Phatbob

IIRC there was a magazine article on a fairly straightforward conversion of an RTR 50' BG to a Kitchen Car using Brass sides.

I shall be there with Bodmin Generally. Do pop in and say hello.

Maybe somebody should turn one into a Micro-pub called "The Nodding Donkey"?

Bodmin Generally is going to the Liverpool MRS show in the old church at Waterloo (that's Merseyside, not Lambeth) during the weekend after next. Do pop in and say hello. Always a good show.

Rule 1 Mike. Rule 1 always applies. Blag one anyway, you know it makes sense.

I'm hoping that, as a follow-up to the excellent DJM class 71and in a huge cloud of irony, Dave will announce a model of a Hornby*. ;-) *Bulleid / Raworth C0-C0 DC electric locomotive for those of you unfamiliar with the nickname.

Bodmin Generally will be appearing at the York Show this weekend. Do say hello. We'll be at the North end of the second mezzanine floor, possibly sweltering in the heat in front of those big windows. We shall see...................

Local model shop gets my £o££€¥. Use it, or lose it! I have an excellent model shop on my doorstep. Plus a couple more within half hour's drive for anything they don't do. Interweb box-shifters don't get anything out of me unless they're offering something unique, or it's a VERY special offer and out of stock locally.

It looks like Appledore may yet get its fifteen minutes of fame. I spent a few fun hours yesterday with some friends at the Warrington Model Railway Club's premises (thanks chaps, much appreciated) enjoying a mass layout photoshoot for a well known model railway magazine.

A word of caution when you take these things apart. It's very easy to snap off the roof vents when you have the bodes upside down on your worktop. Ask me how I know. Fortunately, MJT cast shell vents are a good match once you've repainted the whole roof. Doh!

I'll be there. Just not sure which day yet. Always an excellent show.

I've picked up a few of these recently very cheap, as frankly, IMHO they're not worth the full RRP given the quality. So I agree with the OP. New roof vents, Vac pipes etc. and a repaint and they look the part, if you can live with the extra width (which I can). NEM coupling box has to be glued in place too as it's horribly droopy. Also, a better set of wheels helps the running too. So a bit less effort than building the Parkside kit (which I've also done in the past), but definitely a "project" rather than just plonk it on the layout.

Well done No Decorum, you nearly 'Fell' into a nasty trap there.

Ditton Junction. 60s concrete sh1thole that closed for good back in 1994 as so few people were using it. Cr@p station with cr@p trains (Pacers, even though it was on an electrified route).

That's my plan as well. Already ordered from Grimy Times, my local model shop.

With any luck Bachmann will announce a loose Bulleid BCK to Diagram 2406. With even more luck, I might live long enough to eventually buy one!

So the "Bindenburgs" are back in the lime light? Does anybody know if these the Dusty Bins that were expensively converted to A/C traction motors and what not for Anglia? Or are they the original spec with DC traction motors?

Mk1 BFK would be nice, as nobody's ever done one RTR. A "loose" Bulleid BCK (rather than the 2-set one) would also get multiple purchases from yours truly. A working turntable and working level crossing are both an open goal in the market at the moment IMHO.

Apologies for repeating this from another thread; Mystic Bob predicts....................................... DCC giraffe car! Have a cool yule everybody,

Fantastic photo there Mr York. Mystic Bob predicts....................................... DCC giraffe car! Have a cool yule everybody,

Don't Miss Grimy Times Model Railways, Warrington's very own model shop. http://www.grimytimes.co.uk/ Also The Warrington Transporter Bridge, the ONLY railway Transporter Bridge <Clarkson voice> "in the world". http://www.warringtontransporterbridge.co.uk/ Also, as Mick says East Lancs not far away, plus Langollen Railway to too far away. Preston Docks railway not far. Or just get the train into Scousepool and grice the ChatMoss line, Liverpool Edge Hill, Lime Street and explore Williamson's tunnels. Alternatively, Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry has a lot of good railway stuff. Warrington's own most excellent Model Railway exhibition is mid-October BTW.

Andy, IIRC, if they're a limited company their accounts filed at Companies House will include a turnover figure for the previous tax year. Not the ideal metric, as what's required is the actual number of individuals who are customers, and how many businesses know that? But this might not be an unreasonable basis for weighting the results, given the lack of anything better? Anyway, I'll leave that with you and stop nagging about it now. The point has been made. As for a customer dissatisfaction award, I have to say that for me, one of the many pleasures of this hobby is that my experience of the specialist businesses in it has been one of decent, honest people who are trying to be helpful. I have have made a few very good "friends in the trade" over the years. Long may that continue. Cheers! Bob.

Andy, is there going to be some kind statistical weighting in the annual Hattons award (also known as the Retailers customer service award)? Perception of service quality is a qualitative measure, not a quantitative one. Given that the voting is currently done on a straight head count, the retailer with highest number of happy customers is going to win. This gives those with the highest turnover an unfair advantage and frankly, IMHO, makes this award pretty pointless. Smaller retailers have not got a cat in hell's chance of getting their efforts recognised. Cheers, Bob.

Starts tomorrow folks! Always a good show and well worth the journey. Do pop-in and say hello.

Last minute panic.com presents, in association with Emergency Substitutions Ltd; APPLEDORE. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Mike can no longer bring the Tri-ang layout. So I'll be bringing Roundhouse's "Appledore" layout in its place. We'll be using my rolling stock. Sorry if anybody's disappointed at missing the Tri-ang layout. Maybe next year instead?