GeoffAlan

Speaking to a friend who recently left the technical side of the supply industry..... Avoid 1st gen SM like Ebola, and the 2nd generation is less than perfect. Wait for the 3rd generation ones to come out, as they are supposed to be foolproof, universal, and still several years from introduction.

I keep my 250 locos ,or so, in either the original box, less outer card sleeve, or, if bought 2nd hand and unboxed, a suitable box. everything else, and there's a lot, is either on the layout or in stock boxes (cardboard or plastic boxes with foam tray inserts). This takes up a lot less space, and when I change era or country (which happens every 4-6 months) it's much easier and less far less time consuming as well as being better for the detailing on the coaches and wagons.

I retired 4 days before my 55th birthday. Our finances are OK, but working another 10 yrs would have seen them better. I haven't regretted it for a single second, and I'm now 68. While we can't afford 3 holidays a year, like some of my contemporaries who worked a lot longer, we are able to do one a year and have some short breaks away. Essentially it's a very personal decision, but my advice to a friend considering a similar choice some 10yrs ago was, do it! He hasn't regretted it either.

Ah! that well known litigious firm, situated in Durham next door to Soo, Grabit and Rhunn. e.

Not model railways, but in a wargames magazine some 20 yrs ago a letter spoke of a wife's reaction to an beautiful and highly detailed group of figures painted over many weeks for a competition. Figures had eyes of different colours great expression and the details of armour, weapons and shields were all picked out to perfection. The guy called his wife into the room to admire his skill, and, from 6 feet away she said:- 'They look great from here!' I think some of today's models in N gauge are beautiful to look at, but like jpendle says sometimes a more basic, but totally bomb proof Union Mills loco does the job much better and at least from a couple of feet away, looks just as good as a better detailed, somewhat fragile, and massively under-powered model that costs twice the price.

When we spotted a rat on the lawn scoffing spilt seed from the Bird feeders we set a trap, and caught the blighter. You're gonna need a huge trap for them!

I seem to remember the Class 17 mock ups on his stand a year or so ago. So presumably the CADs were done. Shortly after I saw this, he cancelled the Class 17.

If you live in NE England, the idea of speaking to strangers, be they on trains or anywhere else, is not considered abnormal. We don't need a special day for it.

I did indeed read it. However the thread is reading more like abuse than discussion. And I'm surely allowed to voice an opinion. Or is disagreeing with the moderators no longer allowed?

I suspect Dave has now been kicked enough to last several lifetimes. Perhaps time to close the thread?

In my far too extensive fleet I have several Union Mills locos . In the last few weeks I've been spending birthday money on two more. Both run beautifully, and like all UM locos, will pull fantastic loads. The Prince of Wales, in Blackberry Black is fantastic with matt black smoke box and a deep, polished Blackberry Black on the rest of the model. The T9 in Southern Railway Green looks a treat next to the similarly liveried Maunsell coach triplet I bought last month. While there's no online site for the make. A phone call to Colin on 01624852896 results in the well packed box arriving a couple of days later. For those N gaugers looking for a loco to run, and run, and run without issues, at a reasonable price and filling gaps in the market that the bigger manufacturers won't ever go near, I recommend you buy from Union Mills. Look at eBay and you find used prices at at least as much as the new price. A reflection of the fact that Colin makes small runs of a loco, then moves on, returning to older models when the market is there, and introducing new models at one or two or, if your lucky, more each year. I have no connection with company other than as an enthusiastic owner and recommend in a spirit of helping my fellow n gauge modellers.

I admire your patience. I'd have solved the problem with a lot of bad language and a mell hammer!

Several of my N gauge locos, steam and diesel have flywheels. If it'll go into N, then maybe OO9 isn't such a problem??

Sad to see, but not unexpected IMHO. When he cancelled the N gauge class 17 I felt rather pleased with myself for waiting before investing. I found a KATO model virtually identical to the Class 17 some time ago and repainted two into BR colours. Not perfect, but better than nothing!

Positive Southerner to us Tykes. Don't get me started about HS2 'going to the North'.......... The first phase certainly doesn't, it's 270 miles to that there Lunnon from County Durham, where I'm the Yorkshire Ambassador, and 190 miles to Birmingham. And for those from the South its another 95 miles to the Scottish Border just North of Berwick upon Tweed.

I'd vote for making them into public conveniences, it's all they were ever good for.

You're probably right, although I note you don't say which Xmas!

That's very upsetting, those of us who don't exhibit, but have a home layout, can sympathise. It's my one worry should our hone be burgled.

I've been using this excuse for the last 45 years.

Not Hattons, but I think it's relevant as we rely on the 'mail' to get our orders to us. RM are a law unto themselves. I ordered a used item from a seller on eBay on the Tuesday before the last Bank Holiday. He posted it Wednesday, it was at his local office until early Thursday morning, when it moved to another office. On Saturday it arrived at the Newcastle office. So far, so good. Then Bank Holiday Monday 8.03am, I got a 'delivered' email, the item was delivered by Newcastle office at 23.37h on Sunday. Needless to say this is impossible. The Newcastle office is a regional sorting office and my local office, some 20 miles away from Newcastle, delivers. Contacting the seller was a waste of time, contacting eBay resulted in them telling me it was showing delivered so they would disallow any claim from me. I could not get the seller, or eBay to accept that RM do not deliver at midnight on a Bank holiday Sunday. Fortunately it did turn up, on Tuesday morning, and when I asked the guy what happened he suggested that 'someone at the Newcastle office had [essentially, clicked the wrong button.' This has made me very wary about ordering anything of any value via eBay. Also I'm quite reluctant to mail order anything. My wife, and our bank manager, will be pleased.

I did the same on a re-decaled loco the other day. A trimmed matchstick cut like a chisel rubbed over the glass worked a treat.

I'd imagine it would be a case of one consist being added onto another.

Being retired, but a card user since the 1970s, these days I deal in cash for petrol, shopping and other day to day transactions. Cards are still used for big purchases, but having to live to a budget means that by using cash I can't over-spend unknowingly/accidentally.

I use Glue and Glaze. As it dries transparent any minor excess is virtually invisible. You don't need much on the back of the plate and, as it takes a good while to set, you can get it just right.

It's a bit rich coming from the guy who got 4 WDCs in 'the car of the season' each time. He has more to worry about than the Merc's, his team mate is faster than him.