roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Apr 2, 2024 20:06:39 GMT
Remember the Metropolitan District Railway managed 43 trains per hour a at Mansion house back in the steam days, and each train had to uncouple loco, couple anothe loco on the other end, incoming loco to spur etc. all with semaphore signalling as well. Those old steam crews worked for their money.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Mar 18, 2024 12:11:01 GMT
From what I've gleaned the Mk2c coaches tested i the 1980s clipped their ventilators in a couple of places on the Circle Line. Maybe try RMweb.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Mar 2, 2024 18:02:17 GMT
Some of the Q stock had LMS ownership plates on the solebars and on the door treadplates. All the connections had been taken out by 1970, but there were crossings at the May & Baker factory at West Ham, another near Dagenham and a set of diamond crossings ar the west end of Upminster to enable BR trains to get from the lTSR to Romford.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Feb 8, 2024 4:01:07 GMT
Going back to the "trip working of freight, it wasn't "trip" working a in the normal sense of stopping off at every goods yard to drop off and pick up wagons, it was usually a train from say Acton Yard to Billingsgate, a dozen wagons or so with brake van at each end. there wasn't time to mess around shunting wagons on the Circle line, the complete train would have to be "put inside" out of the way before any shunting, running round etc was done.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Feb 8, 2024 3:42:49 GMT
Talking of software being outdated, the Big Railway is having to source a replacement for its TOPS system after 50 years of apparently working well as it is now the only railway in the world using it.
The other thing that must surely be affecting the cost of stuff is the B word, especially with equipment bought in from EU countries.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Dec 29, 2023 20:17:46 GMT
Back in 1971 when it was decided to convert the District Line to run 7 car trains, I was a bit surprised to see that the surplus cars to be scrapped were the 12 year old 1959 stock! Was there a particular reason for this getting rid of virtually new cars?
I remember being the guard on a scrap stock working from Upminster to Ealing Common one evening with 2xQ38+4xR59+2xQ38. Richard Thomas was my driver and driver Patel of Acton Town was "tail end Charlie" at the back!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Dec 29, 2023 20:12:35 GMT
Crimson and maroon colours do turn brown over a period of a few years. I have a preserved GS bus in maroon livery. When I had to repaint a front wing following some minor accident damage the fresh maroon paint looked very crimson compared to the dull brown of the rest of the bus. I used the same tin of paint!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Dec 21, 2023 19:42:59 GMT
I suppose these days a class 73 could be used for main line haulage over the DC to Euston, or a class 92?
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Oct 21, 2023 19:29:05 GMT
DALEK trains, now go through to Uxbridge. Ex-ter-min-ators...ex-ter-min-ators.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Oct 16, 2023 7:58:23 GMT
To revive this thread a bit, on the original District Dave site there were accounts about the Great Western fish trains that ran through to Billingsgate, how the pannier tank would be called "Western Bob" by the signalman at Farringdon Street. Pity these stories seem to have been lost over the last few years along with the tales from "Piccadilly Pilot".
Going at a slight tangent having read the link to the "Hidden London" post above, the Great Northern & City line platform hide an awful lot of history. I was secondman at Kings Cross at the time of rebuilding the line and worked down there a few times on the ex class 501 battery locos. The upright walls on the platform hide the original curved tunnel walls which were left entirely as they were complete with adverts and enamel station signs. Pity I never went equipped with some hand tools back in the day! I never had a decent camera either.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Oct 16, 2023 7:31:17 GMT
Presumably what prevents Met trains terminating at Wembley Park is the difficulty in crossing over the Jubilee Line then under the underpass to Neasden depot then bang road to Wembley Park southbound?
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 29, 2023 11:55:52 GMT
I'd suggest there was an international agreement made by the UIC maybe the Naples agreement regarding the safety of track workers and their protection from the danger of being hit by trains. Some of that involved using "barrier" trains on an adjacent line to afford that protection. It all depends on the clearance and risk assessment.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 21, 2023 19:33:02 GMT
A lot of railways prefer steam locos smokebox first where at all possible. This is all to do with the water level in the boiler. Going uphill smokebox leading, it will be almost impossible for the water at the firebox to drop to such a level as to expose the fusible plug and uncover the boiler tubes. Tender first there is a danger that this could happen with possible catastrophic results. The Kent& East Sussex is a prime example with Tenterden Bank being about 1 in 36 for the last mile into Tenterden. Most locos face towards Tenterden for this reason. If a loco is on loan from elsewhere special authority has to be granted for running the "wrong way round".
It's nothing to do with filling up with water, it's all to do with how long the loco is ikely to be working up hill on a regular basis.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 14, 2023 11:30:14 GMT
Next question which may have been answered already, which locos took the branch set back to Neasden? A met or BR steam loco, or loco change at Ricky?
When did the 4-car electric sets get withdrawn?
Is it possible to make a 4 car set from the existing cars, or was it 2xDM and 2x trailers?
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 11, 2023 18:40:34 GMT
I've recently seen a model of the Chesham Branch set on the Mantle's wood thread so decided to check it out. It's a 3D printed model, 00 gauge, made by CDC Models. I decided to order one from his eBay shop, cost £130 plus postage. What a lovely little model it is.
I had to wait a few weeks while another batch was made, it's finshed in a wood-scumble effect, I'm not sure if this painted on or printed, but it looks right I haven't checked the models for dimensional accuracy s they look very small compared to other 4mm-1ft scale models, but then the rel thing is very small! The bogies are fitted with pin-point axles with metal wheels that are very free running. They are fitted with standard tension lock couplers with NEM couple pockets. I fitted mine with Kadees which I use as standard on my layou. I found the no.18s are a good fit but might cause a bit of buffer lock on train set curves. All that's left to do are the coach numbers and fleetname if ever that was carried. I wonder was this set ever painted or was it always unpainted wood?
Anyone interested in making this into an electric unit will need to find a 28mm wheelbase motor bogie.
It was £130 well spent. Quite how they can make it for such a price is a wonder.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 11, 2023 18:29:38 GMT
It might be better to add this to the "historic" section a bit further down the home page.
<<Admin note: Done>>
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 11, 2023 18:22:30 GMT
Back in the loco-hauled day, how did the Chesham branch set get back to Neasden every week? Was a Met electric loco used to haul it back or a BR ot LT steam loco?
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 8, 2023 13:11:38 GMT
Or the well-to-do lady who was on a cruise all those years ago, asked the steward to lend her a penny as she didn't carry loose change on her, to which he replied "madam, this is Cunard, not P&O"...
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Sept 8, 2023 13:02:14 GMT
Why oh why wasn't all this thought of years ago? It seems ridiculous that TfL should have ordered a fleet of trains that don't fit any of the existing infrastructure, having to rebuild depots to fit the trains rather than trains to fit the depots, and trains that are too long for a lot of the platforms. I wonder if the economy of having a shorter traditional "stock" train would be cheaper than rebuilding entire lines to take what some bean counter reckons to be a cheaper long-term option.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 29, 2023 22:58:06 GMT
Do passenger transport projects EVER pay their way? Yes, Croydon Trams took the number of passengers in the first year that was projected for year 5.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 29, 2023 22:53:07 GMT
Details in this post: linkWhat an interesting read that turned out to be! Especially the bit about how do trip cocks work on a steam engine and the doubts of the signal engineers as to the efficacy of the trip cocks on steam locos. As I've mentioned before on the District Line/Historic sections about stem on the Underground, most freight trains were unbraked apart fro the loco brake and the brake van at the end of the train. These trains required special careful handling and a long way to stop. I've personally driven unfitted and partially fitted trains on the main line not on steam I hasten to add, but diesels, which act in a similar way when it comes to braking. On a partially fitted train, a number of wagons at the front of the train would have operating vacuum brakes, the rest would be unbraked, giving the driver a better chance to stop a bit quicker! Pulling away took a lot of care, not to accelerate too quickly as the sudden jolt at the back of the train would injure the guard as it went from 0 mph to 15 mph in a spilt second. There was also the danger of breaking the couplings. When stopping, the driver would apply the loco brake gently to buffer up the wagons again to avoid a jolt at the back end. Stopping varied, unlike EMU stock where train lengths and braking was fairly standard. A goods train could be anything from 20 tons to 800 tons with just a loco brake. Any sudden application of the vacuum brake on the loco being tripped would make a big jolt. Hence loco crews tended to pretend the vacuum brake side was cut-in and the trip cock down when in fact it was isolated! I worked on the Widened Lines in the last year of operation so am going by the tales of the Hornsey men who used to work freight down there. Co-acting signals were provides at locations to allow steam drivers a better view, the steam loco controls could be either side of the loco. I've been actively helping in restoring the GW railcar at Tenterden hence the interest in this thread. Unfortunately I've not been involved for a few years due to bus restoration getting in the way!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 29, 2023 22:17:50 GMT
"the Brake Test" is a misnomer, it's a brake line continuity test to check that any isolating cocks are in the open position. The "running brake test" is actually for testing the operation of the brake.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 3, 2023 22:22:11 GMT
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 3, 2023 21:55:07 GMT
Over on the RMweb (Railway Modellers, not Routemasters) a chap has developed and is now producing a 3D printed Q23 car. It's available in 3 versions, double ended for the south Acton shuttle, single-ended as a west end driving car and I believe as original F stock. He's also going Q25, Q36 and Q38 trailer car, so it will be possible to create a typical mixed rake 4-car set.
Cost is about £115 per car, not sure if that includes VAT and postage. You'll need a Black Beetle or other motor bogie to make it work, plus 12mm spoked wheels for the trailing bogie.
Meanwhile I'll bin my resin cast kit which was too short at one end!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Aug 3, 2023 21:48:46 GMT
They might find it difficult to coast up hill from Harrow & Wealdstone to Watford Junction!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Jul 7, 2023 3:45:26 GMT
I left the employ of BR in august 1988 so can't comment on what happened after that.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Jul 7, 2023 3:42:55 GMT
Which reminds me of helping with the real ale bar on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway about 15 years ago. It was easy to make all beer the same price. One year it was £2, easy to deal with, next year, £2.10, relatively easy to deal with, the following year £2.20 a pint. Very easy for the track engineers to deal with. As for the rest of us, how many people could memorise their 22 times table?
How much was a round of 10 pints? That'll be one furlong please.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Jul 7, 2023 3:28:48 GMT
We need planners who don't come from a supermarket or marketing background.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Jul 1, 2023 8:38:40 GMT
To answer the OP, I was a driver at Waterloo from 1980-1988. Waterloo had a drivers' roster of 4 links, 1 link done all suburban routes, Salisbury/Exeter/Bournemouth/Weymouth/Portsmouth, traction knowledge was all EMU stock including REP/TC, diesels 08/33/47/50/73, not W&C. 2 link, much the same, but not usually beyond Salisbury, plus W&C 3 link as 2 link, but not Salisbury/Exeter. 4 link all suburban routes, Portsmouth via Haslemere, W&C. EMU traction only, not REP/TC.
Drivers were rostered "downstairs" on a daily or weekly basis, once "downstairs" the driver was "downstairs" for the day. A driver rostered "upstairs" would only work "upstairs" in a day. There was no mixing of W&C and main line work during the day. The only exception was a the "cover" or "spare" driver who could be put to work upstairs or downstairs depending on route knowledge and availability. But there was nothing to stop a driver doing a couple of days upstairs and a couple of days downstairs, depending on the roster.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,255
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Post by roythebus on Jul 1, 2023 8:29:16 GMT
That thread seems to be locked with no replies visible.
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