TheSignalEngineer

Public transport access problems are not unique to Partington. If NorthernFail was working properly it is about 2 hours for me opposed to less than 1 hour drive. Closer to a main centre is better if available at the right price, although the West side of Manchester does open up easier travel options for Merseyside, North Wales and the western side of the Midlands. Personally, if I drive to Doncaster or Wakefield it takes just over an hour whereas public transport is two to three hours, so the likelihood of me attending if I couldn't drive is minimal.

At the time of the Manchester Olympic bid about 30 years ago there was a plan to re-instate a section of that line as part of an 'Inner Circle' linking all of the Manchester city centre stations and main venues. It raised its head again at the time of planning for the 2002 Commonwealth Games bid but always got put into the too difficult pile.

Not station names but some ex-BR signs at Altrincham today.

The west part of the tunnel is now history.

Not easy yo get a picture of them but they are still there at Skelton Junction, although the rails aren't that visible

10% extra capacity may just make the existing timetable work in some places. Because the speed / braking distance is not a linear relationship, tending to increase exponentially especially as speed gets over 90mph, increasing train speeds is not always the answer to capacity. In the early days of Railtrack I reviewed a proposal connected with WCRM to increase the line speed to 100mph between two locations of severely restricted speed. The line was 4-track and had a mix passenger stock and some long heavy freights. When the service and various stock was modelled it was found that most trains were incapable of reaching more than 80 mph before having to brake for the next restriction. With conventional signalling increasing the maximum speed above 90mph actually cut the capacity because of losing a signal section.

One of the big lessons in signalling from West Coast was actually one forgotten from BR days. That was not to include development projects in an infrastructure project with a fixed end date Whatever the experts tell you about their brilliant new system they will still be trying to get it to work when they have been at it for three times as long as they originally forecast.

We had a saying in our office that those who could did, those who couldn't got promoted.

If Typhoo put the T in Britain, how did a large industrial town in North Lincolnshire get its name?

Depends if you put both our at the same time.

Even more enthralling than one of Charlie Dymock's.

Excellent show as usual with the added bonus for me that the weather seemed to have kept a lot of people off the roads so I got a clear run going and only took 5 minutes longer to get back. Quality of layouts excellent as usual, the working estuary tide on the guest layout was a bit beyond special. Budget spent (and a bit more) so have what I need to complete a few on-going projects and stocked up for the next winter jobs. Even got an idea of what to do with a presently redundant loco instead of selling it. Thanks for a well spent day chaps.

When I started spotting BR Standards were 'Modern Image'. I gave up when 21A closed to steam.

Last time I ended up through the gates at the back of the school. There was quite a lot of space, but it depends on the gate between the two sites being open.

The rod along the 4-foot under the loco is probably working the two back-to-bach FPLs on a one in, one out arrangement. The rod going across the track interval would not be connected to the one coming from the cess side. The crank in the 4-foot is most likely on another rod from the box. Just need another picture with no train there to get the full details.

Partington is a strange place to get to wherever you live, probably even in Partington itself. I'm not a member but have been to about 5 of the shows in recent years since I found out about it purely by accident. I go because you always get about 10 of the best layouts around and the trade support is good. There are at least six people on my shopping list for tomorrow, and others my have things I see and think that's just what I need to finish that job so the savings on postage pay for the entrance. I think the advertising is a bit thin, as I end up having to search for dates if I want to know well in advance because of fitting in other commitments. I don't know what the answer is, but perhaps better advertising would help get a few more through the door and possibly generate more membership. Using out of town sports centres can be a downer as Manchester found when their show moved from the Co-op in the city centre to Fallowfield. Fortunately this year we won't have to fight through the football traffic on the motorway as it is an International fixture weekend.

At that time it was common for up to 2 coaches to be 'Outside the Brake', especially strengtheners when extra traffic was expected.

I see that Peter has amended his bus times to match the trains supposed to be running, which would save me about an hour but I would have to forego the beer. Decisions, decisions.

Probably see you there. I only live 20 miles away but it's all difficult. The drive should take 40 minutes but traffic will probably add another 20 minutes. As far as public transport is concerned I would be quicker following the CLC (aka Trans Pennine Trail) on my bike especially if NorthernFail is up to its usual Saturday standard, although the times of the special bus would leave time for a pint at Urmston in each direction. I've just checked the emergency timetable for tomorrow and I would be out for nearly 10 hours to travel and get 3 hours at the venue.

We have more industrial action on NorthernFail on Saturday, hope it doesn't have an effect on the show. I will be driving in rather than trying to rely on the skeleton service. Pity because I was looking forward to a vintage bus trip from Urmston.

This picture shows it from the opposite direction. https://www.mediastorehouse.com/national-railway-museum/locations/ely/ely-station-view-looking-station-north-signal-8860175.html

Thanks Dave. The map seems to match the photo. The use of that arrangement prevents anything rolling out of the siding from falling down the bank. The wide to gauge trap is normally only used for very slow movements e.g stabling sidings and the switch rails usually act like a retarder to stop the wagon before it drops between the stock rails.

Reminds me of when I was planning a new Signalling Centre. The architect's plans put a plant room with a water tank of about 2000 litres directly above my interlocking and train describer cubicles. I refused to sign off the design so he had to come up with a better idea.

The big goods shed at Tyseley was painted with some kind of bitumen based paint in BR days and we referred to it as The Black Shed

The full picture may help, but it looks like a wide to gauge trap where the left switch is paired with another end the the right and vice versa. There was definitely one at Ely in the 1930s but I can't match it up at the moment. I remember another at Birmingham New Street No.4 Box which was taken out c1965.