andyram

Don't you know - anything can happen in the next half hour!!"

Hi Jim Just caught up on your thread. I have loved the pictures from around Fort William. My wife and I spent our honeymoon up there. The first day was spent on the Jacobite wth 45321. Your pictures of Glenfinnan Viaduct are stunning.

Thanks Andy. I think I may slightly alter the angle of the track and I would like to incorporate a run round loop for one of the platform faces.

Over the last two weeks I have begun to think over plans for developing Skaleby Quay. The original 4ft X 1ft baseboard was confined to the garage whilst I worked on Skaleby East. This build has also stalled. My long term plan is to make Skaleby Quay my permenant home layout. It will take over from Skaleby West in our spare room. The idea for Skaleby Quay was for a terminus station able to handle two coach local services, a quay side siding for handling fish traffic and a small loco shed. Scenery would include the quay side walls at the front and a raised street of low relief sea front shops at the rear. Over time I had been concerned that this would look too cramped in the 6ft X 1ft plan. But since the rearranging of the spare room earlier in the year I can now double the depth to 2ft. New baseboards would need to be built for such a plan, but that has not stopped me looking around for inspiration. I have since found this track plan online. It looks promising although I would have to flip it to put the station on the left.

Now hair restorer must be a cream

Excellent hair pieces available these days.

That sounds like a hair transplant

Unless you can shout loud. One of our staff had to do that after getting trapped in the toilet during our first ever exhibition.

In 90 minutes at Pride Patk today I saw more desire, organisation and commitment from the home side and as many goals scored as in the whole of Nigel Pearson's short (but too long) reign. Between them Powell and McLaren have gathered in more points and goals across three matches than Pearson mustered in the previous nine. We saw it out well today despite the late pressure from Leeds. In Stevie Mac we trust!

Ecclesborne Valley Railway show at Wirksworth had at least one representation of a Southern Railways layout. Nothing running, although big hand from sky seemed to be caressing under the layout skirt armed with some long implement. I hope it was a soldering iron!!

Knowing which gauge to get back on track with could be tricky!

I would have taken McLaren's return over Pearson any day of the week. Stevie Mac is the man who turned our perennial strugglers into promotion contenders. Yes he lost his way the season after when Newcastle came calling, and made the mistake of taking on such a impossible job. However he returns with a point to prove and bridges to build. Yes, we would probably have hoped for Steve Bruce, but at least McLaren plays the type of football we want to see. They say you should never go back but.....,.....,

In terms of the Santa set, they were being dumped in every Hornby outlet I frequented and in exceedingly large numbers. As regards the play value train sets. These could be steam as most children seem to enjoy these. As an alternative you could look at a Railroad 08 with some of the wagons I described earlier or the car / stone loading equipment.

The point I was making was the Santa sets are quite specialist and did not seem to sell well the first time around so why re-release in almost the same format. Might have been better to at least change the livery slightly. Was not sure these would sell well this time around. As this was a point about Hornby sales I hardly think the point can be called "tangential and diversionary". Continuing the point I think Hornby need both markets. The train sets, available all year around, will provide the starter for many with the biggest proportion selling at Christmas. This may be the reason for persisting with the Christmas set and, if the top five sellers are to be believed, they seem to be selling well. But what happens after the festive period? No one will play with a Santa set in February. Hornby may hope that will encourage people to buy something else soon after. But chances are they will get put in a box and forgotten about. Surely better marketing to produce a more play orientated train set that could be used all year around? Maybe they could deploy the old car loading ramp, the stone loader / unloaded etc. I would also question the release of gimic items such as the Fathers Day wagons. Who really buys this rubbish? The only ones that seem to sell are the Christmas wagons which has become collectable. For me: Hornby's range should include a play based train set for the younger market. The Railroad range should continue to include the cheaper old toolings. Maybe these could be supported by some wagons in recognisable liveries for children, carrying brands they would know (Coca Cola, McDonalds, Toys R Us etc). The more serious modelling range needs to continue as that is surely their main income through the rest of the year. Of course they need to seriously repair their relationship with local outlets to allow them to maximise their income.

Right now I am celebrating the departure of a brussel sprout manager. Ugly, pointless, hated by many and leaves behind a bad smell.

This is not pantomime season.

Excellent to see others in a happy mood.

I must admit I did not go to the event either - but I am not one for big crowds either. Nor will I go to the end of season gala. I will be there on a normal operating day during the October half term because I enjoy the railway like that. But credit to them for seemingly handling a large and different event very well.

Such is the diverse interest in the hobby there is a need for all kinds of events. If the SVR made a load of money from Pacific Power then it was a worthwhile event. After all preserved railways need any money they can get. In fact the end of season gala is an extra event as a replacement for the usual Autumn gala. If they get a good return from that event too then 2016 will prove to be a profitable year. It may help to build up a war chest in the bank account for future repairs or developments. Every penny helps keep our railways running.

Draw an acceptable result. Shame we couldn't hold on for a few more minutes. But 4 points and 3 goals in two games since the obnoxious one was sent packing is still a significant up turn in form.

No. Had no choice to let him go. Poor results, obnoxious man. Once you lose the players and physically attack the chairman (allegedly) you are gone!

Nigel who?????

Right now I do not care about England manager's job. Cardiff City 0 Derby County 2 Two goals in a game. More shots on target than in any other game this season, playing the system that Pearson refused to play despite it serving us well for several seasons. A system that suited the current squad. Both goals scored by players who were low on confidence and form. Co-incidence? Not a chance. The final act should be for the chairman to sign that P45 for an arrogant, obnoxious, clueless individual who had derailed our club by ignoring what was staring him in the face. Taxi for Nigel Pearson. Do not darken our doors ever again. I was right about you all along. A large glass of scotch raised in celebration tonight. Now #### off

This particular supporter is delighted. Did not want him in May, been wanting him gone since then. I am hoping the players can prove a point with a resounding win tonight to hasten the writing of his P45. I will volunteer to drive him away from the ground to anywhere he would like to go. There was other issues with Clement's sacking. Hopefully we will get it right next time.

Don't know what has happened to leopard