The Monday Group Operations Meeting was held this evening, covering the route from Wootton Bassett to Hullavington.

Interesting points from this evening:

* Blanches Siding was gone by 1977 so will not be provided. In any case this would be almost mutually exclusive with the reversible signalling. So only one route from GPL 280 to 764 (not LOS).

* Wootton Bassett Goods GF – not shown by 1977, not to be modelled.

* SND4 will not have an automatic plate. This was absent during the lifetime of Hullavington GF. As that GF will be modelled (see below), SND4 should not have an auto plate.

* UB92. The current locking sketches show an (R) button (representing a guaranteed emergency replacement switch), and 2015 scheme plan shows this in black (indicating that it is already present and not being removed). There is no evidence that this ever existed, but the signal itself is a relatively structure, so it may have been moved/renewed at some point, and as ‘new work’ had an R button designed, but never provided. Unless evidence arises to the contrary we will model it without a replacement switch.

* Points into Hullavington Loops: The trailing ends of these were previously slotted joints, and latterly motor worked. We will model them as motor worked for two reasons – one because the Dominos are already there in the panel and we don’t want to throw them away unnecessarily, and secondly to provide educational variation in comparison to Uffington Loops, which we have already agreed will be modelled with their slotted joints.

Hullavington Ground Frame was removed in 1993, so will be modelled. This was accessible in the up direction only, and could be released with the track circuit occupied (LN), as long as a short track circuit beyond the points (LO/1) had been occupied for 60 seconds. We guessed that this may have been to enable an engine and wagon to be cut off from a train on the Up Badminton, drawn forward over the points, shunted into the siding, and then the engine come out again and back onto the train. Either way, we will model the locking that we know existed, as described above.

We were also able to add mileages to all signals on Badminton line.

Thank you very much to our keen Operations Detectives who are working through many sources to determine what infrastructure will be modelled on the preserved Swindon Panel.

The Tuesday Group will meet tomorrow and will pick up from where they left off last week between Uffington and Bourton and work westwards.