Caledonian Railway Association Forum

I was rootling around in the National Archives today, and noted a request by the General Manager in 1897 for an explanation as to how the movement of Caley traffic (including coaches) was to be handled at Peebles. I think it is implied there was some shuffling of feet, and I didn't see any follow up...

The photo supplied by John also appears in another of O.S. Nock's works, namely Plate 46 of "British Railway Signalling", published by Allen and Unwin in 1969, but he makes no reference there to the older box, as he is really illustrating the moves to panel displays and controls.

Jim S.

That is certainly an intriguing and credible point about the increased traffic, Ian. The Engineering quote was already in the draft of my book, though it doesn't say that the Caley was leaned on by the BoT to create the box with a view. I still have to check my evidence for that, but it has been my ...

I can't help much, Neil, though I hope others can. All I can add is that the original high narrow box had 44 levers, according to the Register, whereas the accident report for Stobcross in 1951 states the box has 49 levers and is mechanical - no reference to the pioneering pneumatic system. The acci...

I am a bit surprised that my offering on this topic seems not to have appeared, though I thought it had been correctly sent, right after Tony's query. Be that as it may: As others have said, the signal is on the "wrong side", but the diagram makes clear what lines it refers to. The grouping of the n...

David, As to the material, I work in 4mm and have used John Boyle's printed cards. Frankly I found them a lot of work, and not that easy. I have tended not to use them nowadays. Instead, I settle for rudimentary plastic mouldings or self-made plastic partitions, asit can all get too much work for li...

It all gets very interesting, Allan, because the Caley originally did consider track circuits for the 1908 box, but is recorded as rejecting them. Here they seem to have had second thoughts, and some did come in there some time before the Caley was swept away, but the details aren't run to earth (!)...

Thanks, Jim.
This is the article which reveals that track circuits were eventually to be used. The Caley had hitherto been very wary.
Anyone know where they first introduced them in "ordinary" boxes?

Jim S

Ian,

You now have the drawing I was about to send.
The tunnel signals were mounted on a short lattice post about 5 foot high.

Jim S

Ian,
You asked about the tunnel signals.
If you can wait a bit longer, the book on Signalling the Caledonian will have a detailed drawing in it.
But in case you can't, I'll try to post it here later this evening.

Jim S

The picture of Buchanan Street shows the Buchanan House HQ for the Scottish Region under construction, in case anyone is unfamiliar with the angle. The photographer would nowadays be standing in the main thoroughfare of the GCU campus.

Jim S.

For what it is worth, the Signalling Record Society journal arrived today, and has a fascinating article on a trip to the box in the tunnel below King's Cross. It was on the Midland connecting route to the Widened Lines. Never got there myself, but in the old phrase I knew a man who did. Access soun...

Well, I am up for such an etch, Lindsay. Count me in.

Jim S

I came across this link to a charming Cattle Dock scene at Peebles by the ubiquitous George Washington Wilson, and I think it might be relevant,both for cattle docks, cattle wagons, and limewash. You have to select the bit of the picture you want, but the zoom will then reveal all. It is picture 69 ...

What a wonderful lot of non-disruptive information from so many folk! Paul asked if the John Boyle etch is still available. My recollection is that he brought all his remaining stock to the AGM in Carlisle last year, and that etch was not included. I don't think he took much home, if anything. So un...

Now that seems to add a new angle, Mike, making the reservoir(s) like the larger 0-4-4Ts, whihc would seem logical.

Jim S

Yes, Jim S did build one - but straight from the John Boyle 4mm etch. Not that I have it finished yet. So I am not looking for too much disruptve information.

I'll check, but I think I still have a spare etch, if anyone is interested.

Jim

Harry Knox's book on the Shale and Shale Railways is launching at ModelRail at the SECC in a couple of weeks.

He'll be on Douglas Blades' stand, if you want to explore it with him.

It'll be a good book to have anyway.

Jim S

Here's a picture of the frame which the Fife lads are working on.

Also one of a knee frame still in use at the admirable Great Cockcrow Railway.

Jim S

The NB versions of the loco were of course 4-4-0Ts or 0-6-0Ts, and they had an oval tank mounted athwartships between the frames. You could not have got a bogie in there without reducing the vertical depth of the reservoir. Did Drummond get over this on the 171's by a wider less deep reservoir and m...

Ian asked how the remnants of the platform came to be there. Well, the Asst. Chief Constable for the BT Police, Archie McKenzie was responsible. He told me so himself. His Police HQ was built on the site - I watched it go up from my window - and when Archie realised that the platform was about to be...

Sadly, I cannot help with this, though I have long been fascinated by it. My involvement was with getting the line reopened, and I went through (in a Land Rover) once or twice. No mention was made of the vent by the Project Engineer, Sandy Adams, who was more concerned with the sewer which runs alon...

This nomenclature business is getting interesting in regard to cabins and boxes. Here is what the draft for the book says: "Some railways called them signal cabins, and some called them signal boxes, but from the evidence, from engineering drawings to Board Minutes, the Caledonian called its signall...

I'd be interested in a 782 in 4mm.

Jim S

Here are the colours as quoted in Lewis's book on Mechanical Signalling of 1912. He was a Caledonian man, and it is accepted that although he tried to cover the country, his examples are frequently pure Caley practice. Sometimes it tantalisingly isn't! Anyway I think these colours will be OK. Jim S ...