Time to have a play with Templot when I get a spare hour or so. Gordon A Bristol

Thanks PGH. I will look at getting 'Titterstone Clee Hills' and start searching various photo collections. Mark, Thanks for the link. Gordon A Bristol

PGH, Many thanks for the plan and photo. Re the brake wagon, the information I have shows that it it is always at the bottom end of any rakes of wagons going up or down the incline, which makes me wonder how they released the wagons without chopping the cable. Some inclines up north had breaks in the rail which allowed the cable to drop below flange level so the wagons could run over the top. I have not seen any evidence of this facility at the Bitterley end of the incline. Gordon A Bristol

PGH, Thank you for the plan which ties in nicely with the photographs I have. Was the wharf still in use when you visited? Sight of any pictures, even if they are poor of the trackwork in this area would be apreciated. Many thanks. Gordon A