New Haven Neil

Not any more, thank crunchie!

I think the collector shoes are wrong. Shall I complain to Hornby?

Poor old Marvin, brain the size of a planet and all he gets to do is moderate contentious posts.....watch the PIV in those diodes doesn't go too high.

As for Ford Focii, I have a 1.8TDCi 115hp, which is surprisingly quick for what it is. I have always suspected it's first owner had it chipped. Now it just gets chipped in a different way in the carpark at work.......what is it with other people and car doors? /rant.

We can but try, Gruff! As I said on the thread, I'm not a PC nutter, but we did improve things in the NHS massively in the 90's in terms of making a little consideration for others thoughts and feelings, of whatever sex, race, colour or sexuality. I have no time for extremeism of any kind, be it PC or otherwise. As raised by Ian, other countries mileage may differ........

Thanks Clive - I had read that about Meld/Alycidon somewhere once, but it had faded into nothingness, as much does nowadays! Apologiess for US spelling of mould too, I had just been posting on a US forum!

Morning, dry but cold here, snow on higher ground, the mountain road is closed. The lambs here are 3 months old now, showing the difference perhaps in our warmer winter temperatures. If only it was warmer in summer too! Dariry farmer friends are well into calving, mostly Holsteins, the odd Belgian Blue and Hereford too. Apparently. Although I'm married to a farm girl, what I know about animals other than cats can be written on a Z gauge wagon.

We're from the same mold - Meld was my fave too, and I have also cabbed her. We probably sat next to each other at the end of platform 9/10.....

Ooooh no it's not.............. He's right about Sundelrand though....

Yes, I remember that, fastened to the iron railings! I wonder if anyone got it. There were still third rail insulator mounts on the sleepers in Shields station too.

On a lighter note, Michael Portillo was just on the TV, and we were looking at the Royal Scotsman train, thinking it might be a nice 50th treat for Mrs NHN next year - until I googled the price!!! EEEEK!

Someone once sent me an awful You Tube of a train like that in India, the guy on the roof lost his balance and grabbed the overhead wire.....flashbangboom. Ugh.

Oh yes, very much so. 'conspic' !!! Could see it from my bedroom window. NHN, got sent to Riversdale to get me away from home in Shields! I was an engineer cadet though.

I can't get the Gateshead one to open

There's been at least three - my OP, post 14 and post 32!

Wing held high - the trollies were always there at Newcastle Central!

re the crew curry, to be fair it was hotter than the officers curry by a factor of about 10! Geordies are weaned on curry....I used to eat them seriously hot, but less so nowadays. Our food was always good on the Chinese and Indian crewed ships, but less so on the English crewed ones! Moslty depended upon the Purser/Chief Steward really.

hadn't clicked it was the same footbridge, but you're right!

Yes, had to log in again - and your link disappeared!

Second link wrong, Porce?

yes, that's the Pelaw box I recall from my youth! As for harton electrics, yes, it was an experience to go down the tunnel from Crossgates yard to the staithes - the tunnel was so tight you couldn't put your fingers out of the cab window...hitting the curve at the bottom was scary.

Nostalgia alert! yes, the jungle is yuppie flats now, a Doctor I used to know lived in one. It's only reading this thread that reminds me how complex the railways south of the river were (I'm a South Shields lad) and how complex, they , er aren't any more! There was a great model of Pelaw box on our old SSMRS club layout, but I don't have any photos of it. Michael, that's not Tyne Dock station that ends under the bridge by the river, it's South Shields. Tyne Dock was two stations along, the first stop out of Shields being 'High Shields' more commonly known as Trinity, due to being next to the church of that name. This was all on a tightly curving embankment that the NCB line to high staithes ran underneath, weaving from side to side. All gone now, no trace left hardly. The Metro leaves the passenger line alignment almost immediately after leaving South Shields, and traverses a very old railway that latterly was NCB owned. It re-joins between what is now Chichester (pro, Ch eye chester, not Chich chester!) Metro and Tyne Dock station, which is on the original line. I was born and grew up not far from the huge colliery on the seafront of South Shileds, which is now Crown Point or something housing estate. I used to listen to the electrics shunting all night....#sigh#

Yeah, seen that a few times, Andy. Talking of curry, some of our ships had Indian crews, I always ate the 'crew curry' much to the disgust of my colleagues, who wouldn't have known a decent curry if it hit them. Making me hungry just recalling it.....yum. Our curry house of choice here is Bangladeshi, as suggested by Tony.

Ok, wood ducks do...trees....d'oh.

Failing to get it I'm afraid - persimmon is a fruit, is it not, and our beaked friend must have been up a tree to eat one? Haven't seen many ducks roosting in trees....