uax6

I'm not quite sure why you are using point motors on this... It would be much cheaper and simpler to have a rod in the frame under the board with an attached pin to the tie bar of the point. The rods can be wire coat hangers cut up (or bicycle spokes) with paper clips for the operating pin.. Andy G

I don't foresee central door locks being require just yet, but I do wonder if the hi-vis yellow that was fitted to the DMU's and 3CEP's door edges that were still on the national network will be required on preserved stock. These strips make it easier to see any doors 'on the catch'. I wouldn't object on Mk1's and 2's, but on earlier stock it would be a bit wrong, but again, it would be better than not being able to ride in them. I don't think having volunteers to act as door agents would be viable, how would that work in compartment stock? And locking the doors on a carriage key shouldn't be suggested either, as what happens in that accident when the stock is damaged (fire/overturned) that we haven't had yet? Central door locks could be fitted to any door, and concealed completely, but the cost of doing so would put most preserved lines out of business. The answer is to have longer dwell times at each station, and have someone walk the length of the train making sure each handle is level and the door shut. Andy G

Yes, on a normal line from BT they make you sound tinny and quiet. The other end is also quite quiet too. Certainly not as good as a 700 on the same line. It appears that the line current (and possibly voltage) isn't as much as it used to be, which certainly doesn't help, as I say, on my Strowger UAX12 at home they aren't as bad, still a bit tinny, but at least at a better volume. Andy G

Not Searchlights at all, these are Single Aperture Heads. Searchlights have very sophisticated internal optical arrangements, with an electromagnetic operated vane, that carries the aspect roundal. Heres some videos of the 'normal' three aspect DC Westinghouse mech from my signal. The operation of which just needed a voltage of 6v to make the vane move. I wired it to a normal controller and swung it by changing the direction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQiL-mcvQtk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Qf424IiGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jEvnfGelG0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_89clrWEZuw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tie-TPqEEk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aVlLdDbBIY Then of course you got AC operated mechanisms (these were provided in DC electrified areas to prevent interference). These had a permanent 110v AC on the mechanism (I used a normal 110v site transformer to provide this) and then you swing the vane with another low voltage AC supply, in this case I used the aux supply off a Hornby controller. Again reversing this lower voltage supply swung the vane over the other direction (you can see me changing the wires over in the reflection from the lens): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZP4UNGvrjM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMrCkOG8cLw Notice how you will get a flash of red as the signal steps up, perfectly normal with these beasts! These modern single aperture things have none of that, just an array of LED's. Andy G

Ah the old 'don't squish your doughnuts' poster, which is only accurate for the Midland/LMS raised frames, not for the frames in the rest of the railways boxes.... Why? Pristine Condition were only taken to the Midland box at Melton Mowbray and presumed they were looking at the only type of frame there was.... Looks like ours here has finally been binned... Andy G

And have you used them on a real call these days? Its like the user has their head in a bucket , while standing outside the room the phone is in. Interestingly, when on short lines with a proper 50V feed on them (from a real Strowger exchange) they aren't too bad. I have junction working to the outside line, which gets around this issue*. (And fitting modern transmitters and receivers into the handset doesn't help either, the induction coils aren't set up for them). * well sort of, they are still not like the later 700's for sound quality. Interestingly modern engineers don't seem to think much of the 700 series, but I find them just as usable as the modern ones.. Andy G

The wire in tube could be run to a small section that doesn't fall away, sort of like a signalbox area, or looped down from track level to the lower level.. Would a wind pump be suitable for the tank, a bit Col Stephens, but I wouldn't have though out of place. Even a small oil engine could be used, the good Col had one a Kinnerly Junc for such a used. How about something like the set up of Lion for pumping the water? As Norfolk water is hard as nails, I would guess it would be softened, but when did the use of softening agents come into use for locomotives? The LMS were installing softening plants in the late 20's, so is it too early for the WNR? Questions, why are there so many questions? Andy G

You can't beat a nice weathered diesel... But might be worth putting a bit of dark paint (green or black) on the edge of the headcode discs to reduce their chunkiness. Andy G

This is the best available as it doesn't need fitting inside the phone with re-wiring of the dial like the others, this can just go in the master socket and do all of your phones... Andy G

No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAxkcPoLYcQ Andy G

I'm quite surprised by the fact that they had never heard 'Dial Tone' before. But thinking about it, mobiles don't have it do they? And I suppose that land lines are becoming very rare these days. Of course with a dial, they are no tones when you actually dial, just the clicks of the loop being interrupted, it's only MF4 telephones that send tones to line. I'm looking forward to the end of June, when I'm going to finally get a land line phone that will allow me to not pick up the handset when I dial: https://www.britishtelephones.com/lst1.htm And just in case you think I'm a looney, you can buy Loop-disconnect to MF4 convertors to allow your old dial phone to work with Voip (and on ordinary lines), but until I'm forced to, I'm happy waring out BT's System X local unit.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224769422065?hash=item34554d32f1:g:piQAAOSwpZ5iTCFi&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0GyNIdnrrkFBhm%2FW9CVY5N0ciRra2tNI66Y0biYplsPTcTTsVhLI4J2uAJJFFQdyRWGSC7dfMS%2BTigGSa8yYTVhIfEGKqCoEocuw1Kq1NOoYDJ1c7UVSn9U%2BA8zXlkcjM8mUm2t6U8Iie%2FVsP6c8BbMKUxk2hJEScg3WlZCz%2FnyHWfEgODABjF%2B5mNW7pT%2BlgIXdwc7p5X1OUzKjGYYWNWsp53iePamqWU2mx39i%2FEALOLVY6nId5BGLFEA8mp01G9F0FBF%2BOui2CaPVBldk8tw%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8jiwK39YQ Andy G

Have you put a meter across it? The 1000 could be the resistance of the windings. I take it that you have done the usual cleaning of the commutator and the slots.. I agree with Nearholmers advice with the neo-mags. Andy G

Not required. Andy G

I'm not arguing.... I was taking it all in jest, like most of this site! Andy G

Ah it gets more tricky.... Most UAX (Thats Unit Automatic eXchanges) that served rural communities accessed its 'parent' (ie the large exchange in the big urban centre (but not always!)) via junctions on level 9 or 0. Level 9 was the route for calls to the parent automatic exchange (which could be different to the parent Manual exchange which you reached by dialling 0). So emergency calls from these exchanges HAD to start with a 9 (Some exceptions here again, early UAXen could only call the parent manual board (on 01) there being no way that they could dial over the junctions), so it made sense to have the emergency code standardised starting with 9. For routing purposes, there needed to be another digit dialling to get away from the main auto equipment, and into what was called the 'service levels' (ie bits and bobs that needed to be provided for the engineers to be able to maintain the network). It again made sense to use the same digit 9, as your finger was already in the hole, so it would be easy to follow the dial back round. Three 9's allowed a sensible use of the equipment, with engineering facilities (and things like TIM ) on the remaining numbers. Andy G

You are right about why 999 was chosen. in the exchange is it quite easy for an open wire circuit (ie bare copper wires on insulators) to swing in the wind and tap into each other, causing the exchange equipment to 'dial'. Also certain other line faults can cause equipment to be seized, and the digit 1 to be dialled. If the emergency number was on the same 'level' (ie started with 1), then there could be a serious degradation in the amount of equipment left to deal with the traffic, if there were a number of faults (likely to happen in storms or damage to wiring in fires etc), thereby reducing the effectiveness of the emergency service. Andy G (owner of the old equipment from 'Tongue End' exchange)

I wouldn't recommend putting your finger in an electric pie...... let alone eat it. Andy G

Because its sensible and proven? ;-) Andy G

Did you not see my post on the last page then? Andy G

Looks more like the modern e-clip rather than the original pandrol clip. Whats the fixing on the original peco concrete sleepers? Andy G

We Moggy owners that drive their Minors a lot (for me daily) have a very interesting, noticeable habit. There being no syncro on 1st, just before we pull away, we always drop into second and then straight up into first..... I do it in every car I drive, minor or not.... My daughter knows about dial telephones, we have them in daily use around the house ... Andy G

The easiest way would be to provide a single lever ground frame at the site, and a couple of lengths of rodding and some cranks. A pin sticking out of the bottom of a bracket on the gates engages in a slot on the rodding. The rodding goes back to the ground frame. When the yodels start, the attendant puts the lever back into the frame, shortening the rodding and pulling the gates shut at the same time. Simples. No third rail, so it should be a quick and easy solution.... Andy G

Do we know where any of this stock actually went, and if it still survives to this day? Andy G

Be careful here... The prints from this source are not known to be very dimensionally accurate... And the creator on having this pointed out to him, becomes very evasive and claims they are scratchbuilding aids. Sadly some have profiles that are way out and would be no use even for that! Andy G

Yes it certainly will be! But not impossible. I plucked up the courage to start a Jidenco (the earlier incarnation of Falcon) and taking it slowly I'm making a good fist of it, but you need to have experience of scratchbuilding to get the most out of them.. Andy G