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They might want to connect with another monorail elsewhere in the EU in due course . https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g211855-d3267800-Reviews-Lartigue_Monorail-Listowel_County_Kerry.html

Started cutting the bogie footboards out of coffee stirrers (tx, 'spoons Tim), and will probably have them on the bogies by tomoz night. I've had a bit of wobble with the bogies, because of a post in another topic (same thread as this) with worked-up Triang clerestories on Hornby 10' Dean bogies. I'd have been a bit more certain of myself had I taken proper notice of this coach's bogies in the first place, but I have now assured myself that the Glyncorrwgs had 8'6" Dean bogies. One of them didn't have footboards, on at least one side, though. AFAICT, there were three coaches, and the 'top' and 'bottom' ones had the end compartments fitted out for the guard to ride in, though I am not aware of the train ever having been propelled in the downhill direction. Normal practice (in as far as anything about the Glyncorrwg branch can be desribed as 'normal') was for the loco to haul the train down from Glyncorrwg ecs in the usual way to Cwmmer Corrwg, run around and haul it back up to Glyncorrwg with passengers, then run around again and propel the coaches up the rest of the branch because there was no facility for running round up there. The return journey had the loco hauling the coaches from North Pit to Cwmmer Corrwg, running around and hauling them ecs back to Glycorrwg where they were stabled until next time while the loco handled the coal traffic. I can understand why nobody has made an exhibition model of this fascinating operation hidden in the mountain fastnesses; nobody would ever believe it... Photo on p.341 of Hodges/Davies shows the 'bottom' coach at Glyncorrwg on the bay headshunt with damage to the third compartment door and windows, dated 5/9/57, and on p.349 a two-coach train leaving South Pit Halt downhill on the same day; I have no idea if the 'bottom' coach was ever repaired, but the damage is fairly severe, door off it's hinges and the pillar between the door and window reveal broken; despite this, Hodges/Davies do not comment on the situation. Something rigid and solid like a crane jib has attacked the coach at about door handle level from the side; it doesn't look like converging road shunting sideswipe damage. As the numbers are indicernable beneath the filth my conversion will serve as 'top' or 'bottom' coach facing either direction for working at Cwmdimbath, as I have no qualms about propelling downhill, and the middle coach without the footboards and (TTBOMK) no cab will not be modelled. The coaches were actually rostered to Port Talbot, not Tondu. Withdrawn in 1958 replaced by a 3-coach Mainline & City set which lasted until 1962. The brake ends of these were similarly modified, but with a central droplight window let in. I'm rather hoping Dapol will produce these, but if not I'll do my own from a Dapol. Not correct for Tondu, but the Cwmdimbath line never actually existed except as a tramroad, and I feel justified in these rule 1 nods to the Glyncorrwg operation.

Are there any pictures of BG?

Had a delivery from Narrow Planet yesterday, so 5551 and 3335 now both have their new numbers. The Bulldog is now ready for weathering / coal, but the 4575 will still need decoder fitting. and I forgot to post this earlier in the week after painting the shed

A little more on the first of the FAA this evening, with all of the brackets now added. The plan will be to do the same on the other two wagons before starting work on the worst bit - adding the actual pipes. looking at the wagons again I am not happy with a couple of details on the sides, the container mounting points and the label clip on the side. I think I will file these off and replace with a 3d printed part if anyone has a clear photo of the white data panels on the either side of the central mountain point I’d love to see a copy. I’ve yet to find something that is square on and close enough to make out all the text

I was presuming the colliery remained linked from the Ironbridge end ( handy bulk customer) and the Kidderminster end was lifted beyond the sugar factory at Foley Park. The section south of Bridgnorth falling into disuse when the collieries closed, but the infant SVR not having the funds to reopen it for some years after securing the Northern section and priorities being getting to Ironbridge and an end on junction with the national network. Quite recently the SVR opened a new terminus station on land acquired behind Madeley Jn signalbox following the closure of the Ironbridge Power Station. At some point, when funds allow, the new station building will be completed with the opening of the restaurant wing. Replacing the demolished Victoria Bridge would be a major obstacle along with various embankment failures on the southern section in the intervening years Another alternative scenario being the Hartlebury - Stourport- Bewdley section remained in use rather than the Kidderminster- Bewdley section We could go one further and forget the real and above imagined histories and presume the line to Tenbury remained lingering on into the 70s. Shropshire coal mining having ended in the 50s ( quite how my paternal grandfather would make a living through the 60s is open to conjecture,) killing the line towards Arley and Ditton Priors MOD remained, the reason for the line to stay open, (till the depot's closure, in the mid 70s) after a limited passenger service to Tenbury inevitably succumbed to the financially inevitable in the late 60s, despite BR's best cost cutting efforts. The line between Cleobury Mortimer and Tenbury lying intact but moribund for some years until the SVR raised the funds to extend through to Tenbury. The Ditton Priors branch then remained in use with the SVR with limited services traversing the line from Bewdley, priority being given to running a more intensive Kidderminster - Tenbury service Andy

Today is a Good Day - Anna Ternheim

And something about this case seems a bit odd to me as the Relief Line platform surfaces at Ealing Broadway were raised in comparatively recent times - i think probably in association with Crossrail works at the station. I don't recall there being such a high stepping distance from either 165/6 DMUs or from 387s as that photo of the Class 345 suggests. I also wonder where he was travelling from as the photo shows the Up Relief platform which means he would have travelled from somewhere between reading (inclusive) and Ealing Broadway. Reading of course has completely new platforms on the lines used by Liz Line trains and their heights are to current standards but the heights at intermediate stations do vary a bit and long have although I'm fairly sure that all Relief Line platforms have been raised over the years (but don't know about Hanwell). However I do know that some stations have suitable bridging boards for Class 345s so they clearly do not offer totally level access. So is there also something arising from Class 345 floor height above rail I wonder? - I'll check the next time I have the misfortune to board or alight from one (or watch while I wait for a following Class 387) but I'm pretty sure the 345 involves a step up/down at Twyford.

Alex, two recommendations. 1. Get hold of a booklet entitled Carr's Soldering Handbook. 2. If you see Tony Wright demonstrating at an exhibition, sit down and have a chat with him. Everyone discovers their own technique. I sort of have three "rules". The iron must be the right wattage for the job - I mostly use Antex variable temperature irons, one for brass / nickel silver and another for whitemetal. Use the correct solder, ie "70" for whitemetal, "145" for wet jobs and "188" for dry jobs. Use fluxes that suit your technique, I mostly use Powerflow, in the knowledge that it must be cleaned off the job otherwise it will ruin the future paint job. I know Tony will give you different advice so consider alternative ways of doing a job and find your own technique. Oh, a dry joint is concave and a wet joint is convex.

You might want to take a look at in now on Google Earth 3D. I could seed no sign of any of those wartime buildings but you might be able to locate where they were and what's there now. New hotel buildings I imagine. (Why on earth am I so interested in a hundred yards or so of track, one point and a signal box with no rolling stock?🤔 )

Probably a bit of both. Look at their latest catalogue and their latest accounts, then make your opinion. Retooling a new model costs a lot of money, then there is the tooling costs of new TT120 items.

Eighth Day, Hazel O'connor

Yes but we aren't sure what that's for. It might be a variation on S Andy

@009 micro modeller and I posted at about the same time. I didn't know that the tramway had a narrower gauge until I read: I was coming from an (incorrect) assumption that track gauge was 4ft 8 1/2 inches on the tramway, so wheel profiles/ back to backs wouldn't match and would need to be modified. The tighter gauge would make the wheel back to backs the same. Whilst railway flanges are thicker than trams/light rail today, who knows what they may have been like in 1871, or machined to locally for passage along these lines in later years. Presumably the non-standard bogies for tram vehicles was a nominal expense. Hats off to the Victorians for that bit of forward thinking. An integrated transport system. What were they thinking of??? Every day is a school day. Thanks for the information 👍

Does it have a P mode as well?

Goodnight all.

Yes it is. I didn't recognize it at first - not until it got to the "maybe Vader someday later" part of the chorus before I remembered it. It's works well being faithful to the unique phrasing of "American Pie"

Javis do flexible lengths which are an approximation of stone walling. https://www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk/n-gauge-flexible-walling-jstonens

I find Mrs SM42's ride works well in Day mode, wont move in the dark in Night mode and when you put it in Race mode it goes backwards. Andy

A few pictures of BEACHY HEAD when I was in her in 2007. At that time she was on charter to Transfennica, however the charter had the provision that she was available to the MOD at 21 days notice should she be required. This was the original intent of these ships; that when not required for use by MOD they would be chartered out commercially to earn their keep, but still be available at short notice should the "balloon go up". MOD exercised that option with Beachy Head once and with her other sisters more regularly. She was therefore a strategic asset and a lesson learned from the Falklands and first Gulf Wars. When on commercial charter she retained her all-British crew, all of whom were also RN reservists as required by their contracts of employment. All went well until the change of government in 2010, when the incomers decided that having such ships on the books of the MOD was a waste and that any requirements could be fulfilled commercially when required - which of course proved to be short sighted, idiotic, nonsense. BEACHY HEAD and her sister LONGSTONE were therefore finally sold off in 2014 after a protracted disposal process and the crews made redundant. The really mad thing was that on their commercial charters they not only covered their operating costs but they actually turned a profit! Back in 2007 during my time onboard our home port was Lubeck, with the regular run being to/from Hanko in Finland. Other ports visited on regular rotation were Paldiski (Estonia) and Gdynia (Poland). Cargoes northbound were containers, articulated trailers and brand new high-end German cars, nearly all of which was going into Russia via Finland. The return cargoes were empty containers/artics and rolls of paper. The latter came in 1 tonne rolls and we would usually load 1000-3000 of them for the voyage south, to be used by printers/publishers in mainland Europe. It was a 30 hour run from Germany to Finland at 21 knots and when alongside we didn't work cargo at nights, therefore we enjoyed regular and lengthy spells in port as it was quite time consuming to load/discharge the paper as it was "break bulk", with the rolls literally being loaded individually. Lubeck and Hanko are two delightful places, as was Rauma where we occasionally loaded paper. A very pleasant 3 months or so onboard. Alongside in Lubeck, May 2007 when I was onboard her sister LONGSTONE. Lubeck, 21/07/07. Approaching Hanko, 22/07/07. This is the site of the new accommodation block. Alongside in Hanko, 08/08/07. Alongside in Hanko, 08/08/07

Short Trains #2 - 6E03 Freightliner wagons serving Peak Forest which are in need of repair or routine servicing are currently despatched to the Freightliner depot at Hunslet Yard in Leeds. The move is made on a dedicated train which may stop over at Hope in the Edale valley to pick up any crippled wagons from Earles Sidings. 6E03 Tunstead - Hunslet Yard | Peak Forest | 66416. 29/02/2024 Photo Daniel Stanbridge from Flickr ‘13th July 2023. 66612 approaches Peak Forest South signal box on 6E03 wagon servicing and repair move from Tunstead to Earles Sidings.’ ‘13th July 2023. The same train,6E03, passes the fuel point with a light trailing load of just three empty wagons.’ 66 617 with extra 4Z66 at Peak Forest. In the final few metres of the climb to Peak Forest Summit at 984ft 66 617 is getting along nicely thanks to its single wagon load. The rising 1/90 gradient here usually reduces loaded trains to little more than walking pace from a standing start at Great Rocks Junctions. On this occasion a single open box wagon going for repairs is the consist of additional 4Z66 the 07.51 Tunstead Quarry to Leeds Hunslet Yard. Photo taken 17th January.2018 Photo Adrian Nicholls ‘17th June 2018. 66612 with just a single wagon for repair on 6E03, passes under Batham Gate Road at Peak Forest’

Its to prove that somebody actually drinks the stuff!😄

In lovely evening light, 37518 Fort William / An Gearasdan leads 37668 through Cockwood Harbour working the returning 1Z66, Penzance-Dorridge, "Spring Cornish Explorer ... 04/05/24 NL

Pertinent to the day and as creative as Weird Al has always been. My favourite of his is from an altogether different genre.

It can now be revealed that this evening I made two lemon drizzle cakes for a church social tomorrow. For security reasons this could not be revealed until the cakes had been transported under cover of nightfall to a secret location where they will remain until official consumption time. The storage premises are guarded by personnel from CC Industrie’s special security force trained in anti-ursine and pachyderm measures. Good night All. Dave