Tim Hale

Just launched onto the garage roof, now the local s*itehawks can get the trots. Tim

James, Too late, already done that in the opening post. To which I might like to add the two Ginsters pasties in the 'fridge, I do wish that they would just go. Tim

1 & 2. Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi or Bachmann spilt chassis – I can’t decide which is worse 3. The 2012 Olympics (as loved by Al Murray) 4. Summer visitors 5. Mossies and wasps 6. The Airfix tender drive 7. My mortgage 8. Type 42 destroyer 9. Haemorrhoids

My Dad. I would like to have five minutes with him, if only to say goodbye. Tim

The earlier book by Dave Marden is on order and yes, I would really appreciate a plan and any other bit of info. BTW Google Earth provides an excellent view of the spur that circumnavigated (I was going write skirted) the gasholders next to the Pompey road. Thanks to all, I fear that a diorama is in the planning stage, something that will fit in a Beetle............but still 4mm. Tim

Coralls coal depot on Dible's Wharf, St.Mary's, Southampton. I have managed to locate a few photos of this location but not in any publication that I can find. Although this is very useful Corralls Fuel Any more photos or antidotes, info would be welcome. What is the diesel shunter featured in the enclosed link? And I found this Dibels Wharf but the link to the Wimborne society, is by far the best. Tim

How much room is there for a decoder? Presumably 8-pin with wires or direct mount? Tim

Hart's Ice Cream Parlour -St.Ives

Dave, The more capable combination of the Navy's Ark Royal and STOL Harrier would arguably have been the better platform for positioning a capability off the coast of Libya rather than a air superiority platform that has proved to be woefully inadequate for the task - another result of the RAF's fast jet obsession. In response to your comment about the age of the Boeing platform, without a doubt the KC135 based 'Rivet Joint' is ageing asset but unlike the Nimrod it is capable of upgrading hence is continued role within the USAF and other operators. Why was the contract let in 1996 for the Nimrod 2000 is beyond belief when far more capable COTs platforms were available at a fraction of the development costs. Do we require the fast jet assets whilst France etc retain theirs? Ask the question from a different angle, could their cost be better used elsewhere on today's battlefield? Anyhew, I have said too much and have nothing further to add. Tim

Neal wrote The decision to scrap Nimrod was taken to prevent further waste on an archaic platform that was too expensive to support, we are spending on a US platform- Rivet Joint - because it allows reduced support costs, if any comparison is needed think of Nimrod and Boeing AWACS. New drones and why not, surely a more effective alternate to RAF's obsession with manned platforms? Maritime searches? Again, a victim of the RAF's priorities, whilst the RAF still lives in the shadow of the Cold War* every other aspect of the junior service will continue to be neglected to the detriment of the realm’s defence and its limited ability to prosecute the enemy. Tim *And sacrifices all for the sake of fast jets that are ill-equipped for today’s asymmetric warfare

Lyneham is just another airfield in a long list of RAF establishments that either have been closed or need to be closed, the loss of jobs and income for the local community is the real tragedy. Tim

After much head scratching a simple trackplan for the station which shows the optional location of an Advanced Starter (signal A), otherwise everything is very conventional and would be familiar to anyone conversant with small rural LSWR stations. The plan borrows a great deal from Sutton Bingham albeit in mirror image and the addition of a long siding to a Ministry of Supply depot, the allocation of uncouplers is learnt from long hours attempting to shunt with one uncoupler at the head of a fan of sidings, far better to add one uncoupler for each siding.

Is the RT chassis intended for a specific body - Airfix kit or Hornby RTR, possibly neither? Tim

Roter Mohn - Rosita Serrano Pure ecstasy

That blow up sheep isn't big enough

The lark ascending - just sitting here and becoming very emotional. Thinking of my father taking on his shoulders to listen to larks in the meadow near our home- all gone.

Three months ago we were confronted with a choice to either cease the project altogether or change direction, we looked at our options and chose to stick with the original theme (after a long period of wobble). This has meant a fair amount of rethinking about a plausible scenario but with Tim Maddock's help, we have a 'story' liberally peppered with fiction, the advantage being we can build a believable traffic pattern based on the SW mainline, employ the stock used on that part of the line and use iconic structures which set the scene. The trackplan is an adaptation of Sutton Bingham, the main station building is a bodge of Chandlers Ford, the level crossing from Hewish whilst the long headshunt leads to a Ministry of Supply depot from Pinhoe. The first change of many was to rebuild the entrance to the goods yard and replace the leading turnout that fed the yard from the mainline:

Utah Saints

Preiser figures do not need priming, however as with all plastics, a wash with a mild detergent mix will remove any rsidue of release agent. Incidently not all Preiser figures are equal- more recent iterations are distinctly larger and are often better suited to RTP buildings which are smaller than actual 1:76. Tim

Hi, Did removing the protruding flange at the bottom of the tender have any adverse effect, does it locate the tender body? I am just about to emulate your example and was wondering if there were any modifications to the model that, with hindsight, you consider were either essential or not worth the effort? Thank you Tim

Thanks guys Tim

Delaney and Bonnie - Only you know and I know