The battle for the future of the G scale LGB 'garden' railway system is over and the German manufacturing company of EP Lehmann passes to Marklin.

At a creditors' meeting held on Thursday last week, an offer by Marklin of €4.9M was considered by the banks, who are the main creditors, and turned down. At the meeting the offer was then increased by a further €1M and this was accepted. The sale price was therefore €5.9M.

Marklin announced that production of LGB would be transferred to their factory at Göppinger and the much more modern EP Lehmann factory in Nuremberg disposed of. The LGB G scale range will fit well within Marklin's multi-gauge production policy. Marklin's managing director, Axel Dietz, said that he was keen to get the LGB range quickly back into production.

It remains to be seen what will happen with regard to the thwarted American LGB importer G45 whose bid was overturned. They claim to own the LGB trademark and so further court action may follow. Another company who were looking on with interest with a view to the possible purchase of EP Lehmann was Bachmann Europe plc who already own Liliput.

I was intrigued by Steve Mann’s posting (1 August) concerning a poll of MREmag reader’s layout/modelling preferences.  This is just a ‘bit of summer holiday fun’, but I have devised a very simple poll (below) which Pat has agreed to publish.

Please note that neither I nor Pat will enter into any discussion about the questions, nor will Pat publish such discussion prior to the results (like the Monthly Quiz).

It’s just a bit of fun! OK?

Look at the list of statements. (Perhaps print out a copy to study?), Make a note of the ones that closely apply to you – ignore any others.  Send me an e-mail with those letters (e.g. B C E F G H L N) as the subject line (with no other message whatsoever, because I won’t look at it!)

I will send the results to Pat for publication early September.

Products

A. I mainly scratch-build.

B. I buy mainly ready-to-run products.

C. I buy only products that suit my layout (era, region, etc.).

D. I buy any model railway item that takes my fancy.

Prototype or Just running trains

E. I like fully researching the things I model.

F. My model railway is based on a prototype location.

G. The trains I model are based on prototypes (coach formations etc.).

H. I run to a timetable (or some form of sequence).

I. My layout is simply to enable me to run any type of train I like.

J. I run the 5.15pm to Tring as a DMU with a helicopter launch flatcar in the consist.

K. I have trains whizzing round all over the place.

Running versus Scenery

L. I am more interested in running trains than building scenery.

M. I am more interested in building scenery than running trains.

Electrics

N. I like the electrics to be as simple as possible.

O. I like wires going all over the place.

Collecting

P. I consider myself to be a model railway collector.

I wonder if I might approach the very knowledgeable MREmag readership for help with a problem involving both model and prototype.

The prototype is the GNSR Class F (LNER/BR D40) 4-4-0 loco, 8 being built for the GNSR in 1920 and more were built but sold on due to GNSR financial problems. I am building an 0 gauge model of the loco and would like to include the inside valve gear. I know it was Stevensons but apparently there was single or double slide bar types and I have been unable to find out which. Until permission comes through for a long weekend in Glasgow and a look at 'Gordon Highlander', I would appreciate any assistance available.

With regard to the many debates on modelling matters, I think one of the most important aspects of any hobby is that 'it works for you'. I enjoy 7mm fine scale modelling - mainly the construction aspect. I shall never have the space or finance to have an exact prototype layout (although Macduff looks possible). So, I am currently constructing a typical 'plank' using actual structures from around the region.

I am using the excellent C+L track parts to enable the correct 4 bolt chairs and interlaced turnouts for the area modelled and I enjoy that. It bothers me if the small details are not correct and I enjoy getting it right as far as I can. I have also built a Thomas 'tail chaser' layout for my grandsons using out of the box Hornby products, and I also enjoy that (fortunately so do they). A comment on the truly excellent balance Hornby have achieved with the Thomas range of products, they look good, run well and are robust enough for children. That is not an easy thing to achieve, by anyone.

'Live and Let Live' is an excellent motto for MREmag. I don't necessarily agree with the 'it's only a hobby' sentiment, but strongly feel that whatever your hobby 'if it works for you, you are doing it right' - end of story.

Keep up the good work Pat, truly essential daily reading.

Stewart Ingram

I would like to add my support to Andy Foster's request for a final condition A3 from Hornby.

In particular it would be nice to have one of the final pair of Scottish Region allocated A3s, 60041 'Salmon Trout' or 60052 'Prince Palatine' with GNR coal rail tenders and double chimney with smoke deflectors. I was lucky enough to have been around during that period and would love to see one of these locos reproduced in their final condition.

Also on this subject, it would also be nice if Hornby were to produce a model of the 'Flying Scotsman' as it ran around in its preserved condition as 4472 in the 1960s.

Neil McWilliam

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In response to Andy Foster's item in MREmag today, yes I would certainly want to buy an A3 in the condition he describes, if Hornby were to make one. I must say, however, I'm not so keen on the "lowered smokebox number plate and split handrail" variant. I know they were modified like that, but I think it spoilt their appearance. It wouldn't put me off, however!

Also, I agree with Dick Flower and Jeff Groom that a retooled Bachmann Class V2 would be very welcome. At the time of it's introduction it was a good model, but time and standards have moved on and it now looks dated alongside the rest of the range and the new generation of Hornby products.

Steve Pearce

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In reply to Andy Foster, it would be nice to have a full range of A3s by Hornby, including both boiler types and almost every variation modelled. Andy asks for opinions.

Surely this is a place for the old art of 'kit-bashing' and scratch-building of parts? Or finding small-run manufacturers who can undertake this kind of work?

Robbie McGavin

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What a lovely little minefield Andy Foster has walked into.

In theory there is a limited number if you follow this through. Apart from 'Flying Scotsman', does he mean the style as at scrapping? That was their final condition.

When Corgi issued their Bassett-Lowke A3, we know they got the livery all wrong using Southern green for an LNER loco. However, I bought one and I wanted mine repainted into final BR livery using just double chimney, German smoke deflectors and GN tender as my criterion. Note, no reverser, number plate position, etc.. Even with that identification I came up with just one which suited, 'Knight of Thistle'. Please don't tell me I got it all wrong - the LNER really is at the bottom of my interest. They couldn't even get the name right - surely there should be one or two 'the's in there somewhere.

The result pleases my eye (and those who have seen it) even though I cannot find any supplier of 0 gauge German smoke deflectors. Does anybody know where I can get them?

Perhaps I had better shut up and go into hiding but I do wish Andy the best of luck.

Peter Gomm

Graham Plowman rightly reminds us that we should take care in marshalling our steam-era goods trains. However, he is wrong to imply that a random mix of fitted and unfitted wagons is incorrect. Train classification and marshalling is quite a big subject and I won’t go into great detail here (again!).

Suffice it to say that many trains would be booked to run as ‘fully fitted’ or ‘partially fitted’, the latter having a sufficient number of fitted wagons behind the engine. And, don’t forget that a ‘piped’ wagon (normally bauxite, like a fitted wagon) adds nothing to the brake force and is otherwise equal to a grey unfitted wagon. Other trains, not so classified, could have the wagons marshalled in any convenient order – the shunting arrangements taking precedence over any question of having a fitted head. Just look at photos of a typical pick-up or transfer goods if you don’t believe me!

Nick Stanbury

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Although Graham Plowman is of course right to say that vacuum-braked and through-piped (un-braked) vans were in principle placed adjacent to the train engine to maximise braking, I'm not sure how regularly this was done. My understanding was that having a certain minimum number of braked vehicles, permitted the trains to run in a different class with a higher maximum speed limit. However, from various railwayman's recollections I have read in print, I got the distinct impression that this was often ignored.

Obviously on a train that is doing what we today call 'multi-drop', the train will be composed of several different sections to be dropped off en route and this would be desirably done without too much shunting. But the other thing is that in steam days, goods trains would often spend most of their time queuing in goods loops and achieving exceptionally low average speeds, so, the amount of train braking made very little difference to the train's actual running. Loose coupled trains also suffered from coupling snatch when slowing or accelerating which further limited their running speed. Photographic evidence seems to support the theory that loose-coupled goods trains were often made up with the vans and trucks in an apparently random order that owed as much to the ease in forming them as any consideration of brake effort or running class.

Clearly at all periods there were many goods trains with urgent schedules which were treated as expresses and these, of course, would have a guaranteed minimum number of braked vehicles and probably either screw or instanter couplings on the rest to reduce the problems of coupling snatch. I seem to recall that, by later BR steam days, the recognition of the poor safety of short-wheelbase wagons, whether loose-coupled or not, led to stricter speed limits being imposed and the eventual removal of them from the railway network.

But, in modelling terms, I would love to see more layouts make a clear distinction between express freights, that are appropriately braked and run fast, and loose-coupled unbraked freights running slowly. Also, given the attention being paid to close-coupling on coaches, I wonder if anyone has thought about this issue on braked 4-wheel stock? Any braked (brown) vans running braked could not in reality be run with loose 3-link couplings!

Anthony New

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I'm afraid Graham Plowman has rather over simplified a very complex subject! 'Fitted' freight trains had, in BR days, a head of wagons with the automatic brake operational. Prior to 1962, a class D express freight was required to have a third of the wagons fitted, whereas a typical class E express freight needed just four fitted wagons next to the loco. In either case, the rest of the train could be formed of a mixture of both fitted and unfitted wagons.

There was also the unfitted class F express freight which could well have been a mix of types so a random mix of fitted and unfitted wagons does represent a commonly seen protoype!

Graham Lee

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Bauxite wagons/vans were fitted with automatic brakes and were 'piped' as such (fitted). Grey wagons/vans were not fitted with automatic brakes and were not 'piped' (unfitted). A third variation also occurred (generally vans) where they were 'through piped' but did not have automatic brakes. All the above had brakes - the hand brake.

Fitted and through piped wagon/vans were generally at the 'head' of the train but could be mixed in the train if the automatic brake was released.

Unfitted trains would often have to stop and manually 'pin down' the brakes on a locally defined number of wagons where a severe down gradient occurred and release them at the bottom.

Derek Evans

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Grey wagons were unfitted and bauxite were fitted but you could also have some wagons which was bauxite but they were piped only. The vac pipe was painted white. Also, in the make up of goods trains, you may have had unfitted behind the locomotive if they were going to be set down some place and you could find that some goods trains had more then one brake van.

Regarding my search for blue Class 20s with 'D' numbers, I have found the following: D8010, D8048, D8068, D8069 and D8103. I have also some more green ones.

Keep up your great work. I try to log on each day.

Kevin Mulhall

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While Graham Plowman’s observations are generally correct, it really all depended on whether or not the locomotive pulling the train was itself fitted with a vacuum ejector. If it wasn’t, as was the case very often even up to the 1980s, then the train would be marshalled as appropriate to the loads themselves and where the wagons were bound - notably on a pick-up goods or trip working. Many steam locomotives, especially 0-6-0s, were not fitted with any form of train brake, except for the locomotive and tender brake, and so mixtures of differently coloured wagons would not necessarily look amiss.

Paul Reilly

Re Glenn Martin's letter re the above, for Mk1 and the new Mk11 coaches with the expanding couplings, he should try the new 'Roco' style couplings available from Hornby.

They work for me.

Davis Smith

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On my Bachmann Mk1s I, have replaced the NEM style couplings with the shorter Bachmann NEM type, with a cranked shaft, as supplied with their BR 4-wheeled 'steam era' wagons. I'm afraid I don't have the part number as I've thrown the packet away. This closes the gap between the coaches to about 2mm when being pulled, and zero when propelling (in fact they push on the gangways) but they still to negotiate 3 ft radius curves without any problems. They no longer couple and uncouple from each other quite automatically (you have to 'fiddle' them together by pulling the sprung drawbars outward slightly), but this solution has the benefit that the coaches will still couple automatically with locos and other vehicles.

On Hornby vehicles, it's a bit more involved. I've discarded the close coupling mechanism altogether and reverted to couplings rigidly fixed onto the bogies. I made a bracket from 60 thou Plastikard and attached it to the bogie frame, using one of the small countersunk screws originally used to hold the close coupling mechanism. On the Gresleys, there's a nice 'pocket' in the bogie moulding almost ready-made for this purpose. On the Staniers, the bracket fits above the bogie moulding. The other countersunk screw from the original coupling mech. is then used to fix a Bachmann coupling (36-025 Mini Type Short) to the outer end of this bracket, close up against the bogie headstock. This reduces the gap, but, to further improve the appearance, I've fitted folded paper type gangways to the coaches. These are by MJT on the Gresleys but home-made, using the original gangway end boards, on the Staniers.

Steve Pearce

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For the Bachmann Mk1s, there are a couple of solutions: 1) use the new Hornby NEM close couplers (R8220) or 2) use Keen replacement drawbars and Roco close couplers (they look like the Hornby ones, but are shorter).

The first option is a simple replacement, but doesn't address the fact that the Bachmann coupling pocket is set higher than the NEM standard - this doesn't cause a problem within a rake of Mk1s, but it can be an issue if coupling them to other coaches. The second option is a bit more work, but it does put the coupler at the correct height and location. Both options will allow the coaches to run gangway to gangway on straight track while extending to prevent buffer lock on the curves. They should be perfectly happy on 3ft curves (on our club layout minimum is 3ft).

For the Hornby Gresleys (and I presume, the NEM-equipped Pullmans), the Roco close coupler works well. Note that the Hornby and Roco couplers will connect, the primary difference between them is length. On well-laid flat track, a Hornby coupler in a Mk1 and a Roco coupler in a Gresley should couple despite the height difference.

The Fleischmann Profi Coupler can also be used in place of the Roco coupler, but it is not compatible with the Roco/Hornby parts, so it would have to be used throughout.

Adrian Wintle, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

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I have used Bachmann's 36-025 short couplings within Mk1 rakes. On straights this virtually holds the corridor connections together and these open out on curves. On my layout I run 8-coach rakes and the coaches negotiate a reverse loop of 22" radius with no problems. For tighter radii, try replacing only one coupling with a 36-025.

For Hornby's Gresley coaches, I use their R8220 Roco style coupling with similar results.

Mike Wildman

For anyone modelling Beckenham Junction, as I am, Birkbeck, Elmers End, Mitcham Junction or Wimbledon, London's Transport Museum have commissioned a Bombardier tram in Tramlink livery (admittedly in HO scale); see their website www.ltmuseum.co.uk/shop. It is supplied with a complete set of destination labels but these are self adhesive on the face and are obviously intended to be attached inside the "glass" screens; I cannot see how to remove the bodies to apply these to the inside. Has anybody any suggestions?

Geoff Ford

Hear, hear, John Challenor. I couldn’t agree more with your posting (Thursday), which was in part a response to an earlier one of mine. You’ve hit the nail right on the head. If this is a true modelling magazine, we should be sharing knowledge of all aspects of modelling, not just discussing the manufacturer’s release schedules or their merits or shortcomings when they are released. What about sharing advice on kit building, laying ballast, landscaping, scratch building houses and other buildings etc., etc., etc. Most of us will have attempted some or all of these aspects of modelling so let’s share it with each other. John’s comments have motivated me to get something posted next week. I’m not a great modeller but I’m happy to share my mistakes as well as my successes.

Dick Flower

The first Bachmann locomotive I bought, back in the early nineties, was the original Standard Class 4. Unlike Nicholas Rothon's, mine has never 'waddled' and has been a consistently smooth runner.

My own resident 'waddler', also bought in the nineties, is the 43xx Mogul. Unfortunately, I bought it on vacation, interstate, and didn't take it out of its box until some months after returning home, so I was in no position to take it back. The 'surgeon' at my local model shop, who can usually fix anything, says it would not be cost effective to repair. At least it is quiet and a good hauler, which is why it still gets the occasional run at low speed instead of having had the opportunity of a test flight from my second floor window.

Normally I don't give my locos nicknames, but this one is called 'Red', which may seem a strange name for a loco with an obviously green livery. It's just that its 'wobble' is so disconcerting the only way I can bear to watch it go round is after a couple of glasses of Merlot. Then it looks just fine.

For the record, I have over twenty other Bachmann locos and none of them have been like 'Red'. In fact, they all run to a similar standard as my much more expensive European models, so I regard Bachmann models as excellent quality at an attractive price. 'Red' is just an aberration. A couple more Merlots and so am I.

Richard Whitmore

In response to John Jeffery's query regarding double heading Class 20s, try each one separately to determine which direction they move when told to go forward; if they both move nose first or both tail first then he needs to change the 'normal direction of travel' that is set for the decoder - CV29 is the one to look at. For Digitrax decoders the factory setting is 06 which decrees a 'forward' direction - this assumes the decoder has been installed according to the wiring standard. The CV29 setting you choose depends on a number of factors such as speed steps/table, analogue mode, normal direction of travel, 2 or 4 digit address. For Digitrax a setting of 07 is equivalent to 06 in all but normal direction of travel. Settings of 38 & 39 are equivalent to 6 & 7 but for 4-digit addressing.

I've been able to get two Class 20s running nose to nose by following the above.

Colin Frame, Burnaby, B.C.

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CV29 defines which way round a loco runs under DCC. It allows easy semi-permanent reversal of a loco, by reprogramming the CV. The other way, at least as far as Digitrax is concerned, is to define the two locos as a consist with its own number and both running the same direction when set nose to nose (showing that there is more than one way to skin a cat).

James Powell

Further to the subject of reproducing loco sounds, I should love to go DCC and equip my stock (diesel) with some sort of sound, but the purse strings won't run to all of them. Okay, I guess I could select a few, but then the rest just might end up shelved. Can anyone (and I have asked this before) recommend either a reasonably realistic, stand alone unit or, better still, DVDs or CDs with no irritating commentary on, for the popular types such as 25, 37, 47 etc..

Any advice would be appreciated.

As always, a great site Pat.

Phil Dankowycz

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I feel obliged to point out that Robbie McGavin's assertion that you cannot 'model' sound is completely incorrect.

He has obviously not been aware of the multi-million pound sound synthesis industry, which has been around for well over 40 years!

Given the time and investment, it is theoretically possible to model any sound in software, although a more convenient way is to use a sample-based system, mixing and messing about with the sounds, much as you do with any commercial recording.

These are extremely exciting times for the audio industry and, although at the moment I get a little irritated by Bachmann Class 20s screeching round every layout at an exhibition with the volume set to 'stun', we have to remember that DCC sound is very much in its infancy at the moment.

Once the novelty wears off a bit and people start to apply the ever-developing technology of the audio industry to model railways properly, I believe sound will literally become as common as track pins!

There are some of us out here who are keenly embracing the amazing technology of the pro audio industry and thinking about wider applications for it. It may take some time, but the potential is all there...

Robin Johnson

There is a eye-catching picture of a 4mm scale model of the LMS diesel 10000 on the front cover of the magazine. This introduces an exclusive article on the FIA Trains brass model with some excellent pictures inside. There is also more brass on the way from the Far East in the form of SanCheng 0 gauge ready-to-run models of a Hall, Terrier tank and a Rebuilt Royal Scot.

There are the first pictures of the forthcoming Bachmann Class 108 with alternative body shells and the latest ViTrains Class 37s. Reviews and critiques include the Graham Farish 04 shunter, the OO Works 0-6-0 Black Motor, the extra Pendolino cars by Hornby, latest Graham Farish releases and recent wagons from Hornby and Bachmann. A consumer test of model hedges shows considerable variation in realism.

The Masterclass subject this time is the Peppercorn A1 Class. This includes a history of the class by Ben Jones and the conversion of the Bachmann model to 'Tornado'. There is also the usual listing of models past while the first in a new series on memorable trains features the A1 hauled 7.55pm Perth-Edinburgh Waverley. This shows how you can model the train with ready-to-run models on the market.

The layout feature is 'Badgers' Lane', a compact Western Region layout by Richard Bannister. The 'BR Operations' feature this month reveals the modelling potential of passenger train workings at the London end of the ECML.

The interview series moves on to George Smith, the managing director at Dapol. There is also follow-up reaction from the NMRA regarding the earlier interview with Simon Kohler.

By Brian Macdermott

Back in 1954, the turntable at Branksome was taken out and the resultant hole eventually filled. After tamping, a connecting piece of track was laid to fill the breach. This new piece met the old with something of a ‘dog leg’. The first loco over the section (a West Country) derailed her under-cab pony wheels. She was re-railed during the day. Another West Country reversed onto the track the next day, and the same thing happened. A check-rail was installed and the derailments stopped.

The news that Bachmann is upgrading the Standard Class 4MT, and is some way to completing the upgrading of the Jubilee/Royal Scott, is very interesting regarding a model's life cycle.

I can remember welcoming the original Mainline models in the late seventies/early eighties. Here we had, at last, some really good detailed models that were far better than the Hornby models. OK, they didn't always have a good reputation for the chassis. So it has taken thirty years to upgrade them, with a little help towards chassis improvement in the intervening years.

I also note Simon Kohler's comment in the model railway press that he expects new introductions to last at least ten years. As we know, some of the Hornby models are into 40 plus years since introduction. It will be interesting to see how long some of these present day models will last. (There is a presumption I will be receiving a special birthday card from the Queen). Somehow I think China's ability to produce and the UK's ability to buy, might have more significance than the model itself.

Graham Higgins

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I write to you on model railway matters, having been suitably chastened!

I am delighted to see that Bachmann are creating a new model of the Standard Class 4. The original model seemed to set new standards in appearance when it first appeared, but the chassis was far from satisfactory with driving wheels moving on the axles and it was virtually impossible to quarter it properly, so that model moved with a strange waddle. The new model with a chassis to modern standards should be a great improvement.

As is well known, the 6.10 Oxted line train from Victoria was a constant problem for the Southern Region. It loaded heavily and the tank engines - Fairburns and Standards needed to take water at Oxted so that it became a bad time keeper. With the Kent Coast electrification, some Standard class 4s became available but it has been suggested that they had to be worked very hard and could run out of steam on the climb through the North Downs. This resulted in a change to the draughting and I hope that Bachmann, as with the previous models, will consider alternative chimneys. The problem was finally resolved with the allocation of a Bulleid, but by then other forms of traction were becoming available.

Best wishes to the site in its present form and I hope we can retain a mix of model and general railway items.

Nicholas Rothon

Well the blue touch paper was lit but nothing seems to have happened! Why, methinks! It's because the comments made were correct. I, for one, would like to see more articles on modelling railways and not just locomotives.

A railway layout is a whole network to be modelled and there must be numerous people with tips and ideas. E.g. how to make items on a limited budget. How to get a concrete yard or a tarmac road to look right, including right type of white lining for the period.

People that were actually there in the days of steam, for example, must be a great source of information; not just on which loco ran on what line, but everyday things, what they wore for a start.

I like my layout to look realistic, the loco side is the easiest part as there seems so much information available. Does anyone know where I can find out what a small oil storage depot would look like in 1948, in the Southern Region, just outside a country town?

John Challenor

With the recent acquisition of Airfix by Hornby could this be the prototype of the first "joint" release new model? The link http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html It must be noisy living near the railway in winter in the Czech Republic!

I appreciate Brian Macdermott’s gracious ‘surrender’ (no white flag needed) regarding Rule 148. Honour is satisfied on both sides and we are all a little better informed on a topic which underlies safe railway operation.

Notwithstanding Dick Flower’s understandable concerns when we depart from strictly modelling topics, most aspects of the visible prototype are relevant to modelling, however indirectly. And, at the risk of incurring Dick’s further wrath, could Kevin Mulhall and Andi Dell now give us their answers to the question they both posed: ‘When is a red light an all clear signal?’.

Nick Stanbury

Owners of this new model who have no interest in DCC may wish to remove entirely the wires connecting the loco to the tender.

Unplug the two two-pin connectors under the tender and dismantle the tender. Unscrew and remove the connector and the printed circuit board and then reassemble the tender.

Unscrew the loco axle keeper-plate and unsolder the black and red wires from the pick-up strips; (noting which wire went where).

Snip the red and black wires where they enter the shroud tubing adjacent to the connectors and, baring the ends, solder to the pick-up strips in the same order that the original wires were attached.

Reassemble the keeper plate and - job done!

John Isherwood

Many thanks to Bachmann for issuing revised instructions so promptly and for the overseas contributor who emailed me direct. Mission accomplished!

My loco had the tender connectors marked in different colours - but I have to admit that I didn't see that, without the overseas contributor telling me. I dabbed a light touch of poster paint on the wire that was connected to it so that I would know which way round to fit it on completion. Another mission accomplished!

Brian Macdermott

I know we keep pouring demands on our manufactures but could I add another request. Could they possibly give consideration, when designing chassis and body, to leaving a pocket behind the buffer beam to make life easier for those of us who like to fit our own screw link couplings, some are easier than others and it looks, on first perusal, as though a bit of grinding and filing is going to be needed on the new Bachmann Ivatt Class 2 - which is a stunning little model. I bought one of each release purely because I liked the look of them.

John Rich

Regarding Glenn Martin's query about the gaps between Bachmann's Mk1s and close coupling them using the 'spreader' bar supplied by Bachmann, can I suggest he look no further than the close couplings now sold by Hornby for just the sort of problem he is having. My experiments with these couplings reveals that they hold the coaches diaphragm to diaphragm in a straight line but open out sufficiently on curves so as to not derail the stock when working through complicated pointwork. I am unsure of the catalogue number of the couplings as I am writing this from work but they appear to be a slightly extended version of the Roco close coupling which I have been using for sometime to couple coaches together in rakes. The beauty of the coupling is that they can be lifted straight up to uncouple when the time comes to put them back in their boxes after a running sessions on my friend extensive layout.

I have noticed that the headstocks on some of the Bachmann Mk1s foul the coupling when in a straight line. This sometimes leads to derailing but the couplings seem to keep everything in a straight line and the wheels often re-rail at the next set of trailing points. To overcome this, I usually take a swipe or two across the top of the coupling, where it protrudes between the swallow tail and the business end, with a small 6 inch warding file. If you look at the coupling you will see what I mean.

Locally in Western Australia the couplings retail for about A$13.50 for a pack of ten. This is sufficient to close couple six Mk1s. Just a word of caution here, although they look like the Roco close coupler, they are not happy if you try to mix them. You have been warned.

As an aside, the Hornby Gresleys close couple very nicely with the Roco coupler with little or no discernible gap. However, Hornby's representation of the vestibule connection is a very poor moulding, inherited from the new Pullmans, and could be replaced by the excellent moulding from Roger Keen of Keen Systems. These have a sprung diaphragm plate which steadies the coach and contributes to the illusion of the train being properly coupled together.

Ray Kinsella

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I have read with interest the item by Glenn Martin re: Close coupling of coaches. If Mr Martin would care to contact me, via Pat Hammond, I will send him some photographs of my close coupled coaches and he can judge for himself.

Stuart May

Message for Peter Sapte: a photo of Schools 30924 appears on page 110 of Lure of Steam by Eric Treacy.

Brian Macdermott

If readers remember, I did previously raise the question of tenders for the then to be introduced Bachmann 9Fs pointing out that 92249 only had the BR1B tender for the last years of its life on the LMR. I suggested at that time that maybe Bachmann should reconsider and issue with the BR1G tender which it carried during its initial years on the Western and which would be far more popular. However Bachmann having catalogue the loco with the BR1G issued as per the picture.

Perhaps Bachmann may wish to consist a 9F in the 92203 - 92249 range with a BR1G for the next round of 9F releases.

May I also just endorse the Editor's comments regarding Bachmann new releases. It is a fact that what is announced at the beginning of a year will not be released for at least 18 months, or more likely 24 months, later. This is supported by the recent new releases of Ivatts and Class 47s which have just become available. The 4-CEP and Super D should not be expected until at least the latter part of 2008.

Finally, may I concur with others that we are indulging in our hobby - it should be fun, relaxing and educational!

John Cherry

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Bob Bishop asks about 92249 and the BR1B tender on the Bachmann model. The Ian Allan book The 9Fs BR's Heavy Freight Locomotive shows 92249 on page 44, photographed in 1966. The caption says that it is coupled to a BR1G tender - but it clearly isn't as the tender is a high-sider. It is very likely that it would have had a BR1G when new as this was the norm for Western Region allocated engines (first shedded Ebbw Junction, then Cardiff Canton).

Jim Parley

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Purchasers of the recent model of 92006 should be aware that it is only correct for the period up to around 1959. In that year it was fitted with a double chimney and had the late crest applied; to run it as an S&D, 9F you need to make the same alterations that BR did.

John Isherwood

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Bob Bishop enquires about 92249 as modelled by Bachmann. I can assure him they are correct but it was very late in it's life when acquired so this time scale is very short.

Ian Taylor

Brian's thoughts on shunting are interesting. Readers may be interested in my system, which gives infinite options.

Each wagon is represented by a card, the card containing information about loads etc. used by the firm owning the wagon etc. In addition, there are cards for each company or firm at the station that use the railway for inwards or outwards transportation of goods.

By shuffling the cards at the start of an extended operation session, perhaps lasting a month or more, a fixed number can be drawn at 1100am, 3pm etc. and the goods controller has to arrange for empties to collect goods from the yard or deliveries to it at either of my stations. If the number of wagon loads exceeds the trains limit they are held back for the next day and an endless number of combinations are thus generated.

It is great fun and each goods train runs with a purpose on every trip, including clearing wagons from sidings after a suitable time for unloading.

John Phillipson

Hornby have released M7 R2626 and the online catalogue shows it as 'DCC fitted' at £95.00 but stocks at my local model shop are 'DCC ready' only but still priced at £95.00. I contacted Hornby Customer Service by email regarding the price and was surprised to receive the attached reply which, if correct, means Hornby are charging over £15.00 extra just for the fitting of a DCC socket. The comment about price rises in the last couple of years gives me the impression that the person who replied to my enquiry hadn't done much research as the first M7s were released only earlier this year and are still priced at £79.99 in the same catalogue.

I know that Simon Kohler takes an interest in these pages; perhaps he would like to comment.

With regards to your comments about Bachmann’s problems, I cannot fully agree that their main problem is capacity at the factory in China. As an N gauge modeller, I am more than appreciative of the excellent standards Graham Farish models now have. However, it is so frustrating that models are announced, yet years later there is still no sign of them, but we have new models which seem to take less than a year to get to market. We still haven’t had the Warship or Class 101, which have both been listed for years now, yet we have had the Classes 57 and 66 and the Voyager - not to mention the many wagons such as POA, OBA etc.

Perhaps Bachmann should concentrate on their promises instead of dropping everything when Dapol announce a Class 66, so that they can concentrate on their model of the same. And, where did Graham Farish’s Voyager come from? It was never announced, yet, when Dapol release theirs, it turns out that Bachmann already have one in development. The Class 150, which was announced, has apparently run into problems because there are apparently no drawings available. Perhaps Bachmann should have done some initial research and then announced that they were to produce one when they were in a position to get one to market in 18 months, or was it a case of stopping Dapol producing it, even though they had announced their intentions first (getting back at the Class 66 incident).

It seems that there is no consistency at Barwell.

I have just purchased two Chipped Class 20s and I want to use them in a double headed formation. Running a conventional double head formation is so easy with DCC, but operationally the Class 20s often operated 'nose to nose' to enable maximum vision for the driver's, whatever direction the train was travelling.

My query is: If I operate the Class 20s in this fashion, will they end up 'fighting each other' as, I presume, both will be wanting to travel forward, but each will be facing a different direction. Can anyone advise, or am I just imagining possible problems.

John Jeffery

Issue 3 of Hornby Magazine is the first we have reviewed and editor Mike Wild and publisher Paul Appleton assured me that, while Hornby approved the use of its name in the title of the publication, there was no requirement for publishers (Ian Allan Publishing Ltd) to give Hornby any preference in coverage and there would be none (that is preference!).

This represents a return to railway modelling for Ian Allan who launched Railway Modeller in 1949 (later selling it to Peco) and then took over Model Railway Constructor which was last published in June 1987. There had been rumours that Ian Allan Publishing were about to re-launch 'the Constructor' but, instead, a new name was chosen for a new magazine. Interestingly, the last editor of Model Railway Constructor, Chris Leigh, is today the editor of the highly successful Model Rail magazine.

Hornby Magazine sets out to serve those starting out in railway modelling and a feature that Mark Wild drew to my attention is the series called Off the Shelf which looks at what is available on the market, according to the theme you have adopted for modelling. In this the third issue of the magazine the theme is BR Southern Region with an extensive list of ready-to-run steam locomotives and passenger rolling stock currently available in 00. This includes standard type locomotives and coaches that ran on the Southern Region. To go with this, the 'inspirational' article is on Southern Region steam.

Layouts featured in this issue include 'Arrowmouth', built in 4mm scale by Redditch MRC in 1992 and illustrating a main line in the early 1960s which runs along the seafront, and Mike Upton's 'Chapel End', revealing how it was built. A third layout visited is Chris Nevard's 'Combwich' photographed by him in 1960s diesel mood. Chris is the magazine's regular photographer.

Practical modelling articles include a further episode in building 'Horndale' (an 00 circular layout), making the most of the Skaledale coal drop, layout planning by MREmag contributor Anthony New, fitting different chips in the Hornby Britannia, basic electrics and a guide to modelling trees. There is also an article on making level crossings realistic.

The 17 pages of model reviews and news will be popular and include a critique of the new Bachmann Class 47. This is supported by an article on Class 47s by Railway Illustrated's editor Pip Dunn. There is also a look at the Faller Car System to provide moving cars on the layout's roads.

New releases from Hornby are two further models of the former Lima Class 66 and two more DCC electrical parts.

Regarding photos of 8763. The late Dick Riley's photographs are available through the Transport Treasury, www.transporttreasury.co.uk. There are two photos of 8763, both at Old Oak Common, listed being print numbers 5649 (taken on 28/11/54) and 14148 (taken on 16/8/59).

Kevin Desmond

Many thanks to Robin Johnson for letting me have his opinion of the latest 'Snippets'. There is a background to this.

As there was clearly a demand for more, I agreed with Pat (editor) that I would continue. However, as they were building into a sort of 'accessible database', I thought I ought to write to Ian Allan Ltd. Although many of the comments are over 50 years old, I felt it prudent to seek copyright permission but I am still waiting to hear from them.

The 'broadened snippet' was an experiment to plug the gap.

Robin went on to mention two 'truisms'. I was led to believe, in my line of work, that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' was a blocker to innovation and, if you tell today's model manufacturers that 'less is more', I dare say you would get an unpublishable reply!

Brian Macdermott

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I can fully understand Robin Johnson's comments regarding the longer Snippets that Brian is now writing but I have to say that I like both and think that there is room for both styles. Maybe Brian could write short Snippets under their original heading and have a new heading for the longer story line items. Whatever happens, please keep up the good work.

Chris Jones

Catching up with MREmag after my holiday, I must say that I agree with Dick Flower that a retooled Bachmann Class V2 would be a good idea.

Jeff Groom

Regarding today's piece on Challenges Facing the Manufacturers, I have found that research always throws up more questions than answers.

Peter Gomm

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Just a word about Bachmann and this, emphatically, is not me 'having a go' at them. I remember, it may even have been in MREmag, the suggestion that Hornby catalogues should be taken as a list of the items which would be available in the year of issue, whereas Bachmann's should be taken only as a 'statement of intent'. Over the years, this has been proven to be true. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the 4-CEP is now scheduled for 2008.

Those of us 'in the trade' know that an up to eighteen month gestation period is the norm for Bachmann's new items, remember the Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T, the N Class, the Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 and the recent (and lovely) Mk1 RMB. So, twelve to eighteen months after the 2008 catalogue arrives, any new items therein will probably start to be released (see the announcement of the retooled 4-6-0 Standard 4).

John Simmonds

I can confirm Jinty 47482’s numbering style from two other sources. A very clear photo was taken by Eric Sawford on 5 February 1967 at Cohen’s scrapyard in Kettering (British Railways Steam in the 1960s, page 164.)

Richard Strange, of the Steam Railway Record Society, tells me 47482 was in Darlington Works for General Repair from at least 18 January to 7 March 1964. She was seen ex-works on shed on 25 April 1964, by which time she had this unusual numbering style.

Does anyone know of any other Jinty so treated?

Brian Macdermott

Maybe I’m in the minority but I come to MREmag, in large part, for the debates, even when I don’t participate in them. I find it far more educational to see several people argue (gently) the pros, cons and misconceptions of a subject (especially DCC which is plagued with all sorts of ghost stories) and arrive at a consensus. I prefer this to reading an article which I have no way of knowing is accurate (the web has no peer review as we are all aware). Of course, sometimes there is no consensus, and that fact alone is invaluable. It tells me that I am going to have to get educated and make decisions for myself. It is an uncomfortable feeling when one of my own long and fondly held axioms is overturned by a knowledgeable person, but that isn’t a bad thing from where I stand. Once the ego bruises heal I am the better for the process.

Steve Mann

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I wish to express my agreement with the contributors who are in favour of the discussions that range over a wide variety of topics. Personally, I hope to see the merits of a new ready-to-run T9 given similar scrutiny.

Peter Bedding

I have on my 'test-track' at the moment a rake of Bachmann's excellent Mk1s. It is really pleasing to see a rake of ten of these coaches together. However, examination of the coaches in motion reveals that they have a gaping chasm between them (especially at the front of the rake) that looks completely wrong. I can understand that there would be a large gap on set-track curves, but these coaches are running on 3 foot minimum radius curves!

I have substituted shorter couplings in the NEM pockets and the close coupler/vacuum pipe arrangement supplied with the Mk1s, but even these don't cure the problem completely. Surely someone can come up with something better than the current close-coupling system; perhaps a magnetic arrangement for the actual corridor connections themselves could be developed without too much trouble. It pains me that with all the marvellous developments in detailing and the fantastic possibilities that DCC offers, no-one is paying any attention to a really good close-coupling mechanism for rolling stock.

I know this is not purely a Bachmann problem; Hornby's Pullmans are the same and, as for their latest Gresley's, they are nothing short of disastrous.

Glenn Martin

Recent letters about possible new models have reminded me that I meant to write this earlier in the year, after a few of us complained about Hornby not producing another final condition A3. I wrote to Simon Kohler then and got a slightly less negative reply than one which was reported here. In the hope that Hornby will produce another one with elephant's ears, perhaps we ought to say exactly what we'd like, so here's my suggestion:

Double chimney; German-style smoke deflectors; straight (Doncaster-style) reverser; lowered smokebox number plate and split handrail; GNR style coal rail tender (surprisingly, more had these at the end).

I think that covers every variant except for the boiler: normal A3 type 94 or A4 type 107. The A3s which survived until, say, 1963 were split about 50-50. But as 'The White Knight' had a 94 boiler it would seem balanced to have one with a 107.

What does anyone think?

Andy Foster

Yes, I know no-one mentioned them last week. I’m sneaking in an idea for a future poll.

Does anyone think it would be useful to poll the readership of MREmag to determine just how they model railways? I would like to see numbers on how many prefer to run a strict prototype model. How many adopt a 'many prototypical trains on a generic layout' approach (the trains are 'right', the scenery doesn’t really count)? How many adopt a 'who cares, just run trains' approach (this is the one where the 5:15pm local DMU to Tring has a helicopter launching flatcar included in the consist and the signalmen must be alert for the odd Turbo Car 'special')? I readily admit I don’t know what the questions should be in such a poll, but I would like to float the idea anyway. It should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that there wouldn’t be a 'right' answer in such a poll.

In case you’re wondering, my last layout had the helicopter-equipped train to Tring and the hypersonic specials, my next one will (maybe) be a museum/heritage layout - only because no-one makes a Battle-Space Turbo Car in N scale and I’m too ham-fisted to scratch-build one. I am ill-served by the prototype-obsessed manufacturers of today.

Steve Mann

Bob Bishop is correct that 92249 did in fact run with a BR1G tender when built and was based on the Western Region. It was coupled to the BR1B only late on its life, after, like many of its WR sisters, being transferred to Carlisle. In fact, I believe the actual tender that 92249 was attached to came from a withdrawn Crosti boilered loco.

Dick Flower

As a follow-on to Brian Macdermott's snippet No.112 in MREmag, on Tuesday 31st July, there is another variation which people might like to think about when applying 'method' to the formation of a goods train.

In BR steam days, when wagons were painted grey to indicate 'unfitted - no brakes' or maroon/bauxite to indicate 'fitted with brakes', it was the practice that wagons with brakes were placed behind the locomotive and those without brakes were placed behind the fitted vehicles, followed by a brake van on the rear end. This was done so that as much of a goods train which could provide braking, did so. Thus, the maximum amount of braking force could be achieved.

In simple terms, a loco had the maroon/bauxite wagons behind it, the grey wagons behind them and a brake van on the end. It is surprising the number of layouts one sees where fitted and unfitted wagons are randomly mixed up.

Graham Plowman

My apologies to the memory of OS Nock for the initial 'K' I added to his name. People used to sometimes call me 'Bread', or even 'White, Unsliced'.

Could I add to my list of wants for DCC TNG by asking for a sound module(s) that can accept the (loco supplied) location of my (minuscule) N scale locos and route the sound to some (humongous) speakers in their locale on the layout so that the roar of my mighty paired SD40-2s pounding through Kicking Horse Pass, with the hammer well-and-truly down, doesn’t sound like squeaky feedback from a micro cassette recorder? Moreover, can that module do a nice fade between speaker locations, please?

Steve Mann

Andrew Carter opens a can of worms with questions about the 'style' of sounds for model trains! You cannot 'model' sound. You can reproduce it.

I grew up with steam and diesel and beautifully recorded sounds and, like Andrew, I have difficulty accepting a basic 'chuff' noise. There was always too much subtlety in the sounds of trains and I personally found a Bachmann Spectrum NYC Hudson sound to be very good, but somewhat 'gee whizz'. They are excellent sound nevertheless.

Whether it be a light passenger train, rapidly 'notching up', or a rebuilt O2 2-8-0 starting 800 unbraked tons with blocked sanders... I'm not sure how to 'model' this. I think ultimately one would need an whole orchestra of sounds.

I'm not sure if a computer could replicate the sound of a 1966 NZ 'Kb' 4-8-4 nearly-stalled in ice and snow with a coal train in our Southern Alps, yet many model these trains in suitable scale. Equally, the current NZ coal trains have various GM and EMD engines which, on cloudless freezing nights, well, you couldn't easily account for the acoustics, reverberations, echoes... and the air is frozen and clear.

I know, certainly, that British steam was variable and I ask whether a basic chip powering a very full range of acoustic effects is possible? A library of sounds accessible to the chips in model trains?

All praise to Brian McDermott.. Any interested kid could tell if a train had a 'Jubilee' or a 'Black 5', or even a 'Standard'... and later in life I could lie a'bed at night and tell what kind of motorbike was revving! These are all part of modelling.. although really arcane aspects of railway operation are best left to specific modelling.

But an O2 lifting a full load of coal wagons across the ECML when there was an eight-minute 'window'... no, I think we must always rely on our imagination.

Like the thoughts of the signalman, or the driver. Which I have to say were quite probably very basic. ..with an out-of-pattern Football Special with an 'A1' and 15 Gresley carriages.

My point being, that sounds do not easily translate to model trains. Is it 'gee whizz?' Or is it a valid and enjoyable part of modelling?

Robbie McGavin, New Zealand

This exhibition is this coming weekend (Saturday 4th 1000-1700 and Sunday 5th 1000-1630 August) at St Felix School, Halesworth Rd., Southwold (A1095) IP18 6SD

There will be twenty layouts in various scales and gauges, passenger carrying live steam, in the grounds, full trade support, modelling demonstrations, societies stands, light refreshments, large free car park and wheelchair access to the halls.

By Brian Macdermott

When you shunt a freight train in your goods yard, do you randomly attach/detach wagons to the train? Why not try applying a method of deciding what gets picked up or dropped off?

One very simple way is to use the days of the week. If it’s Monday, attach/detach one wagon. If it’s Tuesday, shunt two. By Sunday, you will be shunting seven.

Another way is to look at your watch when the freight arrives. For example, a train arriving between 15.00 and 15.09 will attach/detach one wagon. A train arriving between 15.10 and 15.19 will shunt two. And so on.

An addition to your 'Railways On TV' newsflashes and for those that have Sky, there is a channel called Horse And Country' (it's channel number 280) and it is showing the series made originally by Meridian TV in about 1998-1999. The series is called Southern Steam.

I discovered it by chance last Thursday night at 11.00 when it showed one of the series which featured IOW Steam Railway Class O2 No.24 'Calbourne', trains on the Bluebell, the first run of the then newly restored blue(?) rebuilt MN 35005 on a run to Southampton docks and the first movements of Ivatt 2-6-2T 41312 on the MHR after restoration.

The programmes are beautifully and professionally filmed and are not too patronising. Anoraks are never mentioned.

The viewer has to search for the episodes, though. They seem to be dotted throughout the week with reckless abandon, but they are worth the trouble of searching them out.

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I too have recently purchased a Bachmann Ivatt class 2 loco in BR green and very lovely is too!

Anyone who as also purchased one will notice that there are 2 sockets underneath the tender which is directly in line with the drawbar.

Now on previously issued models Bachmann gave us the option of a 2 hole spacing drawbar, depending on what radius curves you had, but now, because of the sockets position, this is not possible. However, they have thoughtfully provided a shorter drawbar. Wonderful!, you say, but apart from undoing the screw holding the drawbar in position on the loco how the devil do you get the longer drawbar out without damaging the loco? On mine it won’t budge at all!

Am I missing something here? Do I have to remove the body off the chassis? any advice from readers is appreciated!

Body removal - Remove centre screw under the front pony truck. Remove second screw from rear of cab, situated underneath the simulated brake actuator.

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Andrew Shearing asked if there were any Black 5s paired with Fowler tenders (Friday). I asked Richard Strange (Steam Railway Research Society and Steam World Historical Consultant), and Ray Townsin (SRRS and author of the RCTS book, Jubilees).

Neither has any knowledge of this. Ray’s research notes on Black 5 tenders alone runs to a staggering 38 pages of four columns on A4. Ray also tells me that it wasn’t easy to swap tenders, due to height differences, pipework, doors etc.. Apparently, it took Derby Works three days to convert a Jubilee from Stanier to Fowler tender in the 1930s.

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I passed the question, posed in MREmag, on to Bob Essery who said: "A quick answer is 'no', and, if we did not say so in the three volumes, then the answer is most certainly no."

I think we can take it as a 'No'.

Peter Gomm

The latest release of Bachmann 9Fs includes No.92249 with a BR1B tender. Whilst I am aware that some former WR 9Fs (including 92249) saw out their days on the LMR and were to be seen paired with BR1B or BR1C tenders, they spent most of their short lives coupled to the BR1G tenders allocated on introduction. I believe 92249 as a WR engine only had a BR1G tender. Can anybody confirm that?

Of course, if this is so, it means that at most 92249, if it did indeed acquire a BR1B tender, is only correct for the second half of its life. For those of us modelling the early sixties we need to pair it with a BR1G tender. If only you could buy tenders as a separate item. Oh well!

Bob Bishop

Having been chided for my non-model railway correspondence, I've hesitated to acknowledge those naughty persons who commented anyway. But, having since read the subsequent correspondence on ‘railway music’ I thought I’d risk it.

Thanks to Kevin Ferguson for reminding us that politicians don’t really change.

Thanks also to Nicholas Rothan for pointing out the Central Arragon Railway express Garratts. The San Paulo Railway of Brazil also got good service and 70mph speeds, from a class of Pacific Garratts originally supplied as 2-6-2 + 2-6-2. The best of them all were probably the 29 PLM Pacific Garratts built for service in Algeria. These were beautifully proportioned locomotives with 1800mm (5’11") drivers. On the main line, they reduced the Algiers-Constantine timing from 12.5 to 8.5 hours! I wonder if anyone has ever made a model of one – it would look superb.

In reply to Dudley Jones, I too have always thought the P2s should have been put to work south of the border during the War. But my original point was that they were the wrong design for the Edinburgh-Aberdeen line. ‘Why a 4-4-2 + 2-4-4, and why 6’9" wheels?’ Because that wheel arrangement provides the necessary performance and flexibility for the proposed use. Actually, on my ‘pipedream’ model of the Scottish National Railway, there were 2 classes of Garratt. The A1 ‘King’ class were the Atlantics, and the 6’2" drivered A2 ‘Queen’ class were the Pacific version of it, with much lower axleload.

Colin Hewitt quotes OS Nock on the P2s. With respect, I have yet to read a bad word by Mr Nock on any steam locomotive. He even had good things to say about the N15X rebuilds of the Brighton Baltic tanks! Let me instead quote Norman McKillop, the Haymarket driver who delivered 'Cock o’ the North' to Scotland, and was heavily involved in the driving and testing of the class. "This was it! This was to be Gresley’s crowning triumph…......But, as everyone knows, these hopes were never fulfilled and I took a hand in condemning this engine, for I not only brought her to Scotland, but tested her out in the initial stages on the first stretch of the Edinburgh-Aberdeen run. The ‘Mikados’ were one of Gresley’s ‘near misses’ and I suppose there was no more disappointed engineman in Britain than myself that this was so."

Colin also states "the two engines are not synchronised." Frequently, when two steam engines of the same class (with different drivers) were coupled together on a hard task, it was not long before they were ‘in step’. On a Garratt the two engines are controlled by the same driver.

Finally (thank God says Pat), I enjoyed reading Robbie McGavin’s letter. My first motorbike was a Norton 16H 500cc ex-dispatch rider’s mount. The cops got me on the very first day!

On the D49s, I can do no better than quote Derek Cross in Locomotives Illustrated. "…but the 4-4-0s were the wrong answer to the question. For their range of action, they were a big engine scaled down, but unnecessarily over-engineered, restricted in routes (21 ton axleload) and usually rough-riding into the bargain. Obsolescent design it might have been, but the LMS 2P 4-4-0 was a better bet for secondary duties – a simple, rugged design, more in tune with enginemen’s expectations." My point exactly.

Braid Anderson

As a BR(SR) modeller with M7s (with and without P&P gear), rebuilt Battle of Britains, rebuilt West Countries (with and without shields), King Arthurs, (8 and 6 wheeled tenders) plus upcoming Maunsell coaches to buy this year, the delay until next year of the Bachmann 4-CEP, is very welcome news indeed.

Eric Nicholass

May I say, through the pages of your excellent e-magazine (I’ve learnt so much that I thought I already knew!), a big 'thank you' to all those people who have emailed me with messages of support for the new site. Even the prototype railways have excelled themselves by sending me their track plans (a source of inspiration for potential modellers) at what must be a busy time of year for them. Also, I have received much support from a certain manufacturer (who must be nameless at the moment!) thank you again

Mike Honey

Some further reference material on the ICI Chlorine tankers has come to light in the form of the recently published Railway Archive, issue No. 16. The article Gas by Rail looks at the fleets operated by Associated Octel and Tank Rentals. Previous parts look at the other companies; Issue 9 Part 1 - Early Chlorine Tanks, Issue 11 Part 2 I.C.I. and Issue 15 Part 3 Murgatroyds. Well worth a read and excellent research.

Paul Harrison

Brian Macdermott

One of my good friends in the modelling world, all the way from America, has pointed out a serious omission in my efforts to spread the word about the new L&BR website.

I am a member of the L&B Railway Trust and we hope the site will bring together many narrow gauge enthusiasts, not only via the web but in person. With a view to raising funds for the restoration of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, we hope it will be possible to have a major exhibition bringing all the layouts etc. together. Being a niche market, we will need to bring together a number of sponsors and I have had a very positive response from my discussion of this idea with Stephen Warner, owner of BRM.

Bachmann, at its Annual Trade Open Day, announced that it is to upgrade its 00 gauge BR Standard 75xxx 4MT 4-6-0 over the next year by introducing new body tooling and a new chassis to accommodate DCC sockets. This model was one of the first to be introduced thirty years ago by the former Palitoy Ltd in their Mainline Railways range and was produced in China for them by Bachmann’s parent company, Kader Industrial. When production of Bachmann commenced in 1989, the BR Standard 4MT was reintroduced in 1990. It was last produced by Bachmann in 2002.

Graham Hubbard, Managing Director, said, "The 75xxx is the next locomotive to benefit from our ongoing upgrade programme. It was one of the first locomotives we introduced after starting the company and we reached a point where the tooling had become life expired. The model is still in constant demand and we feel the time is right to bring it back, albeit in a very different form. Out goes the old split chassis and in its place will be a new 'DCC ready' chassis. We will also retool the bodyshell resulting in a brand new locomotive".

British Railways built 80 locomotives between May 1951 and June 1957. The first was withdrawn in December 1964 and the last in August 1968, with the end of steam traction on the national standard gauge network - six have been preserved.

While I am pleased to see that Brian Macdermott is continuing his Snippets series, one of the great joys of the 'original' Snippets was that they were just that - short, factual snippets of unusual workings, etc.

Now, however, Brian seems to be letting his keyboard roam more extensively, adopting a much more anecdotal style and adding a bit of personal opinion in for good measure. 'Snippets', it appears, are now erring more towards 'Storytime with Uncle Brian'.

Perhaps he would be willing to bear two old truisms in mind - (1) 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' and (2) 'Less is more'!

Please can we go back to the original Snippets style, Brian?

Robin Johnson

I would like to add to the information that is frequently given about railway items on TV. Mine is in regard to a Radio 2 programme that I found on their 'Ballads' series recorded some 40+ years ago. There is a wonderful piece on John Axon who was awarded the George Cross posthumously for his heroics. The programme is almost an hour long and intersperses folk songs by Ewan McColl about the events and railways with commentary by real railwaymen about what it was like to work on the railway at that time. Obviously there are no visual insights into the railway but there is a lot of good information about the men who worked on the railway.

Andrew Carter

Steve Mann kindly replied a few days ago. I have since remembered that the magazine N Scale Railroading, July-August 2006, carried an article about the Rochelle viewing platform!

Brian Macdermott

Thanks to Anthony New, who I know is a contributor to MREmag, for the track plans article in the Hornby Magazine. Its was a refreshing change from the normal branch line scenarios that are usually shown in such magazines and as Anthony says its prototypically correct to cram in much more railway in an urban scene. I liked the plan for Charlotte Street and the incremental plans for its extension.

On the other hand, has anyone bought the new Hornby Track Plans Book (11th edition)? I was obliged to buy it as I have every edition since the first. There is a nice scene based on one of the larger layouts and it does show a picture of the forthcoming Royal Scot. However, apart from that, it is spectacularly uninspiring! I also fail to see why some layouts are intended for digital control as they could just as easily (and probably more simply) be controlled by DCC!

At least one of the layouts is unworkable. Have a look at the module layout on P29. How can you get a train from the station/mainline into the goods yard? Because the only connection between them is a diamond crossing; its impossible. You would really need a single slip to make it workable. I know its a module layout but as the point of connection to another module would be via the main line it is still not possible to shunt the yard, unless you do so in complete isolation and even DCC can't cure that!

Maybe Anthony can get involved in Edition 12.

Russell Benton

To amplify Brian Macdermott's remark about 47482. The explanation for this number position appears in a photo caption in the July 1964 issue of Modern Railways, "... emerges from Darlington works after overhaul with its number painted on the tank-side in NER style."

Anthony Hinxman, Portland, OR, USA

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The livery that Brian has referred to is the 'Darlington Works' treatment. Towards the end of steam some Jinties went to that works for repairs etc. and were out-shopped with the crest and number on the side tanks in the style of the J72s. A good modelling variety!

John Cherry

I know I am going to be immediately criticised for being a killjoy but am I the only one who has recognised the significant growth in non-modelling topics being published in MREmag recently. As Pat said himself only a couple of weeks ago, MREMag is a Railway Modelling magazine yet there have been many postings recently on generic railway matters which, whilst potentially interesting in themselves, should be aimed at other forums.

The many recent postings on the pros and cons of P2s versus the Garratts, the whereabouts of Schools, Footballer, V2 and Merchant Navy nameplates, the whereabouts of Deltic cabs, the rules, regulations and difficulties surrounding the stopping of a train, and details of excursion traffic to Wembley have not been in a modelling context at all. I have found some of them interesting but if we are to continue with these kinds of topics, can I suggest a separate section as we have with the DCC Zone. Alternatively, maybe we could have a modelling zone.

Oh God, what have I done?

Light blue touch paper and retire methinks!

Dick Flower

While a couple of readers appear to be tiring of the debates in this magazine, I believe there are many of us who find them not just interesting but invaluable. If one goes back to the DCC debate for example, it wasn't just enthralling reading because of the passion of the writers towards the subject, but also because of the amount of information that was provided to any reader who cared to take it in.

To me this is one of the real advantages that MREmag has over any print publication. Firstly there is no way a subject, even as topical as DCC, could be covered with input from so many different contributors in a printed magazine. As a reader, I benefit from this wide range of ideas. As far as the 'for' and 'against' DCC side of the debate, again as a reader I get to see the important issues of both sides and this heightens my knowledge as far as the economics of going DCC and what system I would use if I did. In fact, as a result of help obtained from contributors to this magazine in relation to operational signalling, that was an item of debate a fortnight ago, I will be using DCC on part of my layout.

Secondly, there is of course no way that a printed magazine could manage the debate that can occur day by day that an on line magazine like MREmag can. Say a letter containing something really interesting or controversial is sent to a printed magazine, you would probably be holding your breath for two months before you saw the responses published. But here on MREmag we can switch on our computers of a morning knowing that there will be fresh responses to issues that were raised as recent as yesterday. The point is that there is no other arena or format where intelligent debate can occur so quickly, and my advice to anyone who feels that there is no value in such to take my approach and see what you can learn from the wonderful (and let's not forget - generously free - this could be subscription) diversity of information that these debates provide us with.

Finally, beyond the debates, there are other interesting things I get from MREmag. As I've said before, I really enjoy recreating some of Brian Macdermott's snippets on my layout - and the new products section. I appreciate getting help when I ask a technical question. Then there are the little things I learn along the way that I did not know, such as why there is no model of a P2, which had always puzzled me until Braid Anderson pointed out their geographically restricted area of operations, or that interest in model railways is growing in China (I always thought India, with its growing economy and affinity with railways would be the last great new frontier for model railway sales).

Yes, I'm completely digressing to the point of waffling, but that is the exact point I'm attempting to make. There are so many varied items of interest that come through these pages every day that can invite diverse but pleasant thoughts to ponder over. Some are simply things to muse over while others are things that one can practically follow up on with one's layout. Still others are issues where one can become involved in an active debate over. All of them (except those incorrectly assuming errors in a new product - and haven't the manufacturers been proving them wrong lately!) one can learn something from or be inspired by if one reads them carefully.

Richard Whitmore

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I was somewhat saddened to read Bob Kimber’s comments about the varied debates on MREmag.

I have looked at other model railway forums and believe this to be the best by far. Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer to know that I am debating with (for example) Pat Hammond rather than ‘DogBoneTom’ or ‘LoopedEightLewis’. No-one gets paid for contributing to the site and there is no obligation on anyone to read any or all of it.

The key to the subject matter is stated at the foot of each day’s postings in italics.

I know that it occasionally diverts into the realms of 1960’s radio programmes, the correct spelling of an actor’s name or US railroad safety but, in my view, MREmag ticks all the boxes for mission accomplished.

I firmly believe that the sum of the total will always exceed the sum of the individual parts.

Brian Macdermott

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Hear, hear, to the editor. All debate is useful, I didn't think I was interested in DCC but I read some of it anyway and it confirmed to me that for the moment I am still not interested in going DCC. So it was useful to me in a negative kind of way - if that makes sense! If there is no debate, the website becomes kind of pointless. It certainly helped me in a decision making process.

John Rich

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I too am bored by some of the subjects that seem to go on endlessly, however, as Pat suggests, I just gloss over them and move on to read something that is of interest to me.

I think the thing that has to be recognised is that there are many people new to this hobby who want to learn about the real railway and the aspects of the hobby that interest them whether it be collecting, running whatever suits them, running prototypical trains, running DC or DCC or concentrating on the signalling side of things. What I am always amazed by is the depth of knowledge that some people have about the 12" to the foot scale version and the model form and how they are prepared to share that knowledge and experience with those contributing to this site and that has to be good for our hobby.

Tony Elliott

No, no, NO! You CANNOT mention Christmas in July. Sorry Brian, but that is absolutely out of order! I thought the shops were bad enough, but this is a whole new level of horror!

Please keep all future mentions of Christmas until 1st December - at the very earliest.

Robin Johnson

Regarding the LNER/BR Class B17 locomotives, may I add the following comments, please:

1. As to the whereabouts of all B17 nameplates, football clubs or private, there was a list published a year or so ago in one of the railway magazines, but I cannot remember which! How's that for a useless comment!

2. A loco drive B17 would be good.

3. As a writer stated, you can convert to the early B17s by using a Patriot tender drive and a B12 tender. A useful tip here is that the B12 tender is a little too short in height for the motor. In reality, B17 s.w.b. tender bodies were taller, so add a sliver of 40 thou plasticard all round under the body: this will bring the height up correctly and give more room for the motor. A bit of clever painting/weathering should help!

David Chappell, Stowmarket Railway Club

Occasionally you have a go about subjects not being relevant to modellers. Whilst I accept the above is, did we really have to have so much about it today. Could it not have been summarised?

Is it surprising that manufacturers sometimes get it not quite right?

I have been carrying out some investigations into a particular locomotive that a local retailer is considering commissioning from one of the major manufacturers later on this year. It was decided that the model will represent the loco as it was in 1959 and one of the areas I have investigated is the tender and the emblem it carried. Here's what I found out.

According to one of the books in the Irwell Press range, this particular loco was in works for a Heavy Intermediate repair from 5/04/58 to 16/05/58. She exited works with the later emblem on the tender. She was paired with the same tender from 1956 to 1959, therefore including the works visit. The Irwell Press book states that this was a riveted tender but in 1959, she was paired with a non-riveted tender.

I have uncovered one picture, taken in the late '50s, of the locomotive which, although not very clear, looks like it is paired with a non-riveted tender but with early emblem. Therefore, she might have come out of works in 1958 with a late crest but lost it when she was paired with the non-riveted tender in 1959 that hadn't been through works.

Needless to say, I empathise with the manufacturer in such circumstances and, from now on, will sympathise with them even more when some correspondents are only too keen to have a go at them?

Dick Flower

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Let us give the poor engineers, toolmakers and organisers at Bachmann and Hornby, a break! Anyone who has worked to make a living from scratch-built and short-run production models (where we hear that perhaps 5,000 units are needed to break-even) will know that such optimism can be carried only by special groups putting money up front, or at least offering commercial realism. 20,000 sales for new tooling seems to me to be a minimum, 100,000 for certain dies are used which cannot be easily changed.

Bachmann are very public with their plans and British models compete for space in factories in the East, with all the vagaries this entails. The capital required for the tooling is global, not British.

I am looking forward to a Bachmann B1 4-6-0 with the old tooling but with nice paintwork, which I could never do as well myself quite. And then there are special effects that I or a skilled person might do better.

Robbie McGavin [NZ]

Oh dear, it's back to Bachmann-bashing because of its (quote) "inability to release models that have been announced as for 'the coming year'?"

So the favourite old myth continues to be perpetuated. Personally, I am yet to see any Bachmann product announced as for 'the coming year'? For the next tranche of product developments, yes, but never for the coming year. As Pat says, Hornby and Bachmann's product announcement policies are different, that's all.

I have absolutely no connection with Bachmann and, yes., even I got a bit fed up with waiting for the RMB which seemed to take forever! But I assume Stu Morant has never heard the old saying that patience is a virtue? The 4CEP is something of a major departure from recent model railway development, produced in response to some very vociferous members of the hobby shouting for a 'slam door' EMU. So is it not worth waiting for?

No doubt we will see the usual increasing complaints about how 'long' it is supposedly taking - then when it does appear the same people will no doubt immediately be complaining that the windows are 0.0025mm too small, the paint is slightly the wrong shade, the horns are too short, the handrails are upside down, etc. etc..

Who would be a model railway manufacturer, eh? What a thankless business to be in!

<tongue in cheek> By the way, I'd be quite interested to learn where Bachmann found an unrefurbished CEP to measure!

Robin Johnson

Very many thanks to Nick Stanbury (Friday) for clarifying the Rule Book for me. I fully concur with him that I was wrong in suggesting Rule 148.

I think this is another indication of just how valuable this site is. You never quite know where the wind will blow you. Nick’s original question was a straightforward one-liner, but it encouraged me to look through all the Rules appertaining to red signals.

Some (but not me) might say that the Quiz is not really railway modelling as it deals with the subject of our models rather than the models themselves. But, like Nick’s question, it stretches me.

While surfing the net for a quiz question answer a couple of months back, I stumbled upon a particular website. In a minuscule typeface footnote, the website owner mentioned that he had referred to his copy of a 1961 WR Through Carriage Working Programme. When I contacted him, it transpired that we both belonged to the same ‘railway club’ and he had dozens of such books packed away and forgotten about!

Through the owner’s kindness, I have been able to provide lots of specific modelling information to a wide range of people. The books will, in due course, go to Robert Carroll for his BR Coaching Stock web group.

Everyone’s a winner!

Brian Macdermott

I read with interest Brian Macdermot's posting.

While I shall convert most of my fleet to DCC in the near future, I have no wish then to take my locos to pieces to add sound modules etc.. I have heard some of the diesel sounds and they are pretty impressive, however, I run mostly steam and the steam sound modules I have heard have been quite disappointing. If one takes as universal the noise of a steam loco as being a 'chuff', which is in the main a quite harsh sound, most modules give steam locos a 'shuff' sound altogether softer and not very impressive. This is especially so as I remember as a boy, on Didcot station, hearing the bark of a Castle or King pulling away. The noise was generally quite loud and crisp (listen to Peter Kay describing the difference between Rich Tea biscuits and Hobnobs and you will know what I mean!)

My solution was to use CDs of the locos I wanted to hear and record them on to my laptop. I could then edit them to sound as if they were coming from far away and with a little bit of effort bring them to a halt in the station with synchronisation between loco and sound. It is all in the timing! Speakers were placed under the baseboard at either end of the station and a small amplifier unit, of the type available at most music stores, allowed mixing of sounds i.e. volume, fade in/out left/right speaker, bass/treble etc.. I could select the loco I wanted from my edited recordings, stored on my laptop, and play them as required.

I admit this is not the easiest of methods, but the sounds were of the real loco. I would advise investing in good quality speakers. I use ASW transcord of the LMS and GWR but there are many on the market.

Andrew Carter

The new Bachmann gauge 1 electrically powered GWR Class 57xx 0-6-0PT was displayed at the recent Annual Trade Open Day at Barwell. This is the compay's third locomotive in this scale.

A total of 863 locomotives were build between January 1929 and December 1950. The first was withdrawn in 1956 and the last ten years later, although a number entered service with London Transport until they ceased using steam locomotives in 1971. Sixteen locomotives have been preserved.

At the recent open day, there was a display of Bachmann's new packaging for its locomotives and multiple units. The new boxes offer substantial support for the locomotive and the clear plastic window allows the actual contents to be easily viewed before purchase.

David Haarhaus, Bachmann Europe’s Sales & Marketing Manager, who was at the open day, said: "Customer feedback asked us to revisit our locomotive and multiple unit packaging and the new style allows customers to see what they are purchasing. There should be no confusion once the packaging becomes uniform across the 00 gauge Branchline range".

By Brian Macdermott

Saturday 28 July: BBC2, 14.40-16.15, Film (1938), The Lady Vanishes. Train passengers investigate a woman’s disappearance.

(These both represent Hitchcock at his best.

The Lady Vanishes has plenty of railway action but see if you can identify the pieces that used a Bassett-Lowke model with the help of B-L and Bonds' O' Euston Road - two famous model companies in 1938.

But what next for retooling from the Bachmann range. I would suggest they give LNER fans something to look forward to by redeveloping the V2 and the B1. I’m sure the V2 would be extremely popular. The current model is good but a retooled version I’m sure would be a popular development.

That leaves the Manor and the ex-GWR Mogul. Swindon products. Nuff said!

Dick Flower

As Colm Flanagan has asked what is the best nut and bolt retainer, can I suggest that he has his nails done! I have found that the best nut retainer on Gibson crank pins and sundry other nuts and bolts to be good old cheap nail varnish. It is easy to break the bond and, if you think that you are using too much force, some acetone will dissolve the problem. If you want the engineering solution, check out the loctite website. There are a number of nut retainers; No.222 seems to fit the bill, being low strength and small screw. However, it is for bolts under 3/4", so I think that he may still have the same problem!

Doug Newton, Blackburn, Australia

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Colm Flanagan reports that Loctite 603 was too effective in securing some small nuts. As he indicates, it is really a ‘heavy duty locking adhesive’ and intended for much chunkier screw threads than we are likely to use on our models. There are many other types of Loctite, however, and reference to the manufacturer’s data should reveal a more suitable product for our purposes. However, some are not easy to find and most are rather expensive.

The two convenient substances best suited for light thread locking are probably ordinary ‘cheapo’ superglue or (as Colm suggests) nail varnish. Both should hold sufficiently on a grease-free thread but can be ‘broken’ without difficulty or damage. If necessary, the gentle application of heat (e.g. touching the thread briefly with the tip of a hot soldering iron) will help to break the seal. When the screw or nut is not visible, use of coloured nail varnish (or even paint) will give a helpful indication that the thread is locked.

Nick Stanbury

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According to the Loctite website, what should be used for small nuts and bolts is Loctite 222, which is, quote: "low strength for small fasteners". People should also be aware that some grades of Loctite can attack some plastics, so use it sparingly and mop up spillages.

Gordon Bubb

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The item we use at work to seal threads without locking them permanently is Electrolube BLR Bloc' lube which looks and behaves very much like viscous red nail varnish. It is actually a "tamper evident seal" rather than a true thread-lock and is easily broken when required. We also use it to hold trimpot screws in position as these do not have nuts on them.

At home I tend to use UHU or equivalent glue for the purpose, or silicone sealant which is waterproof but doesn't adhere very well over time. For a more permanent fix you can just solder across the nut and screw. Some of the true thread-lock fluids or super-glues can be broken by the application of heat from a soldering iron or by freezer spray.

Anthony New

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I suggest trying [automotive] silicon sealer..or silicon gasket. A 'blob' of this stuff over the nut, once set, will deter movement of the nut, due to vibration or the rotation of the bogie. However, to remove the fixing, simply 'unscrew' as the bond isn't very tight at all, plus removal altogether is very simple as it peels off.

Beware the colour though, as some silicon gasket 'goos' are bright orange!

Alastair Queen

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Colm Flanagan writes about his desperate experience with Loctite 603. I sympathise! You can sometimes bully it into submission with heat - the tip of a really hot soldering iron or, better still, a resistance soldering probe applied to the nut will expand it and break the seal. This is risky close to plastic or white metal and, if you have a Dremel with a cutting disc (plus a very steady hand), it is often safer to sacrifice the nut and screw and simply cut the nut off. Again, watch out for heat - the disc generates very high temperatures.

A much easier solution is to use Tamiya Liquid Thread Lock which is readily available and designed to allow removal of nuts with just a little extra effort. You only need a touch of it on the screw thread to keep everything secure. It has a delightful smell too (non-addictive)!

Another simple expedient is to place a tiny drop of superglue on the thread with a scalpel blade just before the nut is fully tightened. You have to be ultra quick, though, and tighten the nut immediately before the superglue hardens. Some people just dab a spot of superglue on the end of the screw after the nut has been tightened, and it seems to work OK on valve gear etc., despite the subsequent presence of oil. Again, a little heat if the joint is difficult to undo - although I have seldom found this necessary.

Good Luck,

Ian Stewart

Garratts were used on express passenger duty in Europe. The former Central Aragon Railway in Spain ordered 6 pacific Garratts from Euskalduna with 1750mm driving wheels for express passenger duty. These were the largest locomotives inherited by the RENFE and ended their service in the early 1960s, on the line from Valencia to Tarragona, working the daily rapido from Seville to Barcelona.

Nicholas Rothon

Andy Kirkham says he's never seen a photo of a Pannier tank in lined black livery. If he can get his hands on a copy of Chris Leigh's The Heyday of Old Oak Common and its Locomotives, on page 17 he will see a photo by R.C.Riley of No.8763 at O.O.C. in its begrimed lined black livery.

Mike Brown

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Andy Kirkhan was asking about the 57xx Bachmann produced in BR black mixed traffic lined livery. For those of us schoolboys that lived near London and sat on the end of Paddington Station, 8763 was a familiar site on ECS working in the '50s.

There is a great picture of her on page 179 (Fig 460) in J H Russell's book: A Pictorial Record of Great Western Engines.

Ian Taylor

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I can't check this, because my books are temporarily stored away in case of flood, but I think the answer to Andy Kirkham's last point is that a few pannier tanks on Paddington carriage shunts were turned out in lined black in the 1950s.

Andy Foster

As Brian Macdermott now suggests, the interpretation of any question is likely to involve semantics. But my precise question was: "In the UK, there is one (and only one) occasion on which a red light is used as a hand signal, other than to indicate 'stop'. What is it?" As Brian correctly says in relation to Rule 148, it "is a request to instigate a stop procedure" – which in my view is indeed a use "to indicate ‘stop’", albeit at one remove.

My question also related specifically to the use of a red light hand signal; in good visibility, the ‘create a brake’ hand signal requires nothing more than use of an arm. Rule 148 always requires a ‘red’ hand signal, i.e. flag in good visibility, lamp otherwise. But I won’t take further issue with Brian on that!

Nick Stanbury

I would concur with Andy Kirkham (Wednesday's postings) that I have never seen a photo of a Jinty in BR days with lining.

In the Bradford Barton book London Midland Steam on Shed, there is a Norman Preedy photo taken at Crewe South shed in July 1965. It seems to show Jinty 47482 with the late emblem set high on the tank and the number painted just below (as opposed to on the cab/bunker side). I think that deserves 'honorary Snippet' status!

Brian Macdermott

Following other articles on modelling skills and how one learns, my first tip is don't be frightened to ask. For everyone that thinks you have asked a daft question there's probably half a dozen others who were glad you asked.

On the question of painting without expensive spraying equipment, many years ago I asked a car body restorer how he got such a good paint finish with brush application. The answer was to use several coats and to rub down between each one. Each successive coat had a little more thinner added, and gradually finer grade wet/dry paper and rubbing compound was used.

It is best to buy decent wet/dry paper, this is not particularly expensive but the finer the grade the finer the finish. Rubbing compounds, various household / car products can be employed. Otherwise you can practice with almost any left over paint / scrap materials.

John Challenor

I recently laid my hands on a green Ivatt 2 and very nice it is indeed. So much so that the wife wants a black one as well for her layout.

I was slightly worried when looking at the wiring arrangement on the Ivatt 2 locomotive that has recently been released from Bachmann. While I applaud the initiative used in placing the pcb into the tender, which has far more room available, I must demerit points for the electrical connections used.

Bachmann have used a connector similar to computer practice, which is fine. However, two identical connectors have been used with one black and one red wire going to each. Now the problem arises upon removing the tender unit from the locomotive. One - the locomotive will not operate at all, fine. Two - which way round do the wires go when refitting? For DC users, this is not a problem as even your 50/50 chance of getting them wrong will still result in a working loco. But, and now it gets complicated, for the DCC user this can have bad side effects as having these incorrectly fitted results in your motor being fed directly with AC power and the motor output on your DCC chip fed with AC power. Do we see a problem here? Side effects include potentially burnt out motor and possible blown chip!

I know the guys at Bachmann are doing sterling work to help raise the bar in both detail and performance, but a little thought about this would have meant I wouldn't be writing this letter.

Anyone wishing to remove the wires is best advised to paint one of the sockets and plugs before removing them so as to know which one goes where later and avoid the inevitable bang.

Francis Rossi

Here is one for the brain cells, does anyone have knowledge of a Stanier Black Five running with a Fowler tender, in either LMS or British Railway days?

Andrew Shearing

Bachmann Europe PLC displayed the first shots of the new 4-car Voyager unit at its Annual Trade Open Days. Tooling of this project has now been completed and the models undergoing testing.

Graham Hubbard, Managing Director said, "work on our Voyager has now reached the next stage. After testing and evaluation, the next requirement is to produce fully liveried samples. We expect the model to be on sale in time for Christmas".

By Brian Macdermott

Off the road! Down on old England! Derailment! But, if all a loco’s wheels are on the track, is it still a derailment?

It was a foggy, early morning at Branksome loco shed, sometime during steam days. A Merchant Navy, reversing onto the shed around 5.30am, suddenly hit something with a wallop.

Descending from the cab, the Driver found that a point which was normally set for his desired direction had been left set for a dead end. He had hit the stop blocks.

Famous S&D Driver and Fireman team, Donald Beale and Peter Smith, inspected the loco with their lamps and found that all wheels were still on the rails. However, the loco could not be moved - there was no track between the loco’s wheels and the front tender wheels!

The impact had forced the fishplates apart and the stop block had gone back several inches. The breakdown gang arrived and laid a couple of short lengths of track to fill the gap. The loco was gently eased forward and later took up her scheduled return working to London.

This would make an interesting ‘scenic cameo’ on a model railway for that old, non-runner of a loco that always seems to get pushed to the back road of any shed. How many people would spot the track gap? If they did, you’d have an entertaining little story for them!

The Wembley excursion traffic mentioned by Brian Macdermott is interesting but the routing and destination of some of the trains on 28 March 1953 is not clear and I wonder if any more information is available on these or similar workings? Although most convenient in terms of general rail access and subsequent berthing/servicing facilities, Wembley Central is the station most remote from the Stadium, requiring a fair walk to reach it. (That said, spreading the 'major sporting event' load between the various Wembley stations, including Wembley Park on the Met, did at least reduce rail or pedestrian congestion at any one point.)

It is clear that the WR west of England traffic ran via Acton Wells and Neasden Junctions to the GC line. They then either terminated at the erstwhile Wembley Hill (now Wembley Stadium) or ran round the Wembley Stadium loop – probably the latter given the loco change at Acton. In either case, the empty stock was probably berthed at Neasden.

As the SR specials on the later dates all apparently ran to Wembley Central (LMR), via the West London Line and Willesden Junction, I assume that the 1953 Folkestone train did likewise. But it would have been possible for it to have run via Ludgate, New Kew and Acton Wells Junctions to Wembley Hill GC, a route occasionally used for such traffic.

The ER trains from East Anglia pose the greatest puzzle. There is no direct link between the GE and GC main lines and any through train running without reversal would have to be routed via Stratford and either Dalston or South Tottenham and Gospel Oak to the North London Line and thence via the West London Line and New Kew etc. to Wembley Hill or Wembley Stadium – a most roundabout route over LMR, WR and SR lines! With one reversal at Neasden Junction, the route via South Tottenham and Cricklewood would be possible. But my guess is that these trains ran via the North London Line (as above) to Wembley Central via Willesden Junction.

Perhaps not many of us model lines in the London area, but a model based (however loosely) on lines in the Acton Wells area, for example, would provide great scope – it has given me much food for thought! Whatever the location, excursions like these provide a great excuse for some unusual but legitimate ‘foreign’ visitors on a layout.

Readers may like to see an advert (artist’s illustration) that is in my copy of the TV listings and probably in many others. It is for a 12" tall ‘Christmas tree’ decorated with small trains. What amazed me was the statement that it has a working Flying Scotsman loco running around the base track. I’m guessing it must be Z gauge. (£99.96 + £9.99 p&p).

I am pleased to say that the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust has given me copyright permission for some Snippet extracts from their books and magazine, The Bulletin. In return, they have asked me to mention their annual model railway show, which is planned for 5th and 6th January 2008. See their website for full details. (www.sdrt.org)

I have been advised that the following new releases will arrive at Barwell on Thursday of this week -

Branchline

32- 000DC 5927 'Guild Hall'

32-042DC D8101

32-043DS 20129

32-803 47148

32-827 Ivatt 6404 LMS

Graham Farish

371-050 D2280

371-051 D2294

371-350 60052

371-351 60078

I would think they will be delivered to the shops by the end of next week.

Les Kent, Haslington Models.

Sad to say, Network Rail have not come back despite having advised me that I would hear by 23 July. I will write by snail mail.

If you are going to the USA on holiday, you might like to look at the websites of four major railroads below. The emergency phone is prominent on the home page of each.

I gather that some railfans (including some from the UK) have been questioned about rail photography of the Metra out of Chicago. When I was in the USA last year, I found the authorities to be friendly – but maybe this has changed with heightened security.

Brian Macdermott

Brian Macdermott asks about siting speakers at appropriate locations and using a sound module to reproduce a variety of whistles. There are various sound modules available either with pre-recorded items or with the ability to allow you to download a number of sounds into them.

He would need pushbuttons (a) to select the speaker he wants to use and (b) to trigger the particular sound he requires from the selected speaker. He has a much greater problem if he wants multiple sounds in parallel - he would need several sound modules and a range of switches to select speakers and sounds simultaneously. Bearing in mind the short duration of whistle codes I'd be inclined to stick with the simple system myself

John Webb

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Brian Macdermott asks if anybody has tried fixing speakers around the layout and then feeding in different loco sounds as appropriate. I know this has been done because I have witnessed it at exhibitions. Please don't ask me who did it or where I saw it.

What I can tell you is that I have successfully synthesised steam sounds and whistles and transmitted the resultant analogue signal along the rails along with the DC track supply to speakers in the tenders of two of my locos. Along the way, I also tried sending an analogue signal from an ordinary cassette tape recorder to the locos in the same way. It worked. I had no way of editing what was on the tape and so I preferred to develop my sound synthesiser. Eventually this blew a gasket and I gave up as I had other things to do.

Basically, all you need to do is connect the output from a tape recorder or other device to the track through a suitably rated capacitor. You put a speaker, perhaps 8 ohm capacity in the tender and connect it to the pickups via another capacitor. The capacitors ensure that the 12V DC track power does not leak out through your speaker or amplifier. I tried adding a choke to stop the analogue sound signal leaking through the motor, but this did not seem very necessary as the motor windings make a good choke.

It seems to me that if you can edit a suitable sound track of a loco stopping in a station, whistling and restarting the train and accelerating steadily away, you should be able to drive your train to synchronise with the sound. I never managed to produce sound synchronised with the pistons though. Just once, on the bench I did manage it for a brief period, but I discovered that the high frequency switching signal was causing TV interference and so I packed it in.

When did I do this? Back in the 70s.

Louis Heath

I made a couple of such kits. They were in nice, workable plastic, well designed, going together well and neatly. I still have some parts still somewhere.

Originally these were for the Johnson 4-4-0, but the frames design was weird and needed a lot of skill to assemble, hence the move to the 2-4-0 and the provision of an etched brass frame. I used Gibson wheels on it, rather than suggested Romford.

I also used the tender on a conversion of a Tri-ang 0-6-0 to EM. It was slightly narrow in comparison, but the rear panel was judiciously widened. It eventually was sold for £30 at an EXPO North.

Where are these now? I don't know but presume still at Ratio at Buckfastleigh. However, I occasionally see Roger Webster at the Bodmin and Wenford and will try to remember to ask.

Stuart Morris

Am I the only one left fuming, yet again, by Bachmann's inability to release models that have been announced as for "the coming year"?.

I refer to the 4-CEP EMUs that have caused huge ripples of excitement throughout the model railway industry - both buyers and sellers alike. When announced we were given the distinct impression that they formed part of the planned releases for 2007. Now we discover, after the open day, that they have been postponed until next year.

If I remember correctly the 158 models appeared in a few years worth of catalogues before finally appearing in the flesh. Is the same going to happen here again?.

Very disappointed again; sorry, not good enough!

Like one or two others, I am also getting little cheesed-off with the seemingly endless debates we railway modellers seem to have about the merits of this or that - be it track, DC v DCC, rivets counting, skills, ready to run out of the box versus detailed and weathered, etc.

I echo a recent comment that "it's hobby" so my philosophy is very simple: I firmly believe on one very fundamental concept, the 'MBR principle. In other words, it's My Bloody Railway, so I'll do what I like, even mix stock and locos from different regions (but not eras), but run it more or less like a real railway and, most importantly, enjoy it! Whatever the arguments, skills or rivet counting others like to go on about, I will simply go on happily indulging in the best hobby there is!

A healthy number of responses this month but there’s some bad news and there’s some good news. The bad news is that, with question 8 causing all the problems, nobody scored ten out of ten this month. The good news is that there will be £100 on offer next month.

We thank Rails of Sheffield again for their continued sponsorship of the quiz.

Here are the questions and answers. The Quizmaster’s decision is final.

Bonhams broke records on Saturday 21 July with a remarkable achievement – holding the best ever Henley sale in its 21-year history while 80% of the marquee was underwater!

Last Friday’s torrential rain inundated the boat tents on the banks of the Thames where the annual auction is held. While clients viewed the items on offer, the Bonhams team donned galoshes and worked furiously to move the 800 lots to a raised area within the tents – the ‘shower room’ used by the rowers during the Henley Regatta held earlier in the month.

With water still lapping the edge of seats and the rostrum the following day, the sale went ahead as planned. If ever there was an auction able to cope with a flood, it was this one – featuring rivercraft, fishing equipment, marine items in addition to paintings, steam engines and garden statuary. Bonhams staff happily demonstrated a canoe in the sale, canoeing up and down the aisles.

As previously mentioned, at its Annual Trade Open Day, Bachmann displayed its new range of Scenecraft figures in 00 and G scales. These have been developed by Bachmann for the British market.

00 scale figures (6 per packet costing £5.75) consist of: 36-040 businessmen, 36-041 police and security staff, 36-042 lineside permanent way workers, 36-043 station staff, 36-044 station passengers standing, 36-045 station passengers sitting, 36-046 shopping figures, 36-047 locomotive staff, 36-048 building site workers £5.75 and 36-049 trackside workers £5.75.

In G Scale, at £7.25 a packet of 2 figures, there are: 36-1040A businessmen, 36-1040B businessmen, 36-1040C businessmen, 36-1041A police and security staff, 36-1041B police & security staff, 36-1041C police & security staff, 36-1042 lineside permanent way workers, 36-1043 station staff, 36-1044 station passengers standing, 36-1045 station passengers sitting, 36-1046 shopping figures, 36-1047 locomotive staff, 36-1048 building site workers and 36-1049 trackside workers.

My copy of the BR Rule Book was kindly given to me by a Bath (Green Park) Driver who had kept it updated until 1956.

This may seem semantics, but I would suggest that my answer to Nick Stanbury's question about red hand signals was, indeed, correct (as opposed to not really correct). Rule 148 clearly states that the guard's side-to-side red handsignal is a request to instigate a stop procedure, as opposed to a stop signal per se.

Brian Macdermott

Regarding the email from Steve Grantham, I have looked at the books he refers to. I am trying to make up a fleet of Class 20 locomotives in green and blue with a D prefix to the number. I am also looking to see which ones carried the 'coach' emblem.

Kevin Mulhall, Retired BR Eastern region

Peter Gomm asks whether there is a prototype for a tank loco with full lining on the tanks and none on the bunker. In fact this was the orthodox BR treatment for Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks, as can just be seen in some of the pictures at: http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/news106.htm . I have often wondered why.

Although both Bachmann and Tri-ang/Hornby have produced countless Jintys in BR lined black livery, I have never seen a photo of a prototype loco in this style. I'm inclined to doubt that it ever happened although I would be happy to be proved wrong.

The same question arises about the 57XX pannier. I've seen a Bachmann one in BR lined black, but never any photo of a real one like that. Some 54XX and 64XX paniers were, of course, painted lined green in BR days, but these were primarily passenger engines.

Andy Kirkham

I read with interest the correspondence on the P2/Garratt issue. Garratts were certainly impressive but, for me, the P2 was the most impressive loco ever built in this country, when in the Bugatti nose version.

The shame of these is that they were butchered by Thompson to create the inept A2/2s, what a waste of money.

They should have been transferred to the ECML, southern section, to lift the heavy war time trains out of Kings Cross. If there is one loco I would have liked to have seen it would have been one of these - although I did get to see several A2/2s and to 'cab' one.

As far as Garratts for the Aberdeen line are concerned, I do not believe any worldwide Garratts ran at LNER express speeds (but I am sure that your correspondents will put me right).

The other thing that bemused me was 'why a 4-4-2 + 2-4-4, and why 6'9'' wheels? Surely a 2-6-2+2-6-2 with 6'2'' wheels would have been much better for the Aberdeen route (better grip while allowing the wide firebox).

Dudley Jones

A word of thanks to Robbie McGavin for his evocative recollection of exciting times from the days to steam. Up there with Harry Potter!

Peter Shelley

In response to Ian Taylor's enquiry regarding B17 nameplates being displayed by football clubs, I can confirm that my club, Sheffield United, still proudly display their nameplate inside the directors pre match guest area at Bramall Lane.

I first remember seeing it displayed in the late sixties over the players entrance but it was later moved when the ground was redeveloped. I'd love to know the whereabouts of the other nameplate and wonder if the lucky owner is a 'Blade'.

Iain Waller

Just a quick note to say what a fantastic resource your database will be! I'm sure a lot of people will have further insight which will add to it.

There are a couple of things I want to clarify with you already (certainly not nit-picking!). I wondered whether you will have a protocol for providing feedback on the database?

Yes, I agree with Geoff Groom, it would be a good idea for Hornby to upgrade their B17 as this must be a firm favourite with modellers of the LNER and BR(E). Anyone who thinks along these lines, for this model, or any other models which we would like to see updated, should make their views known when the next pole for new models comes along.

I am sure Hornby would like to wave a magic wand and update many of their popular models to today's standards but I guess time and money are the biggest factor.

Many years ago I carried out a couple of modification to Hornby models. The first of these was the B17 GE tender version, by marrying a Hornby Patriot motor into a B12 tender. The second was the 28xx, altered by shortening the front end, the fitting of Mainline / Bachmann Mogul cylinders and slide bars and cross head, motorising the loco and replacing the tender with a Mainline/Bachmann 3500gl Collett version. Although not 100%, they do look the part.

Ian Taylor

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The question of Hornby replacing the current tender-drive B17 with a more up-to-date locomotive drive model raises an interesting question over the forthcoming Railroad range. Not only does this offer an affordable entry-level range but is a splendid vehicle for extending the useful life of otherwise perfectly sound models which no longer measure up to modern standards of detail. The inclusion of the tender-drive Flying Scotsman was only to be expected and if the experiment is judged to be successful the current B17 and other tender drive locos may well follow in due course.

A few of them already seem have loco drive replacements waiting in the wings. However, I note the Jinty is also to be a Railroader and have no doubt that the equally outdated J83 will follow fast – perhaps to resume its proper North British livery. Now, while there is still a fairly wide selection of tender locomotives available in the main catalogue, this means Hornby would appear to be getting rather light in the shunting department and it would be interesting to know whether they intend to replace like with like. Alternatively, are some entirely different shunters to replace those that become Railroad models?

Perhaps now might be an opportune moment for suggestions.

Stuart Reid

I was interested to read the items on model spotters from Steve Mann and Simon Evans (in response to my Snippet). Although I have not actually modelled my wife and I (I'm not gifted with the skill), I have placed a model blue car up on the hill overlooking Cajon Corner on my US layout. It provides a nice visual souvenir of our visit to the real place (pronounced Ka-Hone, I believe).

Brian Macdermott

I was recently constructing a brass and whitemetal underframe for an N gauge Irish DMU - the sort of thing which forces some of us to become 'builders' rather than only runners of models. In this case I was using Comet components and, having (as I thought) got the bogies right, I used some Loctite 603 (sold as a "retainer") to stop the nuts on the screw, which anchors the bogie to the chassis, from working loose. I thought I could break the seal reasonably easily if I needed to adjust it. And, guess what, I DID need to adjust it!

But, it took some really fierce work to attempt this, with pliers and vice grips and I nearly wrecked the bogies. In fact, in the end, the top twisted right off the screws and the nut remained solidly attached to the screw thread.

The morale of this tale is: don't use this stuff for that purpose. I found a website which told me it is really a "heavy duty locking adhesive" - just in case there's anyone out there who is under the same misapprehension as I was!

Now, my query. What is a good way to lock a nut, to stop it vibrating loose on its screw, on something like a 00 coach bogie. It doesn't need to grip like iron, as there isn't really any load on it. Ideally should allow the nut to be later removed for adjustments etc. without having to wreck the whole thing? I seem to remember reading somewhere that nail varnish worked? Any ideas, please, folks?

Colm Flanagan

After some 30 years of trading, Hythe (Kent) Models closed for the last time on Saturday 16th June 2007. This is a great loss for the town and the surrounding area. It is a sad reflection of the way things are going which is being driven by the modern form of shopping via the Internet.

Julian Saunders

With reference to Bob Fleming's query in MREmag for 24th July, Ratio made two plastic loco kits, both pre-grouping Midland prototypes: a 2-4-0 and a 4-4-0. They captured the elegant lines of these Johnson designed prototypes very well.

They optimistically included a motor and plastic wheels coated with metallic conductive paint. I actually built the 4-4-0 and got the wheels to turn a couple of revolutions, but the general lightweight 'plasticky' construction was not conducive to proper running - let alone pulling a load.

In the 1980s, Perseverance produced etched chassis to allow the locos to be motorised. Mine is still in a box of projects - hopefully to be completed 'one day'!

Peter Bush

By Brian Macdermott

Sunday and Monday once again saw the Bachmann headquarters at Barwell thronged with members of the model railway trade. Indeed, Sunday was the busier of the two days when around 200 attended to see Bachmann's latest models and talk to the staff.

Besides models which are on their way from China, and which will soon be in the shops, we were able to see undecorated samples of what are to come. These included the LMS Jubilee in both 00 and N gauge, the Graham Farish Voyager (which had good interior detail), the new body moulding for the N gauge Class 37 and one of the Stanier coaches, in the same scale, showing the body moulding detail. The N gauge Jubilee shows the considerable progress that has been made since the V2 was produced - with very fine detail and see-through spoked wheels.

Besides the 00 version of the Jubilee with various tenders, in 00 there was the new body of the Class 66, the four new BR vans and a completely retooled BR Standard Class 4 to replace the former Mainline model. The detail on this is superb. The D2 and EMU will be with us next year.

Further to Brian Macdermott’s comments, readers might be interested in this advice from Railtrack: www.fire.org.uk/advice/rail.htm Although aimed at the emergency services, it is relevant to anyone who might have to stop a train or render other assistance when danger arises.

A couple of years ago, I witnessed a suicide at my local station (SR, electrified third-rail). One would have thought the Martians had landed from the rapid and prolific response from police and ambulance personnel. The station was cleared, taped-off and closed for a couple of hours and little done to help passengers (sorry – customers) stranded at the station or down the line on the train involved. I suppose that is how it now has to be but it makes one wonder how we ever ‘carried on’ (physically or psychologically) during the blitz.

I was not very impressed with the paramedic who refused point-blank to go anywhere near the track to attend the victim until he could be given several reassurances about the current being off, although the body was between the running rails. I can understand his concerns but he should have been trained to know what to do in such a situation, as rail staff are. If someone is not obviously dead, aid should be given and this may include swift removal from contact with a live rail. I hope I never have to do so, but I am aware of the procedure (although not formally trained) and would carry it out if necessary.

Nick Stanbury

I noted 34046/66/87/90 on shed at Watford Junction on 09 March 1957. It was as already been mentioned the occasion of a Hockey International at Wembley, I do not recall seeing them actually arrive though.

Raymond Embleton

In this month's Diecast Collector's new releases section, there is a review of the Trackside 4-piece Royal Mail set, which states that, for the purist, these are not correct as they have been made 5% larger than 1:76 to make them look better and are actually 1:72 scale. Comparing the Trackside Ford Anglia van and Morris Minor van against the same Oxford Diecast models they are certainly bigger than the latter ones.

British Railways Modernisation to Privatisation is a new book from W H Smith by Brian Sharpe. It is in A4 paperback format and contains 132 full colour pages for £6.99p. The book has small sections on each of the diesel class types, the builders and the early prototypes, there are also plenty of diesel snippets with BR blue liveried Class 37 and Railfreight-liveried Class 31 hauling Mk 1 and Mk 2 Network SouthEast-liveried coaches.

Dave Eddy

I picked up my copy of the latest Model Rail and read with interest the article in the review section on the Graham Farish 04.

I have to agree this model looks super but I do not agree with the statement made regarding the wasp stripes not being carried onto the top of the radiator, presumably due to printing difficulties. Although there is a prototype for everything, Graham Farish have in my view correctly painted this area plain black which was the norm for all diesel shunters as this area could not be seen at rail level and would have been a waste of time.

Together with platform memories of the 1960s steam was the lovely smell and feel of Kitmaster locomotives. My first attempt was an Italian Tank 0-6-0, which was the limit of my budget. Somehow I forgot, at a keen 10 years, to add the 'union link' to the Walschaerts gear, rendering the adventure somewhat compromised. But this was not as bad as trying to build an early 'Airfix' cattle wagon with household general purpose glue. Oh the pain!

Perhaps other readers have memories of significantly memorable episodes?

Oddly, a Stirling 8-foot Single survived those years, not having a place on the working BR layouts which changed from month to month. The pin fixing the connecting rod to the crosshead was somehow lost and, since it was mostly for display, I glued it permanently in position and put it on the shelf where it lay for over thirty years - but it still turns without breaking.

The particular odour of new plastic kits is not quite the same. It must be my age.

Robbie McGavin NZ

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I used to read this site without fail every day, during my lunch break, and write down something to email to the site when I arrived home. Sadly my enjoyment of the site was spoiled by the DCC v DC brigade and the 'should it be 16, 5 or 18 what's-it'. "Number so and so had 18 rivets round the cab window but number so and so had 20 but two where out of pitch....." For goodness sake, it's a hobby!

I can see the debate on ability going the same way. It's your model on your railway. Nobody started off good at anything. Walking, talking or modelling. 'Hamfisteditus' can be over come. Most cases of it are prompted by not being able to see properly through poor lighting - or a bit of magnification is required. Both are easily overcome.

Always use sharp tools. You've more chance of stabbing your self with a blunt chisel than a sharp one - and take your time. Always choose a subject that is easy to start with. Your ability is directly proportional to your experience.

My other hobby is classic military vehicles WW2. I have recently completed a 1942 Dodge. I spent 1500 hours restoring the body alone. I am chuffed at the result. I had a few problems but they were overcome. I could have taken it somewhere and had it professionally done. What's the point in that? What have I learned besides a fool and his money are soon parted.

Look at some of the layouts featured in some of the railway modelling magazines. Study the pictures carefully and I can guarantee you will spot a bit of 'Hamfisteditus'. Even the best have relapses. If you don't try something because you think you can't, you are doing yourself a disservice.

I think I might get to reading this site more often.

Oh, yes, scale speeds, the scale and distance is the variable time is the constant. Take 5,280 feet divide it by 76 if the model takes 1 minute to cover the distance then that is a scale 60mph. Somebody has probably already said that. I did say I hadn't been reading the site very often.

I have recently been looking through the adverts in some old copies of Railway Modeller from the '60s and '70s. It is quite interesting looking at the names of companies advertising. Some are still around, for instance Hatton's and M G Sharp, others went out quite publicly such as Beatties, Railmail and Mint & Boxed. Some proprietors will have quietly retired and others given up when rents escalated.

There are two in particular I visited on the odd occasion and would like to know more about. Do any of our readers have the story behind Guy Norris and Mega/Meks Models?

And another query.

In March 1977, the Toy and Hobby Fair report illustrated a Ratio kit of a Midland 2-4-0. This was, I believe, a plastic kit and I never actually got around to getting one. The accompanying article mentions a forthcoming Midland 0-4-4T. I think I was waiting for that but I cannot remember ever seeing one. So, the question is: what were the kits like, was the 0-4-4T ever produced and whatever happened to the tooling for the 2-4-0?

Bob Fleming

Peter Sapte commented on Wembley excursions last week. Instead of putting details in a Snippet (which would not be published for some time) I have detailed some workings below.

Schoolboys' International Football, 28 March 1953. WR trains ran from Taunton, Bristol, Gloucester and Cheltenham. Worked forward from Acton by L1 2-6-4Ts from Neasden shed. SR train from Folkestone headed by BoB No.34073. ER trains from Lowestoft (61047) and Hunstanton (61625). Other ER trains from Ipswich, Newmarket and Harwich. 22 specials also ran from the High Wycombe line to Wembley Hill.

Women's Hockey International, 9 March 1957. SR Pacifics 34046/66/87/90/1 brought excursions to Wembley Central. Nos.34087/91 took their trains to Watford Junction for stabling and to turn themselves on Croxley triangle. Later, they were followed through Hatch End by 34066 running light.

Women's Hockey International, 8 March 1958. SR Pacifics 34046/89/91 brought excursions to Wembley Central (one of which was a boat train set including Pullmans). Locos proceeded to Watford to turn on triangle.

Women's Hockey International, 14 March 1959. SR Schools No.30937 worked ECS from Wembley Central to Harrow, thence to Watford Junction to turn on the triangle. SR Pacifics Nos.34008/67 and 34101/5 also travelled to Watford to turn, at least three of them taking their ECS. 34019/77 were serviced at Willesden shed.

Women's Hockey International, 12 March 1960. 34039 from Poole. 34087 from Soton. 34089 from Portsmouth. Schools 30921 from Paddock Wood. All four locos took ECS to Watford and turned on Croxley triangle. 34008 from Eastbourne and 34099 from Chichester left ECS at North Wembley and were serviced at Willesden shed.

Schoolboys' Football International, 30 April 1960. SR 34010 and 73117 ran to Wembley Central, stabled trains at North Wembley, serviced at Willesden shed.

Women's Hockey International, 11 March 1961. 34038 and 34046 were serviced at Willesden. 34086 and 34090 worked trains to Watford to turn on triangle.

Schoolboys' Football International, 29 April 1961. In addition to 34007/45 recorded at Willesden shed, Schools 30923 was noted at Wembley Central.

Strangely, there are no specific mentions of excursions in connections with the FA Cup.

Brian Macdermott

This is a Martin Scorsese gangster movie. It was rated X on release, which would be an 18 certificate these days. I don't recall boxcars featuring largely in it!

Boxcar Bertha was just the nickname of a famous female gangster.

Peter Bettany

It is a good excuse for running an A4 and one coach down a yard or two of track...

Tony Pritchard

My 00 layout has a main line station with MPD, freight sorting yard and carriage sidings (25’ x 9’). I do not wish to convert to DCC sound-equipped locos - I have too many and the cost would be prohibitive. I currently play railway sound CDs as general ambience in the background.

Is there any way that I can fit speakers at ‘strategic locations’ (e.g. at platform ends) and make a sound module blow a whistle on command? Perhaps it could be done via some sort of passing contact switch, where I can blow the whistle for as long as I decide?

I envisage the following example of circumstances: a train departing from the platform is given a couple of quick toots. The banker and train loco ‘talking to each other’ and an express hurtles through on the main line with whistle on full blast.

Ideally, I would like three or four different whistle types (such as A4 chime and Black 5 hooter) and perhaps a couple of different diesel horns.

I do not have a degree in Nuclear Electronics, so words of one syllable will help! Thanks.

Brian Macdermott

I would like to thank Steve Mann for his kind words in MREmag on Wednesday. Apologies are accepted, although not necessary as no offence was taken anyway. I am pleased to read that Steve finds my comments on DCC interesting. Likewise, I find his to be a 'sounding board' for me which provokes me into new ideas.

I think the bottom line with DCC is that it needs to be a series of bi-directional plug 'n' play peripherals connected to a properly structured, standard, high speed, bi-directional network. Once that architecture is achieved, all future functionality will become straightforward to add and the whole system will have its future assured.

Steve mentions the idea of all control on a throttle. This is fine, but with a good basic architecture, the flexibility becomes available for peripherals such as lever/button panels to be added for those who want that approach.

It is interesting when people talk about the need for DCC feedback. My view of this is that all current feedback mechanisms should be merged into the bi-directional network I have already mentioned (i.e. CV reading, track circuit/position feedback etc.).

If a high enough performance network standard (e.g. TCP/IP) is chosen, the bandwidth we require will be so minimal relative to the network capability that we will not need to worry about what we put on the network.

I apologise if I gave the impression that I was criticising the current DCC standards - this was not my intention. I believe they have served us well and I fully support the idea of standards, however, standards must move with new technologies and customer demand.

Graham Plowman

This is presented by The Isle of Wight Gauge 0 Group and members of the Train Collectors Society. It will be on next Saturday and Sunday (28th & 29th July) at 'Glenhurst', Alverstone Road, Apse Heath, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 0LE. The house is near Forest Road hairpin bend, next to the western entrance to Borthwood

Refreshments are available and it will be a great day out for all the family. A field has been hired for off-road parking and the event is open 11am to 10pm each day. Admission is free but donations to charity will be accepted

The opportunity has been taken to consolidate the articles carried on the MREmag website and give those retained a new look. Gone are a few with limited appeal but I have added Stephen Siddle's information about coupling standards adopted by DOGA.

There is also the start of what will become a major database. A year ago, Dennis Lovett transferred to me his extensive database of locomotive models and kits made over the years. The database took many years to build and I have been trying to find time to get it onto the website for everyone to use. At last the first section is in place - covering LNER A, B and C classes. The remaining 99% of the information will follow 'as and when'. A further problem is going to be keeping it up to date!

Brian Macdermott will find a small group of four loco spotters on my new 00 scale layout 'Wellfracombe'. They will be in or around the single road shed, they keep moving overnight! Hopefully the layout, which I have been building over the last two weeks in preparation for a local Church show next week, will be on show at the Barry & Penarth open day in November.

For further information about the latter, go to: http://mrc.murky.net/openday07.shtml

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Brian Macdermott can rest easy knowing that several layouts featured in Model Railroader have had railfan scenes included, although I can’t point him at specific issues. Sorry!

I think that if anyone is currently doing a Rochelle, Illinois diorama or module they should model Brian and his wife into the scene.

Steve Mann

With reference to David Nevett's comment this morning: "There is still a prototype for just about everything .............", at a recent swapmeet, I bought a Bachmann Jinty ex-set. It has full lining on the tank sides but none on the bunker. Can anybody tell me if there is a prototype for that, please?

Peter Gomm

I am looking for a book called: The Ashover Light Railway published by Wild Swan 1989 and written by Robert Gratton and Stuart R Band. Do you know where I can locate a copy? I live in the UK.

Perhaps if I reassure our esteemed editor that I have a mighty fine 00 model of a P2 (which gives me no trouble on the easy curves of my track) I can get stuck into Braid Anderson's thought-provoking missive.

O.S. Knock wrote, "... I will say that in my footplate experience on several of them, they rode easily and elegantly round the sharpest curves and never gave any impression of binding, or of spreading the road." (British Locomotives of the 20th Century, Vol. 2). He suspects that it was a story put about to justify their rebuilding as pacifics - and the rebuilds were true disasters!

The P2s could have pulled heavier and longer trains than they were given but that would have involved drawing up twice at some stations, so the extra power of Braid's Garratt would, I suggest, be superfluous. With a Garratt, the two engines are not synchronised, which could well have led to unacceptable oscillations at high speed. Perhaps this is why the Garratt principle was not developed for express trains.

I regret letting the builder of the model talk me into letting him turn down the centre drivers - quite unnecessary. Whatever its faults might have been, the P2 was a beautiful locomotive and the model looks superb at the head of a train of Hornby sleepers, even the older style ones. As for my model Gresley Garratt, it does well to pull itself along!

Colin Hewitt

I thought I would like to mention that on page 30 of the August edition of Model Rail it mentions that the units painted green were only in the lighter DMU green and not the darker green making the Hornby W22W incorrect. I have a picture of ex-works W22W at Kidderminster in 1959 showing it to be in Brunswick green making Hornby's model correct.

Ian Taylor

I'm just writing to say thanks to all those who offered advice over the derailing/bad running problem my colleague and I had experienced with these wagons. Some of the replies were involved and some very simple, but all were effective. I hope my experiences and the advice readers offered, helped others.

So thanks again and thank you Pat for this excellent forum.

John Jeffery

There are some excellent photographs of small-scale models around and catalogue pictures are not above 'cheating'. Well, 'cheating' is actually too strong a word, surely?

The Hornby 2007 catalogue cover has lovely picture of a weathered Bulleid Light Pacific, but with no seam on the boiler, nor a left-hand side cylinder drainpipe? Bachmann have catalogue pictures which are from pre-production models. Nit-picking I guess. After all, we must accept the nature of production. Variations from catalogue to buyer will always vary unless you do things yourself.

My youth was partly-spent watching steam trains of the 1960-50s era. My grandfather was a 'top-link' driver in the 1920s and 30s with Compounds amonst the various locomotive he had to drive. It's entirely off the subject but he preferred the Compounds to the equivalent 2-cylinder engines.

We now can cut, edit, and modify pictures, and I'm not sure where this will lead.

I actually like my 2nd radius curves. I think he would have admired the model and then asked, "How do they machine the rods?"... and I am thinking, "How will I photograph it?"

Robbie McGavin, NZ

Apropos the correspondence on the whereabouts of these nameplates, and those of other locomotive classes, no one seems to have mentioned the 'Doncaster Grammar School' collection (this school is now known by another name - 'Hall Park'). I was allowed access to it over 20 years ago and it was, then, fantastic for the sheer volume of material, including a King class chimney ("Don't kick that", I was told, "You'll know about it").

Can anyone with more knowledge confirm the present situation?

Stuart Morris

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I attended Dulwich College in the 1970s and can confirm that the school owned one nameplate. Due to the value of the copper, it was normally kept in a safe, but was allowed out for the model railway show on the annual parents day.

I was quite specifically told that each school was offered the chance to buy one nameplate by BR when the locomotives were withdrawn. Not all schools chose to do so.

Tony Walmsley

Mike Liddle asks about the colours of the nameplate for Durham School. There is a colour plate in Yeadon's Register Appendix 1. The background to the curved name is black. There is a lozenge shaped shield in the middle, the background is a mid blue and the cross with the four lions rampant is silver (should that be argent?). The infilled bit under the curved nameplate was a grass green similar to LNER Doncaster Apple green.

Louis Heath

I've been following the discussions on whereabouts of nameplates, being a fan of all the classes mentioned so far (Schools, B17s, light Pacifics).

Both of my brothers, for their sins, are Spurs fans, and I can remember reading in a programme many years ago that at least one nameplate from 2830 'Tottenham Hotspur' was preserved at White Hart Lane. I'm only speaking from memory though, so I can't remember if it was a genuine plate carried on the loco or a replica.

Incidentally, is anyone else of the opinion that it's time for Hornby to retool and re-release their B17, with loco-mounted motor to allow for the short GE-type tender version?

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Amazing how they changed it right after I sent it to you! Sorry about that. Not my fault, though, honest, M'Lud!

Garry Archer, Connecticut, USA

Along with the V2, Schools and Footballer plates, there are the 'other' Merchant Navy plates and their associated enamelled flags. Until shortly before their building in Camomile Street EC was demolished, Ellerman Lines had on display a third Merchant Navy plate from 35029 'Ellerman Lines', along with a framed works picture of an unrebuilt 35029 and some text concerning the locomotive and it's naming ceremony. The nameplate was apparently presented by British Railways Southern Region and was on public display located just off the lift lobby. Both the plate and picture disappeared shortly before the company left the building and I often wondered what subsequently became of it. In addition, I was told by a manager of the company that the directors of Ellerman Lines were jointly presented with a coffee table which incorporated a copy of the enamel flag featured in the middle of the nameplate.

The only question is, can a nameplate be considered genuine if it was never carried by the actual locomotive?

Ian David Smith

If I understand Kevin Mulhall's question correctly, I would recommend he looks out for the following book: Class 20s In Colour by Andrew Fell. This contains a number of excellent photos of the class in green. Books like Class 20 Photofile by Pip Dunn and Martin Loader have pictures of the whole Class but in black and white. There is also Profile Of The Class 20 by J A M Vaughan which, although published some years ago, also has a lot of useful information.

Steve Grantham

I enjoyed the reference to Gresley D49s . There was in those days, as today, a wish to make machines better, more efficient and powerful and certainly, during the 1920s and 1930s, gas-flow, valve-overlap and such were becoming very essential to good performance.

My first motorbike was a BSA B31 350cc single and it is no surprise that an engineer as brilliant and as practical as Nigel Gresley should try poppet valves. Better than Webb a generation before on the LNWR, but even then, the theory of steam expansion was the same.

As to modelling skills, I think we are all hampered or encouraged by circumstance. I still get inspiration from memory of fast steam trains, standing transfixed on a platform, nervous in some place towards the end of the platform. The approaching express is late and even at my 10 years can tell he's in hurry....a roar of noise and sensation and the glimpse of a driver with blue overalls and a white tie looking ahead.... the short whistle, dust rising around the carriages, the whistle surely for me.... clear signals and the engine puts-on-fire just beyond the station... it's a 'Pullman' a full ten minutes late. There had been such silence when it had been due.

The 02 waiting to cross towards the Midland line junction was right under the signalbox when I waited and saw it start. It was an heavy train with, maybe, 40 loaded wagons and it slipped... got traction... slipped and got traction again... slower than a slow heartbeat... and got the train across and the signalman was leaning out. I don't know what they said. I think the 02 had blocked sanders and was very slow to clear, by which time a V2 was standing with the local in the 'slow-line' platform, and waiting already 4 minutes late... the signalman turned his back.

There was maybe a 'double-blocking' order. The station was quiet except for the stationary local. I had heard something from a kid at school who's Dad was in London. . maybe, No, Not these unofficial tests?

The sun had gone and it was freezing in the rising Easterly breeze. A J72 rolled up to the backshunt. That'll be for the 7.15pm. The fireman, leaned out of the cab, lit a cigarette.... then I heard it, far away a six-cylinder hard at work. It was 'working' very hard.. then... before the station took on the dull roar and it was still going faster than the Pullman. A fast long train with A3, not Royal, this was too fast ... in the glimpse I got, there were four men on the cab and the fireman was leaning out, clear... he actually nodded at me! Engine with throttle-off and going faster than I had ever seen.

That is just a rambling description of the kind of atmosphere which inspires my model railway efforts!

Robbie McGavin, NZ

I'm glad to see a formal 00 adoption of coupling standards for NEM pockets of both types. Well done DOGA!

I have two questions -

1) Is this standard going to be turned into a diagram and placed on the DOGA website?

2) What influence will this have on the 00 manufacturers to ensure implementation in the ready-to-run domain?

Michael Wonham

for Andrew Walker's benefit, Replica Railways make a wide coupling to replace the narrow Bachmann one. I have seen them on their stand at exhibitions. If he gives them a call at Railwayania (Unit 46, BSS House, Cheney Manor, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2PJ) on 01793 642594, then they should be able to help him.

Paul Dryden

I am pleased to see that those who responded to my question (Wednesday) were clearly paying attention during their railway training (or bedtime rulebook reading)! As a model answer, I can do no better than quote Stuart Reid, subject to the amplifications shown in square brackets:

"The exception to the rule that red lights are only to be used to denote danger, is when giving a hand signal [to the driver] to release [the continuous brake, whether vacuum or air]. In good visibility the right arm is to be moved vertically up and down above shoulder level. At night, or in poor visibility, a red handlamp is moved vertically up and down above shoulder level."

The purpose of the brake release is of course so that the continuous brake can then be applied by the guard or shunter (at or near the rear of the train) to test its integrity prior to the departure of the train.

Brian Macdermott’s suggestion of Rule 148 is not really correct as the red hand signal exhibited is effectively an instruction to the signalman to stop approaching trains. At the very least, it is a warning of danger. (And, to answer Brian, before mobile phones and so-called ‘plain English’, people generally communicated more precisely and politely, if sometimes with less convenience.)

Andi Dell does not say whether he refers to a red light given by fixed signal or hand signal. I assume the former, in which case he probably has in mind one of the various types of ‘permissive’ working where (to put it simply) a red light can be passed in specified circumstances when the section ahead, although occupied, may be entered under caution. (The LT ‘stop and proceed’ rule provides one common UK example.)

How do we cope with all that on our (DCC) model railways? No – don’t tell me!

Nick Stanbury

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My answer is, the red tail lamp on the rear of the train.

When the train passes the signalbox and the signaller sees the tail light on the back, he knows the train is complete and therefore the line is 'All Clear'!

Malcolm Meachen

Production samples of three more Bachmann models have arrived in the UK, an indication that the first batches have left the factory in China and are on their way here by container ship. They include the Class 47 in BR blue with sound (32-800DS), Class 04 diesel shunter No. 1222 in early BR black (31-341) and a 5-plank Wagon 'N.Attrill' (37-059).

We understand that the 2007 Woking Exhibition has been cancelled. If anyone knows otherwise, please let us know.

I must add some interesting details to Peter Gomm’s article on the Wembley Specials.

On the same occasion each year – and I think that it was the Girls International Hockey Match – a number of specials arrived from the Southern Region (I have no idea why). These trains would arrive at Wembley Central and it would seem that the stock was then hauled back into Wembley yard for servicing. The locomotives (mainly light Pacifics) would then find their way to Watford shed for servicing. As Watford had no suitable turntable, when all the servicing had been completed, the locos would then be coupled together (the most I saw was 3) and sent down the DC electric lines to be turned on the triangle by the Electric train depot.

The sight of 3 Pacifics coupled together, going through Watford High Street Station, was one never to be forgotten. Like so many others before me, I did not have a camera with me.

I suspect that if this movement was carried out at an exhibition, the operators might get a lot of comment.

Life is full of lost opportunities.

Peter Sapte

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As Peter Gomm says (18 July) there were many specials for Wembley in steam days. I have currently left reports of these out of the Snippets as they refer only to Watford Junction and Neasden areas - and I've never seen these areas modelled (but I'm sure someone will correct me!). I'll put a sample of one such working in Snippets soon.

Brian Macdermott

I have commented before on heritage railways as prototypes. I feel they make an exciting option to modelling what has gone before, or even freelancing. However, there is a downside to it and that concerns operation.

All but remarkably few lines I know of, don't operate revenue-earning goods trains. Yet, for small-size layouts, I feel freight operations provide most of the play-value of the layout (passenger trains likely simply 'come and go').

So, for the running of non-passenger stock, that pretty much leaves us with maintenance trains, or perhaps pre-contrived goods trains used for the purposes of training budding locomotive crews.

I've noted before, but for me, a small layout might consist of a small terminal station where preserved trains arrive, sort/swap engines and then depart, but with an additional platform (with modern trackage) for something like a Bachmann 156 to visit in passing. This feature, plus a car park full of modern cars, would set the scene and the period, placing the old stock and trackage into the modern perspective (Grosmont springs to mind, but with some compression).

Alastair Queen

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I find it interesting that, whenever modelling a preserved or heritage railway is mentioned, it is often qualified with a comment like "...because you can then run anything you like", as distinct from modelling a 1960s transition layout perhaps where everything should be in keeping with the period and area depicted.

As some of you may know, I have a 00 model based on Arley on the preserved Severn Valley Railway. Rather than running 'anything', my loco fleet is based on SVR resident engines, with just one or two known visitors and ex-residents. The trains are based on the actual coach sets that the railway uses. I get great enjoyment from being able to run the same trains on my layout, as you can actually go and see in reality.

So, yes, I can run large engines on my branch line, but I only run ones that have actually been there. For instance 'Blue Peter', although preserved, has not visited the SVR, whereas 'Princess Elizabeth' has (on a number of occasions). There are no ex-GWR Grange or County class locos preserved anywhere, so I don't run one.

Incidentally, the 12":1 foot Severn Valley Railway has recently been devastated by storms. Current estimates put the cost of repair around £2M. Donations to help rebuild the line are welcomed at http://www.svr.co.uk/appeal.php.

Malcolm Yates

I could not help but reply to Braid Anderson's statement "They didn't have a Labour government taking cash for honours back then did they?"

This is true, of course. In the early twenties it was a Liberal Tory coalition government selling honours and one of its associates went to prison for acting a peerage broker. Sorry for being political but the past was not that much different from today.

Kevin Ferguson

Following on from the debate of the whereabouts of nameplates from Schools locomotives and now from the B17s it has brought back to my mind seeing some Battle of Britain nameplates in an RAF context.

Whilst at the late-lamented RAF Coltishall, two BoB nameplates were on view; that of 'Hurricane', under the gate guardian replica of Douglas Bader's BoB Hurricane fighter, and that of '41Squadron' which was displayed on the wall of 41 Squadron's crew-room, then a Jaguar Squadron.

Now, I do not know whether these were the genuine nameplates or replicas, but at the time it did make me wonder about the whereabouts of other BoB nameplates and, indeed, those of the West Countrys. Back in my 'yoof', I also remember seeing a town crest that had been prepared for the West Country pacific 'Swanage' but this was never displayed on the loco and I have no idea what happened to it.

Geoff Sutton

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Regarding Ian Taylor's query about whether any other football clubs display the nameplate of the B17 Footballer Class locomotive of the same name, according to: http://www.youandyesterday.co.uk/articles/Locomotive_of_Yesteryear_-_The_'Derby_County' , "A life-size replica of the nameplate from the Derby County locomotive is displayed at the club's Pride Park Stadium in the Baseball Bar and Grill."

Garry Archer (in Connecticut, USA, originally from Woodville, Derbyshire)

I have made enquiries at Repton school and (via an intermediary) have asked the present and the previous school archivists. They have no knowledge of the plate at the school, although there is a splendid picture of the loco hanging in the Maths department.

Don Blackhall

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Durham School used to have one of the original nameplates from 60860. It was mounted in a block of concrete in the Quad (main courtyard) until about 5 years ago, when the School decided to sell it.

Sadly, the replica plate, which was given to the School at the time of the loco's naming, and was kept in the dining hall, also seems to have disappeared.

If anyone has a colour picture of the nameplate, I'd be really interested to see it as I'm an old boy of the School and have renumbered a Bachmann V2. I'm not sure in what colours to paint the nameplate. I think the bottom is red, but I am not sure about the background to the crest and name. Can anyone help, please?

Mike Liddle

I wonder if anyone can help me out. I am looking for pictures of BR green Class 20s - 'D' numbers if possible. I have a picture of D8050, D8056 and D8095 with coach emblems. I know that D8075 had one as I remember working with this locomotive when it was 20075.

Regarding the red light, I have one for you. When is a red light an all clear signal?

Kevin Mulhall

Many thanks to all who have supported me, both on- and off-line. As Pat says as a footnote to another posting, we need to remember that this is a model railway site. However, with Pat's agreement, I will let readers know what reply I get from Network Rail, as I firmly believe we can be a valued resource. Sadly, there will always be those who phone 999 (or 911) to say they have a toothache. But a swiftly connected, direct line would almost certainly save lives.

Brian Macdermott

In response to Nick Stanbury's question about red hand signals, the one case where a red hand signal would be given is when the Guard or Shunter wishes the Driver to create brake pipe pressure prior to a brake test, the signal at night being a red hand lamp raised and lowered at shoulder height.

Can I in turn pose my own question, when is a red light an 'All Clear' signal?

Andi Dell

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The BR 1950 Rule Book refers to Rule 148. Paragraph (b) noted how a Guard should keep a good lookout. To quote from the book: "If there is any danger to a train on an adjoining line, the Guard must, should his train pass a signal box, exhibit to the Signalman a red hand signal waved slowly from side to side and the Signalman must, on receiving this signal, act in accordance with Block Regulation 17."

Whatever did we do before mobile phones and the Plain English Campaign arrived!?

Brian Macdermott

I'm stuck with a problem. Is there any chance any of your readers can help me?

I am trying to match Bachmann couplings (NEM) to standard Hornby couplings, with some difficulty. Is there a way to replace the small Bachmann couplings with something similar to Hornby couplings.

Andrew Walker

In recent years there has been ongoing discussion in MREmag, and on other Internet sites, about coupling compatibility in 00 - in particular about the implementation of NEM coupler pockets. At the moment the height at which they are fitted (when they are fitted) varies on different items of ready-to-run stock, which means they fail to meet their objective of allowing an alternative type of coupling to be substituted by a simple swap. There have been calls for a standard to be set, to ensure consistency and compatibility.

At our AGM a few weeks ago, The Double O Gauge Association formally adopted standards for coupler pockets and sockets. These are taken directly from the standards for H0, established by the Continental 'federation of federations', MOROP, in its Normes Europeennes de Modelisme (NEM) - under data sheets NEM362 (coupler pockets) and NEM363 (swallow tail socket).

The figures are:

NEM362 ('NEM pocket')

A (width of pocket) 3.2mm

B (height of pocket) 1.75mm

E (depth behind buffer face) 7.5mm

F (depth of pocket) 7.1mm

n (height from rail to top of pocket void) 8.5mm

It is, of course, value 'n', the height at which the pocket is set, which has been the big issue with 00 ready-to-run.

NEM363 ('Fishtail socket')

Values of data sheet NEM363 adopted.

Given that some 00 ready-to-run vehicles now carry this type of coupling mount (e.g. Bachmann 16T minerals and inner ends of Bachmann Turbostars) it seems sensible to adopt a standard to cover this in 4mm before any problems arise.

At the same time, it was agreed to adopt a standard for axle length of 26mm over pin points. The difference in axle lengths, between Lima and Heljan stock and everything else available in Britain, has been a source of inconvenience for some years.

These standards were adopted by unanimous vote at the meeting following consultation with members.

There has been previous debate on MREmag as to whether it would be appropriate to adopt the H0 values or whether some other figure should be chosen for the height of the pocket. A number of factors have led DOGA to adopt the H0 mounting height of 8.5mm.

Firstly, a large majority of the British outline 00 models fitted with NEM pockets have them set to a height of 8.5mm above the rail. To adopt this value means the fewest possible existing models are incompatible with the standard. To have chosen any other value would have made most models currently fitted with NEM pockets incompatible.

Secondly, probably the most popular alternative coupling likely to be used in an NEM socket is a Kadee. The great majority of those using Kadees on 4mm stock set them to the same height as for H0 - if only because the best and easiest way to get a consistent height is to use the readily available Kadee height gauge for H0

Thirdly, NEM362 lays down the same height of 8.5mm for pockets in both H0 and S scales. Since 4mm scale lies between the two, the same height of 8.5mm should logically be chosen

DOGA is in the process of generating data sheets, covering these standards, which will be placed on our website in due course. These will set out the full details including tolerances.

Thanks are due to one of our members resident in Germany, particularly Stuart May (an occasional correspondent of MREmag) for establishing contact with MOROP via the main German Federation (the BDEF). This was in order to gain permission to clone the standards and borrow the artwork from the data sheets for use in our own data sheets. I understand NEM362 was originally a project of the German Federation.

We hope these new standards will help resolve this issue.

Stephen Siddle, Treasurer DOGA

ACE Trains, the dedicated manufacturer Vintage Trains Ltd, have now consolidated all ACE manufacture in a brand new building just outside Bangkok. It is hoped that this move will streamline production and unlock some of the previous bottlenecks caused by having assembly taking place at various locations around Bangkok.

On a family holiday to Wales (aged 12), I ‘shed bashed’ Aberystwyth. I had just finished writing the last loco number in my grubby notebook when a burly Fitter approached: "Oi...you...with me!"

I was escorted to a half glass-panelled door. The Fitter knocked, then opened it to reveal a cavernous office with a vast wooden desk. Sat behind the desk was....... the Shedmaster!

"A gentleman here to see you", said the burly Fitter, immediately returning to his duties.

"Well.....?" queried the Shedmaster, tilting his head forward and focussing on me over the top of his glasses. Being a ‘shed-wise London kid’, I saw my opportunity and went into humble-voice mode.

"Please, Sir, I’ve come to ask permission to visit your engine shed, Sir".

After a moment or two, the Shedmaster replied: "Very well, but make it quick and don’t walk on any tracks!".

Dutifully, I retraced my steps. I have a feeling there were a number of Fitters watching me from a hidden vantage point, giggling that they had scared the pants off me!

What does this have to do with railway modelling, you may well ask?

Can it be true? Did Hornby actually get it wrong?

I believe Mr. Norman does not have an exhaustive source of photos. I do have a photo of a Southern "Arthur" with the offending lining in place (or at least half of it!) Seek and ye shall find! There is still a prototype for just about everything............

I read Ian Taylor's note on the new Hornby (ex Lima) Class 66 with particular interest.
Being a non conformist, I have no problem with traction tyres on a loco if they are not obtrusive,
and enable the loco to haul a reasonable load.
My question is, would I be able to fit them to my Hornby Class 59 (new last Christmas), which gets
upset if I put more than about 6 wagons behind it???
If so can Hornby supply them???

Andrew Wiltshire

With regard to Nick Stanbury's question: "In the UK, there is one (and only one) occasion on which a red light is used as a hand signal, other than to indicate 'stop'. What is it?" As far as I recall, the answer is when a red light is shown to the driver, raised up and down in a vertical motion, it means 'create vacuum' for the train brakes.

Robin Johnson

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In response to Nick Stanbury’s question: "When does a red light not mean stop?" The answer is guard to driver hand signal to create vacuum. A red light waved vertically above the head.

David Smith

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The exception to the rule that red lights are only to be used to denote danger, is when giving a hand signal to release airbrakes. In good visibility the right arm is to be moved vertically up and down above shoulder level. At night, or in poor visibility, a red handlamp is moved vertically up and down above shoulder level.

Stuart Reid

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Use of red light means: 'Driver to create vacuum'. The red light is moved vertically
up and down above shoulder level

Dave Angell

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The only time the use of a red light is not for danger is when you need to get the driver to get brake pressure up so you can do a brake test, but this is only used at night or in bad weather.

KP Mulhall, Retired BR Staff

I agree with just about everything Graham Plowman says in his last letter on the subject of what DCC 'should be', except when it comes to the boxes required to do the job.

Everything must fit (and work) on a handheld controller, otherwise the system cannot appeal to the small user. The modeller of a small, single operator logging layout will legitimately require functions on the controller that, on larger railroads, might be under the control of non-train crew. DCC must offer the small layout owner the functionality without the need for the complex equipment. That is equipment needed to break out those functions to other remote control devices (such as virtual signal box interlocking Armstrong lever frames or electronic CTC display boards) or to assign functions to robotic control.

I fear we are banging heads on bullet points that we essentially agree on. If I misread Graham’s original, I apologise. I’ve reread it many times but it reads (to me) as a critique of the design viewpoint of the DCC model, and seems (to me) to ascribe a design to it that is not upheld in the prototype in that switch control is not under the automated aegis of an engineer in the real world. I attempted to argue that the controller is standing in for the entire train crew, not just the engineer. This was not to say that I find DCC to be everything I would want it to be.

I do think, however, that rather than tie the debate up in committee over coms architecture, it might be better to describe the actual, real-world functions we want DCC to perform first. The need for, or suitability of, TCP/IP architecture (which was built to do a job that DCC does not need to do and hence may not be the best choice here) to do the job must wait for a cogent description of what the job is to be. Some sort of acknowledgement that the various functions should/should not be expected to be implemented in different scales might be a start. As an N scaler, I am heartily sick of having to mentally translate the "generic" case from the 00/HO world to figure out whether or not I’m wasting my time debating it in forum.

Like Graham, I want two way communication between the locomotive and the DCC control components, but I also want the locomotive to be layout-aware and I want it layout-aware in a way that doesn’t require modeller Fred to reassign any variables when he takes his module to a show and links it to Tom’s, Dick’s and Harry’s modules to form a single layout. Not only that, I want the locomotive to report on the same things when it is on the non-Fred parts of the layout as it does when it is running 'at home'. I want the locomotive to report things about its environment beyond the fact that it has entered or left a section. I want the DCC system to provide more driver functions in addition to whatever else is larded on, so I can model a situation where I have more drivers than human operators, and I don’t want my virtual drivers suddenly getting stupid when they drive their trains off my own section of a modular layout. The need for calibration of these functions is expected of course, but once calibrated, all other things being equal, they shouldn’t need recalibrating if I carry the locomotive to another layout entirely. Lastly, I don’t want all this intelligence to be located on/in/under the layout itself. I want it in the cab. That way, I can’t be banjaxed when I drive my grain trains onto Tom’s layout and find out he 'cheaped out' on the electronics.

If I gave any indication that I was attacking Graham in my previous letter on the subject, I apologise unreservedly for the poor writing style that produced the misunderstanding, and assure him that no personal attack was intended. Graham’s postings on the subject of DCC have always interested me and fired up my imagination. I subscribe wholeheartedly to his view that DCC does not serve us well and that something should be done. I respectfully suggest that doing so in forums is not productive, but that a working group of positively minded people is needed. I do not believe it is Graham’s 'job' to do so, nor his 'fault' that attempts to get the ball rolling have resulted in the childish behaviour he reports. If I find fault with anything he writes, I would like it to be clear that I am faulting the idea, not the person presenting it.

Steve Mann

The next model train sale at The Benn Hall, Rugby, is next Saturday 21st July, at 10.30am. Viewing will be on Friday between 5pm and 7pm and on Saturday from 8am until 10.30am.

As a guide to content, the catalogue contains Meccano & other constructional toys (14 lots), jigsaws (17), catalogues & books (35), pictures (18), live steam (5), general British 00 (156), British N (19), Hornby Dublo (116), Wrenn (39), Tri-ang Railways 00/H0 (55), Tri-ang Railways TT (4), Trix (11), miscellaneous (1), British outline Marklin H0 (7), H0 & 00 brass locos (10), 00 kit & scratch-built locos (14), gauge 1 and larger (49), Hornby 0 locos (20), Bassett-Lowke etc. locos (4), further 0 gauge locos (10), Hornby 0 rolling stock (20), further 0 rolling stock (11), finescale & kit-built locos and other items (22) and 0 gauge and larger accessories (41).

Earlier this month, there had been some comments about the problems with the Dapol 6-wheel milk tankers having a mind of their own and wanting to go anywhere but stay on the rails.

I added extra weight up to 75gms (2.5oz), confirmed and altered the back-to-back as required to meet the NMRA standards gauge. By using an Exxact Socket T100 cutting tool (from REBOXX Inc, USA), which is suitable for H0 gauge trucks, on the middle axleboxes, I made the conical hole a bit deeper. This gives more side play and derailed milk tankers are a thing of the past.

Ron Solly, South Australia

Can I thank everyone who has tried to help in my quest for information on the 12-wheel Trestrol wagon, modelled by Tri-ang.

George McKie

I think the vast majority of the specials for Wembley events were serviced at Neasden. The exception could have been the LMR locos which could go to Willesden.

Now I hope this won't get me into trouble with the law but the best weekend for loco spotters was the schoolgirls hockey matches. Trains would come from all over with schools combining to make up the figures. And, oh, the noise!

Peter Gomm

I read with interest Brian Macdermott’s account of stopping a US train in an emergency; I’m sure we all commend his prompt action. However, I was initially inclined to agree with Andy Parr’s comments as Brian did seem to be a self-confessed 'gricer' par excellence! But Brian’s later explanations make sense and I would certainly not criticise him for ‘being prepared’ (and don't forget those clean underpants before you cross the road). I have myself had cause over the years to intervene (unofficially but correctly) on at least three occasions to stop dangerous train movements in the UK and some proper knowledge in these matters is both valid and valuable.

Brian is correct to doubt that the same hand signals are used throughout the world and it could be very misleading to give a British hand signal in, for example, the USA. Generally, railways in the UK or originally built by the British (e.g. in India and much of Europe) have always adhered to the hand signals agreed under the auspices of the Railway Clearing House, with some local variants. In North America, for example, where the signalling and ‘control’ arrangements are usually very different, hand signals are rarely the same as those in the UK; see www.trainweb.org/railmation/signals.html

For my money, the US signals are less clear and less explicit than ours and, during darkness, seemingly fail to take advantage of the availability of coloured lights; an ordinary white light being all that is used. But there is one hand signal that is (at least in theory) universally understood in the UK, the US and elsewhere: ‘Any object waved violently by anyone on or near the track is a signal to stop’. At night, a light of any colour waved violently will serve the purpose. Nevertheless, one might forgive a driver for ignoring peculiar signals given by a person obviously not working on the railway and, if circumstances permit, making a prompt report to a control centre is sensible action. Brian has highlighted the somewhat cumbersome process apparently needed to do this in the UK. I would add that I find the use of the more expensive non-geographic telephone number for Network Rail objectionable, especially when there is then a 25 second delay.

Now, a test question for those of you with an interest in such matters. In the UK, there is one (and only one) occasion on which a red light is used as a hand signal, other than to indicate 'stop'. What is it?

Nick Stanbury

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I have to say, Andy Parr’s response to poor old Brian MacDermott’s tale is a perfect example of the sort of negative and worthless personal attack that so many of the MRE readers complain about.

Deserts and mountains often do not have pay-phones laid on for the unwary tourist in the US. A cell phone that will work on the various US networks (which are a terrible mishmash compared to the European system I’m told) is a must, even for urban environments. Avoid the cost of bringing one? The adage: "penny wise, pound foolish", springs to mind. Your life could literally be at stake.

I thought, noting the emergency numbers of the railway companies, was a really brilliant piece of forethought. After all, the emergency might be Brian’s car stuck on a railway track. I say: "well anticipated Brian." Even the non-railfan would be wise to note the emergency numbers for their credit card companies, the various British embassies along their route and their travel and medical insurance companies. This is common sense. A stolen credit card is a personal inconvenience. A stolen passport can be a very serious matter. Failure to inform the proper people in a timely manner can result in liability and serious inconvenience. Don’t keep the numbers in your wallet though.

I think Andy’s belief in the uniformity of international semiotics is quaint, given the variation in meaning from Britain to France to the Netherlands of the old "slap the biceps while bringing the forearm to an abrupt upright position, fist clenched" gesture. For the record, I think that waving at trains from a distance will elicit no sort of reaction from the engineers even if they do see you. We could always ask the UP’s public relations department what their policy is.

Steve Mann

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Regarding Brian Macdermott's comment about Networkrail emergency. If he looks at any bridge road over rail or rail over road he will see the relevant emergency number on the plate giving the bridge number. You would not believe what some people class as an emergency - even trainspotters have been known to ring up to find out what train certain locos are working!

Nick Lamkin

I have always been a great admirer of Sir Nigel Gresley, though, like the rest of us, he did make some mistakes. The D49 for instance was over-engineered and expensive for the job intended. For the cost of the 76 D49s, the LNER could probably have had another 60 'Directors', 40 'Glens', and change in the bank. They would also have been of more general use - and cheaper to maintain!

In fact, it's a wonder that canny Scotsman Willie Whitelaw allowed them to be built. Diverging a little (don't I always?), the reason for Whitelaw being 'Mister', instead of 'Sir', was probably his challenging the Government over Great War compensation for the railways, while still chairman of the North British. I still haven't worked out why that other worthy gentleman 'Mister' Churchward wasn't knighted, but that's politics. They didn't have a Labour government taking cash for honours back then did they? Here in Papua New Guinea, some of the knights are also some of the biggest bandits!

Back to Sir Nigel. I personally think his greatest misjudgement was the P2 2-8-2 locomotive. It has always puzzled me why the Garratt concept was never developed to its full potential as express motive power. Gresley designed the P2 specifically for the East Coast main line North of Edinburgh. His Pacifics were having trouble hauling the heavier expresses over the ups and downs and frequent curves of the line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The latter (curvature) was of course the downfall of the P2s, with their long rigid wheelbase.

A much more elegant solution to the problem would surely have been a double Atlantic Garratt (4-4-2 + 2-4-4). With four 21" x 28" cylinders, 6'-9" drivers and a boiler pressure of just 200lb, this would have produced a tractive effort of just under 52,000lb - 8,500 more than the P2 with 6'-2" drivers. With an adhesive weight of around 85 tons, this would have been a formidable locomotive. It would also have been able to traverse the line faster than the P2, because of its better centre of gravity on all those curves. The boiler of a Garratt, slung between the two engines, is like the string of a bow on a curve, which to some extent counteracts the centrifugal force while rounding the curve.

Before anyone says 52,000 t.e. is too much for 85 tons adhesive weight, it works out at under 600lb per ton, and is very close to that of the GWR 'Kings'. A 4-6-2 + 2-6-4 version of the same Garratt could have had 90 tons of adhesive weight for an axle loading of only 15 tons - go anywhere, pull anything! This latter loco could have been quite economical even on normal Pacific workings if fitted with Cossart valve gear. This allowed for a cut off as low as 5 percent at speed without any 'throttling' effect, giving more expansive use of the steam. Normal Stephenson's and Walschaert's valve gear could not be set at less than 15 percent at speed.

Any thoughts anyone?

I have been reading the debate on this one with some interest as I feel it is a debate that has raged within my head on a number of occasions.

Mark starts the debate with a piece about kit bashing and painting. Something I probably will never attempt so I instantly put myself in the 'I believe I have limitations' category. But then I think back to what I produced as a kid, and what I produce now. I also think back to what I produce now against what I produced when I first restarted modelling 5 years ago.

I believe time is the greatest test of our skills. Over the last few years I have done track ballasting, cab control, electric point control, diode matrix for route setting, kit bashing buildings to suit my needs and baseboard building.

Planning: We all need to learn that one, though please feel free to laugh as I just found a point sitting right over a baseboard support. Doh!

Scratch building: I've done only a garage and a shelter so far, but it is a start.

My next challenges: automatic couplings and kit built wagons.

Where will I be in 10 years: who knows what the journey will hold though I do sometimes wonder why I chose N gauge as my fingers sometimes feel way too large.

My theory is always - try the next step to what you can manage. If you manage that, then try the next, etc. Just don't try jumping 5 steps in 1 go as that will lead to the 'teddy leaving the pram'.

Yours most skilfully (I hope)

Steve Pirouet

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I feel, sadly, we are coming into an age of 'de-skilling'.

The popular trade are producing stock and scenic items to such high standard, it would appear that exceptional modelling skills are needed in order to improve on what is available.

Thus, if one really 'needs' an item of stock, or scenery, not already available, then one has to face up to the fact that, in order that one's scratch-built/kit-bashed effort does not stand out too much from the proprietary items, one does indeed apparently need superb modelling or engineering skills.

I note the same issue of 'de-skilling' occurs within the world of old cars and bikes.

What were commonplace servicing tasks on a car, conducted by most owners, are now either unnecessary, or left to a dealer. Changing a wheel is, nowadays, a task more often left to the recovery services.

I believe proprietary ranges such as Hornby's Railroader, although apparently a retrograde step as far as detail is concerned, will allow those of us who like to indulge in scratch-building, but lack the 'professional' skills of authors in the press, to continue without creating a layout scene with jarring differences in detail levels.

We can go as far as we feel is necessary, rather than appearing to have to 'keep up'.

Alastair Queen

It is with deep sorrow that I have to report the passing of Warley Model Railway Club secretary Dave Glascott. Like many before and after, Dave was attracted to the club whilst visiting the annual exhibition. He became a very active member and eventually took on the mantle of club secretary. Seen on the circuit whilst accompanying 'Yardlea', 'Queslett' and 'Nancledre Harbour' on their outings around the country, Dave was to find work late in life with Bachmann Industries, where his pleasant outlook on life, as well as his modelling knowledge and ability, were much appreciated.

Our thoughts at this time go out to his wife Sue, whilst he will be fondly remembered by all his friends and colleagues at Warley MRC.

Chris Wright

Down the Line was transmitted at 8pm tonight (Monday) and I don't know if it is repeated or the series continues next week. In it you can ride the rails with enthusiast and raconteur Scott McGregor, exploring remote, unique and exotic destinations, on and off the track, in Australia and New Zealand.

Great Scenic Railway Journeys - Australia is on Saturday 21st July at 10am. This one-off special takes a journey along some of the most scenic railways in the southern hemisphere. Along the way, it introduces the enthusiasts who have rescued and maintained these historic railways alongside some passengers who are newcomers to the wonderful world of trains.

Swiss Railway Journeys is at 1pm on Sunday 22nd July.

Neil Whitehead

Mike Honey was correct in his contribution on Tuesday about the value of modelling preserved railways. If at some stage in the future a medical condition I have forces me to move to smaller premises (not on the cards yet - that's why I'm still pushing ahead with my "dream" layout), then I would probably go for a small 'L' or 'U' shaped preserved terminus. It is an ideal concept for many modellers who do not have the space, time or the finances to construct something large or who, like me, are fairly liberal in their choice of prototype.

Preserved railways are also very much part of today's modelling scene and a visit to a preserved railway with a young person could be a wonderful catalyst for them to enter the hobby, because they could model something along the lines of what they've directly experienced. A small space preservation type layout is, for a youngster, an ideal first step up from the train set oval on the floor as there is usually the space in a corner of their bedroom for it, plus they can still run any locomotive that takes their fancy, which is important to any youngster who still has that wonderful overload of imagination!

I won't repeat Mike's points from his website but will add another couple of ideas. Firstly, you can operate such a branch terminus in two ways, as a preserved line but also as it originally was before the line became preserved . Assuming it was closed around the Beeching era, you could run it with stock and a timetable to represent BR in the early 1960s, then perhaps back in Grouping mode, as well as its current status as a preserved line. Three different timetables and stock settings, with the actual operational movements in the preserved line mode substantially different to the other two should create plenty of interest through stock variations. Add, having the choice of running in an era where you have strict prototype fidelity, to an era where you run anything you like and you are really getting a lot of value from a small layout!

One thing that should not deter modellers from recreating preserved lines is what to do with 'big' engines. Yes, we know in real life it is prototypical for a 'West Country' or 'Duchess' to run on preserved lines but on our layouts there might be room only for two or three coaches because of the number of points we need in our branch terminus to make it operable. One could however make the preserved line we are modelling also include the feature of a preserved locomotive works which services preserved locos from other lines, so you really could have quite a variation in what large locos run in light or drop off a couple of coaches. The workshop could quite realistically be a large modern design, built by the preservation society with only one or two dead end sidings running into it. For running in earlier eras, it could simply be lifted off the layout and the tracks return to being regular sidings.

As usual with the 'L' shaped layout, some visible sidings at the front of the board cover the hidden sidings at the other end of the layout to the terminus. These could be the above workshop, or a carriage and wagon workshop for those whose interests were in building or collecting stock, or an industry which helps keep the preserved line viable by using rail transport.

This type of layout could be very suitable to a large number of modellers with differing circumstances, and has more possibilities per square foot for operation than any other type of layout I am aware of, so it should certainly maintain interest.

Richard Whitmore

I read Ian Taylor's note on the new Hornby (ex-Lima) Class 66 with particular interest. Being a nonconformist, I have no problem with traction tyres on a loco if they are not obtrusive and enable the loco to haul a reasonable load. My question is: would I be able to fit them to my Hornby Class 59 (new last Christmas), which gets upset if I put more than about 6 wagons behind it? If so can Hornby supply them?

I believe that the procedure for working points, using 'power on' or 'power off', was (or is) fairly common on more modern tram and trolleybus systems, both in the UK and overseas.

I would like to record a far more 'exciting' example of driver/signalman operation we experienced a few years ago on a preserved steam line in France. As the train approached the station area, the driver jumped off the steadily moving train and ran ahead to operate a point lever to set the train onto the correct route. He then returned to the footplate as it passed him and we continued on our way. During this period the fireman did remain on the footplate so could be said to be in control; he was all of 14 years old, maybe 15.

Ah, c'est la vie!!!

Bob Fleming

The next toy auction at the West Street Auction Galleries in Lewes, Sussex, is next Monday at 10.30am. Viewing will be on Friday between 9am and 5pm and on Saturday from 9am until 1pm. There will also be viewing on the morning of the sale from 9am until 10am.

The sale opens with model railways so get there early. There are 27 lots in this section, all of them quite large. They include kits, Hornby Dublo, Bachmann, Hornby, Mainline, Wrenn, Tri-ang, Trix Twin, Hornby 0, Bing 0 and many other makes.

By Brian Macdermott

If you are shunting your goods yard, marshalling yard or carriage sidings, spare a thought for your (imaginary) Shunter. On some exhibition layouts I see, the poor man would be an emaciated wreck at the end of a shift!

Having just read Brian MacDermott's snippet regarding his experience at Rochelle, this just confirms the value to the railroad/railway companies of having enthusiasts around the property who take an interest in their industry. It proves how short-sighted the hostile attitude of some in the UK can be.

Can I just add that I and some friends were on a 'railfanning' holiday in the Powder River Basin a couple of years ago and were made extremely welcome by Union Pacific wherever we went, including a footplate ride up and down Cheyenne Yard on the Challenger which was in steam. I think our grins were bigger than the length of the locomotive. UP made us fans for life that day and nobody was killed despite no doubt reams of Health and Safety rules that assumed we would be!

Happy days.

John Rich

Mike Honey

Have others noticed that Hornby's King Arthur 'Excalibur' livery is wrong in having the valve ends lined out, when they should be green with black end covers? No Southern loco had this extra lining in Maunsell livery. Looking at my model, the extra lining appears to be almost something of an afterthought, the white is much thicker than the very fine lining of the cylinders and doesn't look at all right, the sooner I get rid of it the better.

Looking at the cylinders led me to look at the rest of the lining. In general it is superb (Hornby say its printed on) but the boiler bands on my model are a bit erratic. The first definitely have too much white (especially compared with the rest of the model) but the third has a thick white/black/thin white combination. How have others who have this model faired, is the inconsistency a fact of life for this kind of printing on a curved surface?

Has anyone seen a prototype photo of 'Excalibur' in this livery? Try as I might, I can't find one and it makes me wonder what Hornby used as a basis for this version of the model, especially as most pictures of Arthurs of this period show them with burnished smokebox door hinges and cylinder covers.

Roger Norman

With regard to Mark Wiles plea regarding gaining better skills at modelling and various recommendations by website readers, the best way of getting better is to practice - and not on expensive purchases.

One of my most cherished models is my first attempt, made some 30 years ago, of a GWR 39XX. OK, I did buy a ready-to-run E1 chassis from Hattons for £3.95, and bought various 'furniture' for the body, by post. But, following the instructions from a Railway Modeller article, and rolling the boiler around an old TV leg, the plasticard body looks quite good.

30 years on, in lacks quite an amount of fine detail and doesn't quite sit square on the chassis, but 'I made it', it runs well, from a distance it looks the part and non-railway friends have congratulated me on the result.

So, the best tip I can give is to give yourself more time, more practice, read all you can from this site and magazines, get some bad stuff behind you and the best will come. Oh!, never give up - you'll get it right eventually.

David Rollason

This auction will be held at The Boat Tent, Steward's Enclosure, Henley-on-Thames next Saturday. In the second part of the sale which starts at 2pm, there will be railwayana and live steam locomotives auctioned. There will also be model stationary and traction engines. One lot includes the number plates from 'Locomotion' and these are expected to sell for a sum exceeding £40,000! Viewing will be on Friday 9am to 6pm and on the day of the sale from 8am until 10am.

'Burnden Park' in BR steam days is the first layout covered this month. Built in 4mm by Gordon Hall, it depicts his memories of trainspotting in Bolton in his youth. If you want to see realistic dirtiness, this layout shows what it should look like when properly done.

The second layout, 'Tapley', takes us to the West Country with a typical GWR branch line in 4mm scale by Colin Chisem, again with excellent landscaping, and the third is the 3mm scale 'Fourtee Colliery' (a 'plank' layout) by Doug Richards,

Practical articles include fitting decoders to 4mm scale tank engines, building a 7mm scale timber bridge, improving the Dapol N gauge Dogfish, assembling both the DJH 0 gauge Ivatt Class 2 and SR Standard Five,

The inspiration article this month is on the Austerity 2-8-0s with photographs from the Paul Chancellor collection but there is also a further episode of Nigel Digby's study of enamel adverts.

Further to my Snippet 107 (Thursday 12 July) and Andy Parr's comments (13 July), I didn't take schematics of the Boeing 777 with me. However, as my wife has multiple sclerosis, I do have to study aircraft emergency procedure. Not only would I have to get out, I’d have to carry her.

Phil Jackson

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I believe the cab (ex 55021) is now at the DPS' depot at Barrow Hill.

John Howard

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Regarding Andrew Meaney’s post on Friday 13^th about the Deltic Cab near the GW main line north of Tilehurst:

The cab was in the back garden of a house in South Stoke. It was owned by the guy who used to do the book sales on the Hertfordshire Rail Tours trips. He could not find the time to refurbish the cab and eventually decided to sell it. It went to another private owner in Hertfordshire, was later donated to the Deltic Preservation Society and is now at Barrow Hill.

The HRT on-train book sales ceased for various reasons but became Internet based under the Transport Diversions label. The owner is a friend of mine, and I hope he, and MREmag readers will forgive me for the shameless plug!

Stuart Burnley

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In answer to Andrew Meaney’s question about the Deltic cab that was kept by the GW main line, this was a cab from 55021 ‘Argyll & Sutherland Highlander’ which was donated to the Deltic Preservation Society in August 2006 by a DPS member.

Ian Windmill

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The Deltic cab near Reading recently referred to was from 55021 and was given to the Deltic Preservation Society in August 2006. After a brief period on display at Barrow Hill it is now stored elsewhere as a long term restoration project. The other surviving Deltic cab from 55008 is also owned by the DPS and this is located at Barrow Hill and is fitted out as a driver simulator.

Ian Dobson

The other famous locos named after schools were the two LNER V2s named 60860 'Durham School' and 60847 'St Peters School York AD 627' - and possibly Patriot 45538 'Giggleswick'. Are there any others?

St Peters have their nameplate, of course, but they also have a painted wooden plate that was presented to them when the loco was originally named. This may have been the foundry pattern given a coat of paint, or it might have been a mock-up prepared just for presenting to the School at the naming ceremony. Perhaps Peter Sapte saw something similar at Haylebury School in 1950.

There is a picture of their naming ceremony in Yorkshire Steam - Volume 3 published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers many years ago. It looks like nearly the whole school was turned out for the occasion which appears to have happened on platform 6 at York Station. There was bunting galore; all the male staff were in academic gowns and with their wives, in serried rows of posh seating surrounded by pots of flowers and palm trees, with grandstands for the boys. I imagine that they will have paraded down through their school grounds to the river and over the footpath on Scarborough Bridge which leads to the station. There was an elevated platform adjacent to the resplendent apple green loco, then number 4818. The motion and the cylinder ends were polished steel and it carried white express headlamps. Everybody had a printed programme and I think there was a band as well.

Concorde or the Queen Mary could hardly have had a better send off.

Louis Heath

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Many thanks for your information of that most elusive of Schools – 924 ‘Haileybury’. On your advice I immediately ordered the book from Amazon and – Hey Presto – I now have another 7 pictures of the Loco. My collection of pictures is now almost 3 times what it was!

Many thanks for your help (and also MREMag of course!)

Peter Sapte

On the subject of Schools Class locos, the last page of Robert Rowbotham's book Great Central Railway's London Extension (Ian Allan 1999) features a photo, taken on 29 April 1961, of 30923 'Bradfield' (formerly 'Uppingham'). It was on shed at Neasden depot, on the Great Central, having brought a special train to Wembley for an event. It was apparently not uncommon to see locos from all regions at this depot when events were on at Wembley.

Ron Fisher tells us about this event at http://ronfisher.fotopic.net/ . In his caption to his photo of West Country 34007 'Wadebridge', in the sidings at North Wembley on the same date, he says: "This was the occasion of the 1961 Schools' International between England and Wales played at Wembley Stadium. Big matches at Wembley such as internationals, cup finals, etc. could create great excitement amongst local spotters, not because of the football, but because of the unusual train workings and, with a bit of luck, a few 'rare cops'!"

This is one of the reasons I like the GCR as a modelling subject. Lots of variety and it's all legit!

Richard Simmons

Thank you to all who helped me with my inquiry about Lord Nelson's chimney. Especially Mark and Graham. It was much appreciated.

All I have to do is decide what era to model.

Ray Cross, Australia

Just a line to confirm the arrival of the Peco Collett loco in three versions and with different running numbers. The catalogue numbers have hand written suffixes ranging from 'A' to 'E'. Although only two versions of each suffix have been received at present, I understand that there will eventually be a full complement for each livery variant - BR black , BR green and GWR shirtbutton green.

Alan Stevens

I have just seen the first of the Class 66s from Hornby and very nice it looks too with its separately fitted nameplates.

The main point of interest is that this model has been fitted with Traction tyres and pulled a long train on the club layout without any problem. Traction tyres are a subject for debate by some modellers but these have been added very neatly without being obtrusive and are the best I have seen so far.

Ian Taylor

Regarding Mark Wiles plea, and various supportive comments from others, I can well understand how he feels. Living in remote Norfolk, as I do, without easy reach of a modelling club and working full time, trying to link up with the better skilled is a major problem.

However, the best form of getting anything right is to read all you can (via the net, magazines etc.) and do some practising. If you never try, you'll never do. Don't give up - every try will be better.

One of my most cherished locos is a GWR 39xx which I built 30 years ago, from plasticard, using a Wrenn E1 ready-to-run chassis from Hattons and various fittings and wheels obtained by mail order. The motivator in this case was an article in Railway Modeller by a contributor who'd done it himself and gave full details. I thought I could do as well.

David Rollason

On the light rail system in Pittsburgh, the driver selects the route to be taken at a junction. On approaching the switch, the driver keeps power on to give the straight, or through, position of the switch. Conversely, the driver shuts off power when approaching the switch if the branch, or diverging, route is required.

I think that the same technique could be used on a model system. This technique might be easier on a 3-rail system than on a conventional 2-rail arrangement. I am sure that the circuitry would not be that difficult.

Brian Scales

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I believe the method outlined by Brian Scales whereby the driver of a tram can select his route by applying power or coasting has been in use for many years on tram systems,

To make it work in DC model form would require a combination of one or more of the following: a clutch mechanism, a reversible worm drive or a non-worm drive, hefty weighting or large flywheel to give the momentum necessary to coast through the detection zone.

Another solution for DCC would be a low impedance load switched across the track by a decoder function output. The abnormal current could be detected and used to control the turnout. It could as simple as detecting, amplifying and connecting direct to one side of a twin-coil solenoid.

Andrew Crosland

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Brian Scales doesn't have to go to America or any other country to see driver route selection. The Croydon tram system (and probably the others) use driver selection. In the case of Croydon it is a switch on the dash.

Peter Gomm

I too would like to see an evolution of DCC into something more based on the existing standards in the telecommunications industry. However, we have to be careful.

One of the design considerations for DCC has to be physical size. The more clever we get with the architecture, the more powerful the chips we have to put in engines need to be. More current required, more heat dissipated, and more physical size required. Do what you want with the command station and other devices, but the loco chips have serious constraints on them.

It's good to see some chips getting smaller, such as the TCS M1, and it's good to see more functionality. But, sacrificing the ability to put DCC in N gauge, or even smaller 00/H0 locomotives, would put a crick in the neck of the future of DCC.

Michael Wonham

Yesterday saw the launch of Bachmann's promised model of an Ivatt Class 2. The launch was held in front of an invited audience of members of the model railway press at the Ribble Steam Railway at Preston Docks. Ivatt Class 2 46441, resplendent in BR maroon livery, served as a backdrop for the presentations. Bachmann’s Managing Director, Graham Hubbard, presented two of the first models off the production line to Chris Beet, the owner of 46441, and Tony Kuivala Chairman of the Ribble Steam Railway. The models were of 46521 in late BR green livery and were nicely displayed in class cases.

I've enjoyed Brian McDermott's contributions to this website, but this mornings missive had me in hysterics.

The line: "the mobile phone which we had bought at the airport ‘just in case’" is hilarious. You're supposed to be on holiday, so relax, get away from it all. It's not as if they don't have payphones in the States. How many people can afford to get a 'disposable' phone ?

It gets better! "Before leaving England, I had typed out a list of the railroad company emergency phones" - if my wife caught me doing anything like that I think I'd be sectioned. Where did he draw the line? Taking schematics and manuals of the plane in case it developed a fault during the flight? Packing flares (not the trousers) in case he gets in distress? Pack the kitchen sink, just in case they haven't got any?

Blimey! What he could have done was put two hands in the air, or violently wave something brightly coloured to the driver. I think that's the international way of saying "stop the bloody train", especially as it was travelling at a snail's pace.

Andy Parr

Add VAT for UK customers.

If he tells me what period he is modelling, I can probably find him the appropriate photo

Mark Arscott, for MARKITS (UK) Ltd

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Ray Cross asks if the chimney fitted to his 855 'Robert Blake' is correct, citing reference to a picture of 30861 which has a larger diameter chimney. The Bachmann model of 855 in Maunsell livery is modelled in the short period between August 1938 and September 1938 as in August it gained the modification to the tender to extend the height of the coal space and in September it gained Bulleid malachite green livery. The larger chimney that is referred to was not fitted to 'Robert Blake' until November 1939 when it was fitted with the larger diameter Lemaitre exhaust.

All members of the class had received the larger diameter chimney by December 1939 - 860 'Lord Hawke' being the last to do so.

I think, from memory, the model is a bit of an anomaly as, whilst the Bachmann moulding allows for the change of chimney, all versions are based on the engines fitted with the Bulleid cylinder modifications which resulted in a slightly longer smokebox and the loss of what was known as the 'piano front', resulting in an flat front. 855 itself did not receive this medication until December 1940.

Graham ‘Muz’ Muspratt

Slightly off the modelling track, but does anyone know what happened to the Deltic cab you used to be able to see by a farm to the west of the GW main line just north of Tilehurst and Reading? I used to watch out for it before it disappeared 10 years or so ago.

Andrew Meaney

In response to Mark Wiles email of 11 July, I fully agree with all he said and, to add to his comments, it's not just a level of skill that's required in this hobby, it's having the time and the money to do conversion and customising work on ready-to-run models. It is about affording to buy the kits you want to build for yourself.

Bob Hart

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Three cheers for Mark Wiles (Thursday 12th).

As a person with 'cow udder' hands, I agreed with everything he said. From a perfectionist point of view, even renumbering the latest models is doomed to failure if you don't have the ability to get the new transfers the correct height on the body-side, or completely level in the horizontal and individual numbers spaced exactly right. Failure to do this and the loco will look forever like an excellent model with ham-fisted numbering and will spend most of its time 'on shed'.

Jon Stubley

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Noting Mark Wiles' comments and not issuing any sort of criticism, has he tried the demonstration areas of local shows?

As one who has sat there demonstrating, I was not trying to show off, as I heard one 'anorak' remark semi 'sota voce' as he passed nearby, I was doing it to encourage 'modelling'.

Might I suggest that he enquires at shows such as Scaleforum, EXPO. EM, Warley, Manchester or his own local show. Some demonstrators look forward, I know, to a quiet days modelling but for most it is an attempt to encourage and explain that other than 'shake the box' can be extremely enjoyable and real modelling.

Honestly, it isn't all that difficult; it's more in the mind than a lack of ability.

Stuart Morris

If my memory serves me correctly, the Santona Publication Modelling the BR Era has pictures and drawings of this type of wagon.

Andrew Meaney

I found Steve Mann's letter in Thursday's edition interesting.

I am not sure what message my original correspondence conveyed, but I should perhaps clear up any misunderstanding I may have created.

I am what most would call a 'serious' DCC user and a strong advocate of the technology. Certainly, those who know me would say that! I think I may have conveyed to Steve the message that because I personally don't use DCC control for my turnouts and signals that I don't agree with the idea. I fully advocate the idea!

I had an existing system which was functioning well and saw no reason to change it. I think I may also have conveyed the message that placing signalling and turnout control on a DCC throttle was not the way to go. I think it is an excellent idea for those who chose to operate a layout this way. The point I was making is that it is far easier to press a single button on a panel, flick a lever or do a computer mouse click than it is to press the sequence of buttons necessary to operate a turnout from a DCC throttle. The issue is one of user interface design - something which most DCC manufacturers except ESU/Ecos and Hornby/Elite, still haven't got to grips with!

Steve asks: "Let's coherently tell the manufacturers how we would like to see DCC evolve. Let's figure out what more we want from it before we do that."

Those who know me will tell you that I have been doing this for years, including on this forum and several others. However, whenever I suggest bringing established technologies and standards into our hobby for application to DCC systems, I get shot down in flames and told that the current system is good enough!

My view is that the current DCC standards are life-expired and are not capable of being upgraded to support any more functionality now, let alone anything in the future.

I would like to see the networking protocols used by DCC upgraded to a proper layered architecture such that the hardware layer is separated from the messaging layer so that upgrades consist of software message changes instead of the current need to upgrade hardware (command stations, decoders etc.) and create compatibility issues.

I would like to see a single, standard, high-speed, bi-directional network architecture used which removes the need for XPressnet, Loconet, RS bus and others. A command station could act as a network hub with multiple (separately isolated) connections to which all DCC devices (trains, track, throttles, feedback etc.) can be connected in any configuration, perhaps like an IP network.

I don't claim to know the technical answers to the hardware issues such as transmitting electrical power and digital signals down the same wire - that is the challenge for all the electronics experts here - but don't forget, electrical utilities provide digital communications across power lines and you can buy devices which you plug into your mains wall sockets so that you can use your home wiring system as a an 'in-house' computer network. The solutions exist. We just need the motivation to embrace them. There is no reason why multi-protocol systems cannot be built, after all, some German systems already do this. We need to move forward with modern networking and software technology.

Graham Plowman

On the light rail system in Pittsburgh, the driver selects the route to be taken at a junction. On approaching the switch, the driver keeps power on to give the straight, or through, position of the switch. Conversely, the driver shuts off power when approaching the switch if the branch, or diverging, route is required.

I think that the same technique could be used on a model system. This technique might be easier on a 3-rail system than on a conventional 2-rail arrangement. I am sure that the circuitry would not be that difficult.

Brian Scales

Hornby have released the first of their reintroduced Class 66 locomotives using the former Lima tooling. The model, R2650, is in GB Railfreight Medite black and yellow livery as 66709 'Joseph Arnold Davies'.

By Brian Macdermott

My wife and I went to the diamond crossing of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific lines at Rochelle, Illinois, during our 2006 visit to the USA. A westbound UP double-stack train (i.e. containers loaded one on top of the other) approached the diamond at snail pace and I started videoing. As I panned along the train, I noticed something in the distance on one of the upper containers that was ‘out of gauge’.

As the train drew closer I realised it was a container door stuck open 180 degrees – in other words, highly dangerous! I ran to my wife sitting in the car and grabbed the mobile phone which we had bought at the airport ‘just in case’.

Before leaving England, I had typed out a list of the railroad company emergency phones, and, within seconds, I was speaking to the UP hotline. I explained that I was a UK railfan, spoke extremely carefully, and reported the situation. The train was stopped just the other side of the diamond.

Two things. In the world in which we live today, it’s probably a good idea to have railway company phone numbers in your wallet. The railway can sometimes be the best place to phone first followed by the emergency services if needed.

By Brian Macdermott

Sunday 15 July: Travel Channel, 13.00-14.00, Swiss Railway Journeys. I don't know how many of these there are, but I don't think I've seen a repeat yet!

Wednesday 18 July: BBC4, 21.00-22.00, Bombay Railway. First of a two-parter looking at life on Indian Railways.

Now that Virgin have lost their X Country franchise, will they be offloading some of their Voyagers (which will be redundant) to Arriva, thus raising the possibility of an Arriva Voyager ripe for modelling? And, will the first one be named 'Arriva Derci Virgin'?

Andrew Carter

George McKie is enquiring about Tri-ang Trestrol 12 wheeler wagons and quotes the number series as B900600-4. In fact, the number series was B901600-3. These wagons were BR Diagram 2/681 and were classified as 55T Trestle Trolley and lettered TRESTROL EC. They were built by Teesside Bridge & Engineering in 1950.

My notes indicate that they had many similarities with LMS Diagram 134A and LNER Diagram 113. In fact, I seem to recall that both these latter Diagrams were actually built during WW2 by the LNER.

My reference database quotes as follows :-

BR 2/681 : "B.R. WAGONS" : DAVID & CHARLES - PL136

LMS 134A : "ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF LMS WAGONS, VOLUME 2" : OXFORD
PUBLISHING COMPANY - F62, PL78/9

LNER 113 : "RAILWAYS IN PROFILE No.11, L.N.E.R. WAGONS BEFORE 1948 -
VOL.1" : CHEONA PUBLICATIONS - PL111

John Isherwood

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George McKie is asking about pictures of the Tri-ang 12 wheel Trestrol wagon they made years ago and perhaps might consider a short re run.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the BR version but there is a picture on page 53 of David Larkins Bradford Barton book on Pre-Nationalisation Freight Wagons on BR of an LMS 50t non-fitted bogie Trestrol wagon M700332. On page 64 of Railways in Profile series No.13 on LNER Wagons there is a picture of the LNER version E217323. Unfortunately, they do not show them carrying a load but the structure for carrying the steel plates are clearly shown.

I hope this helps.

Ian Taylor

I was in York today (Tuesday) and in the NRM, next to the car park on the north side, was an ICI chlorine tanker, albeit needing restoration, looking like the Hornby Dublo model in current discussion.

George McKie

Hi all again from OZ,

I have just acquired a second-hand Lord Nelson Class, No.855 'Robert Blake'. I have been following the article by George Dent in Model Rail issue 83, on detailing this particular loco.

Looking at the photos in that issue, it looks like my model has the wrong chimney, as it is very small compared to model of 30861 in the article. I see no reference to a replacement chimney in the text and so, I am in a bit of a quandary about getting the correct item.

I have sourced a few detail companies, but to no avail. Could some reader out there, possibly point me to a source of this item.

Ray Cross, NSW, Australia

I read with interest Mr New's article about automation but was distressed at the end when he says, "I won't presume to answer for DCC systems, except to point out that, on an automatic layout, the snag lies in discovering which engine needs to slow down at any given signal."

This is wrong, Lenz ABC can do this and has no need of a computer to do so. Other decoders are capable of this feat as well, not to mention at least two software packages with the ability to track locos and automatically control them.

I wish that people would not spread misinformation about DCC. It is clearly the future of railway modelling, but that does not mean that all existing layouts must be converted.

Jeff Hughes

I have been following recent input on the use of signalmen etc. and would like to show what we are doing here at the March MRC (Cambridgeshire).

We are in the process of building a new layout, 4mm/00 and principally for the 60s green diesels period when at exhibitions - though ‘anything that runs’ will be acceptable in the clubroom.

We are at the stage of just starting wiring and, although not a large layout, it will be capable of operation by a minimum of 2 people, for playing/test purposes, or up to 7 (yes, 7!) for exhibition purposes. It is a terminus to fiddle yard design with 2 routes (1 single line, 1 double track route) into the terminus.

What we think makes it interesting is the control, however. The full breakdown is as follows:

(Operators 1 & 2) are fiddleyard loaders (we are using cassettes) with no real operation, just a communication light with the signaller.

(Operator 3) is the signaller who has total control of operations throughout the layout, i.e. he sets routes, signals if we fit them and sets power switches to the appropriate controllers. He has no driving capability whatsoever.

(Operators 4, 5 6) are the drivers - one each for the 3 running lines; basically each is able to access all areas except the goods yard.

(Operator 7) is the shunter, who is in full command inside the confines of the goods yard; driving, setting points, minimal section switching as required. He is also located on the public side of the layout, acting as a PR man and talking with the public. We also propose to allow public operation of this controller, principally with the kids, to get them involved!

The layout is conventional DC. There is nothing really special about the wiring except that the control panel is kept physically separate from the handheld controllers. In an emergency (i.e. lack of bodies) we can go down to 2 operators to get something running. These would be a fiddleyard loader and a driver/signalman combined.

We feel this method will give more realistic operation, satisfying use and also involve the public. Any comments would be welcome.

Stewart Ingram

Graham Plowman mentions, in his extremely interesting letter (and I wish I could actually see the layout in operation from his description), that he does not believe that turnouts are yet under driver control as would seem to be the case with DCC.

I don’t believe that including turnout functions on the cab controller is a way of suggesting a prototype in-cab route selection. It is simply the most convenient place to put the non-driver functions that DCC allows. This includes those of the Dispatcher (or Signalman in smaller, older railways before the days of CTC) and, for those lucky enough to have DCC control of the couplers, the guard too. Indeed, on rural or yard operation during the early years of railroading, the turnouts, more often than not, were thrown by a member of the train crew rather than a signalman. It might be more accurate to say that the DCC controller offers functions of the train crew as a whole than it puts too much under the control of the (imaginary) driver.

Actually, I think the manufacturers simply wanted to offer as much potential as possible to a small, first-time buyer. Turnout control from the cab allows a single operator to simulate the presence of a non-present controller/signalman or guard in the most convenient way, without the need for a separate controller for the non-driver functions.

I call that, a positive move by the manufacturers. Imagine if turnout control and full portability had somehow been available on your old Hornby controller. Would it have still been subject for dismissive debate, or would it have been seen as a useful function for some and no inconvenience at all for those who did not wish to use it?

DCC is not for everyone. It falls short on several fronts for some that do use it. Those failings are what we DCC proponents should concentrate on - not on the philosophical ramifications of layout element control from the cab.

Let’s coherently tell the manufacturers how we would like to see DCC evolve. Let’s figure out what more we want from it before we do that.

Steve Mann

Telford Steam Railway, Horsehay, Shropshire is holding a Model and Collectors Gala on Sunday 15^th July. An array of collectables and models will be on display alongside the resident model and miniature railways. There will be a wide range of interest, from full size trains to scale models.

These will include displays of Tri-ang Hornby trains with Minic Motorways, the Faller Hit Train, Dinky commercial vehicles, cars by Matchbox including the Motorway set, model buses, Mamod steam engines, Lines Bros. push-along toys and a display of Snoopys.

The gala is being held in conjunction with the Narrow Gauge Model Exhibition at Telford's Park Inn Hotel on the same day and visitors can visit both, courtesy of a vintage shuttle bus running between the two events. The Narrow Gauge show event will also feature displays and exhibitions for collectors and enthusiasts to enjoy.

The model display, steam train and tram rides are open between 11am and 4.30pm priced, at £5 for adults and £2 for children. The miniature train rides carry a small extra charge.

I can Confirm that one of the plates from 'Clifton' still hangs on a wall at Clifton Collage in Bristol.

Graham Powney

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The recent correspondence about the location of the nameplates from the Schools class locomotives has set me thinking.

I remember, very well, that a nameplate for the locomotive named after my old school (924 'Haileybury') was displayed on a wall in the science laboratories, together with a large framed official picture of the locomotive. You might think that this would go to support the correspondence about where one of the original plates went after withdrawal. There is only one big problem with this theory – that plate was on display at the school when I was there in 1950 – some 10 years or so before the engine was withdrawn!

I suspect that an extra plate was cast when the Southern built the class and therefore it may well be that all the Schools, involved, were presented with the 3^rd nameplate and therefore there were still 2 plates to be disposed of at the time of withdrawal.

Incidentally, I have always been on the lookout for photographs of (30)924 in service and it would appear that it was one of those shy ones that avoided the photographer at all costs. Its stable mate and great rival (in school cricket) – 925 Cheltenham – is well documented. I have recently located a couple of pictures, but it has been hard work!

I hope I have not destroyed too many illusions.

An unusual question from Geoff, its usually the other way round. If it's the original Hornby 2P you have spare then it shouldn't involve much as you say, as the 2P model was just a modified L1.

I am currently due to convert a 2P conversion from an L1 back to a D1!

Roger Norman

In answer to John Cherry, in terms of which prototype the Dapol 6 wheel milk tanker is based on, Glen Wood would be the most authoritative person to respond to this question but I understand the answer is it’s largely a hybrid but is probably more akin to a GWR prototype.

In my opinion, for approximately £15.00, Dapol have come up with a very good compromise. It’s a totally brand new model and not based on previous Wrenn or Lima models. The livery on B697 was introduced in the 1950s so is very suitable for the steam days on British Railways.

Dick Flower

Steve Arnold

Personally, I have installed appropriate Bachmann bogies with Kadee couplers on most of my Hornby, Lima, Dapol and Airfix carriages. This procedure simplifies the fitting of the Kadee couplers, which I regard as more realistic and prototypically correct in most cases. Sometimes the original bogies can be converted easily to Kadee couplers, and metal wheels installed in place of plastic wheels, if necessary. Such a wheel changeover can also help in ensuring 14 mm. buffer height, and corresponding correct coupler height, which is vital when Kadee couplers are in use. Mismatched coupler heights can result in a spectacular rear-end collision on a tail-chaser layout, providing a superb re-creation of the 1952 Harrow disaster for you!

Brian Scales

I see that others have had some reliability problems with the running of the Dapol six-wheel milk tank. Mine now run very sweetly on all my combinations of Peco 75 and 100 thanks to a simple trick learned many years ago. Hold the troublesome six-wheeled vehicle upside down and firmly pinch the centre axleboxes together, so that the axle pinpoints form slightly deeper locations for themselves. Test the result, and repeat the procedure if still more side-play is required. Unless you are one of the 'horny-handed sons of toil' this is a bit tough on the axlebox fingertips, but it is a quick and effective technique on vehicles with plastic underframes.

Replacing the supplied couplers improves their looks. If staying with tension locks a 'mini' type, suitably trimmed, can be super-glued into the slot in the coupler mount; almost as quickly as changing an NEM pocket mounted coupler.

Paul Jansz

"Apologies if these conditions exclude your pet project. We are, after all, just fellow-modellers who can print transfers. We must keep some time for our own modelling"!

It certainly was the case that, as a naive newcomer to transfer production, I imagined that I could offer a truly bespoke service. Sadly, the realities of time versus remuneration soon became apparent and I was obliged to revise my policy.

The word 'Custom' in CCT now refers to the fact that none of the range is generic; all transfers are designed to fit specific prototypes thereby greatly simplifying transfer application.

John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers

Can I, through MREMag, ask for some help?

I have built up a 13 coach Atlantic Coast Express rake - all built from brass kits. For the carriage roof boards, I have been using etched roof boards from 247 Developments (highly recommended by the way), sprayed green and then overlaid with Atlantic Coast Express carriage roof board waterslide transfers from ModelMaster (sheet 4270). I’ve finished half the rake but on contacting ModelMaster for some more transfers, I discovered that he has stopped producing them.

I’ve tried all the obvious outlets, including Mainly Trains, to see if anyone still has any in stock but so far, no luck. If any of your readers happens to know the availability of any of these, I would be most grateful.

I am aware that other companies produce similar self adhesive roof boards but I just want to achieve a consistent look on the rake.

Dick Flower

At the recent AGM, it was agreed that the club’s exhibition layout 'Eckerslyke' was to be sold. The layout measures approximately 18’1" by 9’2½" and all reasonable offers will be considered. Telephone our secretary, Roger Courtenay on 01772 460835, if you require more information.

A new exhibition layout is to be built to generate interest for our current members and recently joined members. So, if you want to be in at the beginning of a new layout, please telephone 01772 460835 for details. Meetings are on Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. All new members will be welcome. Due to the Child Protection Legislation, all members must be aged 16 or over.

Stephen Mort, B&DMRC Publicity Officer

I read the magazine each evening and, of late, I find the recent banter regarding 'Driver or Signalman' and 'scale speeds', quite tedious. Come on guys, we all operate (yes 'operate') our layouts. Be they big or small, DC or DCC, we operate them in much the same way; all these technicalities are quite over the top.

My own layout is DCC controlled, but I don't bother with setting up any CVs on the decoders except for the individual loco addresses. My system is based on the Hornby Elite and I find using Hornby decoders, the locos/units run exceptionally well without having to trawl through the CVs and messing around with them.

My latest purchase was a Heljan 33 and it was a quick 5 minute job to install the decoder, 2 minutes to set up a loco address and it works a dream. I left it on a crawl for over an hour with 5 coaches in tow. Acceleration is super smooth as well as deceleration - what more could you ask for!

We are running a 'model' railway, not the real thing, but sometimes it seems that we want our models to be the real thing, so come on just chill and enjoy your hobby...I do.

Dave Skipsey

The death, at the age of 87, has been reported of Jack Odell, one of the developers of Matchbox Toys, produced by Lesney from the 1950s onwards. He was also the man whose surname reversed gave us Lledo toys. At its peak, Matchbox were selling more than one million models a day in over 100 countries. Speaking from experience, their popularity was due to their low price and the fact that many of them were of a scale suitable for model railways. There was hardly a model layout in the 1960s that did not have Matchbox toys on it somewhere.

Matchbox was floated on the Stock Exchange in 1960 and in 1968 Mr Odell and co-founder Leslie Smith were awarded MBEs. Leslie Smith died in May 2005, also aged 87. Today, the US giant Mattel own the brand, acquiring it after Matchbox Toys went into receivership in 1982.

Jack The Station Cat, the character created by former BRM columnist Alan Cliff, in his famous series of children's books, is visiting the National Railway Museum on Tuesday July 24th and Saturday July 28th. On Tuesday July 24th Jack will be on his own and is to ride the Yorkshire Wheel at the Museum. It is anticipated he will venture too far and require rescuing. TheYorkshire Fire Brigade as a training
exercise will be ready for such a catastrophe.

On Saturday July 28th, Jack will accompany Alan Cliff for a book signing morning and afternoon. Alan's son Nigel the Jack book illustrator, will also be there.

By Brian Macdermott

People have spoken in the magazine before about being almost embarrassed to admit their hobby to colleagues.

I work for a national company with some 650 staff up and down the country. I'm proud of my hobby, and happy to tell anyone about it. Of course there's the mockers and the ones who delight at telling me their railway horror stories that have happened over the last 20 years, but the positive elements far outweigh the negative ones.

Many of our employees have their own interests, be it lorries, buses, football, golf or whatever, so trains aren't any different in that respect. I often think that those who don't have specific interests are losing out

In the last couple of weeks alone, I've had the H&S manager send railway staff magazines to me, a sales executive deliberately visited a model shop, so she could see what all the fuss was about (and was genuinely amazed), a warehouse supervisor phoned me from a book shop while on holiday asking if I wanted any particular books, and my own boss has passed on newspapers with railway related articles in them. People regularly tell me about up and coming shows local to them, and as well as all this I often get sent website links that might be interesting.

All this as well as being seen as a walking national railway enquiry centre!

I say let's be proud of this great hobby of ours, and let's show the others what they are missing

Chris Wright

I have read this thread and Mark Wiles comments on having limited skills.

Rather than say "I can't", I suggests that he joins a model railway club and learns that way. That is what I did. I'm still no expert but I am capable of having a go. One of the beauties of being a member of a model railway club is that you can practice on club property and make a mess of it without damaging your own prize possessions. Also, you will see that you are probably better at some things than you think you are. Soldering is only like learning to ride a bike, we all can master it with encouragement and training. Don't be shy and, as Del Boy is constantly saying, "He who dares wins".

Stephen Dimmock

I have two Tri-ang Trestrol 12 wheeler wagons. I would love to find pictures of the real full size wagons but can find only the modified Cyclops version. I have searched all the websites I can think of and have posted on other modelling webs to try to get information. Is there anyone on the MREmag site that can help in this quest? I would, ideally, like to see loaded and unloaded wagons. The BR running numbers were B900600-4 (I think).

I am hoping someone can help.

George McKie

The SSI software allows a layout to be operated in a 'signalling centric' manner where a signalman controls turnouts and signalling and drivers drive trains according to signals. In practice however, as modellers operating our layouts, we tend to take on both roles as one person.

When I converted my layout to DCC with a Lenz 100 system, the SSI software was upgraded to support the Lenz RS232 and USB interfaces and, indeed, many people use this today (it is currently in the process of having a Hornby Elite driver added).

The SSI software is fully networkable (without any of the complicated installation processes which some other products require) and can have multiple computers on a network operating on a layout with all panels properly interlocked together.

On my own layout, I chose to use the DCC connectivity for loco decoder programming and some feedback functionality. I don't use the DCC control for actual turnout and signalling control as I found the RPC system to be perfectly reliable in doing this task and therefore, it was retained. Our test layout does however, use full DCC control.

My own personal view is that DCC throttles are designed for driving trains. They do not have a user interface which is suitable for operating turnouts and signalling. Turnout and signal operation is best suited to a bank of levers or a panel (computerised or conventionally wired) under the control of a signalman.

Our SSI software was developed with permanent way and signalling consultants such that it closely mimics a modern British IECC (Integrated Electronic Control Centre) in terms of appearance and operation.

While other countries may adopt the notion of a train driver determining his own route and setting it accordingly, it is not (as far as I know, but I am sure someone will tell us otherwise) a concept which is used on passenger main line railways in the UK. UK operation is oriented around signal boxes operating areas of a layout. Today, technology has allowed those areas to become significantly larger to the extent of regional Integrated Electronic Control Centres.

Graham Plowman

The first samples of the Graham Farish 04 diesel shunter have arrived and look superb. Shortly I shall be reviewing 371-050 which is in BR green as D2246. Also received is a sample of the Class 60 in Mainline livery as 60078 (371-351).

Four more Farish Mk1 coaches are also on their way from the Kader factory in China. These are an SO in chocolate and cream as W26093 (374-002A), an FK in maroon as E13245 (374-153A) and two BGs: crimson and cream E86308 (374-026B) and chocolate and cream W81019 (374-029B).

There are some more wagons as well: OBA 31T in Railfreight livery as 110264 (373-626) and two PCAs - lemon yellow Ketton Cement TL69471 (373-075C) and unbranded BCC 9171 in pale grey (373-077B).

This 164 page issue of the magazine contains a six page interview with Simon Kohler, Hornby's marketing manager. You will have to get a copy yourself to find out what he says! It is well worth the read and reveals a lot behind the process of choosing models. But a Beyer-Garratt....?

The Masterclass subject this time is the Class 20 which celebrates its 50th birthday this year. This includes two colourful pages of liveries that members of the class have carried.

'Kesteven Junction' is the layout covered in detail and this is a 1930s LNER design built by Mike Allan and Kelvin Barnes. It features a large through station a goods yard and a large fiddleyard at the back of the oval. There are two main running tracks.

Practical articles, at which Model Rail excels, include renumbering locos, a well illustrated six page buildings feature by Allan Downes, the ABS 0 gauge B4 0-4-0T kit, fitting catenary to a layout and modelling industrial chimneys.

There is a critique of the Hornby Elite DCC power unit, two pages of pictures of the latest Skaledale releases, reviews of the Farish MML 125 and recent wagon releases, latest Britannias and King Arthurs from Hornby, the weathered 9F from Bachmann and a survey of grass mats available to modellers.

Thank you, John Stewart, for your excellent link. I am indeed most interested in the contents of that site and can’t thank you enough for finding it for me. Once again, MRE proves its real worth as a valuable resource for the modeller.

Now if anyone knows of a site with similar content based around 40 foot and 60 foot containers, I will have the Baltimore dockside up in a jiffy. I thought I might do an extended Inglenook around the idea, using drawbar-connected strings of multiple well cars in place of the usual single wagons and lengthening the sidings to accommodate them. It would look good above my desk.

Steve Mann

Terry Gee is asking about the forthcoming Maunsell Passenger Brake Van.

According to their Catalogue, this is the Van 'C' which comes in a couple of for forms, the full story is told on page 179 of Mike Kings book An Illustrated History of Southern Coaches.

The Running numbers for these, known as BYs in BR days, were Diagram 3091 S400-49 Diagram 3092 S-651 - 800 and Diagram 3094 S10-4.

I suspect that Hornby have picked on Diagram 3092 being the largest but knowing Hornby record for variations they may have made provisions to do the Stove fitted version as well.

I hope this information is useful to Terry as I have not seen or heard anything to say that they are not going to release this item.

Ian Taylor

I have just returned from WHSmith where I found an interesting publication called British Railways - Modernisation to Privatisation. This 132 page book, which is exclusive to WHSmith, contains many photographs from the last 40 or so years, all in colour and I don't think that I have seen any of them published before. It has been compiled by Brian Sharpe and, at £6.99, I think represents very good value.

Check this out sooner rather than later as it could be another British Railway Modeller Annual scenario, that will sell out rather quickly.

Chris Martin

I do not have any of these but I am experiencing similar problems with the bogies of a Hornby 12 wheel restaurant car.

I think it originally came with plastic wheels which I replaced, but the bogies tend to derail at a Peco large radius Code 75 point when it is set for the curve which joins a single slip. As with the Dapol Wagon, the problem disappears if the middle set of wheels from each bogie are removed. Again, flangeless wheels would appear to be the answer. I would mention that my minimum radius is 24 inches and the problem is experienced at only two separate sets of points.

Peter Armond, Lusaka, Zambia

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Following on to recent messages about these tanks, I see the latest issue from Dapol in 00 gauge is B697 Express Diary vehicles. These have silver tanks and nicely printed name plates 'Express Dairy'. They seem, at last, to be an issue that is suitable for the BR steam period of the '50s and '60s. I also note that these Dapol tankers are actually a new model and differ from the former Wrenn and Lima versions.

However, having been through various books, it is difficult to see on which real vehicle they are based, especially as they have no running number. They seem to relate (but are not identical) to Diagram 054, lot No 1696 - Western Region fleet Nos. W1968 to 1977, but without the four main straps. There is a picture of one of these in Cheona Book No.4 - BR Wagons Railtanks.

Does anyone have any other views as to what these Dapol wagons may have been based on and, if so, what running numbers would apply?

John Cherry

One of the nameplates from 931 King's Wimbledon is located in that school's sports hall. I understand that the other is owned privately by an Old Boy of the school.

Andrew Wells

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I understand from a friend who attended Whitgift School that one of the plates from 30916 is displayed on the premises.

Frank Spence

Wow! an L1 from a 2P eh! I’m sure I remember an article in Railway Modeller in the 1960s about converting an L1 into a 2P. What goes around, comes around, I guess.

John Brien

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There was an article in, I think, the Railway Modeller back in the 60s.

Les Smith

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Geoff Stone’s query about converting an LMS 2P (presumably the Dapol/Hornby model) to a Southern L1 made me smile. I attempted to do the opposite in 1964 by converting a spare Tri-ang L1 body into a 2P for my S&D layout. I borrowed my brother’s L1 chassis, as required, and coupled a black Fowler tender (ex-3F 0-6-0) to it. I still have the model somewhere and it doesn’t look too bad.

Geoff could attempt his conversion and he has identified the principal modifications needed. But the L1 is slightly longer overall and has a longer coupled wheelbase and this will be fairly apparent. The smokebox saddle and door will need alteration too. The tenders are similar but not identical.

I wish him well but, frankly, I would not recommend the exercise. It would be more practicable to get hold of a second-hand L1 (or the later attempt by Hornby to produce a 2P from what I believe was exactly the same body moulding, as Pat can doubtless confirm) and improve its detail. There are two L1s and a 2P on eBay as I write (no bids yet)!

I have to agree with Michael Wonham about the Hartmann Model Railroad Museum. This is a wonderful model railway destination. As well as a large museum of model railways, there is a very well stocked store with hundreds of items (US and European image) for sale.

The museum has extensive layouts and collections, drawn mainly European and American image. I don't remember seeing very much British image stock there in the past. If you are making a visit to the North East USA, particularly the Boston area, then this is well worth a visit.

Intervale NH, where the museum is located, is just up the road from the Conway scenic railroad which is a preserved railway that runs summertime trains from North Conway to Twin Mountain through the beautiful scenic Franconia notch state park. The Engine facility at North Conway is quiet and I have had no problems 'bashing' the shed.

North Conway is a fantastic shopping destination, with loads of outlet stores which are great value for two reasons - the great UK/US exchange rate and the absence of a sales tax in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a small state with few model railway stores due to the small population. Intervale is about 3 hours drive from Boston and I agree is well worth a visit. I live about 2 hours away but can easily 'sell' my wife the idea of a visit with the lure of the designer clothes outlets!

Simon Gibbs, New Hampshire, USA

Stu List

Richard Whitmore raises a common complaint against simple block control systems - the sudden stop and start at isolating track sections controlled by signals. However, there are many ways of overcoming it, if you will all excuse another long technical description.

The simplest system which used to work in the days of Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang was to put a very large capacitor across the isolating join, so that the loco slowed down as it reached the section. This doesn't work reliably nowadays for various reasons so don't bother trying it!

A better way of achieving a similar effect is to use a power mosfet across the isolating section and put the capacitor across the gate-drain of that. This forms a 'Miller Integrator' which, if controlled correctly, can give reliable smooth speedup and slowdown, as the rate of slow down doesn't depend on the motor's electrical characteristics anymore. Electrically, the mosfet is in series with the controller output and effectively subtracts a variable voltage from the controller's output. Subtract 12V from a 12V output and you get zero (in principle at least) though with pulse controllers the maths is harder.

The neat thing about this is that you can slow down one train while another may be running at full speed somewhere else on the line, so a single high-power controller can do for a main line even with several signal blocks on it. This is quite useful for automatic outer home signals and IBS.

The alternative is to override the manual control knob of the main controller, electronically, to reduce power to the whole main line when you want to slow down a train. This can usually be done fairly easily on most DC electronic speed controllers by breaking the connection to the top of the speed control pot (clockwise end) and supplying it from a variable voltage controlled by the signal logic - with a big delay in it to give smooth slowdown and speedup. Obviously this means that you can have only one train per controller and must use a separate controller for each block. However, I would recommend that people didn't break open their commercial controllers unless they have a good knowledge of electronics!

For ultimate block control it is often easier just to make your own very simple non-reversing speed controller and control this by the signal logic via another capacitor/resistor slowdown circuit. It's also quite cheap. If you already have a 12V or 16V DC supply (or use the main line controller for this) then one op-amp and a power mosfet, and a few Rs and Cs are all you need - cost around 1 UKP. You can then switch out the line to the external 'main' controller when you want manual control. Nowadays, most locos work perfectly well on smooth DC so you may not need any fancy feedback or pulse stuff.

I should point out that some DMUs may now have the motor and power pickup at the middle or the trailing end of the train and not the front, so it is much better to sense the arrival of a train by some means and then control the power to the whole section, rather than simply allowing the locomotive to run into an isolating section and then stop. This also allows you to run a train double-headed or banked at the rear.

Sensing can be done in many ways. Measuring the voltage across a resistor and diode in series with the track can work, but needs some careful experimentation to make it work reliably with all locos. The old idea of connecting a relay coil to the isolating section and using one of the contacts to connect it to the live rail when it turns on, also works. You can design mosfet versions of this, but you need a reliable reset signal from the next section to cancel it. Optics are also quite easy now you can buy sensors ready made, though you may have to cope either with interference from fluorescent light sources, dropouts from shadows, or the inability of the system to work in the dark.

If the sensing is sensitive enough, it will work with a leading vehicle that has an LED lamp or small resistor in it run from the track on trains with rear drive. Otherwise the train will SPAD and stop with the trailing motor vehicle by the signal!

I haven't done a market survey, but I'm sure some of the commercial systems available already give realistic slowdown behaviour if you don't want to get too involved in the electronics. But I hope the foregoing may help you to ask intelligent questions of the supplier - an obvious one being whether it provides its own track power or modulates an external track supply. I won't presume to answer for DCC systems, except to point out that, on an automatic layout, the snag lies in discovering which engine needs to slow down at any given signal. The DC system doesn't have that problem and can also be implemented piecemeal as you go without needing a major all-at-once change of operating system.

Anthony New

I read with interest the contributions by Anthony New on automatic Block Control. Like him, I want to control enough trains to be able to observe the unpredictability that arises in the prototype. I realised that I couldn't do so with DCC without spending a fortune. So in 1998, with encouragement from Exeter N-Gauge Railway Modellers (ENGRM), I built a Block Oriented N-Gauge (or BloNg) controller. Its design was published in the N-Gauge Journal at the end of 1998 and the start of 1999.

Then I joined the Model Electronic Railway Group (MERG), and with a new colleague, Bob McGregor, we enhanced the BloNg to become 'superBloc', now available in kit form to MERG members. It runs DC ready-to-run locos straight from the box.

SuperBloc works exactly as Anthony describes. Its block controller combines an inertia controller with a track circuit detector. The track circuit detector sets the signal in rear to danger and initiates a deceleration in an approaching loco, thus overcoming the problem posed by Richard Whitmore without recourse to DCC. The loco then creeps to the signal, where it stops. When the block ahead clears, the loco accelerates again and its speed is passed forwards so that it enters the next block still smoothly accelerating. It can be reversed for single line operation and taken over for shunting. Point drivers include logic to redirect the track circuit and speed forwarding wires according to route selection. A loco approaching a trailing junction set against it will always see a red signal and decelerate to a stop.

MERG kits presently include the controller, point driver, and (soon) a signal driver, all of which simply need to be interconnected. Because a block control system is inherently distributed, wiring is mostly local between blocks.

For those skilled enough to build electronic circuits, a point lock is in prototype form. This prevents an operator from changing a point as a train approaches it until the last vehicle has passed. The same lock might implement a single line token system. SuperBloc does not use a computer, but the design is layered allowing computer control to be added as a retrofit. That's what we shall be working on next - but it will always work without a computer.

Since 2002, ENGRM have regularly exhibited a modular layout with around 30 block sections.

John Matthews

While not especially interested before now in this niche of the hobby, I’m beginning to see the attraction thanks to the discussion underway in MRE.

I should like to float an observation past those who want to run their layouts in this fashion. What follows is not in anyway written as a criticism of any previously published method of modelling from any point of view. It represents some thoughts I’ve had as a result of a long commute and no newspaper.

It seems to me that using DC block control does not really model the situation of the signalman on a real railway if one thinks about it. In the real world, the signals must be read and acted upon by someone (in the engine crew) not under the direct control of the signalman. To have the trains stop simply because the power to the rails is suspended is OK, but it doesn’t really mimic what actually happens. What is needed is to put the trains under third party control.

The obvious answer in 2007 is to use a computer to actually ‘crew’ the various trains on the layout and have it respond realistically to the signals. This way the signalman can be surprised by trains that overrun a signal, trains that experience mechanical problems while under the signalman’s control and the problems presented by ‘specials’ on the line.

I would suggest (as many will have anticipated) that DCC is the easiest way to get the trains under the control of a computer, but there are other problems that then arise. The computer doesn’t really know where any train is on the layout. The computer doesn’t know about the signals from the point of view of the "driver" of the train.

This really boils down to one oversight in the design of current DCC systems. They are designed for use by a human driver. He or she supplies the missing components: recognition of where the train is, of local conditions and of the behaviour of the train in fact (rather than just assuming the train is doing what you told it, which is what a computer does). In short, DCC lacks any sort of train-to-controller feedback communications.

It is hard for me to see how to properly address this issue such that it will work anywhere, on any layout. I can envisage a system that has sensors in the track, possibly in the sleepers, that allow the train to tell the controller how fast it is going* and where it is on any given stretch of track. This would involve either ‘intelligent track’ to do the reporting of what is passing over it, or ‘dumb-but-active track’ to supply some DCC recognisable data and use the onboard train DCC decoder as the reporting agent.

Neither of these is simple to achieve. In either scenario, track will require assigning an address to every section (the ‘where you are’ bit of the equation). Possibly this could be achieved by placing some sort of sensor at the start and end of each section, allowing older trackwork to serve. Intelligent Track (IT) sensors would collect data on the locomotive as it passed by some method and report it back. Dumb But Active Track (DBAT) track would use sensors to supply the onboard locomotive electronics with the same location data. The locomotive could estimate its speed* by either counting sleepers using an onboard sensor or by passing by yet more in-layout sensors. IT sensors would pass the information back to the controller. DBAT sensors would supply the locomotive decoder with the same information and let it do the reporting.

All of these components would have to be very configurable. Sensors that have an address will need enough leeway in that (configurable) address for very wide variance (otherwise modular club layouts won’t be able to use them).

Use of such a system of back reporting would enable totally realistic central control systems to be built, allowing a layout to be run from any point of view. Software to reproduce the complications I mentioned at the start of this perhaps overlong mailing would of course be easy to configure to realistic levels, over-the-top complications or simply turned off allowing the layout to be run as light relaxation, a simulation or a puzzle along the lines of a time-saver.

One other factor I haven’t covered: Train length and train integrity. How can the computer know whether or not part of a given train has uncoupled? It is realistic that this might take a little time to register, since train crews didn’t historically always know when it happened, but now we are perhaps talking about the DCC system having to accommodate a train manifest of wagons/cars that can be compared each time it crosses a given sensor. This will mandate some sort of component being included in each piece of rolling stock, some sort of transponder might be in order.

Things are getting very complex even within the framework of this abbreviated thought experiment, as you can see, and I’ve already exceeded the attention span of most people so I’ll stop there.

I urge everyone who truly cares about running their layout from a point of view other than that of a locomotive crewman to get together and formulate a standard to take the freedom offered by DCC to a new level. I’d buy such a system just to get the speed* feedback from the loco as I was driving it.

Steve Mann

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Thanks very much to the contributors who took the time to answer my questions about DCC and signalling. The detail you provided was most helpful and thanks to the clarity of your explanations I could understand the examples you put forward. It obviously substantially increases realism if locos can gradually accelerate from signals and slowly decelerate to a halt when approaching a stop signal, and it is very helpful to know this can be achieved.

The traditional method of increasing and decreasing speed from a controller, even an analogue controller with adjustable acceleration and deceleration features, is only practical when you have one train on the line at a time. With a planned continuous procession of trains leaving the hidden loops and entering the blocks, the starting and stopping needs to be automated to manage the high traffic flow. Of course, traditional operation can still be used for shunting, and light engine running around the sheds.

As I gradually put together my new layout I am now very tempted to create some DCC circuits (perhaps devoting the upper level entirely to it) and get some of my German locos converted to DCC, simply because the appropriate signalling is already available. Cost will be a factor to be weighed up, as would creating a workable connection to the analogue part of the layout that I am currently using as a test facility.

Incidentally there is a real difference between operating as a signalman and a driver. As a driver you are really focusing on the single train you are driving. Operating as a signalman you are involved in managing your section of line as a number of different trains pass through it. Actually Dave Skipsey and Clive Mortimore both highlighted the separation of functions perfectly in their posts on Friday, where in both cases individual operators were assigned to these different functions. On a home layout with mostly only one operator one accordingly needs one of these functions to be automated to successfully manage volumes of traffic.

Having spent decades and a small fortune somewhat obsessively collecting over a hundred locos and a few hundred items of rolling stock, it seems a layout capable of handling high volumes of traffic is in my case quite appropriate. Thanks again for your help.

Richard Whitmore

The closing time and date is 22:00 on Friday 20^th July.

Please put 'July Quiz' in the subject box and please remember to include your postal address.

Here are the questions:

Hornby have just released another batch of models.

This item is now available in 4mm scale and can be ordered in 00 and EM gauges. P4 will possibly be available later subject to demand.

Kit contains a one-piece finecast resin body moulding, including footsteps and bodyside canvas rain sheets. Glazing is provided to enhance the model, even though the actual cab windows are solid. They are recessed by 0.5mm and when painted black and overlayed with the glazing the effect looks acceptable.

The heart of the model is the smallest unit available from the innovative Australian Bull Ant range. This unit has a Mashima 5-pole flat can motor with a brass flywheel. It drives through an end mounted 20:1 gearbox. The unit has 7mm nickel silver wheel sets attached to two small gearboxes with a layshaft drive. The wheelbase is 15.5mm.

The Wickham's Type 27 Ganger's Trolley retails for £48.50 and all that is required is paint and decals.

I was looking at a spare LMS 2P and was wondering if there had been any articles on converting one to a Southern L1. The basic dimensions are similar. From observations a new chimney, dome, modified rear splashers/cab and some re-wheeling should do it.

Any hints?

I am not looking for P4 standard but something that is reasonably representative. After all, being 12,000 miles away, with few Southern modellers here, who is going to rivet count?

Geoff Stone, Sydney

Can I just emphasise my support for John Cherry and his aim of getting somebody to introduce 4mm working signals, either as single units or, as Brian Macdermott suggested, a system of click together component parts. I didn’t mean to sound submissive of the suggestions, even though the suggested solutions would not necessarily be relevant to my needs but any addition of any item(s) to the offerings at present available to the modelling audience, will always be most welcome.

Dick Flower

Further to Brian Macdermott's challenge to find the earliest model railway magazine, how about. Model Railway News, but do we include the Meccano Magazine?

MREmag does seem to evaluate the main manufacturer's performances, but we never seem to comment on the ideal retailer or where we source our supplies of model railway items. Perhaps this is not 'PC'.

I tend to use one retailer that advertises in the model railway press and provides an excellent service. The items are well packed, well priced and are normally sent the same day. The people on the phone are pleasant and knowledgeable. Also, they have enough stocks of new items that I don't need to rush to buy, but can dither while I make up my mind. It is also fairly near to me but I hardly ever go there - it being about an hour and a half's drive. Interestingly, the cost together of the drive and parking is more than the retailer charges for post and packing. There are nearer retailers but I don't choose them for a variety of reasons.

I really enjoy going to swapmeets and know, by sight and acknowledgement, some sellers. I tend to use swapmeets for second-hand items rather than new. I have never bought any new British models on eBay and hardly ever win any second-hand British models. I do better purchasing abroad with eBay, but then I am probably buying at a premium compared to the locals due to scarcity or non-availability in the UK. Over many years, I have had many dealings with a variety of retailers by personal visit, phone and using the Internet. I can give some examples of 'interesting' dealings and explain the title - 'Price of Fish'.

In my local market some years ago, I bought some fish from a mobile shop. As I handed over my money, without prompting, the seller remarked that Tesco sold the same fish at a pound cheaper per pound weight. A very silly remark and of course as I never went back. It couldn't happen in the model railways retail sector. I phoned one retailer, who advertises in every Railway Modeller and Continental Modeller, enquiring about the availability of an overseas item. Again, without prompting, I was told it was cheaper in the country where the items where made. Yes, thanks for that, the items are half the price and are delivered very quickly. A complete waste of two pages of advertising per month. The 'price of fish' in my family refers to never going back to buy.

How about the personal visit when Hornby and Bachmann get 'bad mouthed' for no real reason, again without prompting? DCC seems a good target for this as well. It is a little disappointing if I am giving clear 'buying' signals.

Or, how about the Internet site that willingly takes my credit card details and I receive only half the goods due to non-availability. Do I need to give my details first?

Or, another local retailer advertising low prices - "unless it's a personal visit".

Or, another that sent me a used item instead of a new one and deducted postage when I asked for a refund.

Or, when I received a visit from the Police. I had traded in some TT items against a Dapol locomotive. Unfortunately someone nearby had been burgled and TT items were stolen. You try proving how you bought second-hand items six years before. Even worse, I regretted selling any TT.

So, going back to the beginning, I am very happy with my retailer and I know the difference.

Graham Higgins

Regarding John Long's query, there are two possible models involved:

The 4-wheel ICI Chlorine tank wagon (4675) or the bogie ICI Caustic Liquor tanker (4685). The Hornby Dublo Trains book in the Hornby Companion Series has pictures of both types on pages 209, 212 and 218.

Page 219 shows both the prototype and model of the bogie version. However, the prototype has a ladder at the ICI logo end whereas the model has this at the 'star' logo end. However, only one side of each is shown.

Ian Breeden

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I have found some additional photos of the Chlorine/Ammonia tanks that have been published in the Cheona Publications 'Railways in Profile' series.

In book No.4 British Railways Wagons - Railtanks there are several photos:

Page 45, plate 76 is of Associated Octel 14t chlorine tanks Nos. 907 and 926, built by Charles Roberts in the 1940s and Hurst Nelson & Co. in 1955.

Page 49, plate 84 is of an I.C.I. Liquefied Ammonia tank No.32 which was built for War Dept. in 1939.

Page 50, plate 85 is of an I.C.I. 14T Chlorine tank No.1301 which this is probably the closest match to the HD wagon. It was built by R Y Pickering in 1950.

Page 52, plate 90 is of a Murgatroyd's 14T Chlorine tank No.T82. It is similar to previous one but with sideboards along top side of tank. It was built by Charles Roberts in 1950.

The rear cover picture, lower left, shows a BP Chemicals tank No.T80 (TOPS number BPO 47133). This is a 14T wagon built by Hurst Nelson & Co. in 1958.

Book No.14 British Railways Private Owner Tank Wagons has the following:

Page 63, plate 122 shows an Associated Octel 14T Liquid Chlorine tank No.AO 47020 with code TRO. It was one of a batch 47006-47042 built by Chas Roberts or R.Y. Pickering between 1940 and 1950. These lasted in traffic, from Amlwch to Ellesmere Port, until 1984.

Sadly, book No.4 is long out of print but copies sometimes appear on the second-hand market. Book No.13 is just about still available.

Paul Harrison, Cheona Publications

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In response to Nicholas Rothon's e-mail of July 4th, I know that Eton has one of 900/30900's nameplates and I believe (although cannot be certain) that the King's School, Canterbury, has one of 933/30933's.

There is a rather sad story behind 30933, namely that Canterbury City Council considered purchasing the locomotive for display but this unfortunately fell through and the locomotive was cut up.

Ralph Morley

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If you are starting an ad hoc database of schools that own one of the nameplates, I can confirm that both Radley and Bradfield have theirs. In my time at Radley, the plate was in the school shop beneath a photograph of the locomotive. It has since been moved to a less accessible location. My son tells me that Bradfield is on restricted display within the school.

Julian Evers

It was interesting reading the problems John Jeffery has experienced with his six-wheel milk tank wagons. I have recently put together a rake of eleven of these wagons and they were jumping all over the place, derailing at places where nothing else was and generally being a 'pain in the proverbial'.

I seem to have solved the problem by, first of all, altering the wheel back-to-back measurements to the same as my Bachmann wagons (which never seem to derail!) and, secondly, and most significantly, adding a load of liquid lead into the tank barrels increasing their weight to around 85g each.

Observing their running characteristics at the places where they used to derail now they're much heavier, it's clear that the extra weight keeps them firmly on the track.

Keith Bullock

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The simple solution is to file part the flange off the centre wheels and then fix the axle so that it can't rotate. You file off just enough to stop the flange playing any part in the running of the vehicle whilst leaving the appearance of the full wheel being there.

Roger Chivers

Michael Wonham

There has been some communication recently about the Exmouth to Cleethorpes train which ran in the summers of 1960, 1961 and 1962. However, the description of the train is not entirely correct and this was never picked up by the great Ivo Peters in his books.

The train actually consisted of two portions - one from Exmouth and one from Sidmouth. These portions, rostered for 4 coaches per portion, but often ran with more, were combined at Tipton St Johns before heading for Sidmouth Junction. There, the N or U Class would take over for the run up to Templecombe. The process was exactly the opposite for the southbound run from Cleethorpes.

I am in the process of developing a new layout at the moment and I am ankle deep in the joys of wiring. One of the pieces I would like to investigate before I complete this phase, and get up off my knees, is automatic coupling systems for N gauge.

The question is: what do other people use? As far as I can see, there are 3 systems: Peco, D&G (I can't remember who produces these now) and MBM.

Steve Pirouet

All this talk about being a driver or signalman, I would have thought the possibilities are endless, depending on which slant you apply to your layout.

It would seem to me that to have a system that is controlled by signals would require some fancy wiring (the very thing DCC is trying to reduce) or some sort of computer or block control. I suspect the latter is available somewhere. If you choose to run your layout as a signalman, then it would either require another 'driver' or some programming that allowed for acceleration, slowing down, proceeding with caution or just running slowly. Most of this would, as I have stated, be controlled by two or more people or be fully programmed and automated.

The latter may work for an exhibition layout with limited personnel, but the fun aspect of running a railway is somewhat reduced if ones spend time programming everything then just sitting back and watching. There is little room for spontaneity! Like anything fully automated, there is a danger of catastrophe if there is a derailment or an engine breaks down - especially if things are being run to a timetable.

I prefer to be the Fat Controller (although I would not describe myself as fat!) and run everything myself. It may take time, but there is the satisfaction of swapping roles, throughout an operating session, depending on the need. If you have a small shunting layout, you could be the driver or the banksman or the signalman, in the sheds, depending on which activity you are undertaking. Versatility - that's the key.

Andrew Carter

Being able to drive two locomotives on a single line is an advantage of DCC, as Bill Francis says, especially when you have a senior moment and the two trains meet head on at speed. Now I never succeeded in doing that with DC only control! (signals sir? - what signals?). Like Graham Hobbs, I have also stayed with DC for point control but, for me, it is because the DCC system of selecting and changing point motors seems long winded. I will not claim that wen using the two systems together you have the best of both worlds; like all these things, it is a matter of what suits you best.

Mac Strong

I am a member of Andi Dell's 'Dagworth' operating crew. This layout has always operated with separate functions of drivers and signalman. The drivers have to follow the signals, they do not have any input with regard to the route set. They go where and when they are told to. If you are driving an express which catches up with a slower moving freight you must obey the signals - which is fun to do.

With a recent change of control of the signalling (I will let Andi tell you about the techy side of this), the signal box is now outside the layout so that the public can look at the computer screen, over the signalman's shoulder, and see the signal aspect changes being mimicked and the track circuits indicate where the trains are.

Along with the TV screen with the drivers eye view, a small camera is fitted into an inspection coach, Andi now has three points of interest when 'Dagworth' is being exhibited. The layout, the signal box and what the driver sees.

Clive Mortimore

My Plea is to Anthony New with the signaller vs. the engine driver argument and those who will continually (and rather boringly in my opinion) argue for and against this subject. We are in the main, railway modellers, which means, we model railways! To the best of our capabilities we do it to the limit of what we want it to do! I for one am quite happy running trains with cosmetic signals and thoroughly enjoy taking control of a loco on my newly converted DCC layout in the garden. I just feel that we are entering the realms of complete fantasy (to quote Captain Mainwaring talking to Corporal Jones) when trying to entice the standard modeller on a small budget into DCC when we start talking in huge waffle paragraphs about scale signalling against running a train! Come on boys... this hobby is meant to be fun please don't forget that. We run trains... not watch signals go up and down.. that is the afterthought bit and confined to the real thing!

I have learned to enjoy DCC, It has provided me with great fun in the 3 months I have been using it, Tri-ang locos and all.. and, to be honest,.... well, really honest,.... I'm a driver ... not a 'bobby' (signalman)

Julian Martin

It is a general 'Yes' to all Richard Whitmore's questions.

We also use some home grown software which we use to generate trains at random from the fiddle yard. This was written because operators were getting bored (to be frank) with the repetitive nature of running of all 'up' or all 'down' trains. Now each driver simply presses the 'magic rabbit' button and the software pulls the next train 'from the hat' at random. So, there may be a sequence of several trains on the 'up' with only one 'down' - just like the real thing - and the signalman has to deal with these trains. Once again, this software is networked so that the fiddle yard and station signalmen are effectively using train describers to communicate. We also have radios as the final backup! A stand-alone version of this is also available from the website - for free. Since using this software means no more directional drivers, we can have as many as we can fit in the middle. At Glasgow, earlier this year, we had our record of 5 drivers running trains on Widnes and that really tested the metal of the signalman on the station panel - me!

We are currently in the process of installing block sections to allow the signals to be returned to danger as the train progresses - and also perform other interlocking functions such as SPAD alerts. All of our trains are data logged so we know exactly what was run, when it was run and which line it ran on. It is very useful when analysing the number of trains running at any given show. With the blocks installed it will also be able record the passing times at each signal.

So you can see, we have taken the driver/signalman divide to a higher level.

I can be contacted via the link on the website should anyone wish to discuss RR&Co further or, indeed, any aspect (groan!) of British signalling.

Keep up the good work.

Dave Skipsey

Richard Whitmore suggests that it should be possible to do simple block control with realistic acceleration using DCC and, of course, it is. What is more, you can buy it off the shelf today from some DCC manufacturers and easily create a working system.

Many current DCC loco decoders include either 'Brake on DC' or 'Asymmetric braking' to enable this to be done very easily. There are still solutions available for those that do not. The acceleration, deceleration and braking is configured individually to suit each loco in the onboard decoder by adjusting the configuration variables when programming the decoder. Thus, each loco can have its own characteristics when starting away from a signal check, etc.

Asymmetric braking is the easiest to implement with simple wiring that is virtually the same as you would use for a simple DC signal stop, but with the much improved appearance of no sudden stop and start. Moreover, the smoke and lights will stay on. You can even reverse away from a 'stop' signal if required and blow the loco's horn to wake the signalman!

Converting a Hornby automatic semaphore signal for example is as simple as wiring a Lenz BM1 module across the two track terminals. Loco decoders supporting asymmetric braking are available from Lenz (Gold range) and Zimo. Components to support asymmetric braking are available from Lenz including the BM3 block module. Because all that is required to stop or slow a train, using asymmetric braking, is five diodes (a relay and a few other bits as well to make a complete block module), it is very easy to make these units yourself for virtually no money. This includes slowing for a yellow aspect or 'distant', as well as stopping at danger. Asymmetric braking is directional and so can be easily implemented on bi-directional lines with trains passing a signal set at danger, that is facing the other way, without stopping. If you are migrating from a DC system, that already has block control, to DCC, this is a very simple system to implement using the existing signalling control system.

Brake on DC or brake signal insertion is a bit more complex to implement. While more loco decoder manufacturers support brake on DC, and all NMRA compliant decoders will support brake signal insertion, there is less available off the shelf to support a full implementation. Furthermore it is less flexible (control of the train is lost while slowing and stationary) although, of course, less proprietary which may be helpful if you already have a mix of decoders. It is worth considering if you are handy with electronics.

It should be noted that all of the above systems work independently of the DCC control system. There is no need to buy any specific DCC controller and no need for a computer. Set the trains off and they will drive themselves responding to the signals - or virtual signals if you can't get realistic ones!

Train detection and identification is currently available from Digitrax using RFID devices, so automatic routing of trains is possible using this proprietary system. Just on the horizon is the NMRA standard for this, 'advanced feedback' which is already being supported by several manufacturers under the Railcom name, including Lenz, Zimo and Hornby - so expect to see more in this field soon.

I have not, by any means, covered all that is available. So, if you are interested, it worth doing some further research into some of the manufacturers less stocked in the UK. New DCC products are becoming available all the time from Europe and the USA. Going DCC does not have to be an all or nothing exercise. To start with, you will need decoders for each loco and a DCC controller. The rest can be added gradually. Don't think that you have to throw the baby out with the bath water when migrating from DC. The most important thing to consider when starting out is - will the loco decoders support what you ultimately aim to achieve. They will be your biggest investment in DCC and may save you money and hassle in the long run if you choose the right ones to suit your control system.

Paul Harman

I've been reading with some fascination the recent correspondence.

When I planned my model railway, I decided I wanted to have the maximum level of realistic control. As a result, I plumped for N gauge (more track to control) and DCC. The latter has been a pain getting the decoders fitted, although the situation is getting better with more DCC friendly engines released of late.

As a software engineer, I decided to write my own software to control the system. There are commercial products out there which I believe do much the same thing.

I was originally hoping to use semaphore signals, but couldn't find any that could be operated automatically. So, I'm mostly using 3 and 4 aspect colour light signals from Roger Murray. These look great, but you do need to be looking toward the signal light to see them clearly - which means leaning over the layout in some cases.

Recently, I discovered Tomix now make working semaphores. I've got 2 with 10 more on order direct from Japan. I couldn't find anyone who had stock in the UK. I'm not sure if they do 00 versions, but I can heartily recommend their N gauge ones.

I have the track split into blocks, each with a block detector that communicates track occupancy back to the computer. All the points are hooked up to the computer so it knows (and can alter) their state. So, with this, the computer knows the location of all the engines and can set all the signals based on their track occupancy and point state. Because the computer knows the location of the train, it can also set the trains speed appropriate to the next signal - i.e. slowing down when passing amber and stopping just in front of red.

To answer Richard Whitmore's question: yes, being DCC, the trains are slowed gently to a stop and accelerate smoothly rather than suddenly stopping and starting at signals.

When complete, the layout will have around 100 block sections, 50 points, 25 signals, 6 stations and will be capable of running at least a dozen trains simultaneously. Every aspect will be capable of being controlled by computer and every aspect will be capable of being manually controlled - either with the DCC controller, computer or via hardware control panels which will also show track occupancy and signal state.

Even neater, I'm running the computer control software as a web server, so that I can control the railway from any web browser, including my Wi-fi enabled PDA, making it a very nice walk-around controller. On the PDA screen, I can show a picture of each train, it's speed and next signal state. I will eventually also be able to show track diagrams with occupancy status and will have the ability to change points by clicking on the screen.

For those interested in the technical details, I'm using Peco track and point motors, mostly Graham Farish engines and rolling stock. I have a Digitrax DCS100 DCC system, using SE8C signal controllers (for the colour light signals), DS54 (for the semaphores), DS64 and DAC10 (point motor controllers), BDL168 (block detectors), PSREV (from Tony's Train Exchange in the US) for reverse loop switching and a PM4 (to split power to 4 power districts). I'm mostly using Digitrax decoders in the engines, due to their transponding capability. They report back engine ID in a block section. This makes it easier for the computer to figure out which engine is where.

Just to clarify, not all of this is working yet and the scenery has hardly been started. However, I have built enough of it to know that it will work. It is just a matter of finding the time. Now, where did I put that soldering iron....

David Thompson

On June 27th, the attorneys representing the American model train manufacturers, Lionel and MTH, were in a New York bankruptcy court again. The outcome of this hearing was expected to be of considerable interest and, as a result, the courtroom was crowded. Jerry Calabrese, Lionel’s president and CEO, together with Lionel's chief financial officer Scott Turkington, attended the hearing and testified. Mike Wolf, proprietor of MTH, did not attend.

Three years ago, almost to the day, the District Court in Detroit, Michigan, awarded MTH $40.7 million dollars against Lionel and Korea Brass for plagiarising MTH designs. Lionel’s attorney stated that the court should grant its motion to have the bankruptcy court retry the trade secrets case - specifically the $17.5 million patent infringement lawsuit involving synchronised smoke - with the bankruptcy plan confirmed by the end of this year. This would give Lionel time to come out of bankruptcy.

The hearing was adjourned to the afternoon of July 9 and the court will not rule on the trial motions until at least that date.

In a subsequent interview, Mike Wolf indicated that he believed that the bankruptcy court had no jurisdiction to try either the trade secrets or patent infringement cases because MTH had not given up its right to a jury trial as it was Lionel that filed for bankruptcy.

By Brian Macdermott

Sunday 8 July: BBC1, 21.00-22.00, How we made Britain. David Dimbleby examines Newcastle's Roman-inspired station. Please note that this will probably only be a small part of the overall programme.

Regarding John Jeffery's suggestion about having flangeless wheels for the middle pair on a six-wheeled milk tank, I don't have any of these wagons myself, so the following suggestions are, I admit, somewhat theoretical.

I wonder if by modifying the axle boxes to allow the middle pair of wheels to 'float' a bit, the flanged wheels could be retained. I would first try drilling out the axle boxes so that the axle had some sideways movement. This might allow easier transit round sharp curves. Additionally, the axle box holes might also be elongated vertically. This would relieve the middle axle of carrying any weight of the tank and give it greater freedom to move to accommodate the sharper bends.

John Webb

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I offer a possible solution to the Dapol milk wagons' wheels problem which I have used myself on other 6-wheeled stock and appears to work.

Take a drill the size of the axle, or very marginally bigger, and make the holes deeper by about half a millimetre at the back of the centre axleboxes. I don't have one of the Dapol tanks to hand, but you may have to shave away some of the back of any brakes fitted to these. This should afford enough slop without the wheels falling out to solve your problems.

Graeme Pettit

Can I just support John Cherry on his NE loco wish list.

I am a GER person but would certainly have on my wish list the K1 and the G5, as both worked in East Anglia as well as the North East. The B16 would be good too, because I always liked them. I have a very respectable scratch built original (unrebuilt) B16. Great Eastern J15s and J69s were widely used; the J69s were probably more dispersed than LBSCR Terriers, so don't forget them!

Dudley Jones

If Andrew Carter is wary of chemical etching, there are a few things he could try.

You can buy 'gunmetal' stain intended for replica firearms. Just thinning down black enamel with a large quantity of thinner can work too, but the least messy way is simply to colour the valve gear with a permanent marker pen. It's nowhere near as permanent as the other methods but it's better than nothing on older Hornby locos.

Anthony New

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Bright valvegear may be darkened down by use of a mix of red, blue and black permanent marker pens. If you don't like the effect, then a whiteboard marker will often remove it fairly readily. Judicious use of these colours will give the oily blue with a tinge of rust look.

If you can find a gun dealer, then they often hold stocks of gun blue and gun brown, which will also do the job. Very little goes a long way and I think newer formulations of these contain fewer potential contaminants than they used to - but talk to the retailer for advice, if in doubt.

Graeme Pettit

There's a whole shed-load of container artwork here, producing simple flat boxes to bulk out your stack with 'real' containers in front and on top should be relatively painless.

John Stewart

Ivo Peter's book, The Somerset and Dorset in The Sixties includes a number of pictures of this train. On 25th June 1960 U Class 31632 brought the train up the SR main line as far as Templecombe where an S&D 7F took over. On this date the load was eight coaches, a mixture of Gresley, Thompson and BR stock. Ivo Peters explains that the load rarely exceeded 10 coaches, which could be covered by an 7F unaided, but a heavier load would require a pilot - usually a 2P, though one picture shows a GW 0-6-0 as pilot.

Nicholas Rothon

If I gave the impression that I have completed a marvellous system of automation recently I would hasten to correct this. I have played with various ideas in the past and although many of them have been tested on my home layouts in the past the current layout is still under construction after several rebuilds and I haven't got around to implementing the electronics on it yet.

I did design several variants on the traditional block control some years ago, the object of which was to replicate an IBS (intermediate block section, often automatic on the full-size railway) in model form. Each block controller was connected to the next and previous block by one wire each which allowed full handshaking between blocks to provide fail-safe transfer of trains. Each block had its own simple DC controller built in and would operate signals (semaphore or colour-light) and LEDs on a control panel to show the presence of trains. It was suited only to travel in a single direction on each line, I hasten to add, though, if the block was switched out (to manual control) it would work with an external speed controller reversibly.

Route switching was done by switches (either toggle switches or preferably electronically controlled switches in 'junction' boxes) on this control wire. The only clever thing about it, really, was that the wiring between block controllers was an exact mirror of the track diagram (obviously ignoring sidings) which made it very easy to wire up and to modify if the layout changed. At junctions, the handshaking wire was also interlocked to the electronic route switching box, to prevent a train crossing unless the route was set, and to prevent the route being changed while a movement was in progress.

The purpose and intention of this form of 'distributed' control, was that the layout would be controlled by a lot of fully independent blocks, each of which would take only one train, but which would allow a large layout to run many trains completely automatically. One could just sit back and watch them run, if one wanted, and they would run prototypically in the sense of running according to the signals. The intention was that either some form of time-tabling might be added (for example by forcing trains to stop at stations and selecting which lines in the hidden storage loops were used at each time) or that routes would simply be randomised for variety.

However, the key requirement for me was that the control should be distributed rather than centralised, so that any section or sections could be taken over for manual control at any time while the rest operated automatically. So you could be acting as a signalman on the main line one day, or at a terminus station another day, and so on. The rest of the layout worked on its own and left you to concentrate fully on the section you were operating. The hope was also that, with enough trains and enough independent sections, the sequence of trains would not repeat itself obviously (and here's a problem for you to think about: How complex does a control system have to be before its behaviour becomes unpredictable?)

I also experimented with train descriptors. It is fairly easy to make a photocell detect rolling stock passing overhead and not that difficult to count the number of vehicles. This may be enough to distinguish between passenger and freight trains (e.g. if it has more than eight vehicles it's a freight!) and to allow them to be sent on different paths. In principle bar-codes could be stuck underneath wagons and coaches and read by optical means, but this is much more difficult as the optics either need to be scanned (e.g. by a laser) or to be highly focussed.

A lower-tech alternative is to stick magnets on the brake vans and detect these with hall-effect sensors on the track or on signal gantries. This is useful for detecting the last vehicle in a train as a fail-safe mechanism but with magnets in different places you could detect the train type as well. I would prefer to add an LED tail-lamp on each trains, wire these to the wheels and arrange the track occupation sensor to be sufficiently sensitive to register it. Then the section stays blocked until the train's tail has fully left the section. The same is done at the front of trains with engines at the middle or back. In one version of the design the speed is controlled and interlocked as well, so you can run double-headed trains or bankers and all power units will slow down simultaneously at signals.

A simpler trick, still, is to ensure that routes for freight trains are set up between loops where only freight trains are permitted. In steam days this is quite realistic as freights spent a lot of time waiting in loops for passenger trains to pass, but it does mean designing your layout to suit this.

One other thing, I considered, was using the point switches to tell-back the routes set, so that the system powered up in the correct state on each operating session. This is often a problem with computer control, incidentally - setting the start-up state! The track sensors were latching so that, if a loco lost contact, the section stayed safe and a permanent power connection would store this between sessions.

If you implement the IBS using microprocessors like the PIC-16, rather than discrete logic, then you could make the controllers send train descriptions to each other along the handshaking line, or another wire, or communicate with prototypical bell sounds, or whatever. Anyway, as you see, I had plenty of ideas but never enough time to implement them!

Apologies for the length of this but I hope it may interest some. I'd love to read of anyone else's experiments, successful or not.

Anthony New

I can appreciate where Anthony New, Steve Mann and Bill Francis are coming from and everyone else who is seeing the possibilities of operating a layout as the person in charge of a signal box. Right now, although using German signals, I am doing just that. I only wish it was not too late for me to convert to DCC because then I could solve another problem. With analogue operation, train control run by the signals means unprototypically sudden stops and starts, which is the major downside to block sections with conventional control.

Logic tells me, however, that if I had DCC, I could control the acceleration away from the signal to something more realistic. For deceleration, I could connect the signal to a piece of track a few feet in front of the signal to give the loco time to slow down, according to its programming, and come to a stop near the signal. Someone may be kind enough to tell me whether this concept is practical because, if so, it just reinforces the links between DCC, the supply of automated signals from the manufacturers and interesting operation.

Incidentally, my layout in its current form now has no main line stations. It is truly a 'section' of line through which trains pass, and move on to the next section - this being the hidden loops. So there is no timetable as far as trains entering and departing from a station in the conventional manner. There is, however, a timetable of trains entering the section under my signalling control, that I have to keep up with.

The layout is now deliberately designed around creating this style of operation with a fast and slow main line in either direction and plenty of loops and crossovers for diverting trains to resolve peak hour bank ups. All this is in the testing phase at the moment, with no ballasting etc., while I experiment with design in live operation test mode. I shall be adding at least one more bi-directional main to deal with traffic overflows. This, of course, can be built into the timetable, as can breakdowns.

There are two points I am making here. One is that you can actually design your whole layout deliberately around operating it as a signalman. As a result your layout design will probably be different to the usual because you are looking for a different operational outcome. However, it should turn out prototypical because the intent is to operate prototypical traffic flows through a section of main line by signal control.

The second point is that DCC should create more realistic stopping and starting than what I have now, with, I think, the ability to set routes via the signals. I would be grateful if any DCC expert (which I am certainly not) could advise if the points I have made here are technically feasible or otherwise.

If DCC would allow trains to be realistically controlled by a combination of the signals and realistic acceleration and deceleration programming, all this to me sounds terribly exciting. It presents a comparatively unexplored way of operating a model railway. But firstly, for British prototype modellers, you need the signals.

Richard Whitmore