Phil Bullock

Lack of headboard clips should help.... Phil

Could be........!!!!! Phil

If this is how glue sniffing point building makes you turn out then I'm deffo staying away!!!! Phil

Thanks Peter very interested in seeing that if not too much trouble! Cheers Phil

MAny thanks That is the first shot I have seen of the train - the up and down workings crossed at Abbotswood around midnight! Phil

Heres Jon's suggestion... Remove the existing straight wing walls and substitute the alternatives in the photo with a bit of surgery... And Robert is your father's brother.... That should be brilliant, thanks again Jon Phil

Thanks John much more detail visible now! Kind regards Phil

Some more thinking! Dangerous I know but something else that will be very nice to model on Phase 2 https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/140618 Is located under the Lane of Church lane on the map https://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=52.16386~-2.193664&style=h&lvl=14&sp=Point.52.16386_-2.193664_Norton%2C%20Worcestershire___&ignoreoptin=1 Will have to make the road and railway curve round so that this is situated in the front corner of board 2E - see board plan on previous page, village will have to be rather compressed as the scenic boundary will be the motorway bridge on the upper edge of the same board Phil

Certainly is thanks Colin! Phil

Although I do admit I would love to incorporate this three arch bridge somewhere.... http://thebradnorbranchline.co.uk/Rivlug1.html Phil

Ha ha nice idea Rich but somewhat stretching modellers licence I suspect Emailed Bradnor Branchlines at 11 last night - email from Jon in the in box this morning with some very strong possibilities, will share photos when they arrive How is that for service? We are so lucky to have folks like Jon in the modelling industry... Phil

Heres one of my favourite shots of 84003 at Glasgow Central The same lines are there but perhaps not as pronounced Cheers Phil

Tunstead to Margam behind a Peak was one of their earliest workings. Now how can we convert Hornby HAAs to CBAs? Phil

Thanks Mike I think I would want to see a signal box diagram before I accepted the caption description of that signal. Meanwhile have been thinking about bridges.... The road over rail bridge by the box at Norton is rarely photted - the one poor shot of mine has some nice traction however... This has possibilities but the wings are wrong .... http://thebradnorbranchline.co.uk/Roadover4.html Discussions initiated with the manufacturer! Kind regards Phil

This ones for The Stationmaster - Pontypool Road Loco at Norton Junction, scroll down to photo of 7201 http://www.miac.org.uk/mickrock2.html#gwr7201 Caption is incorrect - Castle is on an up class 1, not down. Cheers Phil

Looks like those dates coincide with D6123s release following rebuilding. Workings as part of trials perhaps? Phil

Thanks for the excellent perspective Mike am up in Edinburgh at moment but when I get home I will post a link to a photo that reinforces your Pontypool road comment. The balance of trains through the area based on the 71/72 wtt is as follows: 92 southbound, 87 northbound. 8 southbound - 6 class 8 and 2 class 6 are timed via Honeybourne and Toddington. Of the remaining 84 one third arrive at Abbotswood via Norton. Norton therefore sends no more than 10 trains a day via Evesham and over 30 via Abbotswood. The latter includes traffic that would previously have gone via Evesham including 7E15 and 1B01 - freight to Stratford and the Paddington vans. So although the OWW has always been the main line at Norton by this time the run down of services had reduced them to nearly their lowest level ever although worse was to follow - I suspect as part of building a complete closure case - when some worcester to Paddingtons were timed via Cheltenham. Many thanks again for the extremely informative gen Kind regards Phil

Hi Mike Many thanks for your highly detailed response - got to be worth a beer or two I am not aware of any signals on the curve from Abbotswood other than Abbotswood's starter and Norton's home - I ll have to nobble some of the local railwaymen next time I see them. I suspect you are right with absolute block. So one more question - would there have been trap points between NJ's home signals and the junction? Kind regards Phil

Many thanks - can see the shadow you mean and yes suspect that is the current home signal - but in semaphore days it was much closer to the junction on the opposite side of the track - have been trying to find a photo but suspect it was about where that strange shaped building is. Also wonder if the chord from ABJ had permissive block working to allow two trains to be held - would that arrangement be allowed on passenger running lines? Kind regards Phil

Mike Knew you would have the gen - may thanks for your highly informative comments - can see the logic of your 1984 scheme but wonder how it would fare now the traffic levels are somewhat higher? And what a shame the northern exits from the OWW to Wolverhampton have been lost - the route could have bypassed Birmingham for freight from the South Coast heading up the WCML. Do your comments re trains over-running signals relate to the current single lead arrangement or to the original double track junction we will be building I wonder? The logic of having to clear the long section from Evesham regardless certainly makes sense as on the prototype any train waiting at Abbotswood for this would have to stand on the Up main - on our model at least we have an up loop that freight could use... Kind regards Phil

Hmmmmmmm - are you sure I didn't say Id have to ask you to build it????

Many thanks Mr S.E. - very useful gen Quite like this aerial view https://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=52.16386~-2.193664&style=h&lvl=14&sp=Point.52.16386_-2.193664_Norton%2C%20Worcestershire___&ignoreoptin=1 Phil

Many thanks - that's how I perceived it - train has to be held at home signal on one route before other can be cleared for conflicting move. How would that work with the interlocking in the box I wonder? Would detection be by track circuit or fouling bars - or some other means? For those unfamiliar with the area heres the signalling infrastructure as it currently stands - the Cotswold line was singled in 1971 making Norton a single track junction although double track has now been reinstated along most of the route http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Worcester/NortonJct.htm Trains coming up from Abbotswood come around the curve from the right - in semaphore days the home protecting the junction from that direction was on the embankment on the outside - ie wrong side - of the line - just about behind the signal box chimney in the first picture on http://www.miac.org.uk/norton.html Cheers Phil

Hi Clive We have a tent of Ravensclyffe proportions... the only problem is its more of a Californian summer gazebo than a British summer waterproof tent.... There is a cunning plan afoot to redo the garden with a couple of more waterproof options over hard standing but that is for the future Any way who wants waterproof with Warships? Hee hee and no we aren't erecting catenary....and I hoped if it was that big it would be a model railway not a train set....!!!!!! Contemplating a big cheat and buying ready to go baseboards, at least for the scenic section (boards 2A to 2E) Phil

Going on my Christmas list! Spooky but one of the unfortunate casualties - RIP - on the two barges that brought the bridge down was Alex Bullock - no relation. A fascinating area of railway operation no doubt Phil