2750Papyrus

Have you considered making the tenders available separately?

It's the Great Way Round...

I remember those!

I have had similar issues with SMP track. I've not heard of others with this problem and have assumed it to be contaminants or maybe moulding temperature, contained within a batch.

I had given up watching RU on TV but a dose of Covid meant I watched all 4 quarter finals, and enjoyed them thoroughly. Good rugby, close results and excellent ITV commentary teams. Almost made up for having to miss the MK exhibition!

As I said recently, "You lucky people!" Please could we EC fans have a Sentinel of this standard?

Travelled on the SVR on Saturday. It was very busy and we spent half of the journeys standing in the corridors. Bridgnorth town was also very busy, yet Friday and Saturday nights in Bewdley were very quiet. A good trip, part of a biennial re-union.

It would seem not!

Being of the same vintage as TW, I can also remember buying Airfix kits for two bob (two shillings or 10p), usually from Woolworths on Crouch End Broadway. As my pocket money was also two bob per week, I never had enough to buy the proper adhesives or paint. However, I can recall assembling and painting HMSs Victory and Shannon, the chequered gun decks being a particular challenge! I think I also built 3 lineside buildings, a detached house, a shop with housing above, and a footbridge. If I remember correctly, the footbridge cost a whopping three bob! Around this time, I was also building flying model aircraft, primarily from KeilKraft kits, so I didn't build many Airfix aircraft, though I can remember a De Havilland Mosquito. I also built balsa model warships from Modelcraft plans., so my Airfix kits were often assembled with balsa cement. Not satisfactory!

As I understand it, unusual clauses required by Gordon Brown to safeguard employment in neighbouring constituencies.

I wonder what the parking charges were for the Restaurant at the End of the Universe?

Visited their website and slightly surprised to find them listing the Coronation coaches for pre-order. I tried to order from my favourite retailer in January 2022 but they had been allocated 2 sets only. I wonder where any Rails allocation came from?

It used to be said that one shouldn't throw good money after bad. Money spent so far cannot be recovered. If the spend to completion in existing or modified form makes economic sense, go for it. If it takes a while to evaluate possible changes before making this assessment, perhaps we need to be patient.

The traffic light system is a well-used technique in project management. I was contract manager on several "red" rated defence projects, which were turned green. Are there any lessons from Crossrail which can be transferred to HS2 to change the red rating?

I really don't know what I think regarding HS2. Fellow posters on here, including experienced retired railwaymen, gave convincing arguments regarding the need for a new railway to relieve congestion on the WCML. Like many major projects, there has been cost growth and programme overruns, but the Infrastructure and Projects Authority report in July gave the project a red rating, stating "Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable.....major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed." The phase of the project running from Crewe to Manchester was given an "amber" grading by the IPA, under which successful delivery of a project "appears feasible", but "significant issues already exist". Given a report like this, surely any responsible government must heed the warnings and review the situation?

Given the effects of Covid, changed working patterns (home working), strikes, etc, what is the current level of traffic on the WCML? Is the capacity argument still valid?

Does anyone know what training is given to officials undertaking VAR duty? Are there set procedures they must follow and is there any form simulator or practice using previous reviews to compare trainees' decisions against those previously determined?

Bacharach?

Campling quotes 594-7 and 5710-3 for open thirds and 5695-7 for brake thirds. These make up into impressive coaches and give you corridor stock that doesn't need lining. Mine are fitted with Train-Tronic lights and passengers.

The BBC has reported test working of 150 class has begun over the Bletchley - Bedford section, with passenger workings to begin in November.

You lucky people!

Nothing wrong with that. Bachmann please note!

Cowpat green?

A very interesting and informative thread, Mike, especially for those not comfortable with etched metal. Would it be possible to give approximate times for each modification so we can assess trade-offs?