11th January 2016 Update
Our first date of 2016 saw nine of us arrive for the meeting.
The first item was to firm up arrangements for the collection of the “00” layout to go to the open meeting on Tuesday 26th pm, also to update those members who could not come to the November railway visit. We also made arrangements for some of us to meet, on site, at the Parador Hotel on the 15th January to check the available space etc.etc.
One of our members showed us photos of his visit to and talked about the Catalonia Railway Museum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia_Railway_Museum
From here we talked about when the Spanish Broad Gauge was adopted. (see below)
Iberian gauge (Spanish: ancho ibérico, trocha ibérica, Portuguese: bitola ibérica) is the name given to the track gauge most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal: 1,668mm (5ft521⁄32in). This is the second widest gauge in regular use anywhere in the world.
As finally established in 1955,[1] the Iberian gauge is a compromise between the similar, but slightly different, gauges adopted as respective national standards in Spain and Portugal in the mid-19th century. The main railway networks of Spain were initially constructed to a 1,672mm (5ft513⁄16in) gauge of six Castilian feet, or two Castilian yards. Those of Portugal were instead built to a 1,435mm (4ft81⁄2in) and later railways to a 1,664mm (5ft51⁄2in) gauge of five Portuguese feet – close enough to allow interoperability with Spanish railways.[2]
Spain is building its High Speed lines to 1,435mm (4ft81⁄2in) gauge, even though the existing system is 1,668mm (5ft521⁄32in); new cut off lines are being built with gauge convertible sleepers for easy conversion to standard gauge when required.
Apparently in the days of B.R. new rolling stock was designed with the track in mind.
now a days the rolling stock is designed by various companies that have no commercial connection with Network Rail (railtrack) so it is possible for gauging and other problems to occur.
We talked about the Istanbul railway project being delayed by another 2 years.
Also another talking point was the new build in America of a Penn T1 4-4-4-4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRR_T1
Further discussions were about the Flying Scotsman’s rebuild and how the power from double headed locomotives is controlled.
Refreshments were then taken along with this month’s DVD.
Once again a most enjoyable afternoon.
Peter S.
