great central

Precisely my thoughts, a watching the trains type layout. You could of course omit the front part of the cutting and set the baseboard on the high side so you are looking into the layout with the opposite side of the cutting forming the backscene. Ultimately to give sufficient variety of trains the storage sidings would need to be considerably bigger than the scenic part. Spent quite some time there as a kid, only a bike ride over the hill from New Basford and the gulleys alongside the tunnel mouths provided entertainment as slides between trains. Signalman never bothered us but we kept well clear of the line and an eye on the signals gave us warning of approaching trains. Walked both the tunnels several times after closure having previously walked through the tunnel between Sherwood station and St Ann's before the ends were filled over.

Yep, always going on about his espadrilles. Remember reading about him saying he absolutely hated his time in Nottingham.

It's not impossible that even if they had they would be condemned anyway. There are quite a few recorded incidences of locos very recently out of works being condemned only a few weeks later

Well we did kinda try 20 odd years ago when we took Deepcar to York show. The official opening was performed by the Lord Mayor, who was then given a tour of the show. We greeted him and the Lady Mayoress wearing Viking helmets:-)

To be fair we did have a very good room divider/set of shelves from them. We lived in a Wimpey house with a through lounge/dining area. Built up into quite a large strong unit. Come to think of it, I've no idea where it went when we moved??

Who can forget MFI?

Can I suggest a good prototype for a reasonably small layout? Carrington a short distance north of Nottingham Victoria sits in a cutting (well the cutting is kinda still there just filled in, the tunnel mouths having been walled over) between two tunnels. A ramp down from the road, signalbox, platform level buildings depending on period and a footbridge or not in later years. From memory it was about 6 coaches long maybe, not at home so no access to books or information. Most trains were a lot longer in BR days

Ok then, I'll stick my head above the parapet, firstly one which has already been mentioned in a good light the Triang EM2. I've posted photos of an improved one on here in the past, still looks the part to me with different pantographs mainly because the one I've done came as a bare body from a swap meet many years ago. Remember though that the original pantographs at least worked, more than some of the more modern electrics will have I understand. Also from the Triang stable I think the Britannia was pretty decent, again with some improvement they look the part even standing alongside the more recent Hornby model, so long as you can forgive the short coupled wheelbase. Now to get a little more controversial, I'm currently, after a good many years inaction, improving a Lima 87, yes I know it has many shortcomings but none of them have cost me more than £20, the last two (I have nine) cost me £15 the pair. If I want a decent sized fleet to run reliably on a layout and look something like what they are supposed to be, with work they'll do for me. I can't, and more importantly don't wish to, spend something around £150 for one loco when for about that and a bit of work I can get at least 4 that, to my eyes, look the part. Coat, tin hat, running for the hills:-)

Having 'adopted' a couple of kits for ex GC ROD locos I wonder if you can help. One came with a full set of insulated wheels, the other no wheels at all, but the price was very right:-) So if anyone has some non-insulated 18mm Romfords they don't want I'd be rather interested. Thank you in advance

Saw this last night, not sure if it refers to the name of the instructor or the standard of driving

7mm doesn't do it either

On one of the layouts I help with at shows has a Mr Softee ice cream van. The layout owner has an MP3 of the relevant 'tune'. I find even that grates after a few listens. My choice of music definitely wouldn't suit everyone, although I can enjoy a lot of different stuff. There's also some makes me quite unpleasant for personal reasons, so an absolute no from me Edit, I've just walked past a shop playing their stock in trade music through speakers outside the doors, only a few seconds but makes me want to rip the damned things down, then smash them to shreds. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry:-)

Not 1976 but around 1987-88 we had another water shortage. I took my son to see the depleted reservoirs in Derbyshire, we were surrounded by lovely clean cars! Also while households were being implored to save water car dealers could and did(!) clean their entire stock daily using a hosepipe.

Progress?? Not too sure about that, from what I can gather from other sources these 800 things aren't, perhaps, as good as they're being made out to be. Various issues about lack of speed when running on diesel and the overhead power supplies haven't been upgraded to cope with the extra demand placed on it in places. Also being nice, shiny and new you can almost guarantee one thing, very uncomfortable seats

Nope! To me a 4 cylinder loco always sound like it wants to go faster but the wheeels won't come along with it There's the definite urgency of a 3 cylinder which you can relate to the wheel speed, but this in my opinion really takes some beating Edit: note it also has a chime whistle, more evidence of it's importance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVQPqd3n13c

Assuming it's a similar age to mine it'll be a Nu Cast one, as you say built around 40 years ago. I would say keep it, it's got a certain character, mine had a cast block for a chassis which I couldn't get to run properly despite opening up the coupling rod holes so far that they were eventually useless! I wrote to Nu Cast with a stamp as advised in the instructions for replacements (although I believe that was only for the whitemetal components) with a covering letter offering to pay for a full valve gear etch if it wasn't covered. I received an apologetic reply by return of post. The etches were sub-contracted and had been done incorrectly so they sent me a full etch as replacement, the unused parts of which finished up (turned inside out for plain rods) underneath my McGowan Austerity with a scrathbuilt, simple bar frame chassis. The austerity has been seen in a thread I started a good while ago. Edit: still got the B1 by the way, never sold any kit i've built

Another vote for the A3s with smoke deflectors here. I think they made the locos look more purposeful, although I must have seen some before the deflectors were fitted I can't remember having done so, therefore must go from photos. My local line was the GC so I was well used to seeing the 9Fs. In locos I much prefer something that looks like it means business, the reason I find the Ivatt flying pigs a decent looking loco, and I think the German type deflectors added something to the A3s

Part, a very large part now, is customer service (I know that phrase is horribly overused but we're told customer service comes third in our priorities). Yes the system is a long way from perfect but those of us inside the system should hopefully be willing and able to help people who find the thing confusing. I'm often presented with a wad of tickets and do my best to sort them out for,usually, very grateful passengers. If someone who does understand the system can't be bothered then, if they're not careful, the system may well decide it can do without them!

Sorry, perhaps I didn't come across too clearly. I have no problems at all with the idea of taxation of things to try to reduce their usage, having a holiday home right on the seafront and walking along the beach a lot I'm absolutely disgusted by too many people's attitude to the sea. A couple of years ago after a Sunday afternoon driving me scratty with their damned jet skis and the row I went down to the waters edge where they had been. They had simply abandoned a broken kite complete with yards and yards of fine plastic based line, I brought it back and binned it. The amount of plastic is heartbreaking knowing the damage it causes but too many see it as not their problem.

But yet again, what I see as the biggest problem causer seems to escape. Tobacco is now behind closed doors, sugary drinks cost more, but alcohol which causes a multitude of problems, not just to the consumer themselves but often those around them gets away without penalty? I'm no killjoy but it seems rather perverse that smokers are treated like lepers although the main person they are harming is themselves, the same goes for sugary drinks. Yet a drunk is a serious danger to those around them as well as themselves, how many people have been killed on the roads by smokers compared to drink drivers??

Schools class Cheltenham did a railtour from Nottingham and at least worked a service train back to the south afterwards. Unsure if it had worked it's way northwards though?

There was a number of football specials to Nottingham using West Country and Battle of Britain class, maybe five in one day. Recorded somewhere and on film

A clean Scot, definitely before the dregs of the class was allocated to Annesley. One was so bad on arrival it was immediately condemned, others only lasted a few months

Agreed they were a fairly common sight up to Nottingham, there's footage of one being re-railed after dropping off the turntable at Victoria. I well remember one particular day though, the Bournemouth-York used to pass not too long after coming out of school, and heading to a regular spot just south of Bulwell Common we were very surprised to see an ex GWR loco at the head. Memory deserts me now but I can't help wondering if it was the (in)famous occasion that a Grange(?) was taken north of Nottingham despite being out of gauge?

Part of Boston guards duties used to be to operate that groundframe to get units in and out of the sidings. That set of sidings is no longer in use although I think it's still available, units being stabled on the opposite side of the line in sidings controlled from West Street box.