Chris M

Haven't got a photo but I always think it is surreal that the latest class 800s with all their technology will still run along track controlled by good old manually controlled semaphore signals complete with bell code communication etc. I'm sure this happens at some point between Worcester and Hereford. Are there any semaphores left in Cornwall or anywhere else on the network where these run?

I'm sure there are plenty of other railways who would happily look after 53808. If I was the S&DT I would move it elsewhere asap as there is clearly bad blood between the two organisations. The big problem for the WSR is that there are plenty more "fish in the sea". Somewhat oddly the shorter railways of the south west such as the Bodmin & Wenford, The South Devon Railway and Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway appeal more to me than the longer run on the WSR. I can't put my finger on it but the WSR doesn't have the charm of the others. The others have all got there own special character that works for me but the WSR doesn't quite do it. This may not be logical but its just how I feel. The events of the last 12 months have done nothing to improve this feeling.

Is using this chap to help with planning a crime?

Adrian , you do a great job. Not only do you provide excellent information for our hobby but you also go the extra mile to ensure the information you present is as accurate as possible. I say that as someone who has benefitted from you site and your careful checking of information.

It is well deserved.

Yes a small fleet of classes 42 or 43 would be great. I love seeing Greyhound on the SVR but a pair running together on the mainline would be awesome. I'm sure I read somewhere that there wasn't enough space to add air braking which would have been a problem. I look upon the double heading of premiere services on the Western Region as a step along the way to the HSTs. They certainly showed what great acceleration and hill climbing you can get with 4,400 horses!

I feel we are "comrades in arms" as I'm having a go at Dawlish Warren in N. Building a model of an actual place is a wonderfully interesting challenge and I'm following your progress with great interest. I'm posting progress on the N gauge forum https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=47727.0

Good to see the project is progressing. Sometimes progress is slow then it all starts to come together. I also print out the Anyrail plan full size and use it to check the layout will look right and then as a template for cutting the boards. Have you given thought to the railway surroundings? What will be just backscene and what will be modelled? I found that I spent a lot of time getting the railway side of things just right but didn't spend enough time planning for the non railway scenics. Even in N gauge its surprising how much space non railway stuff takes up. Keep up the good work!

Just found John's article but an hour too late! It is indeed May 1971.

Warley club's N gauge Hawes Junction with scale length platforms but shortened sidings. Apologies for the inappropriate train.

Sorry officer, but I have no idea how an unweathered Jubilee came to be hauling a clay train through Little Aller Junction. I don't even own a Jubilee.

All heanious crimes! How dare you! Especially running unweathered stock.

It is a lot quicker if I make them all by myself but not so gratifying.

We look after our 3 year old grandson once a week and of course have to find things to do with him. This week I decided to have a go at a Woodland Scenics tree. We started with the flat tree and I bent one to make a tree shape then he bent the next one. I then added the clumps to mine. He followed on his tree. Obviously I applied the glue to the tree but he broke up the clumps and told me exactly where to put the glue. He put the clumps in place on the tree and I squeezed them on place to ensure the glue worked. Later in the day he asked to make another one and of course I said yes. This is the fruit of our work. To be fair he will be four in a couple of weeks time.

Reminds me of the early days of the Shakers tone railway. That was all they had for passengers.

February 1979. I haven't seen the article but based on an index this was a plan written by in house staff. I'm still sure I remember a John Allison article but that was some years earlier - maybe in the 1960s.

Yes I recall a layout built by John Allison. Was it a sea wall one? The one I'm thinking of had some form of automation maybe using a tape reel and also location sounds such as the sea and seagulls.

Importing g scale size boxes from the USA is quite expensive for an individual. You have to pay air freight (sea freight was much cheaper) plus when it gets here VAT on the cost of the item plus postage. You also pay about £15 to parcel force for collecting the VAT from you. Sorry to say I really cannot recommend buying this item. In 20 years of having a garden railway the only item I have bought and then sold on is the Lionel Hogwarts Castle set. It was that bad.

I just look at typical replacement cost for stock and the cost of all the bits on the baseboard - track, buildings, scenery etc. I would not include the cost of actually building the layout. If there was a total loss then I would start a new, completely different project with the funds. Once you have built a layout would you want the same thing again but built by someone a professional? The cost of having a professional build the layout would probably be considerably more than the cost of all the components.

I didn't ballast the track on Jawed Junction but the person who spent many happy months on this task told me she strained the chinchilla dust first to let the really fine dust go through and just keep the slightly larger stiff for ballasting.

Nice exhibition as well. Perhaps no blockbuster layouts but a lot of very high quality layouts and a good variety too. Wickwar deserves a special mention as being a wonderful piece of modelling. Good spread of trade exhibitors. That is exactly what I expect from Stafford. Well done chaps.

I was in the queue outside. Everyone seemed to be happy. The queue moved at a good pace once the show was open. Colin, the exhibition manager, was doing a great job of keeping a high throughput at the ticket sellers. As a seasoned exhibitor the last thing I need is a show letting the public in even five minutes early. It's often a time of last minute tweaking.

As it might help others, here is my story so far. I didn't have any of the symptoms, except sometimes needing to have a wee more than I used to. This is kind of what tends to happen to folk in their 60s so it didn't worry me. I did develop just a slight discomfort in my side which lasted a month so, unusually for a bloke, I went to see my GP. Luckily my GP was interested and set off a process of tests. 1. Ultrasound scan to check my kidneys, liver and balls - all OK. This is a very cheap test and eradicates some possibilities which is why it was done first. 2. PSA test even though there wasn't much to point in that direction. I scored a rather impressive 26 which led to hospital appointment. 3. At the hospital I had a DRE by specialist and further PSA test which gave enough cause for the specialist to require further tests 4. MRI scan. This shows up where the prostate may have a problem and in my case they could see quite a problem but I didn't know at the time. 5. Biopsy. This was the first invasive test and is the one required for medics to know exactly what the situation is. I had mine under full anaesthetic because they wanted to take lots of samples. Because there is so much stuff close together down there there is a risk of infection following a biopsy of this kind. I was fine and all of my friends who have been through the same were also fine. 6. The biopsy showed I had a problem but I was not informed at this point. I did however get cordially invited for more tests which kind of told me they had found a serious problem. 7. CT scan - makes you feel hot and that you have wee'd yourself. This is done to look for cancer around the body and see how close it is to any organs. 8. Bone scan - you get an injection of something radioactive and are told to keep away from young children for the rest of the day! This is to check whether cancer has spread to your bones. 9. Meeting with consultant to discuss findings and further treatment. The reason for not saying anything to me before meeting the consultant was so that they he could give me a full picture of where I was and what he recommended next. I'm having the standard treatment (drugs and radiotherapy) and should be OK. If I had left it much longer it might have been a very different story; the cancer was found just as it was about to break out of the prostate. The point is that it is a logical sequence of events. The PSA test being just a start point to kick off further investigations and these investigations only continue if the previous one gives cause to continue. So far as I am concerned I am very pleased that my GP decided that a PSA test was worth doing even though my one slight problem (and it was very slight) was not a symptom of prostate cancer. I'm also pleased with myself for going to my GP because the normal bloke reaction would be to just ignore such a small problem. The PSA test did good for me. Based on what happened to me I would say better to do it sooner than later.

If you thinks that's undignified try having a colonoscopy with nitrous oxide to ease the pain. Now that really is a loss of all dignity.

Sorry to hear that, I hope things go well. I recently finished my radiotherapy and am awaiting the recent PSA test score to see if it has worked. I had no symptoms to speak of either when I had my PSA test.