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I've just bought a 1.2m "train safe" for my APT-E, also an adaptor to fix to the end of a siding to allow the train safe to attach to the layout - the system does look well-designed and above all dust-proof. A bit pricey for my run of the mill models though so only this one to begin with. Are you using their wall brackets? At the moment I've got my tube destined for the mantle piece, not ideal. - Richard.

What a good idea for those of us with an APT and a plank. - Richard.

Sorry Martin - I couldn't make sense of your second photo of Titterstone Clee, and I missed the first one altogether. This was largely due to incarceration at one of our airports, the ensuing decision to surf the RMWeb on a smartphone, not understanding what I was looking at, and then feeling the need to post a reply. Actually I rather like your first view (golf ball and ruined building), it seems very British indeed. I could have taken a pic of the airport, but whilst particularly British I think it would have lowered the tone and deemed somewhat uncalled for. Keep 'em coming, but for "guess the location" I agree we could have another thread. - Richard.

There are plenty of ways to capture "British" (and none to define it) and I for one will always have a soft spot for the run-down and the eccentric. - Richard. Scotch Corner, June 2012

Like this.

It is indeed a lovely view. I was born in Shropshire, I lived there for years. Doesn't make Martin Wynnes post any more relevant. Richard.

Yet again, one man has waded in to ruin a super thread. The radar station might as well be anywhere in the World where grass grows. And no, I do not use Templot. Fed up. Richard.

I read "Positive Personality Profiles" by Robert Rohm, this helped me a great deal. It doesn't address Aspergers specifically but it helped me to see how I fitted in and especially how to work better with others. It was a good read. Richard.

Can you tell us about the yard lamp? I want something similar for my Quayside. Richard.

For me (mid '50s): 1. On the test here I got 25 - just below borderline 2. On a different online test a while ago, "seek medical help" 3. On a formal test, "a few borderline characteristics, but not AS" 4. My present customer thinks I am absolutely AS, and he says he is glad because I need it to stay with the subject matter 5. My driving mentor thinks yes to AS, as does the wife of my mate, my girlfriend and one other long-term friends (these are the only people I could ask and hope for a reasoned response) 6. I met some pupils of a special school for AS on an outing (at Didcot Railway Centre as it happens) and realised I'm nowhere near as extreme as these people. I've been self-employed for eight years, the move from employment did me the world of good, I do find selling myself extremely hard work but it's not impossible and the rewards to me are good. My present view is I'm not certifiable as AS, and if I was I'd only get a badge and it wouldn't help a jot. I hope some of this is reassuring to the OP. Certainly, don't rule out self-employment without giving it a try. You need to find something you like, and package it to do it for other people for money - that's all. - Richard.

It seems incredible how an operation the size of Unigate could slip away like this. And now the Express Dairies operation in Hatfield Peverel, which has been Arla Foods for some years and has managed 240 commercial vehicle movements every 24 hours, will probably go later this year. I went to the Transport Museum at Wythall a few years ago - they have a selection of milk floats including Smiths and the W&E three-wheeler. They would be worth a visit (or perhaps some correspondence) to see about information they hold about the operators of the floats. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your model. - Richard.

I remember small "local" dairies which received bulk milk from farmers, processed it and distributed bottled milk by electric float to individual households - 1970s and early 1980s. A modern dairy (2016) imports bulk milk from farmers by road, strips off the cream and mixes it back in, and exports bulk cream and graded milk products - all movements by HGV; but this is an age after the doorstep delivery. Is there a precedent for a rail-served dairy processing and then distributing directly to households (by electric float) or is this a bit of "modellers licence"? I ask because my Father worked in the milk float business from around 1960 to 1980, selling milk floats across the UK, and never mentioned a rail-served customer. - Richard.

Was there any provision for luggage in the VIP compartment? I'm thinking, what I might do for my TC3 and TC4. - Richard.

Nearly a year on I have had a go with Gordon's method for ballasting with some success so here are my photos for anyone "still putting it off". It seems better to bounce this topic than to start a new one. This is my very first attempt, the day after I did it, on some SMP track. The black foam track bed is showing through on the edges, it would be better to give this a quick coat of paint first For the second coat I added a little IPA with more water to thin the mix as suggested by Pete (Trisonic) and I took this next photo to show the consistency of the glue I ended up with I am applying the glue on the outside edges with a "Mono-jet" spray, then using the brush to push the glue into position, this speeds up application (no brush reloads) and was extremely helpful along the bottom of the station platform So this is my result after the second coat, the colour will not be to everyone's taste but I can tone it down a bit one day - the standard "children's art" spatula is a perfect width to go between the upright bits on Peco platform edging I also had a go with some gapped Peco streamline code 75 - the ballast has ended up half-way up the sleepers which will be quite useful for my somewhat "secondary" line and its sidings but I imagine a second coat of ballast will take it up to the tops of the sleepers - as it stands there is room to add some weeds This lot has taken me about two hours in all and just like a Woodland Scenics video there wasn't any mess - well hardly any :-) - Richard.

Indeed - was in the tyre shop this morning and thought of some of the earlier posts here: - Richard.

I received my two extra coaches this morning by UPS. I ordered them in August 2014, so I guess some others are on their way. - Richard.

I took these photos at Shildon in April 2009, might be useful... Edit: Thank you to Kit (his post below) for the caption details - Richard. Photo A - TC2 with one of the E1T bogies Photo B - TC1 with the only Swinging Arm bogie

Thanks for this Phil - rather timely for me. I ordered two trains ages ago, a DC-ready and a DCC, with the DCC one being something to put away for a rainy day when I get a DCC controller. The DCC one arrived a week or so ago and I'm delighted with it. Furthermore, it runs (after a fashion) on DC. Having slept on this for a while, I phoned Sandra at Locomotion models. She was happy to refund the order including the postage, she has a waiting list and doesn't envisage models remaining unsold. At the end of the day, I could let it arrive, sell at an online auction, pay their fees and chance my luck with a winning bidder who "cannot assemble the train", or receives it "damaged in transit" or mysteriously "breaks it fitting a decoder" or any of dozens of potential ills. Or stand to make an clean fifty quid or so (this is the DC ready version). Or I could take the viewpoint, anyone selling at auction right now is plain greedy. Hmmm. - Richard. Edit: I'll never know what the s/n was.

I feel sure there should have been a "196" setting - Richard.

Here is some advertising copy for a fresh listing on eBay, which probably says more about the writer than they really intended: Why am I selling ???- Easy No OO layout, never built one. I collect put in loft and sell when feel like I need to. (over last 15 plus years), some occasionally on a shelf on display. Also since ordering in 2014, I have decided to build a small layout - N gauge as feel I may actually have the space needed to do something and quality is fairly good now. Last one sold for £606, so at £600 or very near offer I am asking for only what the market dictates at present, If it does not sell, no problem, goes in loft, so forget low offers, they are automatically rejected. ... somehow, I get the feeling they are a frequent reader of these forums :-) - Richard.

Please no! Some of us have a DCC train with an analogue controller, and want to find out in our own time :-)

The "scale head" couplers are "scale size" for H0. I reserve these for use on my H0 models. Most of my models in 00 and H0 end up with the larger head because at the moment you can only get the NEM socket versions (17/18/19/20) and the over- and under-set versions with the larger head. You can however bend the shafts of 158s to put in a small offset if need be. I've used M2 machine screws with both the 148s and 158s - these aren't self tappers but they often end up going into plastic. A M2 taper tap is cheap to buy if needed. - Richard.

The three-car set threaded its way through my layout this afternoon with no fouling points: This is a c. 1:20 gradient with a 24-inch curve at the bottom, no problems. I have however banned the train from the mine branch (the higher level) because the nose actually bottoms out at the foot of the gradient, but I can't imagine this affecting many other modellers. I think the model is fabulous, so one more photo: - Richard.

We sat on the sofa last night watching one of those "improving" videos by Woodland Scenics. At the end, the voice beside me said "it only took her an hour" Followed by my blank look And then her follow-through: "you've been at it for over a year" - Richard.

I spent my weekend building a 68-inch extension to my layout, the longest I could manage into the corner of the room: I don't want to labour the point, but with a power car taking 12 inches of track and a trailer nearly 11 inches, I have a chance of trying out the two extra trailers when they arrive :-) - Richard.