great central

I got 21 out of 22, well chuffed!

I wonder if that maybe refers to the sudden movement as in 'pulling the rug from under your feet'

The rear end of that train would be past the hump over the canal bridge east of the station so the couplings would be tight for part of the train at least, indeed releasing the brake would probably allow some of the wagons to roll back slightly before the forward motion begins. On moving off it would be important to take up the slack in the front part of the train, then gather the rear of the train which could be 'bouncing' to and fro on the couplings and buffers without snatching and risking a broken coupling. Reading accounts from steam age staff in books and magazines there could be quite some time between the loco moving off and the guards van suddenly accelerating to running speed if the driver didn't take up the slack in couplings first. Some apparently were well known for not doing so, guards being thrown across the van if not prepared! I well remember watching, and hearing, long loose coupled freights moving off in Nottingham Victoria, sometimes the loco would set back slightly to compress the buffers and get some help moving the wagons from the springs.

I certainly thought the saloons were 'different', first saw them at Yarmouth as an ad hoc additional formula after there wasn't enough cars booking in. Very fast and not afraid to mix it. Saw them again at Kings Lynn a couple of weeks ago, as you say absolutely mental! Several of them didn't seem to bother steering around the corners just aimed the car at the steel plate fence and rode round, one in particular was on the fence every time he passed me! All at breakneck speed as well, highly entertaining.

I have several unstarted from before we moved house, also a number at various stages again from before we moved house. We moved house over 30 years ago! In truth I can't say I've completed anything in at least the last ten years, the last would, I think, be a DJH 9F which goes back to around 2003

Couple off the top of my head, no photos mind, SEA Eagle and SEAgull or isn't that what you meant Edit: also Gannett or am I just being greedy

I can recall a good few races where others hung on to keep Smithy at bay, not sure about that particular one but I do recall at Aycliffe, Smithy pushed Graham Blundell the whole length of the back straight and followed him into the fence. The cars had to return to the pits through the 'grandstand' (in reality not much more than a dutch barn IIRC) and Smithy was roundly booed! I remember Dave Taylor, #30 I think, from Essex started using a V12 not long before I stopped going, you know the story, house, mortgage, bills, kids, etc. Just spent half an hour scanning this page: http://oldstox.com/TheSeventies.htm Don't know if you've seen it but I could spend a lot longer on it, there's a decent bit about Graham Blundell.

Normally a road transport replacement is provided, a bus if it's busy or maybe a taxi or two for a lightly used service.

Ah yes, Nelson where you were lucky not get more of the track surface on you than the cars did. Never a great fan of Smithy, much preferred Willie Harrison, both of who's sons are still racing. Stu Smith junior is running away with the shootout at the moment, already qualified for the final at Birmingham tonight.

I've been to 4 BRISCA F1 meetings this year for the first time in about 40 years. Following an online forum dedicated to the sport it's surprising how much similarity there is to some of the views expressed here. The cars have developed to such a degree that people are complaining there's not enough action and turning away. Also they don't seem to be able to attract new fans, various options and opinions are being put forward. I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed the meetings I've been to, but I can also see some of the points raised. The cars in the picture above were all very different and the number 100 car of Tony Neal was a particular favourite for it's exhaust note. A 428 cu in Ford if I remember correctly. Most cars ran either Ford or Chevy V8s with some 6 pot Jaguars, pretty much each being individual having been built by their drivers. It's become rather more formulaic now, most cars are I believe built by a couple of suppliers, look very much the same and almost all using Chevy's with a limited amount of silencing all sound the same. Still excellent racing though and everyone is approachable. You can stroll round the pits chatting with drivers and watching repairs being done between races. What's this got to do with F1 I hear you say, well not that much I suppose, apart from showing that there are other motor sports out there which seem to be having similar potential problems. Thinking I should perhaps be going to Northampton tomorrow but got other plans now.

The TCA on it's own didn't totally cure the problem. Ours are now fitted with tread scrubbers as well, done less than 5 years ago, in response to units disappearing off the signalling diagrams. Still get the odd one which doesn't occupy a track circuit, that has to be stopped and examined, if it's too bad the unit has to come out of service.Very slippery out this morning, even going downhill at about 70mph, as soon as power was applied it started to slip. Further edit: a 158 checked for contaminated wheels earlier after failing to occupy a track circuit

Kind of following the theme of 'difficult' kits, I present a Millholme Ivatt class 4 aka 'Flying pig'. Built something like 30 years ago, not long after the kit was first released. I had been pestering them for ages about it, finally released after they closed their shop I believe. It has 30:1 gears and maybe lives up to its nickname, having quite a turn of speed. Got a few knocks and blemishes but the phone camera is perhaps a little unkind? The photo taken about 50 yards from a line it would have worked along until 1959, possibly having passed Little Bytham a few hours earlier To compare and contrast, a Bachmann example renumbered and partially weathered is the second photo.

Our local chain of opticians is called D I Blow.There used to be and estate agents called Austin Blowers in Nottingham, as well as a firm called Blower Brothers if I recall correctly

All the Stagecoach 158s have a grey roof, maybe just been cleaned? Ours stay pretty clean anyway. 158889 recently returned in full EMT livery, looking like new.Edit: Having thought for a couple of seconds, I'm not sure 889 had a grey roof after all, all ours do have though. Not at my PC so any photo contradiction more than welcome

That photo at Metheringham is interesting. I guess the 60 is being used to rescue the 153 using the emergency coupler, not something very often seen in pictures. Our 153s no longer carry the emergency couplers so can only be rescued by another unit which on occasion has caused some awkward moments. Metheringham and Sleaford North are now barriers following the upgrade of the joint line.

Any of the crossings between Grantham and Skegness. HST runs on summer Saturdays, we had two this year as well as top and tailed 66s on Bank holiday Saturday

Sitting around near Edge Hill having come empty from Liverpool South Parkway to turn round while Lime Street is shut. Taken 5 minutes ago

It's the one with wheel inserts. Built about 15 years ago at a guess. I picked up another unbuilt kit a couple of years back, it's in the round tuit pile. I've also got 3 Bachmann ones to weather as well as one I bought already weathered, not a bad job incidentally and luckily renumbered to one allocated to Langwith Junction. There's also my McGowan one which has seen the light of day already on another thread. Got a bit of a soft spot for 'Ozzies'

Saw a picture of the real version of this loco a few days ago, on this thread? Added to the appeal for more weathered stock I've taken this using the new phone I got yesterday. It's a DJH kit completed before the Bachmann version was released, although the announcement did spur work on somewhat, as I likely wouldn't have finished it otherwise. The picture is better than I think my, admittedly old now, camera would take.

Unmistakably Grantham

^^^ The top one of the two vidoes is, in my opinion, about the best bit of footage I've seen of a preserved loco at work, certainly brings back memories of seeing locos working hard. I wonder if anyone else was given this record as a (train mad) youngster? http://www.45cat.com/record/d7-2 It featured a trip on the footplate of 70041 from Liverpool St apparently attaining 100mph somewhere. Imagine the excitement then when 70041 used to turn up fairly regularly on the Grimsby-Whitland fish train via the GC a few years later after it was allocated to Immingham. Or was it just me? In later years, a long time ago now though, I modified a Triang Britannia into an approximation of Sir John Moore A good number of Brits graced the GC at one time or another, along with the 9Fs I think they're good looking locos in a functional kind of way.

Couple of pictures taken several weeks ago. The entire front is now off as I metioned earlier, just pulled at it and it came away. Roughly above the door the roof has collapsed and was leaning on the door, until that fell off as well . To give a vague idea of the weight we are talking about, the A frame leaning against the front is the towing bar, it's a two man lift

There's a few on the computer I'll see if I can post a couple later on

With the amount of grief it's causing, that would be an excellent solution but it's in a restricted site so the fence alongside and trees would all go up as well

Thanks for all the replies. The chassis very substantial, it rides on lorry size wheels with a steering front axle. The bodywork is so far gone I'm very reluctant to even venture inside it now. The last time I did to salvage some bits the whole structure was like a jelly. We're told that there's no need to clear the site any further what there is is mostly old timber and bushes which the buyer would make short work of without affecting the price by much if at all. There are I understand a couple of small builders already interested regardless