28XX

Lost in Music - Sister Sledge

Knock Three Times - Tony Orlando and Dawn

The Worcester Foregate to Malvern line crosses the River Severn and it’s flood plain on a high brick arched viaduct. At one time a goods branch left the main on the north side, descending steeply to quay level where Pitchcroft grandstand is now. The remnants are visible from Google Earth. Put a pin in the roundabout just north of where the railway crosses Croft Road.

Because the Night - Patti Smith

The Battle of Epping Forest - Genesis

I Won’t Let You Down - PhD

Google “Sabre” society for all British roads. Lots of info discussion and photos of pre warboys signs.

Inside admission allows you to walk around inside the engine sheds and workshops, outside admission only allows you access to the open yard and walk between the buildings.

Now is The Time - Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

Stuck - Caro Emerald

Having inherited my mother’s bad circulation, exacerbated by blood-pressure-lowering-medication, I find this to be the most enjoyable weather. In the winter, I struggle to keep warm, and resort to wearing a hoodie indoors with the hood up.

A shrunken version of Didcot coaling stage is available from Scalescenes.

I’ll meet you at Midnight - Smokie

Unfortunately the GWSR suffers from a branch line mentality, and seems unable to capitalise on the historical truth of their line’s provenance.

It is probably reasonable to assert that the GWSR Cheltenham to Broadway line is a preserved main line. Although only single track at present the possibility of doubling remains, there have been no major civils works done or losses of land which preclude this.

Eddie Goulding, the Telecoms Area Engineer in Birmingham in the late 1970’s had a green one. He didn’t like driving much, so I chauffeured him around quite a bit. I thought they were terrific little buggies, and it seemed Ford had solved the porridge-spoon gearstick feel of the contemporary BL fwd cars.

I have just received two of these. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F401136703623 They are Chinese clones of industrial sensors which I have some fond memories of using on industrial packaging plant. The European made originals are £40 or so a pop, but at £4.95 these are competitive with items made specifically for model railways. A simple test with a PP3 battery proved it will detect a minimum vehicle, ie, a bare Triang wagon chassis. Mounted under the track at about 30 degrees to the vertical ensures you don’t get loss of detection between vehicles.

Re. touching up silver paint. Sharpie pens are available in silver, copper and gold. I found a 3 pack in Tesco just before Christmas and find they are ideal for muddleing purposes.

Apropos of churches, I was sent to PAT test Bromsgrove Church a few years ago, and was inspired to buy the Metcalf offering. This too is desperately underscale, as I discovered given the chance to compare some principle dimensions.

I’ve got a Lima pannier in the round-tuit box for the same job.

Peter BB. Mung beans are the variety grown to create bean sprouts for oriental dishes. I used to work for Kanes Foods who grew and packed them for the supermarkets. They arrived in sacks which one man could just lift, stuffed into a 40’ container, without pallets. It took two or more days to hand-ball them onto pallets.

I have just received my Black early crest version and tried it on Stourhampton. I have never spent this kind of money on an engine before, but I have to say she’s worth it. Pristine out of the box with no sign of any of the damage or problems noted above. She’s as quiet as the grave, responds good naturedly to my home made dc feedback controller, and scurries sure-footedly through the south yard point work. Now all I need is 50 or so vans and other fitted vehicles. 10/10 Hattons and Heljan.

I wonder if one of the garden railway bunnies might like them. Those who like scale length trains viewed from a distance. Sort of broad-brush railway modelling.

The Signal Engineer of this parish was my boss when I resigned. I wish you had phoned me, Eric, I might have come back in those heady days of the early 1980’s. How different my life would have been!