Donw

I have some 0 gauge Vauxhall wagons. It is easy to make assumptions about Colliery wagons as these were more well known. It is much harder to find any local ones. I have some for Pwllheli Quarries but where there others locally who owned wagons circa 1900? it may be businesses were fairly small and not having a lot to send out used company wagons. Barmouth Gas Works may have had coal delivered in colliery wagons and outputs such as Tar were sold to companies who collected it in their own wagons. So the Works had no wagons of their own. Any info would be helpful. Don

I knew Mike Morton-Lloyd and when the book came out discussed it with him. The examples came from the main line he said he didn't have much info on the Dolgelley line or the Coast line. I think the records he had seen were from the grouping period . Don

Trying to work out the wagons one would see is difficult. The colliery end is easier although amongst the colliery and coal factor wagons would be some merchants wagons. I lodged once with someone whose Grandfather had been a coal merchant they had a single wagon but he had no memory of which colliery it would be sent to. There seems to be a lack of pregroup photos showing the wagons. Don

Banking with model trains is I believe easier in larger scales and using three link couplings where the load is split between the train engine and the banker where the couplings slacken. Are you expecting bankers to take up part of the load Jerry? It does look superb. In your situation could the banker follow the train into the fiddle yard and then be dispatched back as though it had just been dropped off any need to uncouple would then be off scene. Would passenger trains have had a pilot rather than a banker? Don

Increasing the 6ft way also shortens the distance to the fouling point making for a longer loop or siding. Short stock also tends to go better over sharp crossovers compared to long ones. Here's me telling that to the king of shorties. Don

Well Bob extra time always seems to be 'out of stock'. Interesting wagons should make good models. Don

Agreed with Andy but depending on the period modelled the road level may have risen slightly if the road originally was unmade. Nowadays with taller vehicles more effort is made to keep the maximum clearance possible. Don

I look forward to seeing your model of that wagon. Don

The litmas test I think is will I regret leaving it out. For me probably not in this case if there is one outside but if you are likely to think 'I should have done the inside one' each time you look at it well ...... Don

Having for many years used a single gear fixed wheel bike I wouldn't say extra leg strength was needed the trick is to use your weight. Dont like the sound of the brake though. Don

What was so special that the Victorians needed great leg strength. Don

Perhaps in today's terminology it would be a virtual prototype. Don

Dolgelley 1885-1922 both the Cambrian and the GWR had a shunt ahead signal. The principal is that under absolute block working the shunt ahead allows a limited move without the need to gain permission from the other box. Whereas the starter cannot be pulled off without obtaining line clear. Don

In order to stop the GWR backed Bala and Dolgelley Railway from reaching the coast the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast railway started to build a branch to Dolgelley. Once they had reached Penmaenpool it was operated and designated as down to Penamaenpool from Barmouth Junction.However on reaching Dolgelley in 1869 they were faced with the GWR timetable which had designated Dolgelley as down from the junction near Ruabon. So the public timetable was changed to shown from Dolgelley to Barmouth as Down. However the Working Timetable was unaltered showing it as up. The working Timetable was not changed until 1895 when the whistle codes were also changed. Regarding the signals at Castle Aching. I am not in favour of Outer Homes and Advanced Starters where inter station distances are short. My choice would be to have a shunt ahead signal for the main and branch. You could add a limit of shunt board if you wanted but basically shunt ahead would allow a shunt move to clear the turnouts. Distant signals can also be a problem. However a lever to operate one could always be used to turn a light on in the panel of the other station to indicate a train from them is expected. Prior to around 1900 a lot of ground signal were actually point indicators sometime referred to as Non Independent signals. These were linked to the turnout linkage to rotate to show a red or white light. However by 1905 these may have been replaced with normal ground signals. My suggestions signal towards the station A home signal for both the main and the branch these could be on a single post with a bracket and subsidiary post placed between the two lines. a smaller subsidiary arm under the branch home to authorise entry to the loop and engine shed roads. A ground signal to authorise a shunt into the goods yard signals leaving the station A bracket signal with a starter for both the main and the branch with a shunt ahead underneath both. A ground signal to authorise a shunt move onto the main from the yard. A ground signal to authorise a shunt move from the loop or shed road onto the branch Don

Up and down on railways can be tricky for the major railways out from London down is away from London and Up is towards it.. For other railways up is generally towards the important place they started from. However you get some odd results. One of the oddest is Exeter where an Up SR train goes in the opposite direction to a GW Up train so if you ask which way is London both is the true answer. Now I confess I cannot recall the History of the WNR at the moment but you have the some issues there say you decided that up was to Aching Constable from Castle Aching and the same from BM to AC. Which ever you decide is up and down between CA and BM one of them will have up and down trains from the same direction. As regards the signalling I will put down my thoughts. Don