Martin S-C

1) One side serves a branch line, one side serves a main line. The west crossover is an aid to use both sides bi-directionally in times of heavy traffic. 2) Ventnor IoW was in my head when I drew this up. 3) Possibly. But I chose not to do that because I wanted quirky.

I have no connection at all with this seller and was looking at one or two of his 4mm scale items but then noticed he has some interesting 0 gauge tinplate wagons. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?item=113790161775&_ssn=christophehandfort0&rt=nc Do please tell me to stop linking items like this if you'd rather I didn't.

Awesome Nick. I shall take a look at this more carefully when I get a moment tomorrow.

I hadn't seen it that way but it can be used like that, yes. P4 is definitely an up line for the main. P2/P3 is an additional up line in busy moments. I wanted the layout here to be as flexible as possible as this is going to be one of the busiest locations on the network, so I do need P1 and P2/P3 to be fully bi-directional. Yes. Yes.

The first item of pointwork beyond the private sidings fence is a double slip and the normal position for that will be into a headshunt, so I hope that will suffice. The exchange sidings have a fictional through line to the Madder Valley Railway, so passenger traffic uses the line. They are my fiddle yard, in effect. Diagram for them: I have not bothered with FPLs here, as its really all fiction. There is simply a need to operate the model points with a lever frame, as elsewhere. The Back Siding is the supposed line onwards to the MVR which is where, in my imagination, passenger trains would go to and come from. EDIT: Photo showing colliery headshunt. Left of the loco is the line down to the Exchange Sidings and left of that the branch. The point to the left of the loco is the exit points from Platform 1 of Puddlebrook.

In my mind British Racing Green might be closer to the bluer Wolverhampton green, but its a good idea to try.

Looking good Chris. Might I suggest blackening down the wood deck and back boards a bit - coal dust gets everywhere.

Those Slaters printed coach sides are superb. If anybody picks up more official news about this service, please pass it on. Are these 7mm sides? I wonder if they do similar work in 4mm?

Please keep us posted on the Dean goods build Mikkel, its looking fantastic. Also, I'm seriously envious. Wish I had a non-Belpaire version. They were much more attractive in that guise.

Yes, Don, exactly correct. I probably have one of these minor undiagnosed mental conditions however (that we all have to one extent or another) that makes me want to do it properly (quote unquote) and if I can't my brain needs sufficient reasoning not to - just hand waving issues away is something I can't do! And now... onwards to Puddlebrook!

Thanks Nick, that's food for thought. Physical distances on the model mean its impractical to have a separate block section of course even though in reality there would be. I agree though it would be better to have it controlled from PB. Sighting it from SJ is going to be almost impossible anyway due to the intervening scenery.

I imagine that's the case, Stu. Once any unfamiliar system becomes familiar, everything is second nature. I just foresee major operating sessions being some weeks apart with a rotating crew of operators so I wanted simplicity and clarity first and foremost with realism taking a back seat (in this case). Nick - awesome, that description makes everything seem like we have it correct now. I imagine there were no overweight bobbies in steam days. 1 actually controls a branch junction where the diverging route goes off into make-believe-land and becomes the circuit under the layout that represents trains going to Hereford or Gloucester. There is actually a dolly on that signal with arm (1A?) that controls access to the diverging route, its just that with the way the model has been constructed the diverging route will be controlled from Puddlebrook. I know that isn't correct but its a conundrum I haven't found a better way of managing yet. It looks like this:

Go back a few posts, Stu, to see why it was done this way: the bobby is facing the levers, but not the tracks. EDIT: Just had a thought - 12 doesn't need an FPL does it? Or should I keep it in case engineering works or some other reason requires wrong road running?

That actually helps a lot and will be the excuse I shall use. Thanks! I have reversed the frame symbol on the signal box graphic. I thought about 11 and 12 but kept them separate as there are three moves there: 1) from the branch platform over 11 and down the branch to Coggles Causeway (CC), 2) from the branch platform over 11 and into the exchange siding, and 3) from the branch platform over 11 and across the slip to access the down main. Or am I just getting my slip routing confused and 5 (now 7) will handle the crossover to the down main? Combining 8 & 19 does make sense, as does setting 19's normal position to the flour mill. So, how's this?

How does this look? There might be an outer home from Nether Madder. If there is I need to stretch the diagram. I think its too crowded anyway so will extend it a bit regardless.

Hi Jim, thanks. The mimic diagram is oriented in the position the model railway operator faces the baseboard; that is the signal box model is on the opposite side. I thought this was the easiest layout for the operators in case people operate this station who are not very familiar with the model. So for the 12" to 1ft operator, up to Nether Madder (NM) is to his right and down to Puddlebrook (PB) is to his left. This is the OPPOSITE of how a 4mm to 1ft signalman would view the station layout. I think (though am not 100% sure) that all the numbered levers you referred to are therefore the reverse of what I will need. The NM levers will be on the right of the frame and the PB ones on the left. I know this is absolutely wrong for the placing of the model signal box, but it is what it is. I think the model signal box marked in that location is the best position as it allows a clear view into the tunnel mouth as well as a view around the curved tracks in the up direction. The signalman also has a clear view of the majority of branch train movements. I think siting the model box anywhere else within station precincts would not give such clear views of movements but am happy to move it elsewhere if a better site can be found. Ideally it should face the tracks but on the branch side of the model so that the 12" to 1ft signal man has the same orientation as the 4mm to 1ft chappie. I plan to use economical FPLs so the locks are operated by the point levers. I don't wish to use separate FPL levers. The expense is just too great and it adds a level of authenticity I have no desire to attain. Deleting reference to FPL levers would you be so gracious as to number the levers again for me please? Cheers Nick. I'm not familiar with Sandown's track layout, me being fairly dim I think I really need someone to specifically assist me with lever numbers for this layout. I do not plan to have operating ground discs or shunt signals. I really only want to signal movements of trains that are carrying passengers, so shunt moves will be conducted by flag/arm signals by the signalman out of his cabin window and corresponding toots of acceptance by the footplate crew. It looks to me that even with all these economies I still need about 17 levers for Snarling and that begins to take up a lot of space.

This is an appeal for advice and assistance. I posted up this signal diagram for Snarling some time ago and my problem is I need to assign numbers to the levers in a manner that requires the fewest number of paces up and down the frame by the signalman in order to control the most usual movements. These would be: 1) Up trains - from Puddlebrook, via the up platform to Nether Madder. 2) Down trains - the exact reverse movement, via the down platform. 3) Branch trains #1. Note: branch trains usually run mixed. Most up branch trains will terminate at the branch platform. After dropping off passengers, the loco will reverse the train into the exchange siding and drop the brake van onto any wagons therein, bringing the train back into the branch platform. It will then run around, and moving via the down main platform will collect the brake van and any wagons destined for the branch from the exchange siding and shunt these onto what was the front of the train but for the down journey will now be the rear. The whole (empty of passengers) train is then shunted into the exchange siding where any wagons leaving the branch are dropped off. The engine draws the train back into the branch platform, leaves it there and runs around again to join the front (down end) of the train to make its return journey. 4) Branch trains #2. For some services these will run on to the main line to Nether Madder. In this case after stopping at the branch platform the train continues on via the right hand crossover. Empty wagons are not dropped in the exchange siding but taken on to be shunted at the principal yard of the railway at Nether Madder. 5) Branch trains #3. For some services these will run on to the main line to Green Soudley which requires a reversal at Snarling. The shunt is identical to that in #1 but the train departs via the double slip on the main line in the down direction. If this train has wagons for Green Soudley or Puddlebrook, it will not leave them in the exchange siding. It will drop off wagons for Nether Madder. 6) The goods dock to the left of the up main platform is served by down main trains only. 7) The creamery siding is served by up main trains only, although some milk traffic will be dropped off by up branch trains. 8) The flour mill siding is served by either down main goods trains or down branch goods trains. 9) Up or down main line goods trains may need to shunt to the exchange siding to either collect wagons leaving the branch, or drop off wagons destined for the branch. Note that I may have made errors in the diagram depicting the normal and reversed positions of points, so I'm quite happy to edit the diagram. Placement of signals in the diagram may also be incorrect. Advice sought on that as well. If someone who knows signalling is willing to offer advice on how best to number the levers to save on signalmen's shoe leather I'd be very grateful.

Small amount of track laying progress in the last couple of days. I have laid the branch incline in its tunnel from Catspaw (+2") to Coggles Causeway (+4") but lack a left hand curved point to finish the Coggles track completely. Once that arrives hopefully near the end of this week I will lay the track at Snarling which will then join the grade down to Puddlebrook so that all trackwork on the layout will then be interconnected. Neil is returning this Friday and Saturday and we should then get droppers fitted to all track and power connected. I also have the track on order for Witts End, and when that's laid the branch line track will be complete. Branch line track at bottom going into the tunnel under the entry area for Green Soudley. The track curves off to the left distance and all this will be in tunnel under Nether Madder's loco works. We've got lots of open baseboard framing to get at the trains which WILL derail under here but at right hand side of the curving track we've put in 3mil ply backing so stuff can only come off one way. The left diverging route from the point in the right foreground is the entrance to Green Soudley - the straight ahead route runs downhill to the main circuit storage. In the far distance a start has been made on laying the track at the loco works coaling dock which is at datum +7". Incline up to Coggles Causeway. The tunnel mouth will be about at the board join. The curve to the left needs some support on the outside camber. Coggles Causeway. The overhanging board on the upper level at right will need to be trimmed back to give more space for the grassy embankment here. As you can see at extreme right I've had to use an inverted RH curved point to get the correct location of the left hander that will go here. The big holes in the middle will be covered by the main Nether Madder station boards.

Once in a blue moon, on e-Bay, you buy something random, wondering if you've wasted your money and the unwrapped parcel reveals something quite unexpected - even magical. I bid on a collection of model railway spare parts, obviously old, but full of potentially useful things like wheels, buffers, W-irons and lead weights. When it arrived I was presented with this - an incredible collection of old St Bruno tins and matchboxes. The gent who once owned these was clearly from the CJF mould, in the days of the 50s and 60s when railway modelling meant wearing a suit and tie, your hair brylcreemed back and smoking your pipe. It was like opening a time capsule and the discovery of what lay inside was worth the price alone. There's some electrical parts that are past their best and will have to be binned and some of the white metal castings of axle box assemblies, etc are a bit crude but there was a great selection of wheelsets, brake hoses, buffers, fine chain, some jolly useful lead sheet cut up into postage stamp size rectangles for use as weight and a half-dozen other things. Some of the packets inside the tins should be in museums. I felt transported back 50 or 60 years when I opened up this lot and quite a sense of nostalgia came over me. I don't ever recall seeing a Barclay's bank paper bag for £1 worth of 6d coins before. I was too young to worry about banks when these things went out of use. Railway modelling - what curious moments we encounter in this hobby.

Seen at the King's Lynn show 22/06/2019. All French models apparently:

Wow. Must be worth a fair bit.

It sure is. There was a big break in the work schedule today. Once the new areas have droppers and power and the point motors are fitted it'll be a real struggle to actually do any work at all. By the way, in the last video, the rolling stock is jerky because the lead coupling on the guards van is a touch too low and was catching the heads of the track pins. These are only loosely tapped in and a few are quite proud of the sleepers - done this way so they do minimal harm when removed later after ballasting. I have clipped a millimetre or so off the tail of the coupling's upright which has fixed the problem. Colliery track all laid today as well. No trains running here under their own power however as none yet connected up. Entrance to the colliery with the monstrous arrangement of pointwork. In the far right corner the 2-road engine shed, then the stores and land sales siding, then the 2 roads that go under the screens, brake van road and stabling road headshunt. The GCR Pom-Pom is on the main line. To left rear three reception and departure loops nearest the window, then the stabling road and the main line. View of the left (south) end. Reception and departure roads under the window, lines to engine shed can just be seen far right. From L to R: Engine shed, stores and land sales road, screens, brake vans, headshunt. Checking the loco release line is big enough. Nothing larger than a standard British 0-6-0 freight engine will go in here. 8 wagon mineral train in one of the reception roads. My camera has a very wide angle lens so it causes unwanted effects when pointed down almost vertically at curved track! The colliery almost at capacity. Two of the reception roads have 8-wagon trains in them. Two-and-a-half 8-wagon trains stand in the stabling road, with the other half-train under the screens. Note that some of these wagons are post-WWII and form part of my 1950s stock collection. I wanted to check siding capacity (in a hurry) and this stock box was nearest the top of the pile.

A red letter day today. Circuit complete, glass of sparkling white Samur in hand and I sat and watched the trains. Apologies for the terrible sound - as the room is entirely bare plaster walls and wooden baseboards its a terrible echo chamber. Things will sound better once there's some nice sound-absorbing carpet and scenery in there.

10429 looks like a superb model. When was it built?

Ha. I have a huge layout and a noted lack of patience... so we shall see what we shall see...