tractionman

just had this email from Hattons about batch 2... The first batch of our OO gauge Genesis 4 & 6 wheel coaches were so popular that the vast majority are now sold out on pre-order. With this in mind, we recommend placing preorders for Batch 2 liveries as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Pre-order your Genesis Coaches from £33, HERE--https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/siteresults?search/sources/New/scales/OO/product-types/Coaches/brands/Hattons Originals

a gentle amble around some local tracks and lanes, with a pause on my favourite bench, overlooking a calm and tranquil Belfast Lough this morning a few folks about taking in the September sunshine and warmth. cheers, Keith

I didn't stop for any pics yesterday either! Just over thirty miles in all, a circuit out from Belfast Titanic Quarter (station) via Comber Greenway and back again into Belfast by Lagan Towpath, with a hilly (for me!) section (on roads) between the Greenway and Towpath, good thing both of those traffic-free routes are fairly flat, hills and cars are annoying on a bike...

some Sunday morning calm, out on the bike...

I was actually looking at buying some NCB chaldrons earlier and had popped 'Accurascale' in my search box and it remembered a previous search I had made for D9012 'Crepello', which I clicked on out of curiosity--I could not believe it when I saw '1 in stock', so I snapped it up :-) cheers, Keith

I see a blog at Rails too :-) https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/kerr-stuart-victory-0-6-0t

I'm on home heating oil and the price has skyrocketed to £900 for 900 litres, about triple what I paid in March, so yes reining it in on model purchases big time...

just got an email from Hattons about the Heljan models https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/4831/heljan_oo_0_6_0de_ruston_165_pwm_#models website says 'Due into stock between October 2022 & December 2022'

Kernow seem to have good supplies, eg https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/71359/39-678-WSL-Bachmann-BR-Mk2F-TSO-Tourist-Second-Open-Coach-6115

lovely trackwork, Derwent Spa is an inspiration. all the best, Keith

I picked up a bottle of this in my local Tesco's, wish I'd read this first https://malt-review.com/2018/01/29/the-sexton-single-malt-irish-whiskey/ it's spot on! oh well, I'll drink it anyway then go back to my usual single malt Scotch...

it does seem a shame that trams and bicycles can't be both accommodated somehow on the route, it seems to work in other European cities, mind you last time I was on a bike in Brum was in the mid nineties!

Ordered direct from the publisher, I love this book, especially for the way the material is organised, which is chronological. So take a journey through the decade of the 1930s on LMS metals, we accompany the photographer on their travels, watching the locomotive designs change as Stanier types gain ground. Wonderful scenes of especially the Midlands, not surprising considering the photographer was based in Nottingham, but there are forays across the network. Top quality reproduction. Very good price for a hardback album. My only gripe, the colour of the cover really needed to be crimson not green! all the best, Keith

The Hornby diesel maintenance depot, R8006, is reduced in price by Gaugemaster, down to £22.95, for those interested: https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magento/catalog/product/view/id/59486/s/-Hornby-R8006/

an article here on impact of new tram-route and cycling on Broad Street--and the diversion route... https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/83m-broad-street-tram-route-21328729

some pointers here-- https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/members/galleries/93/south-wexford-railtour-1978 stating for 10th June 1978: (4) Dublin Heuston - Limerick Junction - Carrick-on-Suir; and (4) Waterford - Rosslare Strand - Wexford South. cheers, Keith

artwork for the 00 locos-- https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/Heljan-oo-gauge-class-02-artwork

For the SVR I do love Arley, there's a picnic area at the station--the steam gala is popular and trains busy, but going on the Thursday is a wise choice! The line is long and for a new born might be bit of an endurance trial unless they're asleep... so breaking up the journey into sections is a good plan, there's something to see at every station and lots of atmos. Watch the platform at Hampton Loade, as the train usually overhangs the length of the platform and it can get a bit testy getting off and on here if it is busy. Bridgnorth is a lovely town if you leave the station and head up the hill. NYMR, lovely to spend sometime at Goathland and Grosmont stations (and villages) en route, if a break of journey is feasible. You've picked two corkers, great lines, hope you have a good time and post some pics here! cheers, Keith

what a delight, thanks for posting this. I'd love to get back to Wales and revisit Corris, I joined the Corris Railway Society a couple of years ago, it's amazing how much has been achieved there. all the best, Keith

lots of fun to be had tracing the old depots using the historic OS 25" scale maps on NLS, here's Fulford, the map can be made transparent to compare to modern aerial imagery... https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.94382&lon=-1.07429&layers=168&b=1 and here's the location on Google--https://goo.gl/maps/Z7aypEC6pPd99Hr87 now a supermarket :-(

Thanks for these, very evocative images--#3 in particular looks very modellable :-) cheers, Keith

I got a bar end mirror from Decathlon recently, just a fiver and it's much improved my experience on the road, now seeing what's coming up behind--and how fast--I'm so used to looking in the rear-view mirror while driving it's natural to want to do likewise when out on the bike I reckon. Anyway, today I managed a route around the forests of north County Antrim, a loop southwards from Ballycastle, around 50% off-road, lots of hills and headwinds, slowed my average speed to 9mph: The old Ballycastle Railway, 3' gauge Ballypatrick Forest Gravel! Views towards Rathlin Island and Scotland More gravel, more forests! A bit of monastic heritage, the remains of a 'round tower' at Armoy. A good ride, some challenges in the forests with navigation but got there in the end :-)

That's a great graphic! Really clear, wish we had this for other manufacturers too :-) cheers, Keith

looking good: https://railsofsheffield.com/blogs/news/rapido-trains-16-hunslet-update