drmditch

May I also vote for this line please. A lovely stretch along the north side of the estuary, then a busy little station at Braunton where the bankers came on, and then the hard work started! Despite the above attempts to deny 'gaugeism', when linking railways into Barnstaple were first proposed there were riots concerning whether they should be Broad (Ie 7' and a 1/ 4 or the 'northern' 4' 8" and 1/2.

There is a good line in one of the Ben Aaronovitch books: 'Woman so busy inspiring her followers that she doesn't have time to pull her dress up.' (or words to that effect.) (Can recommend the 'Rivers of London' series. Good light relief, although have not abandoned the 5th century - see above.)

I need to obtain the following:- - Face masks bearing the legend - 'My ancestors were immigrants' - An elaborate broach in the form of a spider (and possibly also for other insects.) However, I am also awaiting delivery of an Isinglass drawing for an engine I have often longed to make. (Which is suitably pre-grouping in origin) How far should we enjoy our amusements and distractions, and when will the time come when we should take to the streets?

Thank you for the 'thingy'. Is what you have termed the 'relay', what I have termed the 'electromagnet'? I think I understand that intended operation. The problem is that the electromagnet does not release at the correct time (on at least 80% of occasions.) Could the spring have weakened over time?

Hope the wind is in the right direction!

Can you remember the source? (and how you fitted it?)

I have cleaned all the parts, and made sure that there is sufficient but not too much lubrication. (ie not very much at all). I have also made sure that nothing is 'snagging'. Some detail of the Fleischmann turntable drive. It's clever, and a bit finicky. I do not understand all of it, but the what I do understand is:- The final drive gear on the left engages with the teeth on the turntable well assembly. The rectangular indentations on this gear are the Locking Points. As you see there are four of them at the four cardinal positions. The number of teeth between the Locking Points are the precise number to travel between the entrance/exit tracks. A - indicates the line of a nickel-silver (?) plate spring. and sliding peg (E below) locates in the Locking Point and is held in by the spring. The ends of the spring fit into the slots marked G below. (Keeping that spring in place during re-assembly is very tricky.) The grey plastic bar has peg E at one end, and at B a hole for a lever from the top-plate of electromagnet D. The actual drive is from quite a small motor, and two worm drives. Removing the uppermost worm allows the motor to be lifted out. In operation, the activation of the electromagnet pulls the grey bar to the right. There is a plunger (just above the letter B) which closes contacts at C thus motor. Simultaneously the peg E is pulled out of the Locating Slot thus allowing the final drive gear to revolve. When working properly, there must be a mechanism by which the spring A overcomes the electromagnet and pushes peg E into a Locating slot once the gear has performed a quarter turn. I cannot identify this. The distance between the spring contacts at C is not (as far as I can test) critical for this function, provided that the plunger on the gray bar can close the contact. On the first worm on the motor shaft, there is effectively a clutch, indicated by the two screwdrivers in the picture. The larger (RH) screwdriver points to a spring around the shaft. The smaller (LH) screwdriver points to a projection I have marked F. It would be logical for F to activate the clutch once the final drive gear is in position for an entrance/exit track, but I cannot see how! I don't think I have lost any parts, and I cannot see what else to adjust. So, any clues please. Vorsprung durch Technik anybody ?

Thank you. Was it just the motor you replaced (see below) or the whole assembly (as above).

After much examination, testing, adjustment and re-testing, my turntable is now as good as I think I'm going to get it. At one point the indexing was very good, but very' sticky' to release, and needed frequent override with the manual lever. Now the indexing is not quite as automatic, but the release is better and the manual override required less often. Here are the 'works'. I will set out later how I think this works, and the 'balance of springs' which provides the indexing and locking. Does anyone else have experience of this turntable?

Third Rail ? (for the low clearance tunnel obviously)

Probably depends on what period you are modelling, and whether you are basing your railway on a particular prototype. That would give you somewhere to start from!

Well, we can't send them to Virginia any more, so re-create the hulks. Australia perhaps? But that now means Nauru or New Guinea or other fenced camps. But hang on, those 18/19th century 'solutions' were for those adjudged criminals by the laws and lawyers and juries of their day. (Don't go stealing a loaf of bread anybody, let alone a handkerchief!) I don't think the hulks and/or transports were used for immigrants and refugees. Of all the bad news recently, I have seen none that has disgusted me more. Just waiting for this government to re-create the concept of the 'Malthusian third'...…. but hang on again, haven't they already...….. I am going try to get some masks made with 'My ancestors were immigrants' on them, unless anyone can suggest a snappier caption? NB I think the Prison Hulks were first used to accommodate POWs, after Napoleon (where are these tyrants when you need them) prevented the previously fairly civilised policy of exchange.

Here are some of the re-reads:- Start of Lockdown (in Spring!) Watership Down - Richard Adams - always lovely to re-read - every two years or so. I was worried about a hedgehog ('Yona') in my garden. Then (for obvious topical reasons) The Slave Trade - Hugh Thomas - largely concentrating on the Atlantic trade - well written and depressing. The Scramble for Africa - Thomas Pakenham - also well written and possibly even more depressing. (brief excursions into books by Basil Davidson (and others). I do like his 'The Black Man's Burden'.) Then moving on, I realised that before I moved house I was half way though:- The Penguin History of Modern China - Jonathan Fenby - so obviously had to start again. Also quite depressing. Then to cross reference with earlier stuff:- China A History - John Keay - so much we don't pay much attention to in the 'West' - including the problems of transliteration and translation starting wars. And you were talking about the Dark Ages? I can recommend; Dark Continent Europe's. Twentieth Century - Mark Mazower. - Very good, not read for a few years but will put back on re-reading list when recovered from the above. New books include:- More than a Woman - Caitlin Moran. Despite having very little in common with this lady, I enjoy and value her books. This one is deeply moving in part. Obviously, other lighter books as well (a Lucy Diamond which was quite fun), and visiting C.S Forester again, which I haven't done for a few years. Curiously I found: The Ship - a semi-fictionalised account of an RN warship in action in 1943. Strangely depressing now. Our values are now so different, and whereas there is much which is admirable there is also content which is disturbing. So, happy to get back to first centuries of the first millenium CE. This was my initial idea at the start of the year. Started by picking up again SPQR - Mary Beard. Always an enjoyable author to read. Then Gibbon: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - as much for the prose as anything. Links to Forrester/Hornblower of course, and also to W S Churchill, but I haven't followed that path yet. Then picked up some references in: Empires and Barbarians Migration development and the Birth of Europe - Peter Heather - excellent writer - will get back to after finishing:- Roman Britain - Peter Salway - Good and interesting, but published in 1980, so perhaps need to find recent works on the subject. Well, that's a brief summary, but you did ask! The delights in having a library! (and I managed to fit in some more bookshelves this summer as well!) Now, this is I believe a pre-grouping railway thread, so despite having posted some pictures of this elsewhere, here is my most recent construction:- I wonder what the signalman will be reading between trains?

Yes, both the advice and the rules for County Durham seem confusing for me in my 'bubble of one'. I'm re-reading large amounts of my library this summer/autumn, having been able to unpack some books after six years! Haven't re-read 'The Steel Bonnets' for a while, and I can't remember whether the following story occurs in that book, or another book on the Durham Palatinate and/or the East March. The Justices of the Assize (if it was Durham of course, they would be the King's Justices operating under the authority of the Bishop of Durham, operating on behalf of the king) who also I think assessed any taxes owing, were interested to see the number of barns burning while they made their journey. It would appear that tax returns had already been declared for such barns as having been 'burned by the Scots'. I'm in the Fifth Century at the moment, and the end of what at school we learned as 'Roman Britain'. Back to soldering.

I do have sympathy for everyone affected by the problems of these times, and I do hope that Mr Edwardian may be able to enjoy some therapeutic modelling. Also, I hope that the WNR has not been terrorised by:- ... beware of falling tortoises.... Perhaps top-hats may become essential PPE? But perhaps Norfolk is better off than Lincolnshire, .... where you just get sworn at.... Right back to some soldering. Will find to work on some pre-grouping material soon!

Re: Problems with Lining A while ago, there was a discussion of defects on full-size vehicles looking wrong when reproduced on models. (I note the above posts regarding 'Tornado', but in my opinion she has never looked better than when painted in Apple Green with 'LNER' on the tender. I think that was a 'one-off'! I suspect my dislike of BR Green comes from having been frightened by a (nearly new?) very shiny 'Britannia' when in my pushchair.) However, Is there a similar problem with white lining, and the way the eye and/or camera sees a large object like a locomotive boiler? Here is 'Green Arrow', as currently in Locomotion. (It's difficult to get further away at the moment.) And here is one boiler-band. The white lines appear to be 1/4" wide, which I think is correct. And another: With the limitations of the mobile 'phone camera, the lighting, my lack of skill etc etc, to my eye the white lines appear thicker at the top of the boiler. If we look further away: (This was when 'Tornado' was at the 'Hospital for Sick Engines' at the Nene Valley a while ago.) Obviously, there are better pictures, I've only used ones which I have taken myself. In this view, the white predominates over the black. So, how to paint models in this livery to look 'credible'? 'Scale' would be a white line at 0.045mm, if I have calculated correctly. Some RtR models, seem to nearly abandon the black entirely, which doesn't look right to me at all. I have tried (on one NER engine) just using black for the boiler bands, which also doesn't look right. Even on some of the really good LNER models I have seen, the lining seems to me to stand out far more than perhaps it should. I would be very grateful for opinion and advice, before I give more attention to my Proper Green Engines!

Or their descendants! Unless, of course, new breed stock have been introduced.

I seem to remember that sign. It was where the road crossed the River Don (as in Doncaster.) There are several other River Dons - one being near South Shields if I remember correctly. As for 'south', from the perspective of Durham, south of the Tees is 'South', (Sorry Yorkshire!) south of the Trent is 'Further South' , then perhaps it becomes 'sarf'. South of the Thames is 'furthest south'. The honourable exception. My brother, living in North Devon, claims that the SW is not 'south'.

Re: Grantham and Viewpoints What must be several years ago now, I was privileged to have a good afternoon looking at the splendid Grantham layout, while it was being rehearsed for a public appearance. It was like having a show all to myself, with the afternoon light bringing out the detail and colour and especially the splendid teak coaching stock with immaculate glazing. It looked especially good when viewed from near track level - with no-one to tell me off for kneeling on the floor! No pictures taken then I'm afraid. The only picture I have that might bear posting is from an earlier occasion when the North End Pilot was having a run-in on the main line (with no crew visible!) I've been deeply fortunate to have seen Grantham several times, and there is always more to see and admire. The only problem is running out of superlatives!

Is this not a bit early for 'helicopters'?, perhaps an 'airship' might be more contemporary? (Although I fear in the UK at this time it might, for economic reasons, have to be hydrogen filled.) On this august thread one would not dare to suggest a hot-air balloon! I have only seen CF once, but very much hope to see it again.

Thank you. Is this a preliminary sketch for 'A Quiet Afternoon at Cloud Cuckoo Valley', currently featuring at Locomotion in Shildon? (Which I hope is still open today, and will find out in an hours time.) Could you give us the source for the picture?

I am indeed using the Plastruct steps! They are cut and ready, but I note the idea about thinning the edge of the treads. Thank you. The problem is the rather ornate diagonal cross arrangement on the handrails that the NER CD used on this design. (Sorry about the strange perspective, I cropped an earlier scan used for a different purpose!. You will see that my version has the steps at the opposite end. Fortunately Battersby Cabin was the same way round as mine so I have good pictures to copy from. Having got this far I don't want to rush! However, just now while cutting the grass I had an idea! When it has developed a bit more I'll post a picture. I like your box, with the lovely finials. Is it a GN prototype?

Still catching up with a post I meant to make last week. (Mind you, after the splendid modelling just seen above I wonder if I dare post anything about mine!) I was both interested and concerned to hear about the mental lows (and I hope highs) experienced by other contributors to this thread. I find that my railway helps me to keep reasonably balanced, however it is noticeable that in a 'low' time little progress is made. I know I am recovering when I can make more. I find that some tasks give more reward and some more frustration than others, although this does of course fluctuate according to the difficulty of the task. Here is a rough representation: I have to say that I don't really follow the concern about availability or otherwise of RtR products. If something is available which is of use to my railway, then I will use it. I don't keep anything 'as new'. At the least everything has to represent something working on a coal-fired, coal-hauling railway at a time before the Clean Air Acts. I have used a few building kits, but always as the basis for a conversion to something I think is suitable for my location and timescale. I do wish I was making faster progress with my railway, but here is a posed picture to illustrate some of my activities. Most of these have been illustrated on my thread on the LNER Forum, and some occasionally on here. They include examples of all the above categories - and If anyone likes they can work out which is which! Most of these are 'finished', except for one of the ex-RtR vehicles which needs some re-work. (And the GN van which needs GN style buffers which are now to hand.) You might notice that the Signal Cabin (which was included on this thread a short while and many posts ago) is still missing it's footsteps. This is an example of frustration. I still haven't quite worked out how to make them. More 'thinking time' is needed. So much to do, (not the least ballasting). Just the moment I think I need something simple, so a Parkside LNER van has been extracted from the kits box. I have all the parts I need for the modifications, so I'll trade the lower level of 'satisfaction' for speed of progress!.

You might also find my version and notes and links helpful........ See here..... (Although I missed the rainstrips as well!)

Thank you. I will look forward to it!