IWCR

Developers make a lot, local to me there is a lot of housing demand and some 2000+ on the register waiting for social housing. Several large estates have planning permission or are partly built yet the developers progress these as slowly as possible, even small infill developments of 2 or 3 houses are left not quite finished for years. Some of this is waiting for sale prices to rise to make even more money (note: currently prices are falling hence this one may bite them back). The developers are pushing for more and more planning approvals always pleading (and Appealing in the event of refusal) that the local authority is not meeting the Government ordained housing targets (they would if they got on with the developments they already have underway). Planning applications always include sites for a new school, medical centre etc knowing these will not happen but it looks good on the application, existing schools are closing due to lack of numbers, existing Doctors are closing due to lack of finance. If Developers can afford to drag out completion of approved sites which they already own, have money tied up in these for years or even decades waiting for price rises and are working the system to get more Planning Approval they are clearly making big money to be able to look at the long term bigger profits rather than immediate returns. Pete

This always happens for me, I find if you move the curzor upwards as soon as you click next page you do go to the top if you are quck enough, otherwise yes normally at the bottom. Pete

White Line as is, permanently installed Stingers 1 car width outside of the line, sorted. Pete

I always use a ticket office where possible, generally not a simple one train journey, often several possible routes, normally a return and not train specific (travel times unknown). I dont have the "Railway Knowledge" to know myself which way / operator / time is best for my specific journey. I want to ask someone and get the relevant advice, I have never found the Ticket Window empty, always a queue so there must be a demand for these, often some of people are not actually buying a ticket but are making some sort of enquiry, ( no body else to ask). I do not possess a mobile phone and have no intention for buying one, yes I would be happy using a Ticket Machine with advice from a Floorwalker but you and I both know there will be no such animal. I can use a PC for Tickets etc but as with the Ticket Machines it is not easy to follow the system to actually get what you want. Pete

The big killer of small High Street shops is Parking, this is normally local council controlled and is not enough and / or far to expensive. People want to visit a town for "Shopping", buy what they went for but also wander about to various shops and see if theres anything catches there eye, (this is where the Hobby / Toy shop comes in). If you are being charged many pounds an hour to park your car you dont hang about and likely dont even go there as your essential purchases are at the out of town Supermarket with the free parking. My local town is like this, it actually has a reasonable amount of Parking but this is very expensive, even charging during evenings, sundays and overnight. Street parking is charged for or residents pass (also charged) only. The one remaining Free half hour parking street is always solid full with the Council Car Parks often pretty empty. Most of the people "Shopping" are elderley women congregating at Coffee shops, these likely having travelled on their Free Buss Pass for a day out. Many of the small family shops are gone (including both the model / toy shops) and many empty premises hence further reducing the attraction of the High Street. Even visiting the Chippy gets difficult, fancy some Chips?, drive into town, around 1 in 3 chance of being able to park anywhere in the evening to actually get to the Chippy, no chance during the day. Pete

The old Red Funnel ferries didnt always load cars via the bow ramp, lorries reversed onto the open front of the ferry via the ramp hence were correct way round ready for unloading. Cars went on through a side door under the superstructure, onto the turntable, rotate 90 degrees and park up behind the lorries, the car deck area under the superstructure was only high enough for cars, lorries and vans remained in the open forward area. Pete

Certainly looks like brake rigging, possibly from the underside of a van or wagon, or even carriage bogies? looks more like pull rods and fulcrum levers rather than actual brake rods and hangers, could be mounted horizontally or vertically. Look underneath your models along the centre line for likely pins which the were clipped to. Pete

The last of the SR 4 wheelers were on the Isle of Wight, most trains had been replaced by bogie stock by the end of 1938, however the Freshwater line mail train was still 4 wheel stock being formed of three ex LCDR Brake Thirds. The replacement of these were delayed by WW2 and they just lasted into BR days before being withdrawn in 1949. By then they were in SR Malachite green livery with Sunshine lettering. They only had a few passenger compartments and while these were available for public use there would have been little demand at the time the train ran. Pete

Could a rotating type gate be used such as those fitted to some shops which allows 2 or 3 people at a time through. Locking this would stop all passage and there is no means of holding it open for the next group. Pete

Agreed, a deflector plate. They fit into the fire hole opening at the top and deflect secondary air. These often distort in use and can fall into the fire in which case it would be fished out and possibly slung over the side. Pete

From memory, (may be wrong) I think some tyres had the arrow for use as a rear tyre but were fitted the other way round if used on the front. Pete

The Horse Dandy still exists, currently on display at Shildon. Pete

I was hoping for a model of the real Port Carlisle terminus. However operating potential would be limited and getting the Horse Dandy's motion to work correctly might be a challenge. A ancestral relative was station master here, I suspect he had few (if any) staff. Pete

One person is actually doing something, the other 9 are stood about. Seems a perfectly normal activity to me. Pete

What made the Titanic loss such a major event of history?, apart from it being the worlds biggest newest ship involved it was the people, many of those were from the richest elite of society. Yes worst maritime disasters have occurred with greater loss of life but not as "newsworthy" to the press. Pete

Outside of large towns there would be very few motor vehicles. I have an aerial photo of Cowes, Isle of Wight were you can see most roads. There are no motor vehicles visible at all and only one or two horse drawn carts, the date about 1955! Pete

Battery? Cant see a magneto, the cylindrical thing below the handlebars may be a coil, a spark plug lead is behind this and a lead coils down the front downtube and disappears to somewhwere on the engine, likely a contact breaker. Pete

All IOW O2s are low height cabs with extended bunkers, the G6s and the last batch of O2s were higher cabs. Things to look for for 1961: Some locos had repair patches along part or all of the base of the side tanks. One or two locos had drummond boilers with dome mounted safety valves. Most locos had a sliding ventilator on the cab roof but not all. 35 & 36 did not have a bunker mounted number plate at the back, all others did. Most couplings rods were fluted but some had solid ones, One loco (15) had no brass beading on the wheel splashers (withdrawn by 61) Smokeboxes varied a lot regarding raised or flush rivets. Plenty of photos available to identify what is right for your chosen number but note details did change with time and overhauls swopping boilers around and parts from withdrawn locos being reused. Pete

Can you imagine the likely ticket cost for a Motorail service now? Be cheaper to buy an old banger at your destination and just abandon it on your return. Pete

Be aware with Germany that Covid masks are still required on all public transport. I have looked at several rail holidays in Germany but been put off by this. Pete

One german biplane contempary with the Heyford was the Heinkel 59, this was still in service throughout most of the war in its floatplane variant. Originally a maritime bomber or torpedo bomber its later use was as an air sea rescue floatplane or trainer. Pete

Not all SR sets had a brake each end, some smaller sets only had 1. There were a number of 2 coach sets. I have seen an SR instruction that vehicles not exceeding 8 axles in total could be coupled behind the brake. Hence 2 bogie vehicles or up to 4 4 wheel vans. Pete

Most railways would be well served by locos within the class 2 to 4 power categories, a few more steeply graded ones running large trains needing something a little larger. Max speed is 25mph hence big wheeled express locos are not the ideal. Many of the surviving locos came from Barry scrapyard which had an excess of big express and heavy freight engines, whilst the ideal would have been the small to medium loco for heritage line use you had to accept what was available. For example the class 2 Ivatt tank, a perfect engine for many heritage lines had only 2 examples at Barry compared to 28 Bulleid pacifics. Industrial locos also prove suitable, smaller lines can use virtually anything but larger lines need the bigger industrials with larger diameter wheels, the Hunslet Austerities are common and a good loco being designed for short distance trip working.. The more suited to the traffic the more economically the loco is to use, an important factor cost wise running a heritage line although the big impressive locos do have a higher "appeal" factor. However you run what you can get hold of ideal or not. Pete

Invincible worked at Farnborough after leaving Woolwich Not altered. No, at Farnborough it was apple green. The loco is currently under overhaul at the Isle of Wight steam railway, it is returning to Farnborough green though it now carries a Westinghouse pump for train brakes. Pete

Anything to do with track circuits?, they are at a rail joint and may have a cable running up the white bit. Some sort of terminal or junction box? Pete