Dava

It was frosty today so the twins, now a year old, just wanted to snooze together on the bed…

Is that actually Ruston green or rather light & bright?

Two years ago the Greater GCR collectively invested £1.1million to replace Bridge 326 over the A60 at Loughborough. This had been impacted by multiple bridge strikes as well as corrosion due to its design, age and deferred maintenance. The new build bridge has a shallower profile and is protected by sacrificial tube barriers and the headroom is clearly marked. Several HGVs have hit the barriers so far. The most serious have been flatbeds carrying another HGV tractor and a trio of white vans, in both cases the loads were write-offs. The warning chevrons have suffered some crumpling. The drivers clearly did not know what their load heights were. There is a mix of negligence, ignorance, incompetence and dyscalcula at play. They deserve to lose their CPC or HGV licenses for dangerous driving. Dava

Cat charities & rescue centres have their own logic. We supported a local one, then applied to adopt a kitten as Mrs D felt we had a vacancy. Google maps told the catmistress that we lived within 50 metres of a road so that was a no-go. None of our cats ever cross the green bit from our hedge to the road. So it was back again to Derby cat rescue who allowed us to adopt the pair below. Big ginger Fergie never leaves the garden, little Tuxedo sister Loulou disappears for hours at a time when she gets out. I also have great admiration for Stray Cats Rescue Team West Midlands who take on abandoned kitties no-one else will touch, they deserve support. https://scrtwm.org.uk/ Dava

There are lots of unwanted young & midlife mogs in cat rescue centres, you will be their dream home. This is our ex-stray tabby ‘Snugster’.

Looks really interesting! Lens make a 3-way point in FB rail, or Marcway will supply a BH one. Building your own will be an interesting challenge but a great spacesaver.

The Uni I work for just owns its fine city centre campus and sold off other land. I won’t comment further on others which have colonised much of their town or city, such as St. Andrew’s. It doesn’t endear itself to local people.

I work in a UK university. The sector is in a slow crisis, mainly from government policies, competition & a broken funding model. There are 155 or so UK universities so you can see the problem. Is this just another UK industry with overcapacity or more serious because Uni’s should be helping create the next generation of leaders, innovations & industries? This week our VC revealed that the annual deficit has astonishingly increased over 6 months from £10 to 20 & now predicted at £30 million in the current year. This is a startling increase. £10 million is to fund new London & international locations. The deficit response is a £22 million cuts program led by staff ‘voluntary severance’. This is happening across the sector which is mainly funded by student debt. It was never sustainable. Many people are leaving HE., voluntarily or not of their choice. It’s 3 years since they last did this, then tried to make people redundant, including me, and screwed up the process. This time, the terms are no better (1.5 weeks pay per year of service) but it looks like a good time for me to do the things I’d rather do. Mrs D. has just had her job confirmed in a NHS reorganisation so I could manage the house makeover until she retires too. Dava

What is the online source of these please? I’m interested for an Ho tramway project. Dava

I’d be interested in how well it runs at slow speeds. The Bachmann Williams motors in the 70 tonner have quite low gear ratios. I wonder if wiring the motors in series would help, and whether you can do this in DCC?

Well organised & enjoyable show, I was showing Bunny Mine & Mill in the 7mm scale room. This event is bigger & better with a wider range of scales, truly the East Midlands Narrow Gauge Show. Also traders you tend not to see at other shows with useful items. Recommended for 2025. Dava

It’s Narrow Gauge NOW next weekend, 26 October, Portland College, Mansfield. https://www.narrowgaugenow.uk/ A friendly multigauge show in a venue with lots of free parking, close to M1 jct 27 & easy to find. Bunny Mine & Mill will be there, flying the flag for 014. The Bunny Mill extension has developed since its first outing at the MAG event last month. Most work has been on the Mill building based on Kinoulton mill, and a more modern gypsum packing building next door. There is much more work to do on the works yard and the slightly rural section which will become a little allotment with a greenhouse. Do drop by & say ‘hi’ next Saturday. Dava

Thanks Annie the email address for Walsall Model Industries is mailto:info@walsallmodelindustries.co.uk if that helps. I noticed the G6 & J72 similarity when modelling in TT-3 years ago, the Bec kit for the two locos was virtually identical! Sitting on a Triang solid wheeled chassis with no detail. Actually from your drawing the G6 has bigger wheels at 4’10”, the J72 was 4’. I dont have a drawing for it. Good luck, Dava

Walsall’s website is fine now, just a bit slow. https://www.walsallmodelindustries.co.uk/ Happy modelling, Annie. If you put 28mm drivers on that G6 you could have a LNER J72, they had a close resemblance. Dava

Autumn sunshine on Friday afternoon, big tea mug & my friendly ginger boy cat. Reflecting that today is 38 years since I got married the first time, 8 years since she passed away and I’ve been working for 42 years 4 months. Married 7 years this time for balance. My modelling mojo is fine, thanks, I have two layout projects, 014 Bunny Mill and O Scale Grand Lake, but only space for one at a time. And work is taking far too much time & energy, I can see a future without it. Mrs Dava feels the same way about hers. It’s looking like an escape plan. I do miss Esme my black cat but Fergus is a big boy for 11 months isn’t he? His twin Tuxedo sister is svelte by comparison! Dava