Phatbob

I see that they are doing 73 202 in Southern Livery.  I do hope that they will be doing the loco in it's current guise as "Graham Stenning".  Graham was himself an accomplished railway modeller, as well as a very good and sadly missed friend.  He was often to be found at exhibitions behind one of the layouts of Roundhouse of this parish, along with myself and others (and also with us in the local real ale establishments after the show).  A model loco would be a fitting tribute, to follow on from the real one.

So following on from this, what Mk1 designs are left to be done?

I don't think anybody has every done an RTS Mk I BFK

Just finished working my way through the layout history. A really nice layout. Looking forward to seeing it for the first time in the flesh.

It's next outing is to the Isle of Wight on 5th and 6th November.

It was good to see the layout in the flesh at the BELMRS show today. 
RMwebers will be pleased to learn that in addition to the giant minion on the bridge, there is also a bus.
 

Realtrack are doing a new DMU!

 

Charlie put me down for a couple in two different liveries whenever they are ready to come out! I know it's going to be a fantastic model and I predict it being model of the year when it does.

 

Thanks

 

Mark

Charlie,

I'll have a green SYP and a green with speed wiskers of whatever it is,

UNLESS, it's something I've already got! 

It is only a matter of time before zoologists recognise the London Underground rat as a specific breed. Should make for an interesting Latin name.

Rattus Subterraneous would be the Latin name methinks.

The new arrangement at Penryn on the Falmouth branch is similar, with one long platform so that there is no need fro passengers to cross the line. It seems very strange compared to the 'traditional' up & down loop lines.

One reason it was recommissioned this way, rather than with two parrallel platforms as it originally had, is that disabled access to the decommissioned platform would have been difficult and expensive to achieve.  As the platform that remained in use was already accessible, it made good sense to use the one platform for trains in both directions.

I'm not sure that those "beads" are an original feature, particularly the beads along the bottom of the body sides.  I've had a butcher's at some piccies of the units when new and they're not always evedent.  I suspect that they are the consequece of corrosion repairs?  Could anybody in the traincare community confirm or deny that?
 

Where's da fiddle yard???

so at risk of actually talking about them, rather than price..

 

Just like Brexit and Dragon's Den.. i'm in...

 

I'm just trying to decide which one to order..

 

(My main interest is in the steam era.. so upto 68 - [67 in the case of the southern])

 

Does anyone know when the first units became Blue and Grey ? Ive seen a picture of an all blue one at Clapham Junction with a Std 4 4MT 2-6-4T next to it.. so I'm ok with this variant, but did Blue Grey appear before the end of steam ?.. did steam ever pull them (in either livery).. even as ecs .. that picture of 80140 next to it suggests it may have happened ..?

 

What puzzles me is why these even existed...why not just make as a.n.other 4 car EMU.. and attach a 33/1 for the dead sections as required..wouldnt have needed high juice 4Reps that way ?

 

Blue or Blue and Grey.. that is the question..

They did run alongside steam working in the early days, so you can use a plain blue one.  However, being air-brake only, steam locos would not have hauld them.  Only air-brake equiped locos could haul them.

HTH

Will keep an eye out for you.

 

If you are passing Banbury during the day, you are welcome to come into our VIP lounge (behind the layout)!!

If space permits, there will be a sofa in our VIP lounge, no kidding!

 Not sure where in the marquee we are situated though.

Hopefully, not underneath where the birds poop overnight!

Remember what happened to Coppull last year?

Is my beer fridge to be an icecream freezer this weekend then Ian?
Could be a problem if the venue tuurns off the power overnight though!

With you lot reminiscing on what motors you had when younger has made me think about my first car, a Reliant Supervan 3. There wasn't a central flap between the Carflats for loading 3 wheelers was there.   

IIRC, Carflats had a full width deck, so no problems loading three-wheelers.

They could also possibly do a pack of five Hillman Imps without numberplates in radom colours to go on their new carflat?

 

Personally, I love to look out of the windows and watch the world go by.  Having said that, The reason I despise idiotic rolling stock designs that don't line-up the windows and the seats is that IT DENIES ME OF THE CHOICE of whether to look out of the windows, or bury my head in a book, or whatever.  It's all about customer choices.  I can bring a newspaper, book, kindle, smart 'phone, Laptop or DVD player with me.  I can't bring my own window!  That has to be provided for me, whether I chose to use it or not.
Simples.
The point about "general ambiance" is well made and also applicable I feel.
The Pendolino, with airline style seats up against solid walls and luggage racks in front of windows, just smacks of "cock-up" and does not inspire confindence in any other aspectof the train.  It also makes a cramped and claustrophobic vehicle feel just that bit worse, IMHO.
The existing class 185 and class 350 interiors do offer pretty good views.  I do so hope that TPE don't throw the baby out with the bath-water on this one and keep-up their predecessors good work in this area.
I've also been impressed by TPEs feature of placing the wheelchair spaces in the area between the first class and the acessible toilet.  Very pragmagtic and sensible. 

Nice to see that CAF are continuing the long tradition of not lining up the seats with the windows.

Really?  Have we seen seating plans yet?

I've ridden the CAF units in NI and they have good alignment between the seats and the windows.  Comfy seats too.

I do hope that somebody at TPE is aware of the issue and will ensure that we paying punters will be able to admire the scenery as we trundle accross the Pennines.

I noticed the press release said 126 vehicles, in 5 carriage sets.  That means just one spare.  Mystic Bob predicts six driving trailer firsts/composits with wheelchair space and accessible toilet.  The rest as standard class opens.  That way the mission critical vehicle is the spare, which can be swapped for any of the other other vehicles without compromising the usefulnes of the whole set.

And if you are going to do the Bulleid coaches please do the SR narrow top sliding window version, not the BR version. 

Oh!  Yes please.  Some Bulleid 2-sets, 3-sets and loose BCKs would be extremely welcome. 

I commuted from West Croydon to Wimbledon for a few months in 1984.
There were two units working the line, one train every 30 minutes.  They passed at Micham Junction.  The ex-Tyneside 2EPBs were regular performers in the route at that time, although sometimes a Bulleid style unit would appear.  Bog standard BR style 2EPB was a relative rarity!  Headcode was "2" IIRC.
Although Beddington Lane and Waddon Marsh were both "Halts" (again, IIRC), I'd never known a train not stop at them both!
Beddington Lane also had an unusual feature in that the signal box on the platform was also the ticket office.  There was a small opening window at the side, from which one could purchase tickets, so long as the signaller wasn't too busy with other tasks at the time.

Oh no! Nostalgia time!

I grew up in Wallington ..........hard to imagine a little 2-car on an hourly service on what was just a branch line.

I grew up in West Croydon;

<assume pedant mode>  half hourly service actually me old china  <end pedant mode>

Towards the end, one of the two units from the service was withdrawn and the remaining unit then ran once every 45 minutes IIRC.

Thank you for sharing that with the world. Im thankful not all members of society get themselves so wound up over what is merely playing with toy trains.......

For me, this is nothing to do with getting wound up over playing with trains.  This is about getting wound up by a commercial enterprise displaying the most diabolically poor customer care and knowingly selling goods not of "merchantable quality", having demonstrably "spoilt the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar" in the case of the 00 class 73.

The fact that it's model railway equipment, as far as I'm concercerned, is irrelevent.  If it were a car or a washing machine, I'd be just as p155ed-off at this treatment and I have every sympathy with DoverPriory et al.

This ecoes my experience.  I tried to join the colectors club and order the limited edition green SYP ED.  No response.  Given the amount of work I've had to do on my plain green ED, plus the aggro with bits falling off it, I consider that their indolence has done me a favour.  I wouldn't want another one now anyway!
Caveat emptor.................

Suggestion number two then.
If the status quo is retained, use the reinstated underpass east of Reading to divert the Gatwick services to the new through platforms on the North side of Reading station.  Extend the Gatwick services to Oxford, or even Birmingham, to reduce the chronic overcrowding of Cross Country services between Reading and Oxford.  This will also have other benefits to we punters of course.
A through service to Gatwick from Birmingham would also save Roundhouse some VDT on his trips to Banbury.

Most of the RED-RDH route is on SWT's patch, hence my suggestion that they run it if it goes over to electric traction, with or without batteries.
Also, this wil save Roundhouse having a heart attack at the prospect of Southern running that service from RDH as well!