TheSignalEngineer

I must say I found Sidmouth a very nice layout. It reminded me of holidays in the West Country in the 1950s. The atmosphere of no rush, occasional flurry of activity and back to sitting in the sun waiting for the next train to come. Just needed the Test Match commentary on an old valve portable to complete the picture.

Some problems in the early days of dieselisation were that for financial reasons (i.e. the Government was broke) we couldn't bring in ready made expertise from the USA etc. and we were trying to mass produce intricate beasts in factories and with a workforce geared up for heavy engineering. Having said that, without the traffic changes already taking place in the 1950s and restricting myself to seven classes I think there could have been room for A small shunter, either the 03 or a version of one of the already existing 0-4-0 industrials, Class 08 to continue as the standard heavy shunter Class 20 if a Type 1 was really necessary. Single cab was a bit of a problem. Building more Type 2s may have been better for standardisation. A Type 2 Sulzer as the successor to the 4MT/4F steam classes. Class 37 for a medium size mixed traffic loco, the outline of the spec was already proven by the LMS Twins. Probably the diesel equivalent of the Black 5/B1/Hall For a Type 4 the Class 40 and 45 were a bit unwieldy for their power. By 1959 Brush and BRCW were already looking at lighter Co-Co Type 4s with more power, so mass building of nearly 400 1Co-Co1 seems a bit of a waste. For something to out-perform a Duchess or A4, I don't think the Class 55 was along-term answer due to the heavy maintenance those Napier engines needed. It wasn't achieved on a large scale until the HST, although a fleet of Kestrels may have proved interesting. The real answer for lines with a long-term future and heavy traffic would have been to press on faster with electrification

Better get that nameplate I need ordered and check if I'm short of anything for the Kit Stash.

There was a Courage one around 1970 which said "We've been brewing it since 1787". We used to add "but we still haven't got it right"

Possibly a GWR Loriot Y? Or a later version. Not quite the same shape as the Chaired Sleeper Wagon.

It was a Wellington loco 1952-62 then went to Tyseley.

Back in 1977 Enoch Powell wrote a biography of Joseph Chamberlian in which he commented “All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” The same could also be said of political doctrines and those put in charge of organisations which are politically controlled like Network Rail.

The chimney lasted right up to the final closure of the station. A friend of mine took pictures in 1972 where the top is visible. Search Flickr for 'Invader1009' in People and I think you will find one that Stephen took from the track off the end of Up side bays. Even though I frequented the station regularly from about 1959 to closure I don't recall seeing any coal delivered upstairs. As any boiler room would probably have been at ground level I would think it more likely to be delivered by cart from Hockley to the yard below. I can't find any reference so far to the station heating system and how it was fired. I don't think ventilation down below would be a problem as the sides were open to the air for a long stretch.

Yes, you can still get mail order, but I usually attend a couple of shows a year where they are present so stock up then. I'm not sure how good the website is these days, seems a bit chaotic but there is now a 2017 catalogue on now.

Without going via the internet or attending the right exhibitions it's not that easy in the Peak District. Try finding somebody with the right size wheels for a Boplate E in stock. I got mine from the Alan Gibson stand at an exhibition.

It was some big chimney, going almost 53 feet above platform level, which itself was over 27 feet above the ground floor level.

The GWR had very few line wires between Tyseley and Hockley. Virtually everything was cabled even before WW1 in the central area except for a few local circuits where it was difficult to economically put a cable in.

I'll throw in a few clips from my prototype shots over the years. Thunderbird at Glossop with modern blockwork rebuild Jinty at Rawtenstall, preservation rebuild Two Kings and a Grange at Snow Hill - c1911 rebuild era platforms, photos from 1960s A4 at Blackpool North Excursion Platforms, 1961. Looks like recent build or resurface. Leamington Spa 1930s rebuild A low one in preservation at Pickering 80136 and 76079 arrive at Pickering on 29th September 2017 And a nice oldie from Warwickshire railways showing an 1854 build at Birmingham New Street. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwrbns_pg446.htm

Hinges? Some places used to like to warm the bottom if the load was frozen in.

Rees-Mogg? (Puts head in gas oven)

Looking at some pictures around my old area there were Compounds on Birmingham - Bristol expresses up to at least 1937. I can remember seeing them once or twice on the Gloucester stoppers in the 1950s but these regularly turned up with Midland 2P 4-4-0s or 4F 0-6-0s as well.

I think it would depend on the area. On the Midland they were main power ontil the coming of the Stanier classes. On the Northwertern side they ran all sorts but were often seen double heading with other types. There is a picture of two Compounds double heading a Class B service at Coventry in the late 1920s.

Can't find any dimensions but they do look like a position light ground signal from the picture.

In 1885 the Board of Trade Requirements regarding platforms read:- "It is considered desirable that the height of the platforms above the rails should not be less than 2 feet 6 inches." In the 1902 Amendment this was changed to:- "The height of the platforms above rail level to be 3 feet, save under exceptional circumstances and in no case less than 2 feet 6 inches. The edges of the platforms to overhang not less than 12 inches"

From doing some kitchen alterations I have a nice piece of thin sheet steel off a cooker hood chimney. I used that on the floor of mineral wagon kits. Painted and weathered it adds about 30 grams to a 16T wagon. Any other weight weight on open wagons which can run empty is added to the underside with Liquid Gravity. I always apply this in layers, weighing out what I want to add into a plastic tray, coat the area to be covered with glue and scatter on the balls. When set I shake around to make sure the loose stuff is evenly distributed then add more glue.

They may be OK in their proportions. Dimensionally I still think that from their website they are at least 'O' gauge in size.

More to the point, how wet is the car parking area? Last time I went there I nearly didn't get out.

Rather than a tail lamp it was to prevent the driver taking the lamp as a red signal. The same applies to the side lamps on an unfitted freight when on a line with another line in the same direction adjecent. The side lamp was changed from red to white.

I remember my Grandad doing the doors like that in the 1950s

Kyle of Lochalsh August 1984. It did actually snow on us a couple of days later on Cairngorm. Combining this with the previous few, a Scottish military connection please.