ardbealach

Writing as a satisfied customer we have had many European rail trips using Ffestiniog Travel. Not part of a party but personally customised for our requirements. You tell them where you want to go and for how long a trip you want and they sort out hotels and rail tickets. That Includes Eurostar and usually Eurorail pass. For example we wanted a railway holiday trip by rail from Chester to Bergen in Norway via Germany Denmark Sweden and into Norway and they book us everything incl hotels. I used the DB rail website for drafting the train times as the starting point for the trip. As I say no connection with them, only a satisfied customer. I recall they even sorted tickets for Miniature Wonderworld in Hamburg. (Alisdair)

Sorry missed that. Will try to keep up. (Alisdair)

What about the Superquick range of cardboard buildings - early Sixties - and still available. (Alisdair)

I recall how effortlessly the 79xxx tackled the climb up Cowlairs Incline compared with the steady slog of a steam engine and banker. (Alisdair)

You are quite a SAGE PhilJ W (Alisdair)

I can recall regularly travelling on the 79xxx dmus back in the Sixties. They certainly could shift when wound up. The evening trains always seemed to have the train heating turned up full blast. It certainly helped you sleep on the train after a few pints+ in Rose St in Edinburgh and made for a quiet journey home. (Alisdair)

I read somewhere that Glasgow translated into Welsh as 'a green place' and Clyde was the same derivative as Clywd in Wales. And Aber in both countries means 'the mouth of a river' in a place name. Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Dee and Aberdyfi at the mouth of the Dyfi river. (Alisdair)

RMweb - an island of sanity in a sea of madness. Thanks Andy. (Alisdair)

As they say in Craiglang - you're weclome! (Alisdair)

Hi Hexagon Can't disagree with you between the U and the A. I was trying to correct those who pronounce it "Poll Maddy. (Alisdair)

And just for the record 66A is pronounced Poll-mad-dee. (Alisdair)

Thank you Nearholmer for getting out of that one! (Alisdair)

Is tutting allowed? Or is that only gifted to the more senior member? (Alisdair)

Hmmmm...... Anagram of "BY E F Carter" and you get "Betrayer F". Makes you think..... [Alisdair]

Interesting to see the catch / trap point in the middle of the main point. (Alisdair)

Very sad to read. Wigan for me has always been - for a very long time - a premier show with an excellent choice of layouts every year. Many thanks for all the efforts by the organisers. (Alisdair)

In the vein of all our reflective thoughts and memories on this Remembrance Sunday I would strongly recommend the paperback book 'Prisoners of Geography' by Tim Marshall ISBN : 1-78396-243-3. It is an easy read and sets out factually how our world geography has an impact on our world history and why wars happen. He has also produced a similar second book 'The Power of Geography'. (Alisdair)

I would agree that many were killed and injured in the construction of our railways, and many were killed and injured in the early days of the free for all in the running of the railways. Similarly I agree about the death and injury in the construction industry. But in both these industries thanks to legislation, trade unions and understanding by managers those great number of deaths are thankfully very much a thing of the past. Our military and those who served in the past wars defended (and continue to defend) our freedom and they have given us what we have today. Outside aggressors have to be challenged all the time which requires the fortitude of our military. Unlike the improvement in standards which reduced death and injury in our railways and construction industries our military continue to be faced with those dangers. (Alisdair)

Reminds me of the joke of the pub menu board. 'A pie a pint and a woman £1.00'. Customer says to barman. "Who's pies are they?" (Alisdair)

My son in law, who is in his thirties, and a Royal Marine Colour Sergeant, lost colleagues in his group in Afghanistan. As long as there are lives lost in conflicts we will remember them. (Alisdair,)

I have never seen a layout with its own sporran and club polo shirt. Is that not taking the dress code a bit too far? [Alisdair]

But what is his left hand doing? Apologies - just read Loch Gorm's comment above. (Alisdair)

You are uptight about the track ballast. I more concerned about what the two gentlemen are doing bending over in the background! (Alisdair)

A backscene can cover many inadequacies. [Alisdair]