Hello,

 

Time to report in on Aprils activities...or lack of them.

 

In my last entry I was getting rather excited about some new project arriving in kit form. Deliberately unnamed to create a sense of drama. I left the clue that Swaynton would need 8 of them thinking that some of you would come up with what the eight things are. However since then I realise that if you study the photos on steamweb http://www.steamweb.net/ that the prototype(s) only had five.

There that should lead to some speculation.

As a further clue...there was some activity on this and other rail forums almost a year ago with someone mentioning that they saw something at a model railway show that is on this weekend.

As yet another clue I am on door duty at that show, so come and say hello.

 

Unfortunately my plan to pick up the kit and to test the AJ’s that I had much problem with was thwarted by a sudden lack of transport. Oh well...so the collection of the kits was put off until this month. I now have them and have broken off from making up the first one to write this.

 

I also had a nice two week holiday in Mallorca. A nice break from modelling and more importantly work. Which has been getting a little hectic recently. This was supposed to be cycle training camp see “any road cyclists on here†Last time that I was there was five years ago and it surprising to see the changes both good and bad that have taken place.

 

Bad...The 'touristisation' of the monastery at Lluc. Parking now has to be paid for. There is an additional restaurant. A BBQ area with coach parties going there specifically for that. And the little cafe in the monastery now charging tourist prices.

 

Bad two... The

(not my video but found on youtube) now permanent with tourist cyclist cycling the wrong way and “Boris†lanes at the roundabouts encouraging cyclists to behave like this. Oh and the Roundabout just before Porto Pollensa. I used to enjoy the sprint for the town sign (just after the RAB when heading back to the hotel. I guess they made it safer by making it more dangerous.

 

Good 1...The cycle lanes and Boris lanes. It has encouraged more cycling. A great way to see the island. There are now a lot more cycle hire shops and places where I can spares for my bike

 

Good 2...the opening of old railway lines...with not with cycle tracks but...real trains. And modern electrics too! My guess is that a certain doctor and mp took a holiday to Mallorca in the sixties and made a few suggestions. When I first went to the island around 2000 there were two lines. The tourist train to Sollor and a main line that ran from Palma that stopped at Inca. I kept coming across old bits of rail line across the island. My mate once found an abandoned level crossing...by falling off on the tracks that crossed the road at angle. Of course it was only funny when he did on the way back as well. Anyway it is good to see that the Mallorcan's have seen a sensible way forward with their transport policy.

It now looks like the lines have been restored and possibly may be extended. Does anyone here know? I don’t recall if there was an old line to Sa Pobla. There is certainly a railhead there now.

Upon reflection I should have taken few photos. There always seemed to be a train at Sa Pobla.

 

Other news is that Swaynton is featured in “Modelling the Southern†by Jeremy English and published by Noodle Books. http://www.noodlebooks.co.uk/index.htm

There are a couple of nice pictures of the station building that I built. Jeremy has promised me a credit in Volume 2.

 

Right ExpoEM this weekend. I am on door duty on Sunday. Say hello and have a guess. 8 what?