BGLR : Technical issues

Last year during the heat wave there was some track buckling, as a precaution this year following hot spells Growler runs light engine before the BGLR has a running session to make sure the track is ok. Unfortunately while the track is ok Percy seems to have begun having the same motor (or PCB perhaps) issues that eventually killed Maria. As a precaution Percy has been taken out of service and Tango has taken it's place. The BGLR is now concerned there is a design flaw in the type of loco Maria and Percy belong to, Ruby (currently in reserve) also is of this type!

Mersey rails back in time

Yesterday I headed up to Liverpool for the first time this year, my aim was to visit some of the oldest railways still in operation and I achieved just that. First off Rainhill the site of the famous Rainhill trials one hundred and ninty years ago where Stephenson's Rocket won and set the template for locomotives until the mid-twentieth century. Then along to Broad Green, the third station ever in the world to open and the oldest station still open (though a remarkably unhistoric spot).

A lot newer was Wavertree Technology Park, I wanted to visit this as my Dad was born nearby in Wavertree. Finally I headed across to the Wirral and West Kirby and Hoylake, a rather lovely art deco station. You can see my photos here.

Rainhill

Broad Green

Wavertree Technology Park

West Kirby

Hoylake

BGLR : Isolation

The back scene siding has been relaid with a catch point added, which is our non-invasive way of adding isolated sections to sidings. This of course allows two locos or units to share a siding and so squeeze just that little bit more onto the small BGLR layout!

Churches (32) : St Mary, Cromford

St Mary's is the parish church of Cromford in Derbyshire. The current church was built in the 1790s on the site of an older chapel. It had a nave with a chancel. The church was built from freestone and tooled gritstone and is the Perpendicular style.

The church was rebuilt in 1858 with an enlarged chancel and the tower added. Wall paintings and stained glass were added in the late nineteenth century and completed in time for the church's centenary.

MOnSter 6502

The MOnSter 6502 is very neat, it is a working replica of the MOS 6502 CPU (as used in computers like the Apple II - see below for a photo of my IIe) using transistors. Obviously it is quite a bit bigger than an actual 6502 (about seven thousand times) being made out of non-minaturised components though it is fully working - if slower. It just shows how integrated circuits made microcomputing possible.

Apparently a modern CPU like the Apple A9X as in my iPad redone like this would cover about two hundred and eighty six square metres. Lets make it happen.

I just love seeing things like the MOnSter 6502, i'm so glad there are people with the time and the ability to still do such nonsense.