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4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Does anyone have an idea (or might be interested in) what a Lima four-car Class 117 DMU might be worth, please?

 

It's 'mint' new as a three-pack, with a fourth car in a separate box.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

 

A look at the "sold prices" history of previous sales on ebay suggest that used 3 car examples generally seem to go for 50-70 ish - sometimes a little lower, sometimes a little higher.  As this is a sealed set and four car it suggests that a range of 80-100 may well be reasonable.  Livery could play a factor too.

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I visited Bletchley Park in Oct 2019 some 50 yeras after I left college in july 1969. I was a bit saddened that therew asno mention of the history of the post war history of the site. Indeed there had been two teacher traing colleges on the site. Initially a womens only college which move to Wheatley near Oxford in the early sixties, It reopened as North Bucks College of Education in 1966 when there was a call from the Wison governmentf or  more teachers and that all teachers should be trainedteacher and they were planning to raise the school leaving age. I was there from Sept 1966 10 July 1969. I believe it only stayed as  ateacher training college for a few more years before I think becoming for a time part of the Open University. It would have been nice to see a mention of that history.

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36 minutes ago, westerner said:

I visited Bletchley Park in Oct 2019 some 50 yeras after I left college in july 1969. I was a bit saddened that therew asno mention of the history of the post war history of the site. Indeed there had been two teacher traing colleges on the site. Initially a womens only college which move to Wheatley near Oxford in the early sixties, It reopened as North Bucks College of Education in 1966 when there was a call from the Wison governmentf or  more teachers and that all teachers should be trainedteacher and they were planning to raise the school leaving age. I was there from Sept 1966 10 July 1969. I believe it only stayed as  ateacher training college for a few more years before I think becoming for a time part of the Open University. It would have been nice to see a mention of that history.

 

At one time it was used as exhibitor accomodation for people attending EXPO EM at Bletchley. This was many years ago, when most people (including me) had no idea of the significance of the place. We slept in one of the wooden barrack type structures.

 

I am struggling to remember but I think it was either a police or a post office training centre at that time.

 

I bet the tour guides don't mention that "In 1983, Tony Gee slept in this bed". 

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Depends on the buyer, collectors MAY pay a lot to get a box of 2/3rds of a DMU and a spare motor brake .

 

Modellers like Clive and I would be looking at it to fix the final 1/3rd or just make something different, so go for anything.

 

I have converted a white stripe PTE and a NSE trailer into a different trailer.

 

My personal Lima limit is up to £10 per trailer, £20 per motor. So you may get £50 from a modeller.

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2 hours ago, Geep7 said:

I went on trip from University (whilst studying Computing funnily enough), and was lucky enough to be invited into the Colossus 2 replica/rebuild room whilst they started it up. Just amazing watching the tape reels speed up, and the hum of all the vacuum tubes. It's amazing to think how far and fast computers have developed, in what is still a time period of just less than a century, unless, of course, you count Babbage's difference engine as a computer.

 

I do want to go to TNMOC some time.

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1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

post office training centre at that time

It was the Post Office / BT training centre in the 70's.    One of my mates at the time trained there.

 

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1 minute ago, PupCam said:

It was the Post Office / BT training centre in the 70's.    One of my mates at the time trained there.

 

 

Thanks. It must have still been in the early to mid 1980s as I don't recall going there in the 70s. I only stayed once and it became unavailable after that. Up to the early 1980s EXPO EM was at Paddington Hotel to my recollection at any rate. I have tried checking dates on the EMGS website but there doesn't seem to be any information there. 

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1 hour ago, PupCam said:

It was the Post Office / BT training centre in the 70's.    One of my mates at the time trained there.

 

 

I did 4 weeks training there in the hot summer of 1976 and a further 3 in the early 80's, it was just like what it was, an army barracks. The best thing was that the station was easily accessed from the camp and there were plenty of quick trains to London so I managed to get friendly with another course member and we went down to London every night and managed to get round the terminal stations to do a bit of spotting. With a couple of pints after they were enjoyable evenings and a quick return to barracks was ideal.

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1 hour ago, PupCam said:

It was the Post Office / BT training centre in the 70's.    One of my mates at the time trained there.

As I mentioned earlier, so did I. To be honest, I was only there for a week and don't remember too much about it, except that that it was about leadership in management and I actually really enjoyed it. It was part of a 6-week post grad management training course. The following week I was in Gornal (Dudley) with the pole erection unit. (great name for it!). What I remember of that was a bunch of local kids watching us replace a telegraph pole chattering away and asking us questions but I couldn't understand a word they said. The very heart of the black country accent and it might as well have been a foreign language for all I could tell. 

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3 minutes ago, jollysmart said:

The best thing was that the station was easily accessed from the camp and there were plenty of quick trains to London

One of the reasons for choosing Bletchley Park for Station X was it's excellent comms links / connections to the railways

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7 hours ago, PMP said:

If it’s an unopened pack, the best place would likely be eBay to realise the best price, particularly with collectors. As Robert has mentioned it’s worth following a few similar auctions to see what they make. You’ve not mentioned what livery it is, 70’s refurb white is (generally) the least popular. The separate centre car weren’t around long so there’s fewer of those, and would possibly sell well on it’s own. Some units were done as dealer limited edition liveries, again eBay will give you a guide and selling there would potentially attract collectors to get the best price on them.

Thanks Paul,

 

All four cars are in green.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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One thing I've now discovered in finding new homes for the kits is that I need to be more-diligent in checking the contents. Not the parts (with one exception, they all seem to be there). No, pages of instructions seem to be missing!

 

I wonder why this happens? In most cases, the parts (especially the etched bits) are still in their original acid-free paper, still secured with Sellotape. Anyone who knows about stuff like this will tell you that the wrappings/etches never go back the way they were packed, once opened. Why then, are some pages of instructions missing? This really is annoying, and my apologies to the two buyers whose kits, though materially-complete, are missing some instructions. I can't believe this is a mistake made by Brassmasters or Bradwell. I'm attending to it, though I could do without the hassle. Why take out instructions and then not put them back? 

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9 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

One thing I've now discovered in finding new homes for the kits is that I need to be more-diligent in checking the contents. Not the parts (with one exception, they all seem to be there). No, pages of instructions seem to be missing!

 

I wonder why this happens? In most cases, the parts (especially the etched bits) are still in their original acid-free paper, still secured with Sellotape. Anyone who knows about stuff like this will tell you that the wrappings/etches never go back the way they were packed, once opened. Why then, are some pages of instructions missing? This really is annoying, and my apologies to the two buyers whose kits, though materially-complete, are missing some instructions. I can't believe this is a mistake made by Brassmasters or Bradwell. I'm attending to it, though I could do without the hassle. Why take out instructions and then not put them back? 

This has happened to me on occasion. If it helps, Brassmaster instructions are available to download from their website.

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51 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

This has happened to me on occasion. If it helps, Brassmaster instructions are available to download from their website.

Thanks,

 

However, the purchaser said he couldn't download the instructions from Brassmasters' website. What's needed are those for a short firebox Black V.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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33 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks,

 

However, the purchaser said he couldn't download the instructions from Brassmasters' website. What's needed are those for a short firebox Black V.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

I have a Brassmaster Black Five kit. I can't remember if it is for a short firebox example. I'll take a look over the weekend. If it is the correct kit, I'll be happy to copy the instructions for you.

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23 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

I have a Brassmaster Black Five kit. I can't remember if it is for a short firebox example. I'll take a look over the weekend. If it is the correct kit, I'll be happy to copy the instructions for you.

That's wonderful,

 

Many thanks. 

 

I don't think the firebox length will make any difference to the instructions.

 

I'll PM you the address. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

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Expo EM Early Days

I was involved in early circa 1970 Expo EMs at the (Westminster) Abbey Community Centre. A certain Roy Jackson attended.

Paddington was later

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On 09/06/2021 at 23:22, Headstock said:

...

 

Back in the 1930s, people were not associating the locomotives colour with 'Battleship Grey'. That association had to wait until decades after the Hush Hush and HMS Hood were long gone from the eyes of any witness. 
 

...

You didn’t pick up my careful use of the word “if” then ... Though some people before and since the 1930s were calling anything at all painted dark-ish grey “battleship grey”, still do in fact. 
 

It is not so very remarkable that Hood was sunk by shellfire as such, given the piecemeal increments to her armour scheme while still under construction after Jutland and the piecemeal modifications (but no real modernisation) since.  There was a rough “rule of thumb” that any ‘modern’ capital ship could be sunk or disabled by about 15-20 heavy calibre shell hits. The real surprise and shock - to the Navy and the Nation - was that it happened so quickly, after only the first or second serious hit, and before she herself had laid a glove on the enemy. 
 

I have not seen a reference to comparable vulnerability in the American Iowa class as suggested; do you have a source please?
 

 

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On 10/06/2021 at 07:59, johndon said:


Should that not be the Arizona rather than the New Jersey… 

No it's the New Jersey 

 

The USS NEW JERSEY has a really informative you tube channel where the curator tours parts of the shop and discusses various points about Iowa class Battleships

 

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15 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

No it's the New Jersey 


As I mentioned in an earlier reply, it was the mention of the memorial that threw me, I’m very well up on the history of the NJ and her sisters but I’d not heard of it’s museum being referred to as a memorial as well. 
 

 

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4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

One thing I've now discovered in finding new homes for the kits is that I need to be more-diligent in checking the contents. Not the parts (with one exception, they all seem to be there). No, pages of instructions seem to be missing!

 

I wonder why this happens? In most cases, the parts (especially the etched bits) are still in their original acid-free paper, still secured with Sellotape. Anyone who knows about stuff like this will tell you that the wrappings/etches never go back the way they were packed, once opened. Why then, are some pages of instructions missing? This really is annoying, and my apologies to the two buyers whose kits, though materially-complete, are missing some instructions. I can't believe this is a mistake made by Brassmasters or Bradwell. I'm attending to it, though I could do without the hassle. Why take out instructions and then not put them back? 

There are two more Brassmasters Black 5 kits in the final lot I collected today. One short and one long firebox. 

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13 hours ago, Willie Whizz said:

You didn’t pick up my careful use of the word “if” then ... Though some people before and since the 1930s were calling anything at all painted dark-ish grey “battleship grey”, still do in fact. 
 

It is not so very remarkable that Hood was sunk by shellfire as such, given the piecemeal increments to her armour scheme while still under construction after Jutland and the piecemeal modifications (but no real modernisation) since.  There was a rough “rule of thumb” that any ‘modern’ capital ship could be sunk or disabled by about 15-20 heavy calibre shell hits. The real surprise and shock - to the Navy and the Nation - was that it happened so quickly, after only the first or second serious hit, and before she herself had laid a glove on the enemy. 
 

I have not seen a reference to comparable vulnerability in the American Iowa class as suggested; do you have a source please?
 

 

 

Good evening Willie,

 

a couple of questions please.

 

Can you produce any evidence of the Hush Hush being referred to as being Battleship grey in the 1930's and what version?

 

How many ships can you name that required 15 to twenty hits for it too be disabled or be sunk? Forgive me but It sounds like some silly computer game. My Great uncles Ship certainly wasn't sunk by that rule of thumb.

 

Re Iowa and Hood.

 

It's not a question of a specific vulnerability in an Iowa class ship, one that would upset the gunnery and armour table fanatics. You have to except that any Battleship is vulnerable to being sunk. You also have to except that how a particular shell, or armour, or ships structure performs under a specific circumstance is not allowed for in armour and shell/gun penetration tables. 

 

The point being made, based on the evidence of Bismarck ballistic and shell performance, the angle and inclination of that shell and the speed and position of Hood and the most conservative estimation of range, Hoods weak deck armour was immune to being pierced by Bismarck's shells at the time of her loss. This was because the trajectory of incoming shells was too flat. Her side armour under the same conditions, theoretically and in conjunction with the armoured deck, would have kept the shell out of a magazine. If the scenario was repeated over and over again, a million times to one Hood would not have exploded. In other words, Hood was poll axed by a golden BB that found its way through, probably to ignite one of the four inch magazines. The point being made by Battleship New Jersey, is there is no accounting for such a shot, an Iowa class battleship would be just as vulnerable as Hood in those circumstances because it is not made of magic. I hope that helps.

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