great central

Amazing how a few words can spark a memory ( I think!) When spotting there in the early 60s, there were indeed many trolleys parked on the platforms. I seem to recall there used to be short lengths of chain with a hook on the end hanging from the canopy columns. These were used to tether the trolleys to preventing them inadvertently getting onto the track.

Sorry, raises hand sheepishly. I'm looking at getting some Judith Edge cross arms if it looks like the layout may go out again

Then there were the flying pigs as well

It's been in store for a good many years, rooting around I've found a few not great quality pictures (I'm very much a point and shoot picture taker) taken at Wakefield show in 2006 which may well have been it's last outing. We had got our hands on several tubs of Woodland Scenics snow and decided to 'improve' the, in places, fairly sparse scenery with snow cover hence the very light appearance of the ground. Overall view of the station area. Most of the station side of the layout Lima 87 hauling tanks past south juction Hornby 90 on passenger at the north end of the station Same train heading round the bend towards Law Junction which was on the back of the layout then into the fiddle yard Lima 87 heading south towards the station. Sorry about the quality of the photos but these are about the only ones I have I think as I'd not had a digital camera long before the layout's last appearance. Edit: There's another picture in post 13 of this thread.

Yes, that's ours. Being looked at for possible redesigning shortly.

Beware that link just froze my computer. Now can't get back onto rmweb through it!! Can't get into anything, GRRR! 2nd Edit: Done a system restore to a couple of days ago, now seems OK but still a bit slow, that could be with the wife on the internet as well though

Reckon you're right, the mk2 had a full chrome bumper if I recall correctly but different shape to the mk1. Wonder if that one's a write off then, be barely 10 years old, yes I know they had a reputation for rust, the later ones worse than the earlier I believe

C23374, 37424 just come out of works after an extensive re-build for DRS and 37069 still at work for them.

Late model Marina Mk2 as well, going by the bumpers. Saw a MK2 Cortina convertable this afternoon while on my way to Barnsley

A couple of days ago a full XC set passed through Grantham northbound

Not sure I can fully agree with that. That Triang had some poor products (perhaps read that as old?) I wouldn't dispute, but they did have some pretty good ones as well in my opinion. The Brush Type 2 (class 31) is, I believe, still looked on quite favouably today as is the EM2. I have an EM2 which has been re-worked, although the basic body is unaltered, wire handrails, mould lines removed, flush glazing, etc. The Britannia whilst compromised somewhat to fit on a Princess chassis still looks very much like a Britannia, I detailed and weathered two of them many years ago. The thing is when we look back from today at what was available in the past, yes it will look poor by todays standards, but compared to what was available at the time some of it was pretty good. We were all younger then and looking back with an older and hopefully wiser viewpoint doesn't necessarily allow a good comparison. Let's face it there is plenty of whingeing over models released 15 or so years ago not being up to current standards, Hornby Black 5 and MN come to mind but almost anything, it seems to me, that isn't the newest thing off the boat is likely to be criticised as not up to current standards. Standards improve all the time, naturally, but I don't think it's perhaps fair to berate something too much when it was some of the better stuff at the time,

I was told by a long serving and well known and respected rep for a model company some years ago that he didn't know much about the details of what he was selling. I was trying to order stock by type (class of loco, livery, etc), all he understood were the catalogue numbers. He also told me that (I think) Hornby, as in Meccano Hornby, wouldn't employ a sales rep who knew much about the actual products he was selling, seemingly because it was felt he'd might point out the bad points as well. Basically the job is to sell, think about a used car salesman, one day they might be selling a 6 month old top of the range sports car, the next some absolutley cream crackered 5 year old ex taxi with 200k on the clock. He doesn't need to know anything about either, just how to make it look the best possible vehicle on the lot to the potential purchaser

Later the Mercury Capri was a re-badged and slightly altered Mustang, I had one for a while, originally sold in Cheyenne Wyoming, bought for around £500 in Langley Mill from a dealer who had no idea what it was.Mine was a 3.3 straight 6

Can't say I have, although I rarely get my original one out. I have a repowered one using a Lima (yes, I know pancake motor and all that!) 37 motor bogie. Bought as just a spare body many years ago, it's also got Lima pans and had the moulded line for the lining out removed as well as a repaint in electric blue.

Surely he's having a giraffe? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-Ks-KIT-BUILT-LNER-CLASS-04-1-No-6206-2-8-0-LOCO-TENDER-/401091955909?hash=item5d62f18cc5:m:mLmPzaw5fs7txr7HSSglNPw Quite a few more like it as well

I got taken in by this one, ordered a DVD from them and it came direct from Amazon, at a premium price of course. I paid for express delivery as I was going away a couple of days later. Naturally it didn't arrive, so had to re-order before I finally got the item when I got home again. didn't leave feedback.

I had a CKD one as well, found it 'hidden' well before Christmas day. By the time the day arrived it was pretty much built . Only problem I had was one of the buffers was a very tight fit and snapped a bit off the buffer beam. Re-attached it's still there to this day and has made the odd appearence on Deepcar, really needs the pantograph springs slacking off though so only run with pans down.

Central ceased to be in 2007, they took me on as a guard 4 weeks before the franchise ended. The break up had started well before with the removal of the Welsh bit, can't remember who that went to now, was it Wales and West? Oddly enough though EMT inherited a number of the units which had been dedicated to the Welsh side with bi-lingual auto announcers which were still working, apparently with no off switch until they were permanently disabled. Still in the cabs today though.

As I recall the decision was put off and left to the new holder of the TPE franchise to recommend whether the Nottingham - Liverpool part should be taken into the TPE franchise within the first year. That time is ticking away. Again as I understand it the major part of the consultation at the Norwich end revolved around what service was required, through to Liverpool, Nottingham or merely as far as Peterborough? There has been I believe quite a substantial campaign to keep it as a full through route but what the outcome will be who knows how those making the final decision think?

Then there's the question over whether they're still running in a few years, we're still waiting the decision over whether the route should continue as it is or be split between franchises

What would give the most benefit in my opinion would be a split level junction just south of Werrington. That way traffic from both the Joint and ECML could get to the March line without crossing on the level. No idea if there's enough distance though between Werrington and Peterborough

Still visible on several of the bridges in the Ratcliffe on Trent area, also above the erstwhile slow lines I think? If so definitely steam related, I'll try to remember to check later on my way to Skegness. Edit, thinking about it. The staining is centred on the track, most diesel exhausts are offset I believe? Another edit, yep above the former slow lines as well, but oddly only on the side where the loco emerges from under the bridge.

Eleanor Rigby - Ray Charles With a little help from my friends - Joe Cocker at Woodstock Summertime Blues - The Who live at Leeds All along the watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

Fella I used to work with did that following watching his young son have a nasty cut 'glued' shut. Using ordinary super glue he found it wasn't the same and hurt like hell!!!

Seen on the back of a van earlier, no picture cos I was driving. 'Nowt left in van fer the night wot's werf owt'