Burntisland 1883 at Model Rail Scotland

[CDGFife]

Burntisland made an appearance at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow last weekend. We had an enjoyable weekend operating (on the whole!) and the layout was generally very well received. Also nice to see Calderside and Elcott Rd waving the P4 flag. Some pics from the weekend follow:

[iak]

Don't forget Mostyn (The Beeg Blue Beastie) was there as well and ran like a clock.
P4 was very much too the fore in Glasgow this year and appears to have made quite an impression.

Mind, that round-house is looking fabulous gents.

[CDGFife]

Thanks Iain, as I was writing I knew there was a fourth P4 just couldn't get my brain to work. I spent quite a bit of time watching the North Wales trains go by there over the weekend as well!! Not seen it in the flesh for a long while and it was looking great.

[iak]

No worries.
I had hoped to get to the SECC on the Friday.
However my health is still very much a wee shoogly and of course, the WCML had had a good thrashing from “Doris ”
I have not seen Mostyn on show for ages, there is stock I have built that I, as yet, have never seen in operation.....
Wibble!

[Julian Roberts]

The layout is a huge and amazing achievement Chris. I watched you loading wagons onto the ferry for a little while and had a very interesting chat with Jim who told me that the latest thinking in Railtrack is that check rails aren't needed any more given today's high standards of maintenance and finely honed wheel flanges. (Edit - I am sure he was talking about curves under 10 chains, not pointwork!) All seemed to be working well though I didn't check out what happens when the ferry is loaded and ready to sail!

[Albert Hall]

Interesting comments Julian. I have just been reading the RAIB report into the derailment of a charter train heading into Southampton Docks last November. Although the radius isn't mentioned in the report and there are no signs of check rails in the photo, the line was subject to a 10 mph speed limit. The cause was absolutely put down to poor track maintenance with the gauge having spread by 51mm due to worn fittings.
Roy

[Julian Roberts]

Well Roy that illustrates a good reason for the scepticism I think we both felt on this subject.

A sleeper train fell between the rails and derailed near Glasgow some years ago for the same reason - it had been diverted onto a little used sideroute - if I remember correctly. Obviously a problem on the real railway from wear, but completely unlikely to be a problem for the model where IMHO gauge narrowing is more likely to be an issue.

[Albert Hall]

Indeed, as we both know!
Roy

[Gail]

Mind, that round-house is looking fabulous gents.

So that's what it is. I thought a model of the Millenium Dome/O2 Arena was a bit out of place in 1880's Fife.