ChrisB

Ouch!!! That gets you between the eyes !

Do glimpses of stocking tops really help to sell things as mundane as batteries? Maybe that's where I've been going wrong !

Looking at the damage, that's one HUGE job to put that right. looks like about 100yds of former mainline just hanging in mid air. I think there's a good chance that this historical railway landmark will never be the same again.

Exeter/St Blazey to Dover China clay in Polybulks. Normally called by Cl 47 but frequently a Cl 50

Not sure if this was spotted before (tried checking back but gave up after 10 pages!) but..............Wow !http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-38-150Z-Bogie-Bolster-wagon-YAA-EX-BDA-BRILL-limited-edition-/130989921904

I responded on the day it arrived. I was told to send it back - was not told to send it back in any particular way. I wrapped it up and took it straight to the post office. I don't think most people would have seen any need to read any terms and conditions first. Each to his own though. As I said, I thought it was an unfortunate situation and was surprised by the response. I don't dispute their right to refuse but I was only guilty of going the wrong way about helping them correct their own error. Bottom line was that I was unhappy and voted with my wallet.

I'm not normally one for airing my grievances in public but.............. After having had years of excellent service from Hattons, I bought a bundle of stuff about 6 months ago including a sound fitted diesel. When the package arrived, there had obviously been a packing error (the part numbers were very similar) and I received a sound fitted steam loco. I rang Hattons who politely told me that if I sent the item back, they would send the correct item out upon receipt and I would be reimbursed for the postage. As the value of the item was over £200, I felt I really ought to send it recorded just in case it went astray and to make sure there was no risk of nding up substantially out of pocket.. When I was reimbursed £4, I rang them to say that It had cost more than that to return it but was told that it was policy to only refund the £4, that I had only needed to send it second class and that this was clear in their terms and conditions. I explained that I was only trying to do the decent thing and had not read any terms and conditions as I was just correcting their mistake. Again, I was told politely but firmly that they would only refund the £4 as this was their policy. Now I'm sure I could have made more of a fuss and got my extra couple of quid back eventually. There were a few forthcoming items which, whilst not on pre order, were set up for me to be notified by them upon arrival. Some of these have come and gone and others have yet to become available but I would have bought them all from Hattons. Instead, I did what we are all free to do and voted with my feet. I have since spent several hundred pounds with some of their competitors and have received excellent service. The episode was a shame as, like I have said, I had always previously enjoyed a fantastic service from them but there are options. As an aside, I do support my local shops where I consider it viable and don't mind paying more up to a point but sometimes, that gap is just too big.

Another vote for FFA/FGA container flats in OO plus some of the more common departmentals especially Salmon/Boplate/Tench and..........whatever happened to the Dapol Turbot?. Slightly more niche would be a class 74 Electro Diesel and Class 07 shunter. I would have thought we've reached a point too where a decent modern interpretation of the ARC/Yeoman type PGAs and PTAs would go down well and spawn a whole new generation of Mendip stone themed layouts. After all. those old Lima offerings can't last forever! Not exactly a railway item as such but I think there's a huge gap out there for a dockyard crane to suit 60s to 80s period either ready built or in kit form. The only offering for years has been the old, ex Airfix kit and it's not the easiest of things to scratch build convincingly.

The guy that posted this on Facebook and his followers seem to talk a lot about the possibilities of reinstating the line and are pretty excited about this but the only reason I can think of for engineering trips to the quayside is to lift the rails...........unfortunately.

If you faded all the colours down a bit, this would look a lot like a scene from a Chris Nevard layout !

Are we in trouble now?

Maybe not a thousand but 50 shades of grey perhaps?

These, in various colours, have been creeping up recently but this was a surprise. Must look after mine ! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310647648320?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Here's a video of the line to Ilfracombe. It's set in the 70s rather than the 80s but it's so atmospheric. it's also comforting to see that it's not just modellers that only just have enough clearance to run round their trains!!!

Hi Rich Must admit, ever since first coming across the Cyber Heritage site, my mouth has been watering. I had been looking for a location somewhere not too far from Salisbury but Barnstaple and the rest of the line make a superb location for a "based on if all that traffic had survived another handful of years" I've never done it before but I think I need to start a thread about the new layout. The track plan is pretty much finalised and most of the boards are built. You can only claim to be "researching the new layout" for so long !!!

........and these http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477234418/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477234494/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5476643481/

.........and these http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5476640267/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rail_archive/5477241348/in/photostream/

Here's another cracking "prototype for everything" pic I've been looking for photo's and information prior to embarking on a Barstaple ish layout but a bit more late 80s - early 90s and found this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/34906043@N07/7113698675/in/photostream/

All gone a bit quiet on here recently. How's the layout coming along Rich? Been a bit quiet on that thread too. Well, having moved house a bit more than a year ago and finding myself with a new layout to build on a foot(ish) wide shelf about 15ft long, I've contemplating my own take on Barnstaple junction and have been doing some research. I've been trying to locate old photos/pictures/drawings showing the track layout South of the old signal box before it was rationalised. It can absorb hours of time but has unearthed a few cracking photos that I haven't come across before. They're not 1980s and not my era but fascinating nonetheless. http://www.flickr.com/photos/auchlander-thephilipcromecollection/7866497762/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/7271975576/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/7271975392/in/photostream/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/7271957260/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/7271957190/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/74802869@N03/6974831804/

Hi Mick Yes it can but, in my experience, if you can install a bigger speaker and/or a bigger enclosure properly, it will always be better!

Just to add my " two pennorth", So glad this is being done and done the way it is with input invited from all and sundry. It can only result in a better end product. More power to your elbow. One thing that makes a big difference to me and, I know, a lot of other people, is your statement that there is room for a decent sized speaker. I know that sound isn't everyone's cup of tea but it's a growing market. I know that my models without sound hardly get run at all and I came to the conclusion long ago that sound is pretty much a waste of time with the standard 23mm round speaker or with the arrangement that Hornby and Bachmann have with some of their factory fitted sound locos. Consequently, the provision of space for a decent sized speaker is almost a deal breaker for me. As it is, I shall be buying 4 or 5 instead of 1 or 2. Thanks again, PS. Any idea of a delivery time for the turbots. When will you be doing the 74?

As has already been said by so many, not my era and never really been particularly drawn to them but.......................just placed an order! Thank you to everybody that's contributed to such a superb model. Now........Legomanbiffo, where's that Western sound chip? Roll on the class 73

Interesting thing to contemplate actually as it's never been a consideration until recently. Wife number one(30 years ago) was never aware of any interest as it wasn't there at the time. Instead, she had to put up with me being a permanent fixture in the garage tinkering with motorbikes or away at weekends racing them. By the time wife number two came along, it was building and competing with Land Rover based off road vehicles and getting cold, wet and muddy a lot. Model railways were still not an issue and both of them would be surprised to learn now that I had ever had any interest. Currently, however, being in the early-ish stages of a new relationship, it's been a bit different. Being that bit older and having slowed down a bit, the bug bit again about 4 years ago and in a biggish way. The subject hadn't come up until the time I took her to meet my mother and step father. When I enthused rather a lot about his model railway which I had helped him build in his garage, her reaction was "Oh no. Not another one. My ex husband used to be into model railways"! To cut a long story short, I'm a bit more balanced these days and not quite so obsessed with my hobbies and interests. She, being fairly practical and "crafty" has expressed an interest in making trees and buildings for the layout I have started building in the house I moved to just over a year ago. Being in our 50s and financially independent of one another, we are able to talk to each other about such things and agree that it;'s important for both parties to have their separate interests in order to have a healthy relationship........something we're both experts in !!!

The only deal breaker here for me is whether or not the crumbs on the cab floor from the driver's sandwiches are represented......and whether they're cheese or ham ! Apart from that, it looks great !

Hi Biff Yep, the blog's definitely a good idea. been out of modelling for almost a year with house move and associated gubbins but it seems the timing was good as it co-incides with your learning your way around V4 chips! Must say I'm very impressed with the results so far and very much looking forward to the 73 project. Now, what to do with all those V3 chips!