Steve O.

My prior airplane kit skills would have had a glue fingerprint on every pane of glass.... (sorry, off-topic)

Hi Folks, Re Hattons (pre-order) and decoders (#pins), I took the lazy (more expensive) way out and had them fit a decoder (left them to choose which one). I've nowhere to run my NCB baby yet, so at least I know it's had a test run. I'm in Boston, US, hence the VAT / shipping notes. Cheers, Steve. This is an automatic notification to inform you that we have processed your order for the following items: 1 * Bachmann Branchline 36-553 8-pin 3-function 1A decoder with back EMF @ £10.00 each = £10.00 1 * Hattons Model Railways Ltd SrvDCCFitReady01 Fit 1x 8 or 21 pin decoder into a DCC Ready item - DCC Fitting Service @ £12.00 each = £12.00 1 * Hornby R3178 Class 4wDM 0-4-0 diesel Sentinel shunter in NCB blue livery. 1st Batch arrived into stock 23/12/13, 2nd batch due early 2014 @ £37.50 each = £37.50 Payment Type Amount Payment Card £62.50 Goods cost ex VAT: £59.50 Goods VAT charged: £0.00 Royal Mail. Non Western Europe. Air Mail. Weighs between 001g and 300g when packed. Avg 5 working day transit time. £3.00 Grand Total: £62.50 Your picking list number is 1445740. Please quote this in all correspondence. Use the "Contact Us" link at http://www.ehattons.com with any questions regarding this transaction. Your invoice was created by Graeme Hogg who is featured on our website at http://www.ehattons.com/list/staff.aspx#StaffID1446306

Hi Doug, You're welcome, and yes, 9F in snow at South Pelaw, heading up the hill to Consett. Like the latest vid and Merry Christmas to you too! Steve O.

Hi Scott, Good luck with everything. The same kind of advice above got me through a split and out the other side. It's tough, really tough but your mates (in Perth, online) will be there for you now and in 20 years when you can look back at "Stockridge Mark I" and say "Why did I ever try that double-slip on the reverse curve / slope transition?" and "Those Helijan locos... Back in the day..." Best wishes heading your way. Cheers, Steve.

Hi Michael, Good luck with the layout. Quite a compact layout for a prototype. Will follow your progress with interest. Cheers, Steve.

Hi Jamie, No.4 is certainly there on Google, including the tracks within the perimeter fence (and remnants of the now-severed link to the mason line. (Sorry, can't paste the image via my phone but here's the street view location. Dropped Pin near Stainland Rd, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX4 8LR, UK http://goo.gl/maps/qnrUS Cheers, Steve O.

Hi Simon, Good luck with the layout. Having a history (albeit fictitious) will bring credibility and logic to your creation. I lIke the cutting through the cliff face and the bascule bridge. Will follow your progress keenly. Cheers, Steve.

Hello there, Fresh voice, just one opinion. I have a bunch of OO (various heritages, suppliers), a room allocated for a railway (and freshly updated (finally) with more sockets ('outlets') and recessed LED daylight spots and... two new twin girls who should be in the 'things that make me smile' post. Moving to Peco code 75, hoping most of the old Triang-Hornby bumps ok along it. May go for some C&L flexi for the spacing and cut a few plastic links to stretch out the sleepers at each end of the Peco points to merge the spacings (though it may not work too well). Or, may stick 100% with Peco. Time is the real key for me. Appreciate the hand-built track but pragmatically, not going to happen. On the '6 foot' aspect, I may keep it tight on the straights and ease out on the curves. Will have some 2' radius so may have to play. Commercially... can't see a new version happening (poor ROI) but as per an earlier post, why not ask? If it was available I would buy it. Good luck to all. Cheers, Steve.

Hi, sorry if a repeat (and it is mentioned on the old rmweb but the links are dead), but a wartime 8F in apple green and an LNER 04 in Iraq. Cheers, Steve. Retry on the link.... http://gwrarchive.org/site/sitel2pg/Iraq/sg/sg.php

Hi Doug, from your blog entry - I agree, thermal underwear is the way to go! Cheers, Steve.

Hi Stu, - a great layout! Excellent use of heights and visual trickery - looks a lot larger than it is. Cheers, Steve.

Hi Andy, Great news! Could you check the link? Not working for me, thanks, Steve.

I still have a business card from a trip to Shanghai to visit a Mr. Giant Wang. I kid you not.

Hi Dave, Back to the wish list... 56t Consett hoppers (would take 18 of them) PTA bogie tipplers (again, take 18 (or 20?)) Diag 142, 13t steel coal hoppers LNER N9, N10, G5 in early BR. Here's hoping... Cheers, Steve.

Hi Mike, Thanks for the update, much appreciated. I found the page for the news: http://www.hornbymagazine.com/view_article.asp?ID=7114&pubID=38&t=0&s=0&p=1&i=10#continued ...and sent an email but had a 'bounce' from orders@keypublishing.com Could you check the address? Cheers, Steve.

Hi, Apologies if this is a duplicate link,,, Pathe newsreel of COTN on the French rolling road: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/giant-engine-in-france-for-tests/query/Lner Cheers, Steve.

Hi Fishytrains, Just catching up on your layout. You seem to make progress despite a restrictive schedule. Looking forward to more. Got a trackplan? (Sorry if I missed it) Cheers, Steve.

Hi, Called Hattons late (8.45pm UK time) on Monday 23rd September. Chatted with very knowledgable chap. Two Bachmann class 37s with Hattons-fitted DCC decoders arrived perfectly bubble-wrapped in Boston USA on Friday 27th. Cheers, Steve. (Unless Yodel start a transatlantic service, then all will continue to be fine)

Just hope the front driving wheel stays on the track in the production version.

...and, could you tunnel through the supporting structure to keep a straight run?

Hi Colin, all good foundation work which I'm sure will yield a very satisfying layout. I'll be going for a spiral around the walls so viewing height(s) will be interesting. Thinking ahead to baseboards... Did you sort out the humidity? Are we to see tradition (if so would recommend ply tops vs. MDF) or new-fangled foam baseboards? Cheers, Steve.

Hi Colin, Sounds like a great idea! I'm (slowly) using the same book to plan my layout too. Not quite ready to launch my own thread yet Cheers, Steve.

Young lady goes to the Doctor's. He gets out his stethoscope and says "Big breaths". She says "Yeth, and I'm only thixthteen".

Hi Steve K, Agreed! Though it was actually more Tommy Cooper inspired Cheers, Steve O.

From that last photo : ...and a lot of Lima, Hornby and Bachmann ready to go!