jcredfer

Interesting, agreed the above quote.

Apologies, you are perfectly correct, The Beet industry was indeed commenced during the Great War and the factories were developed in the early Twenties.

When I was posted, or working, in Norfolk, the presence of vast acres of Sugar Beet was very evident. {As, at appropriate times, was the reek from the Beet extraction factories!}

Great pictures and the light is just delightful. Real Sunlight makes a huge difference... and what a set of views to see! Thank you, inspiring to see.

Hi Shaun, you have been amazingly busy, despite the threat from the fires. What is more, the layout has had attention, too, remarkable progress. The pictures are a real reflection of the reality of the full size and a delight to see. You do have a talent to apply the random variations which nature applies to man's attempts to construct perfect structures, a delight to see. I love the French passion for life and their perception of fairness. You are absolutely right about their over reactions, but how could they possibly be French without. {Shhh... I have reason to be grateful to their reaction to the introduction of huge numbers of new speed traps, a couple of years back. They responded to the huge increase of numbers of the speed cameras, vocally, with no response. The reaction was typical, and huge numbers of the cameras had paint applied to the lenses. At a cost of Eur 400 each, to clean the lenses and replace them, the Gov't couldn't keep up with the number and cost of spray jobs..... bless them for my lack of additional expenditure on the way back from holiday by the Mediterranean. }

Our wonderful, informative, press have got bored with reporting matters of peoples living being burned to oblivion before their eyes. Replaced by Prince A might/might not have had a writ served to one of the policemen at his gate..... Ronaldo scored 2 goals..... Barmouth Bridge, nicknamed Trigger's Broom, as it gets repairs..... some girl thinks that vaccine passports for clubs will make her more reluctant to get the jabs..... ..... no wonder we may have assumed that the fire season may have diminished. I hope it gets to the rains quickly and people can get back to their normal business. Anyway, it's good to see you are able to get back to getting things done again. I was anticipating a September as you and I remembered them for many decades, but the heavens have drizzled their way through the last couple of months, with patches os serious stuff thrown in. It isn't all bad, as there have been a few patches of good sunny days as well. I blame th French for sending us the weather, but that seems to be overruled by the fact that it seems to be arriving from the Atlantic..... {Dratt!!} It's good to hear that you're able to move so many projects on, too. All the very best

Plenty of inspiration there, you just have to get some heat into the rail room, ready for all the snow, now the smoke season is drawing to a close.

There are folks watching all this... claims about washing machine boxes are all very suggestive, but ... time you cleaned up your act, Adrian.....

At one time or another Boche Buster and/or Gladiator went to the Ranges near Catterick, The Railway through the Tarka Valley, by the Crediton - Barnstaple road, to shoot the Oakhampton Ranges and a place called Druids Lodge, up the A360 between Salisbury and Stonehenge, hidden in the woods there, to shoot the Plains ranges. {the wartime tracks from Larkhill to Druids are long gone, but the run can still be seen passing within a hundred yards of the Stones. In the woods at Druids are the old stores, the water tower and the track bed Ballast - which is the cleanest Ballast I have ever seen. Shooting something that size would be kept to a minimum because of the small number of rounds which could be fired before the barrel liner needed replacement, it's a remarkably small number.

Bulled, or otherwise would have depended upon the task the rolling stock had. The army were quite happy to run the guts out of any machinery that was required to do continuous work, but items like the long distance railway guns were often static, as were the operators. The army "don't like idle hands", they tend to get up to mischief, so were put to other tasks to occupy them. If you look carefully at the wartime videos of the Railway guns, they were polished to gleaming perfection, as were their uniforms. Supply trains were, clearly, not as clean, until the end of the WWII, when gleaming locos returned.

Boche Buster was manoeuvred by a diesel similar to class 08, as a steam loco would have given their position away. Long runs were behind steam locos, but with a canvas cover, painted to look like a rake of wagons, to camouflage the gun. There is a Bachmann class 08 Basra, for the LMR as well. There is an LMR Guards van available, which goes with the coach and a couple of J94 saddle Tanks by Hornby, DJ models {Kernow}, Bachmann, which also goes with the coach. Together they make a great combination for running about, as they did carrying soldiers and civilians round the Longmoor lines.

The problem doesn't seem to lie with the railway organisation not knowing where the trains are, nor the ability to communicate with them. The issue is that crossings become obstructed and the railway organisation doesn't get to find out about it until it is too late to take avoiding action.

I am not sure how many sensors you have to protect, but could the overhead screens might be reduced in size and placed on the layout directly over each receiver, footbridge, gantry {with horizontal floor}, over-track Signal Box, part made Network Rail {other era} temporary works with scaffolding over the tracks, Crane Jib, model plane, hot air balloon, hung from the Pelmet, err- clouds{?}, or perhaps a transparent diffusing, cloth / film across the layout at Pelmet height?

The statue in the Horse Market had better not be too realistically crafted, lest all the local rose garden enthusiasts get at it with their shovels.....

Can you place the IRDOT receiver into some form of cover, with a hole on the side, such that the receiver can still view the sender light, but little of any other ambient light can interfere? If a tunnel, with two largish entrances, will allow them to work, then it suggests that a lineside hut, signal box, vehicle, ubiquitous 20ft container, mound of rubble, coal, or similar might well be placed to shade the receiver. It would seem worth making a small card box, with a hole might make for a cheap trial run or two.

I read, "three axles on the Unit, including the front axle" {steering?}, and "another three" {towing} "on the {singular} trailer" with three axles.

I had the same pleasure as you, with their newsletter. I was there in the early 80s, when there was a mix of liveries, including all blue and other colours. There are a number of pictures, which show liveries which altered during the 80s and it might be rewarding to google them for the dates you would like.

Gracious me, that's an amazing number and distribution of the Lightening Storms and the resultant fires. That is an amazing number of storms without an associated downpour, too. I have to wonder, like yourself, why the Central government haven't deployed the National Guard aircraft and retired aircraft, in large numbers to distribute retardants. If they are short of volunteer pilots {and I am sure they wouldn't be if they were just to ask} let me know, i would love the opportunity to help and there would be many others too. It isn't as if there have never been previous fires to deal with, but with no real, apparent, new organisation developed to keep the events within acceptable limits. You are right, "mind boggling". Perhaps the recent increased concentration on climate changes may, eventually, cause some positive action. Thanks for your good wishes and likewise to all over there.

The smoke sounds horrific and just being in the location must be a constant concern. The press over here seem to be, cautiously, indicating a reduction in the pace of spread, I very much hope they have got something right, for a change. Best wishes to all

Wow..... Internet down for a while then??? Beautifully symmetrical, my Drill Sgt would have been proud of you..... and that's saying something very much of a compliment!

Likewise, I have driven past many times and it certainly was low-key, unlike the pub {as was} at Morchard Road, which always looked inviting and occasionally got our custom, despite being fairly close to our regular hostelry, at the New Inn, in Coleford. That said, I equally don't remember it being particularly unpainted, covered in green lichens, as that would have been noticeable, too, particularly as Ambrosia brought money to the area. Looking at the picture of the place when it had petrol and oil for sale, doesn't ring any bells either, although, the width of dates you are looking at for your model, might just include them, in use or simply remaining, not yet removed. {That could include a good number of Devonshire years.} I would think that, for modelling purposes, you would be fairly safe with a clean version of the current one, with or without pumps. It looks like you can have fun whichever way you decide... how are your ancient petrol pump making skills, anyway??

I can remember passing the place many times, from 65 onwards, but can't remember it as a Hotel {that doesn't really mean it wasn't, just that it doesn't strike a chord as such}. That may well be some support for your Transport Cafe, of some sort, as being less of a landmark. It may not satisfy your ask for a definitive answer, but would give you some idea of the sort of low key nature of the place in those years, at least. Sorry not to have been able to be of more help.

I hear that the UK is relatively free from those kinds of pestilence, although I would caution that the Houses of Parliament have a massive infestation of brain damaging Ilogic-ovoid{P*} Virus. The current plan is to keep them on their seats, or otherwise isolated at home, in the hope that it doesn't spread to the remainder of the population. Sadly that hasn't dealt with the recent problem, it caused, whereby the massive increases in infections are being blamed on the NHS covid-19 App and apparently nothing to do with the decision to allow access to Sporting events, Public Transport, Pub Bars and Night Clubbing, {Indeed anywhere} all without Social distancing, or masks. Apparently the increase in numbers of people now unable to report to work, as they are isolating, is the fault of the App and not the new found freedom for the Virus to spread. It seems that their attempt to get business on the move is now having the reverse effect, due to the predicted yes... predicted rapid increase in infections. {What a ****** surprise there, then.} Come to think of it Shaun, you may well be better off where you are, with the precautions you are already taking. Best wishes for favourable winds and rain. * Parliamentary

I agree about the {long predicted} acceleration of the Arctic / Greenland ice melt, if I recall correctly, it's calculated to be quite a rapid switch, irreversible, once the threshold is crossed. Memory is vague, but isn't the switch to do with the density differences between salt and fresh waters?? I also ran some basic maths over some of the coal transported from the US coalfields and it was really stunning, in itself, let alone the other major coal producers. What hammers those weights home, is that every Ton {whichever type you choose} produces about 1 1/2 Tons of CO2. World coal production figures for coal, extrapolated into the weight of CO2 released into the air, are stunning, not the least for not including the figures for Wood, Gas and Oil. When that is add to by the worldwide amount of deforestation and polution, I have to wonder, quite how much flex-time nature has left, before the climate control balance factors burst, certainly less than the time national politicians are ready to face what behaviour changes are needed. I am no environmental scientist, but just simple facts and trends, make me wonder if I was right to bring a new life into what the future might bring. All that as maybe, I am glad to hear that as for now you are away from the troubled areas, I hope that you and the rest of the population are able to avoid those areas now being razed. Take care, as I know you will and may the winds blow in your favour.

Hi Shaun, Looking at {admittedly, our... } News this morning, there is coverage of the massive fires in the NW areas of the US. Some look particularly large and there was talk of over 4.000 blazes covering more than 1.2m acres. The Bootleg fire looks to be particularly troublesome, for many people, it must be grim around there, right now. Last year was bad enough and it's said that some areas are experiencing 5 times the number than last year, earlier, too. I hope your area is far from the problem areas and all is well for you. All the very best wishes from here