One of the attractions of a model railway is things happening without human intervention. Sometimes the finger of God is needed to achieve some tricky end, but in general it is preferable if things happen automatically or remotely.

One such thing is the uncoupling of coaches or wagons. I bought several LGB spring loaded manual uncouplers, which if you position the train correctly, in theory you can uncouple two wagons with ease.

I installed one such decoupler at the end of the platform, so that the coaches could be uncoupled to wait at the station for the passengers to board. Unfortunately, it worked rather too well – as the train passed over it, the final coach decoupled anyway, even through travelling at speed.

Which left it stranded on the main line, ready to cause an incident when the train came around the loop to pass through the station.

https://youtube.com/shorts/_6Tx7t_qwWs

What was needed was for the uncoupler to be held down, when a train passes over it, and to be allowed to be up when uncoupling is supposed to take place. To avoid the finger of God solution, esteemed member of the Auerbach and District Light Railway Engineering Board, Tom, took up the challenge, and designed a mechanism controlled by a thin nylon cord which allows the uncoupler to push down on the spring allowing rolling stock to pass over unaffected. Here you see it in action. IF you look very carefully you can see the nylon string (being pulled by the hand of God, of course, which will be replaced by a suitable lever in due course).

I have also been doing some mocking up of the baseboards for the Apple Tree junction, with none of the pillars properly constructed, none of the baseboards properly in place, neither in the right place nor level.

Here is the main station baseboard. Obviously the revesring loop will have to move – it will go to after the junction (see below)

Then there are some linking pieces including a curve to bring the track parallel with the concrete wall.

Leading to the junction itself (off which would come the reversing loop).

Eventually, if not taking the junction the track woud continue down behind the fir trees, parallel with the wall, descending gracefully to ground level.

Some serious engineering works needed before we get that far.