I have not written a specific tite because what I have got to say this time is only partly connected with modelling. I have just come back from a fortnight in Portugal and had intended to have a ‘drive’ on my layout to try and approach a finish (those of you approaching my age may remember the G.P.O. drives post-war to install as many telephones as possible, party lines included).

While away, I had seen and purchased in Lidl a digital caliper, so I decided to try it out on my problem DMU Class 150. I lowered my layout from the ceiling without placing the trestles underneath it, since I only intended to take the model off it and send it up again. However, when I pressed the appropriate button on the remote control, instead of rising, it crashed down to the floor. It had pulled the take-up roller from the wall. I am now waiting for some able-bodied person to help me lift it off the floor and dismantle the roller to assess the damage. No personal damage was suffered.

The new caliper enabled me to ascertain that the offending wheel pair on the DMU was far too wide, so I now have to settle that problem. I than tested the B2B on other units and on one of my two 2-6-4 tank engines, I found a pair of wheels on the rear bogie to be very narrow. The more I dive into this modeling lark, the more complications I discover.

Going back to the holiday visit, we had intended to travel to Lisbon by train but the nearest station was at Santarem, and what a station. It has a very small public carpark in front of the station, a small subscriber part a bit farther away and free parking on the road behind the station but, get this, there is no access to the station from this road. Depending on where you have to leave the car, you have a long hike back down the road to the level crossing and then a shorter hike to the station. Since Santarem was practically 30 km from where we were staying (a marvelous rural tourism house), we dropped the idea of catching the train.

We did happen to see the terminus in Sintra and I took a few snaps. They are not particularly brilliant but I post them for what they are worth.

And finally, a mural inside the station booking hall