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Having had chance now to skim my ref. https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/why-saudi-arabias-the-line-is-not-a-revolution-in-urban-living/ ... the article makes quite clear 'The Line' is certainly NOT "the forerunner test for all future cities". For a start, it says they are quite inefficient for commuters and circular cities are better. This design appears quite hopeless (and certainly not a '15-min. city').

Just found this: https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/why-saudi-arabias-the-line-is-not-a-revolution-in-urban-living/

I am no fan of politicians, but reading again From milk churns to Merry-go-Round, I remember the author commenting one freight flow on the E.R. was changed by the B.R., yes B.R.'s own, bean-counters to need two sets of wagons instead of one, so making it unprofitable and transferred to road by the company. B.R. was quite capable of destroying itself.

Looking forward to this, the first exhibition of the year for me. Hope 'Kevin the Kite' and his chums are in attendance in the area again. Fingers crossed against rail strikes...

Private Eye is a good monitor of defence purchasing and supply, tendering, etc. Read it fort-nightly and weep...

Just to report Crecy's web-site is now saying April for publication: https://www.crecy.co.uk/british-railways-freight-terminals Sigh...

Paper by R.U.S.I. about ammunition production capacity: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ramping-what-will-it-take-boost-uks-magazine-depth Hope of interest.

For those of you readers who would like to scare yourselves witless with those 1980's memories of nuclear holocaust, but can not bear to watch Threads, I recommend : https://www.waterstones.com/book/attack-warning-red/julie-mcdowall/9781847926210 Soon out in pbk. Lord Peter Hennessey's writings are good, as well.

Cheer up @Mallard60022 ! We might see some Speedlink traffic return before the balloon goes up... Time to look out those Bachmann VEAs.

Kelvedon Hatch is cheaper: £12.00! https://secretnuclearbunker.com/ 😀

Are those in the modern fighting forces really wanting assistance from 'amateurs'? I thought the professionals looked upon Territorials and conscriptionists as a bit of a joke, like Special Constables in the police forces.

If only! 'The Man in Coach A on a Voyager'.

I had better raise my hand to the same failure of civil engineering: Sorry! Lovely layout, by the way. Look forward to reading more.

Let's re-open it to Lewes, then! 😀 Retrieves hat, coat, gloves, umbrella, ...

Not at all, @Oldddudders . The older one gets, the more one values 'life' and 'others' lives'. Please feel free to give some 'typical days in the life of...' as well as discrete projects. History needs to record how one chased carriage cleaners as well as closing a railway line. E.g., I still have no idea how a 'Link' works, or what loco or crew rosters look like and how they were interpreted. Sorry for the alarming thread-drift.

A memoir thread, please!

@Asterix2012 thanks for that. As you will have guessed, I had no idea.

Does anyone know what 'armour plate' looked like with which this wagon would be loaded? I assume 3" plate sheets (so 1mm. thick in OO), perhaps two side by side loaded along the wagon-length (with a few more on top with laths between for un-loading)? Thanks.

If you are looking to buy, the librarians' choice at my place is: www.justbooks.co.uk ... which is the U.K. edition of www.bookfinder.com

Please may I thank you all for your contributions. They provide much-needed context to the subject, and I am grateful for your time and efforts. Again, if there is someone who can explain what specialist metals can not be produced from recycled steel and why, I would be very interested. E.g., why are car-body panels so 'special'? If anyone knows, please do share the information if you can. Encyclopedia Britannica article on how a blast-furnace works (although I expect we all know this already!) 🙂 : https://www.britannica.com/technology/blast-furnace I hope the community affected can be cushioned from the effects of the replacement, but I fear for them, after previous experiences of industrial changes.

As no-one else appears to be marking this grim news, I thought I would put a thead up. Please ignore if duplicated elsewhere or there is no interest. B.B.C. News web-sites: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68022901 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-wales-68023528 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67748505 Please correct me if wrong, but I think these are the last U.K. blast furnaces functioning. The Community trade union rep. pointed out that with these closures of 'sovereign assets', the nation would be unable to refine iron ore domestically. A very bad start to the weekend.

Alas, there is the paradox: those who desire ever more detailed models which involve higher prices (I lost track of those contributing here who said they were appalled at the standard of U.K. models compared to those seen overseas, and so stopped modelling) and those happy with the 1980's releases at cheaper prices and made in the U.K. U.K. manufacturing is not to return, and was not a factor in keeping prices down anyway, if I understand correctly, so what does one do? Having two ranges ('Railroad' and something more detailed) for varied depths of pockets is a good solution, I think.

There is Squires of Bognor Regis (no connection, but a contented customer at a few exhibitions). http://www.squirestools.com/

I was listening to the B.B.C. Asian Network radio station yester-day after-noon, and the presenter was getting very excited about his collaboration.

Just came across this selection of amateur movie clips on the 'That's T.V.' station (the web-site of which refuses to load this morning to provide a link). https://railway-dvds.com/acatalog/Midland_Publishing.html Scroll down to 'British Railways Vol. 3: Vintage Southern'. I am no fan of steam, but was bewitched by 1930's film of an un-rebuilt L.B.S.C. Baltic, and the colour shots of the East Grinstead and Uckfield lines of particular interest to me. Also (briefly) Lewes Goods Yard flooded. If you do not know it, l recommend looking out for it on the T.V. station, and perhaps even buy a copy. The past looked a different world, up on the High Weald anyway.