sulzer27jd

Interesting option. I never thought about laser cutting. I will watch with interest.

What are you thinking about with regards electrification? I have been wrestling with this for some time. The supply of catenary is extremely challenging with 87Trains now the last remaining manufacturer and not everything they show in their catalogue is available. Their posts are beautifully made and are very fine but I'm not convinced by their cable (I don't mind it being non-operational, it just doesn't seem the best solution). Their range is also limited with no double headed posts for example so even something simple like a turnout causes problems. I was thinking about diesel only but I have some electrics and few modern diesels are available. It's caused me to put my project on a back burner until I can work out solutions. John

The unions were offered the opportunity to put in a joint employee bid to run Scotrail. Not the last franchise but the one prior to that. They could not agree it it between the three of them, so the chance was missed.

Nice use of photos to create the back scene. John

Valve gear problems, motor/gear issues and shorting electrics apparently.

Local supplier with 8 faulty locos out of a batch of 12. Hornby’s quality control seems to be non-existent. Do they have a disaster on their hands with these?

Working the local passenger.

I had a package arrive from Zaratren in Zaragoza this week. Tax was taken at their end and the shipping was free. The total was around 140€ so under the £135 threshold and I had no additional fees to pay at this end. All in all the service was excellent. I especially like this shop because they understand my Spanish when I e-mail them and are really helpful. So I'm pleased this weeks arrival. I don't know what the process will be like if the order is over the threshold. John

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking here Nick but a brick retaining wall would most likely be built in Scottish Garden Wall bond, that is, 5 stretcher courses to 1 header. John

The TSSA along with the other trades unions had an opportunity to put forward a combined employee bid ahead of the previous franchise process but they, collectively, were more interested in playing constitutional and party politics than looking after their members interests. The fact that the ASLEF rep was on the Labour Party national executive and the RMT rep was either still or had just left a similar post and was in with the woodwork at the STUC meant that they simply would not consider working with the SNP. The ultimate democratic solution is to convert Scotrail into an employee owned cooperative.

I really like this idea and how you are developing it. When I started Balbeggie Sidings the original concept was just a long stretch of mainline, although there was to be a level crossing as a focal point. This was a throwback to many hours spend at places like Longforgan, with the pleasure of hearing the signal box bell codes, semiphores being pulled and gates opening and closing. As I built it though I added the extra sidings and yard in order to give "operational interest." The really interesting thing was that when I operated the layout I either ran the mainline (including the loops) or I shunted the little yard. I found, that for me, it was one thing or the other and I didn't need the extra bits to add operational interest when I was running the mainline. What you have done here is quite brave, in that you have dispensed with all of the other things that generally modellers want to add in such as stations, yards and sheds and are letting the railway tell its story. I really like this idea. For the most part, outside of towns and cities, we see the railway in this type of setting far more than we probably realise. There are miles and miles of open line that are rarely modelled because modellers think of the bits between stations as a bit boring. I, for one, would like to sit back at your bit of mainline and simply watch the trains go past. I am looking forward to this layout developing further. John

I found The Man in the High Castle to be a very enjoyable series, available on Prime. John

Grenfell was and hopefully will remain unique. The fire spread was outside of the structure. In a multi storey block the safest place remains within your compartment unless directed otherwise by the fire & rescue service.

Thanks John. Dismantling the boards won't be a regular occurrence, I really just want to build in the ability to move them. Cheers

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to deal with overhead power lines and baseboard joints. The Sommerfeldt description states that it "is recommended only for permanent and stable layouts." Is there a way to adapt it in order to split boards for transportation? Any help appreciated John

Newcastle to Margate TO sets XC61 and 62 BG (NAV) 5x SK BSK 4x SK Mk1 VAC These worked a variety of duties to Margate, Torquay, Newquay, Portsmouth and Eastbourne. John

The Carriage Working Notice (Loco Operated Trains) has the Parcels train as; Victoria 3.10 - Platform 8 1 BSK (MO) 1 BSK 1 BG 1 B 1 GUV 1 GUV - for Dover Priory 2 BG - for Dover Priory 1 BG - Sheerness on Sea The Newcastle set is listed as being 1 BG plus 10 ER Coaches John

One other consideration might be the relationship between private trader wagons and the CR and NB. There were around 30 private traders on the GNSR system but their wagons were registered with either the Caledonian or the NB. Other private traders coming onto the GNSR system from the Scottish coal fields for example would also be regarded as either Caledonian or NB wagons as it was they who held the registrations for them. For the modeller this means that a wagon listed as CR or NB may not have either railway company livery but instead be in the livery of the trader. John

Ian do you have access to the 1914 WTT? There seems to be more of a separation of timings for goods workings as well as clear indications for when train cross at stations. There are also specific notes on arranging of 'waggons' in order to avoid further shunting, exchanging with Caledonian and NB which are helpful to the modeller. The main pick-up appears to be the 9.20 am from Macduff which is timed into Turriff at 10.02 and allowed 11 minutes to shunt. A further note instructs small consignments for the NB route to be placed into wagons for Aberdeen NB or returning empty NB wagons. There is no corresponding instruction for the other connecting railways. John

Don't fall into the trap of considering a small railway to be inefficient. The GNSR ran a very effective timetable including a mainline and suburban services. Like most railways at the time the running of branch lines was done at a pace that today we may consider to be leisurely.

There are a number of images available on the Scottish Line Society archive, which is accessible via any of the line societies. John

Woodland Scenics Medium Ballast, which is their HO range, used in 7mm. Johnston's Klear was used to fix it. John

Indeed so.

I’m not trying to be picky but the change was to Both Side brakes and away from Either Side. At least as that was understood in the language used in the early 1900’s.

Agree but the point I am trying to make is that if you want to make the maximum reduction in accidents, with the minimum delay, in a world of single sided braked wagons, You opt to put manual brakes on both sides. You do not need to go beyond that and into the complications of ‘either side’ apply and release. I also sought to clarify that there was no ban on either side brake arrangements, only a requirement that they meet BoT approval. 1911 rules, schedule 1 point 5. john