Trevellan

What a fabulous find. I carry out a lot of picture editing, including trying to improve older scanned images for reproduction. I usually begin by opening the file in Adobe Camera RAW, either in Photoshop CS on a Mac or Elements on a Windows PC. This allows me to assess shadow detail, assuming there is some, and make adjustments to shadows, highlights and clarity. It's the same principle for both colour and mono originals. Once I'm satisfied I'll import into the main application and try to optimise the result. While the simplest of image editors may offer improvements, IMHO there is nothing to beat applications that offer RAW support. This offers so much more flexibility and processing power.

Just over 20 years ago I bought a Polaroid Sprintscan 120 which was a prosumer model, retailing at around the £2,000 mark. It was superb, and produced well over 8,000 scans before it expired. These days I think the prosumer market is not well served. I now have an Epson V600 Photo which is just about good enough for serious work, though not a patch on the Polaroid. Given the price differential, this is unsurprising. I use the Epson Scan software bundled with the V600. It can be quirky, but generally works fine.

Another vote for Hattons. I've used their services on several occasions and, for the most part, have received sensible offers.

A remarkable man. I follow one of Jack's mantras, namely to learn something new on a regular basis, especially as I get older.

Do you mean the sleeper-built style with a rubble infill, as produced by PECO?

My last consignment from Kernow took four working days, using the 48-hour tracked service. My postie is a good sort and told me that they were struggling to keep up, even more so than during the Christmas rush. Having an unreliable postal service is a nuisance, but for most of my deliveries it makes little difference. However, as John has said above, the local courier companies appear to be unaffected.

My Earl of Merioneth arrived from Cornwall today and what a splendid little model it is. Unfortunately, I won't be able to test it for a couple of weeks, which will allow time for some additional coaching stock to arrive. This is all a far cry from the Eggerbahn and Roco Minitrains models I had almost 40 years ago!

F17 must not be used while standing at a station...

Wow. I've learned something here Jon. I had no idea those Leylands were available with the pneumocyclic box.

Correct. Part of the staff training includes evacuating passengers on the pier and in Ryde tunnel.

I did not suggest that professional drivers are superior in any way and was merely reporting my experiences. I fully accept that standards vary across all vehicle and driver types. We can all cite examples of bad driving, from motorcycles upwards - and I include police vehicles in my long list of experiences. My original point is still valid - that standards generally have been allowed to lapse to the point where we have virtual anarchy on the roads. Ironically, your response merely serves to underline the fact that "professional" drivers cannot win, even if they try to do their best. I would agree that the Royal Mail driver should have been reported, but one of the biggest problems for all drivers who do high mileages is the risk of complacency. Finally, problems around deliveries are not always the fault of drivers, but rather a failure of local planning policies which, as an example, do not take into account the supply of retail and wholesale premises. Happily, I will be retiring from commercial driving work this year and will limit my bus and coach driving to vintage types. Driving old vehicles with crash gearboxes and no power steering in today's conditions is another topic in itself!

I was out working on the local buses over the weekend and had to deal with some appalling driving by distinctly under-average motorists. This included the driver of a VW Caravette who thought it appropriate to brake-check a bus with 40+ passengers aboard after overtaking it in a 20mph limit. During my meal break a colleague offered the view that there has been a definite increase in unwarranted aggression and impatience by some drivers since the end of the Covid lockdowns. My own observations and experiences support this view. Maybe these people spent too much playing violent video games while at home? The current shortage of LGV and PCV drivers has numerous causes, but one that never gets aired is the fact that we are treated like dirt by a significant proportion of other road users. On the buses we are monitored all the time we're in the cab and any reaction may lead to disciplinary action. Both management and the police are fond of telling us that we're professional drivers and should deal with it, but there is a point when even the most patient and laid-back drivers become frustrated at such constant provocation. Roads policing appears to moving back up the agenda, but we need more unmarked video cars to catch the drivers who think courtesy and the Highway Code are for wimps.

In a career spanning 50 years, latterly in senior positions, I have met only one finance expert who had any degree of imagination and understanding of wider issues. Perhaps I was unlucky...

True, but there's picturesque and then there's spectacular!

The Ventnor West branch on the Isle of Wight was quite picturesque in places, but the final leg from St Lawrence to Ventnor was spectacular.

Immensely sad news to wake up to. I'm another who only knew Gordon through RMweb, but greatly enjoyed his posts. In modelling terms he threw away items that I can only dream of building, such was his search for the best possible layout. His traverser was a work of art and something I still hope to emulate. R.I.P. Gordon.

I have a Bachmann blue/grey RU with Gresley bogies, numbered as E1938, product reference 39-100.

I visited a number of collieries between 1971 and 1974, mostly in South Wales, but also some in the North East. At no time do I remember a dedicated fireman on the footplate. As others have said, it was a driver and shunter. As I recall, firing was rarely of the "little and often" variety, but rather a "chuck a load in and let it burn through" technique. Anyone who witnessed the Austerities performing at Maesteg would know that propelling a raft of wagons up the incline tended to put a bit of a draught through the fire

Okay, a confession. I subscribe to YouTube Premium because I can call up almost limitless videos of topics I actually want to watch, to the extent that I very rarely watch terrestrial TV these days. Additionally, YouTube responds to my searches by offering more appropriate recommendations. I've been offered some superb material that I wouldn't otherwise have discovered, hence a big thumbs-up from me. As for the model railway content, I agree with many of the comments posted in this thread. There's some really good content if you know where to look. Even in my dotage I am still keen to learn new techniques and find the likes of Everard Junction a boon in that regard. Of others mentioned frequently, I dip into Chadwick Model Railway regularly, although I confess to never lasting for a whole video. I can't get into Jenny Kirk's Monday Club, but I did enjoy the 009 layout build. Other content I simply dip into and leave if it doesn't appeal to me, Sam's Trains included. On balance I think YouTube is a real benefit. I have watched numerous tutorial videos, from learning and comparing different software products to cookery techniques and repairing a particular PC. And all on demand. What's not to like?

Many thanks for finding these. I did do an online search, but found nothing relevant. I suspect a specialist study group such as the LMS Society might have such information. However, this is just one image among thousands to be checked and indexed. Indeed. In my 1972 shot the coach looks to be in generally good and complete condition, although it appeared to be in a somewhat vulnerable spot judging by the paraphernalia around it. Thanks. I can't recall how I got there, but even 50 years ago I was drawn like a magnet to interesting railway artefacts. Thanks Dave. I guessed a lot would have changed in almost half a century!

Since lockdown last year I have been making a determined effort to catalogue my extensive photographic collection. Unfortunately, in times past I was rather lax at recording information and the picture below is one example. I'm 90% certain it was taken at Great Yarmouth in May 1972. The coach appears to be an ex-LMS 50ft BG and carries the number IU 041112. I'm assuming the IU stands for Internal User. The sign on the coach advertises portable radios for hire. Other shots on this film were taken at the model village, but I have no recollection of how or why I stumbled across this coach. It's a long shot, but does anybody know of this vehicle and its story? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't disagree with your thinking, but traffic levels between Cowes and Newport are horrendous at times. My "if only" comment was to wonder whether rail would have offered an alternative and viable public transport option in more recent times, but that's something we'll never know. As I've said before, it's no accident that the two busiest bus services on the island are those that parallel former rail routes.

Mike, this relates to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), who set the rules for validity and use. ENCTS passes are not valid before 09:30, Monday to Friday, but there is no time restriction at weekends. Back in 1985/6, when I was driving for London Country Bus Services, passholders were known as "Twirlies". This is because they used to amble up to the bus at 9:15am and ask "Am I too early to use my pass?" It still happens now! Southern Vectis are often criticised for their virtual monopoly, but the truth is that the Isle of Wight could not sustain large scale commercial competition for a variety of reasons. SV are far from perfect, but service levels are generally good. I have personally worked on Christmas Day for several years, providing services for residents and visitors, albeit on a fairly modest scale. Anyway, back at the railway, my current abode is situated roughly between the former stations at Mill Hill and Cowes. There's rarely a time when I pass the site of Mill Hill and don't wish that I could jump on an electric train to Newport and Ryde. Even as a single track stub from Newport the line could have supported an half-hourly service.

The two primary routes which parallel former rail alignments (route 1; Newport-Cowes and route 9; Newport-Ryde operate every 10 minutes during the day, reducing to every 15 minutes during the evening. Ryde-Shanklin is every 15 minutes during the daytime, reducing to half-hourly in the evening. To be honest, I'm a little puzzled by the tone of the query. I freely admit to a professional link with Southern Vectis, but I would equally fight tooth and nail for the railway because I believe in both choice and resilience in public transport. I still find it heartbreaking that the 1966 closures occurred and the effect it has had. However, the fact remains that the railway has been losing money consistently and this has to be addressed. I sincerely hope the current upgrades will help in this regard.

Sorry, I should have made my point more clearly. It was suggested that the railway be converted to a busway, which I would not want to see. I'm not sure what's meant by "all that other stuff", but despite significant criticism of Southern Vectis (mostly by non-users) the IoW enjoys service levels which compare favourably to some London suburbs.