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Careful here sir... Searchlights could be approach lit AND approach controlled, two subtly different things.. Approach lit searchlights were ones that didn't normally display an aspect, an approaching train operating a track circuit approx 1-2 miles on the approach to the signal would turn on the lamp, and the signal would display until the complete train had past it. A very neat way of getting long life out of dry cells in the days before mains electricity was commonplace. Here at Littleport our up distant in the '50's was an approach lit searchlight. Approach controlled on the other hand means that the signalman could set the route for a diverging junction, but to ensure that the train slowed down for that diverging route, the signal wouldn't actually clear until it occupied a track circuit a suitable distance from the signal to ensure that the train had slowed down. Mind you, these days now that the are no searchlights left in the national network (How sad, lovely things!) the phrase approach lit is now used to mean approach controlled too. Andy G

Can I pick the collective knowledge bank here please? I've picked up a pair of old kit built LMS Black Fives, possibly K's kits ones. They are fitted with separate top feed and domes, but I want to represent a pair from the first Vulcan batch, so they need the early top feed, that looks like a mixture of a top feed and dome in one. Does anyone know where I get get a suitable casting from please? Thanks Andy G

Its a good job you mentioned the two Transport Coppers waiting for you to prevent you heading for the panel, 'cos if you hadn't I wouldn't have believed the story.... Andy G

I believe that the remaining OCL crossings have been upgraded to now include half barriers, but are now classed as OCL-B's (I think....)! Don't forget that the crossing gates don't have to be the same size on each side of the railway, this was discovered here one night when they had both old gates off, and discovered that one of the old ones was 18" longer than both the new replacement gates.... they had to put the old long gate back on, until some 18" packing pieces were delivered to pack the hinge end out... The East Farleigh gates at the time of the accident were steel ones, which are probably one of the reasons the bobby was hurt so badly. The upshot of that incident on every other Bobbie that operated crossing gates was that we were no longer allowed to just wear a hi-vis vest, we had to be in full orange. Originally we were going to have to wear hard hats and safety glasses too, but for once common sense prevailed and these two items were not required in the end. Andy G

The late, great Colin Parks used to actually remove the carrier film after he had applied the transfer. I can't quite remember how, but its in his thread on his 4-sub and other emu builds.... Andy G

Could you paint the inside of the window holes with black paint to disguise their odd thicknesses? How are the Hornby coaches glazed? Do their glazing incorporate the ventilators? Would they fit in the Mainline openings? Just some thoughts... Andy G

And only the etches, no castings to go with it... I wonder if Dart Castings would supply them from the Falcon masters that they look after? Andy G

Sadly not all lines are track circuited yet Johnster! There's plenty of AB lines that still have sections without tracks, and the track clips aren't much use with axle-counters either! (And it appears that NR wants a fully axle-counter network, rather than a track circuited one, something to do with the fact that axle counters are cheaper to maintain than tracks, although they are far more of a faff to deal with from an operating point of view...) Andy G

I can't remember if the Sutherland chassis blocks are on the narrow side or not, but if they are you could fit thin plasticard sides to it with the details added to that. You might find that you can also file the block to make it look a bit more like the real frames.... I've got a few of the blocks for their Wee Ben kits that take the old ECM motors. I could do with a few more (block and motors) if anyone has them knocking around please... Andy G

Funnily enough, I find lining wheels quite easy. Its all in the tools, and a decent bow-compass is all you need. I went through a stage of buying up old bowpen sets on ebay, and gained a couple of really good bowpens and bow-compasses. The bow compass follows the rim easily. But mind you I don't need to line around the crank boss... Andy G

Ah the old Duckhams 20-50 (Duckhams, the engines choice) started to go downhill when it stopped appearing in tin cans, and then they took the green dye out of it, and then Castrol bought Duckhams and killed the range instantly.. Not great for us with classic cars that used it.... The lathe oil is clingy, hence why I use it now, and the fact that I have a 20 litre drum of the stuff for oiling the strowger... Andy G

It might be in the Appendix for the working of trains, I'm sure I've seen it in a railway publication <somewhere> like that. On the note about screwing the couplings up, Gerry Fiennes recounts that the guards would usually slip off the 3 linker of the adjoining wagon to the van, and pop on the brake vans (or a 'spare' if the van didn't have one) screw coupling and tighten it up to the wagon, to help steady the brake van, although it appears not to have helped much with the 'Swedie' GE brakes! Andy G

The interesting part of the above is that it shows that the crane is choked (I'm sure that there is actually a proper name for it!) as it cannot lift the container any higher, and that the container is only just off the floor of the wagon (maybe not even off the floor at the front corner. This might not be a game stopper in this instance, as the wagon is a drop sider, although the corner posts <might> stop it coming out easily. I believe its a staged image, taken to show why the choice of wagon that they get loaded on really does matter. Other interesting details are that the rail clips on the crane are not in use (again suggesting that it is staged), and the use of rubble to chock the wheels of the crane, as it appears to be unbraked. The container also appears to be very close to the jib of the crane, which again could make handling interesting. Andy G

And it also depends where in Scotland you are thinking about... Andy G

And having seen some in the vid, it appears that the knurling isn't always fully removed.... That's why I went down the road of using modern wheel pans, which are also finer all round. Andy G

I don't think that ventilation would have been overly impaired by sheeting (cattle wagons aren't really that weathertight are they?) as during WW1 when the Calvary horses (for the lower orders) were moved they were put in cattle wagons which HAD to be sheeted (to stop the daft things from panicking I presume). Andy G

Look at the coach wheels that Hornby and Bachman do. I found that a Triang EM2 with plastic axles was easy to convert. Basically just remove the insulating bush and with a little bit of reaming, they push fit onto the axle. They also fit Dublo axles too. Not tried the triang steel axles mind, but I'm sure a solution isn't far off using these wheel pans. Andy G

That looks like a fascinating document, is the rest scanned at all please? Andy G

Looking Great Clive.... Which P1's are in your lot list to do sir? I might want to cadge the file off you ... Andy G

I'm no expert, but it might be worth you having a look at my loco bodging thread, it shows how I do things step by step, although you'll note I tend not to finish anything! (and yes I must update things too!) Its not that difficult, but the light bulb moment for me was when Tony Wright recommended to me 9% phosphoric acid for the flux, life is easy knowing that trick! Andy G

When the Lynn Road was electrified back in the '90's, a 317 was routed at Ely North Junction onto the Peterborough road, which is wired for about 150yds. The driver took the route and coasted to rest a fair way off the wires. The rescue consisted of many* 317's being sent from Cambridge to drag it back... * the reports vary from 4 to 12 sets (317's being 4 car units)... Andy G

Those Signal motors are lovely bits of kit, but not for those with no muscles! I've got a selection of bits and pieces of them, enough to make two machines, one 10v the other 110v, both DC. The casing is cast iron, and is impossible to lift on your own, even when empty! The three post mounts I have are for square section posts sadly, as ideally I'd like to put one on a tubular doll, but there are always ways round it. Interestingly they were designed to be able to be mounted at the top of the post with the arm directly on the end of the drive spindle, although I have no idea how you would get the thing up there! Inside they are lovely, lots of gears, all nicely made, and some good sized contacts. I really must get back to finishing off putting them back together! Andy G

LNER-GE of this parish controls one of his trainsets using old Strowger uniselectors and relays, and I have a stack of relays (spares for my exchanges) that might get used at some point... I wish I could get hold of one of those old controllers that had a 3/4 circle of studs, and the handle wiped across them. The studs having resistance wire between them to make it a rheostat. Frank Roomes had three or four of them on Lutton, and they were lovely to use... Andy G

Except in Strowger telephony, where its three wires..... Andy G

Sorry, I meant the leading axle of the tender! It would have to be the middle CO axle of the class 40 to have the speedo drive... Andy G