Page 7 - May June 2001

expanded it to the whole system. Sadly, we were never able to resolve these.
These were largely a function of size and complexity, for whilst many US pikes were a single track line with a central dispatcher, with a limited service of freights, we had a lot of freights out on the road at any time. On the Hillside-Middleton line, there are at least 15 up and down freights each way daily, plus Granton, Coniston, Hoggsnorton and Paradise services. If you are handling 2 or 3 freights, a dispatcher can prepare train order cards, but with 30 freights on the move on the main line alone, not counting other routes in a 4 hour session, it is just not possible. We realised from the start that the load order would generate demands for wagons which a station did not have, so we would need a wagon control system along prototype lines.
If we had sufficient operators, this was fine, but usually we did not, and if one person had to do 2 or 3 people’s work, then the paper went out the window. Even though we had to abandon the system in the end due to shortage of operators, I enjoyed it while we operated it, and if I had an extra dozen operators each week, I would love to go down that path with the benefits of computerisation.
Another reason my father bought the US magazines, was the excellent drawings of lineside plant and industries. Again, you had to allow for differences in UK and US conditions, but the tippler at the NG/SG exchange sidings at Granton is based on plans in Model Railroader of a plant built by the Snow Company of Batavia, Illinois. Model Railroader was very much a part of my childhood, and lines I recall reading about included Delta Lines, and of course John Allen’s immortal G&D, which although scenic, was very much an operating road.
John used coloured pins stuck in the car roofs much as Dad used coloured bent labels hung over the buffer for destination data. As to photos taken during the NMRA visit, NO sadly I never had any photos, and I would really love to have some. It would be a wonderful thing to have. I have been told that John Allen went to UK at least once, and wonder if he was on that trip. If so, it would be pleasant to think that he and Dad were in the same place at the same time, and a shame that no one introduced them to one another, as I am sure they would have had a lot to
BEANERY
talk about.
●
HO Canadian Athearn locos. All new, boxed. SD40-2 CPR candy apple red, custom finished, EXPO86 decals #5748 powered, #5775 dummy. £40 pair.
C44-9W BCR red/white/blue #4643 custom fitted correct pattern Canadian cab etc., weathered, and #4642 straight Athearn - (1 powered plus 1 dummy) £40 pr. (Sold as pairs only).
Model Power - set of ten 51’ cylindrical Canadian grain hoppers, all different, some varieties very scarce. £40 (including three du- plicates free.)
“Virginian & Ohio” triple hoppers, custom made by Stewart Hob- bies for V&O Society members only, two different, £8 each. Linde 40’ boxcar, KD’s no box. £5. Postage extra on all above.
Contact P. Woodland on 01159-309840
FOR SALE...
O Scale switching layout (Timesaver). Portable 10ft. x 18” in two sections boxed together for transport (fits a Fiesta). No legs (table-top use). Controller and Automatic Reversing unit built into boards. Two matching, same size boards extend layout in both directions. Included are an Atlas diesel, two reefers, two 40 ft. boxcars, and two 50 ft. boxcars. £425, buyer collects.
Contact Bern Flower 01362-668452 for further details.
FOR SALE...
N Scale switching layout “Delrosa Spur”. Two 4ft. x 18” boards complete with legs etc. £150. Can be seen by appointment.
Phone Don Butcher on 01626-351406 (Newton Abbot).
WANTED...
HO containers, trailers & Intermountain Canada grain hoppers.
Contact Brian Small on 01778 344148
WANTED...
Life-Like Proto 2000 E9 U.P.
Contact David Bryant, 13 Stafford Drive, Bootle, Merseyside L20 9JN.
Tel: 0151-523-5240
FOR SALE...
“HEY CHUCK, I GUESS THAT SIGNAL MEANS THERE’S MORE INJUNS COMIN!”
JUNE 2001
7