TheSignalEngineer

They did mention that the loco was bent but didn't give any measurements or comparative wheel loads, dismissing the damage in one sentence in Paragraph 55. Examination of the derailed train 55 The RAIB examined locomotive 47500 after the derailment and identified that the underframe and the leading bogie were twisted in a way that could unload the leading right-hand wheel, thereby increasing the risk of flange climbing. However, given that there was no significant wheel load variation recorded on recent passes over WILD sites (Salfords (paragraph 18) and Cheddington in Buckinghamshire, on 3 January 2013), these twists are most probably a consequence of the derailment, locomotive fire or handling during recovery and transportation. The RAIB concluded that they are not significant to the cause of the derailment. Referring back to Paragraph 18 they noted that 47500 it had gone to Ardwick for wheel turning because of flats detected by the WILD at Salfords (Surrey) on 8th December 2012.

I agree that many of the Dublo SD6 bodies stand up pretty well for their age, despite the inaccuracies in scale of some items. Size of small detail is a bit like trying to copy exact colour on models. Because the eyes and the brain tend to work as much on angles as on linear dimensions a detail that is spot-on accurate to scale may look too small, whilst something 40% over size can look just right. That said, a lot of modern models do still get the emphasis wrong, especially in grooves and my pet hate - wood grain so deep that it can be seen from six feet in 4mm scale. That one is as bad as the panel welds on a Bachmann Mk 1 coach roof.

At least two different cross-sections of planking were present in BR days. 2+2s normally seemed to have chamfered planks as did some of the even planked ones. This was not confined to the Pillbox, but was extensively used on CCTs, PMVs and BYs. It gives the impression of wide and deep grooves which is heightened by a bit of dirt collecting in them. Square planed planks give a much smoother finish, in fact the joins can be almost invisible when freshly painted. This extensively replanked van shows the different effect of modern timbering style freshly painted compared with its old style doors http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srbrakevan/h255b784b#h255b784b

I told Larry recently about some of the other things our favourite was advertising in his name, falsely.

These are often used during relaying work where the job is being done in stages or there are rails to be welded up later.

Temporary clamped fishplate.

Hi John Here's some examples at Kenilworth Junction that show typical pole routes on a medium class line with junction that would be similar to BCB. Firstly the box was in the middle of the junction and there was a route down the outside of each line going north and the Up side going south. The poles opposite the box had arms going both ways and there was a pole in the middle at the box itself http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwr/kenilworthjunction/lnwrkj2054.jpg This one shows the box pole very well and an interesting variation on the line to Coventry, note the wires actually go under the bridge through the arch next to the track http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwr/kenilworthjunction/lnwrkj2051.jpg The distance of the poles from the track is typical for such a line on the LMR in my experience. The stay rod on the track side would go into the ground approximately 6'-8' from the track. In other cases it was at the top of the cutting of there was a wide strip inside the fence to avoid having to dig a deep hole in the cutting face, and sometimes at the bottom of an embankment to avoid going into made-up ground. On the Birmingham Division a lot of pole routes disappeared between 1962 and 1969 with resignalling and electrification. Following that we had a rolling programme to get rid of the remaining routes which were a magnet for thieves and becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. That started around 1970-71 and continued until the 1980s. Railway pole routes changed very little from the steam era until they disappeared from the scene. A few had the wires replaced by self-supporting cables but that was all. Eric

My Dad was in the Fire Brigade and he taught me the right way to climb ladders and lock yourself on so you could use both hands to work without fear of falling off. I was taught how to use climbing irons, but only did it once in anger, when we went to fix a failure in mid-section and couldn't get a lift there for the pole ladder. Got dropped off by a Class 1 train which had been stopped and cautioned because the broken wire was causing a block failure, the only problem being that once the fault was fixed we had to walk two miles back to the station.

Thanks Clive. An often ignored area, these show the BR standard type and layout used on most jobs since the mid 1970s. The BR standard was based on those made by Lawden Engineering, I believe for the Eastern Region. Interestingly BRS-SM 432/1 also shows the slight differences in profile of the ones made by the major contractors at the time. The last drawing, BRS-SM 840, shows the layout of an embankment platform made from concrete and timber. These were used up to about the 1990s when galvanised steel took over.

I remember using the sleeves for fixing broken wires c1967, and tensioning with the ratchet clamped onto the wire. I also used the traditional soldered joint for making off at terminal poles and box poles. Much of BR pole work was the same as the GPO, in fact many of the items in the railway stores were referred to by PO numbers such as PO5000 Drop Wire, and we used GPO tool kits.

After tax and not allowing for inflation I would need to live to over 200 years old to get as much from my pension as he is getting in one day for being a failure.

Nominally 4" pipe, so approx 1.3-1.5mm in 4mm scale would look right.

The Roaches and surrounding area were often our chosen destination for winter walking. I always felt strangely at home there. It wasn't till many years later that I found at least one branch of my family tree came from the Staffordshire Moorlands only four generations back from me. That's probably why I feel drawn to the area.

The joys of pole work. Sitting up there in the sleet with the MOX iron spluttering away at the other end of the arm. Alf Ansafety, who's 'e when e's at 'ome. Actually it was refitting the pole behind the box in this shot http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrthl1100.htm into a terminal pole post-electrification of the Trent Valley. It hadn't been done properly at the time and the old arms were falling off because they still had spindles instead of J-Bolts. Looks like I made a reasonable job of it.

Pallet supply became the norm when they started coming from contractors outside BR. Taunton and Newton Heath used to load in open wagons and send to the siding of your choice. Very convenient as they were ready to go to site.

1) Just look at what is around on the loco pictures, you might be surprised and find an interesting bit of infrastructure. 2) Distance depended on the type and voltage of the machine and the fashion at the time. Electric machines were originally fed from close by, up to about the length of a crossover away, although Westinghouse Style C worked by a hand generator would go over at half a mile or more on the pole route. In later years machine feeds tended to be grouped if possible at junctions with feeds up to about a quarter of a mile, but it is a trade off between fewer locations and more expensive cable due to increased volt drop. 3) I will have a closer look later at those pictures as there are several varieties, some almost unique.

New thread is up and running here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/84785-poles-wires-and-cables/

For those modelling modern-ish image, here is the page from the "Crewe Stores" catalogue for troughing http://www.unipartrail.com/WebPDF/StockPDF/Concrete%20Troughing.pdf

Thanks Mick. I am thinking of setting up some other threads depending on the reaction to this one. I was looking at Signals and Point Operation as a couple covering much of the art of getting the railway to work, visibly at least. Eric

Doncaster PSB came into use July 1979 IIRC. Kirk Sandall lasted a further 7 months, which my account for wires on one side but not the other. It may have been a temporary fringe box during that period.

'Like' is not really enough for that one Mick. Was that pole at a place which the whole route had been split at some time? I don't know the history of the area. It shows how to do J-bolts on a terminating wire and cross wires to other places. What intrigues me is that it has double sided arms bolted together. Eric

Next up we have a combination of restricted space and Urban Grot. The photo was taken at Soho Road in April 1981, the signal being the exit from the Soho Pool Branch. Where there wasn't enough space at the bottom of the bank for concrete troughing, Cement Asbestos troughs mounted on posts (CATOP) or wall hangers were used. Photograph Copyright C E Steele As you can see these were fragile and prone to bricking, especially where there was another good target such as the ground signal. In later years this material was replaced by Glass-fibre Reinforced Plastic troughing.

Nice shot Merf, hope that's a rubber hammer!! Plenty of allowance for the collapsing ballast shoulder and "Spoil to Bank Cable Route" ballast cleans.

I'll get it going with a twofer, or possibly even more when you look at the rest of the shot. This was a picture that didn't get printed, coming to light recently when scanning stuff from an old file which hadn't been opened for years. It was taken almost 50 years ago in the summer of 1964, the days when there were so many trainspotters that BR used to run special trains from Birmingham to Crewe Works during the summer shut-down. This is the return trip coming into the tunnel by Monument Lane shed. You couldn't take it now because in addition to it being electrified with MAS, it's under the NIA. It demonstrates my policy that there are few useless photos, bad ones often show things of historical or technical interest. Photo Copyright C E Steele The two for the price of one are the newly laid concrete trough for the New St Resignalling project, complete with odd spare troughs and lids lying around, but more interestingly some LMS boxing on posts. It does show on other pictures but isn't that often noticed. Thanks to the help of a member on here I now have some details of the stuff as I want to build a length myself, so will post details when I get round to making it. Going back and breaking my own rule for the thread, Michael would like those 16 tonners in the scrap siding which was formerly the coal yard and Malt House siding. Further on there is a nice possibly LMS vintage 4-aspect colour light. I believe it was put up around 1947 but can't confirm that, and what looks like an asbestos cement sheet hut.

OK,. The gauntlet is down. Discussing details of a signalling nature following a recent question, it became clear that there could be some interest in gathering together reference information into a topic thread to aid the adding of these often neglected little details to layouts. As an opener I am going to start with the string that ties it all together. From the earliest days of the railway telegraphs in the 1840s there has been a need to pass electricity from one part of the system to another. The telegraph pole route is the most obvious sign of this to start with right up to the blue diesel era in some places but from the earliest days cables were experimented with. The South Eastern Railway reputedly trialled a submarine telegraph cable at Folkestone in 1849. As more equipment became electrically worked or monitored the need for cabling right down to the track increased, resulting in the mass of orange pipes we see today. Please try to keep to the topic where if possible. I will start a couple of other threads to cover other equipment on the track and around it. Feel free to post your own pictures but please add date and place information as there are a lot of local quirks due to company history and progression of standards over the years.