Buhar

Thanks for that link, I really enjoyed it. And a final bit of nostalgia in the credits I see Ken Morse had his rostrum camera out again. Mind you, all the cab shots seemed pretty smooth.

Did the GN main line run reliefs to increase capacity like the WCML did? It could explain the unknown formation above.

I spoke to Peco at Glasgow and they are aware of the check rail length being an issue. I don't know whether that means they will adjust it.

I wonder if there is a risk of unwanted interference between the under loco magnets used for the Powerbase system and the steel rails at a crossing.

Really!!!

Flat bottomed and bullhead (with wooden keys) crudely soldered together at Carlisle (Platform 8). Oddly, the flat bottom rail is the section between this position and the buffers.

Hi Iain, I take it you mean the hook and goalpost. How is that unidirectional? Either the wire hook is pulling the bar or the bar is pulling the hook. The system is handed but will travel in both directions.

DCC Concepts suggested autumn for their points when I spoke to one of their staff at Glasgow while the rumour mill is suggesting late spring for Peco. I doubt if the rail inclination or the nickel vs stainless steel issue will prevent the two types of track being mixed. Given that SMP/C&L track has been mixed with Peco Code 75 pointwork on many a layout there would need to be an even more glaring visual discrepancy to put many folk off. Anyone particularly concerned about the wrong sort of chair or the layout of timbers being wrong for their chosen line is likely to be building their own. I'm fortunate in that both types should be available when I come to track laying. I'll see what folk who have used either by then have to say and then decide.

That's a really interesting piece of work, Robin. Could you say a bit more about the process, please.

What a civilised debate!! It would certainly help anyone making the decision about whether to use DCC or not. The recent 16.5mm vs 18.83 discussion didn't mess up the carpet either. Is it the people this topic atracts, or is the tone of the topic a moderating influence or is it fear of incurring the wrath of the Wolf of Blythamoch?

Hi Steve, Are you going to be able to weight that runner enough? A light vehicle like that sandwiched between two whitemetal hulks could produce some issues.

Standard grubby-finger muck does it for me. I supply my own, but no doubt there's an posh version available on eBay.

My goodness, what a lovely collection! John Brown was clearly a skilled modeller and the painting and lining is exquisite. Wrong company for me, but I hope they find appreciative homes. Edited to say:- Please note Tony's below comment on John Brown's models a number of which are commission builds.

I went through my saved Stanier Crab photos, which are all LMS period (all ten of them!). 2879, 13244/5, 13254 & 13265 are paired with visibly riveted tenders. 2948/9, 2955, 2968 and 13268 appear to be with flush riveted. Some tenders are a bit indistinct, so it is possible that I have identified a tender as flush because the rivets aren't showing clearly. I haven't got access to the relevant LMS Locos volume at the moment.

On the magazine reviews and Hatton's images, it looks like the LMS version has a flush rivetted tender as does the BR early crest one. The late crest BR version is rivetted. The :LMS (and BR LMR) swapped tenders at almost every shopping, so to be sure of which is appropriate you need a dated photo. Or to allow for choice, an absence of photos. The latter is not too difficult for pre-war views.

I believe the main reason for GWR horseboxes being exchanged was in the hope of getting better quality ones from the LNWR.

Tutivillus and Petomane wouldn't seem out of place as names on 4-6-2s romping through Little Blytham. That said, the LNWR scored very highly indeed on obscure names too. Thanks for widening my collection of interesting trivia.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64295-wright-writes/page-398&do=findComment&comment=2298622 This post notes the difference (swan neck brackets) and refers to photographic evidence but doesn't provide an explanation.

I think it is a transition. It starts as night soil and after a period and process ends up as manure.

Manure was a serious business (Harry King of Ankh-Morpok can attest to that) . An article by John Thomas for the G&SWRA Journal many years ago lists a few in the Glasgow area where the stuff was known as "Police Manure" as the police authority was responsible for its collection. The was the Board of Police Manure Siding at St Rollox. Greengairs near Airdrie had four manure sidings and four refuse sidings. St Helens near Liverpool had one actually called the Night Soil Siding and I don't think it was the only one. Lancashire potatoes on the flat lands north of the Mersey were grown thereby with the aid of the population of Liverpool and Manchester.

Our neighbour was an estate worker for many years and as a younger man enjoyed listening to the older workers accounts. He told me that if they needed to get rid of something awkward, a dead animal or a rotten post, folk used to wait on an overbridge and then chuck it into a passing goods train. I don't suppose this information will create a market for 3-D prints of dead badgers or foxes.

It seems 16043, the G&SW Peckett, was Unclassified for power by the LMS. Looking at other small locos, I think Unclassified became 0F under BR.

I just re-read an article in the Railway Magazine for August 1960 by J.M. Dunn on the Coal Tanks. I think it’s worth passing on a few of his observations. I suspect Bashers, Gadgets and Mourners by Peter Skellon would have more to say, but I’ve not got a copy. Dunn started his career in 1913 and describes the Coal Tanks he encountered as a fitter as having bent and bowed buffer beams and with the wooden brake blocks being splayed out from the wheel treads. Until the fillers were enlarged (and even afterwards), coal often found its way into the tanks and thence to clog up the injectors. He also talked about seeing one with the safety valve being propped up on bricks. This was to stop steam leaks working their way through into the cab. He describes engines worked hard, to the point of recklessness, tyres working loose and bearings worn unevenly because the brakes had been on for miles holding back a mineral train downhill. One even shunted and worked over 30 miles with an axle brass missing! The original vacuum brake was pretty ineffective until the cylinder was re-orientated and then those engines were favoured to the extent that they wore out, leaving the ones still with the horizontal cylinder left to do the work. These sometimes had a fitted van attached as a sort of shunter’s truck to assist with braking. Larry’s comment about hankies disappearing up the brake pipe is reported as a not uncommon occurrence, this was through the flap valve on top of the side tank. There was supposed to be a mesh cover, but this was often missing. It seems these were almost archetypal LNWR, built in quantity, loads of shared parts, expected to eat what was put in front of them and then worked until they almost fell apart. They actually struggled a bit with the job they were designed for, due to braking limitations, but they could speed a bit on passenger turns and could pull. Dunn says 25075 restarted 17 coaches of empty stock on Camden Bank in 1939. Not long to wait for delivery. The Watford tanks shared the wheel-base………..

I can't recall my references but I thought it was the Ecclefechan crash of 1945 that led to deflectors being fitted, although I think there was some reticence to acknowledge drifting smoke as being a factor. Certainly it was caused by a signal passed at danger. Castlecary was in 1937 (before the non-streamlined group were introduced), was largely caused by a signalman's error and was on the LNER.

Great to see some of your output again, Steve. I hope the New Year brings some upturn in both your and Mrs LT's health. You seem to have devised a good plan for intermittant modelling opportunities and having seen some of the wagons on the go, the plan appears to be working!