SM42

The often forgotten problem with DRLs is that the most vulnerable road users (cyclist and motorcyclists) can get lost in the sea of lights but this is not for this thread. CYRUS Andy

Thanks for that FC I had spotted the parasol so it would end up white with an orange band regardless. I wonder if there is an easy way to remove it (as it's moulded on.) Only thing then is some Piko spare bogies I have already perused Anton Kendall's website which I found by accident doing some pre RM Web research. What an excellent resource it is. No joy yet but some possibles and I've only really looked at my country of interest. Must look at some other nearby countries. The search goes on. Andy

WOW! Only yesterday I was looking at one of these and wondering what on earth can I do with it, preferably in HO. I was considering starting a thread on here (search didn't find this thread) and now I don't have to. Yayy! Thanks Wummyock (only 7 years late) But my question to throw in the mix, are they of any particular European prototype or just freelance? If so what's the nearest thing to them? Andy

Well that's another week of driving in Birmingham finished. Just got to survive the week-end now. It truly is the wild west out there. Bus drivers seem to have forgotten what bus stops are for and just leave the back hanging out blocking the road (They'd probably never get out again otherwise and are just as fed up as the rest of us) Road markings are there to make the road look pretty, indicators are Christmas decorations, headlights optional and a new procedure of manouevre, signal, what's a mirror? has been introduced to the Highway Code The city council seem intent on stopping any moving traffic (I suspect an attempt to justify their clean air zone they set traffic lights to stop anything that is moving and cause unnecessary pollution so they can point to some really bad numbers) and are installing more traffic lights where none are necessary. It's so bad that people regularly ignore red lights. I encounter 48 sets in an 18 mile drive into the city. I get stopped every time by the majority. A measure of the problem now is that when you stop at a Pelican crossing the pedestrians put a hand up to say thank you. Any adrenaline junkies out there come to Brum by car. Scarier than a scary thing. Birmingham Grand Prix? See it every day. It truly is a look right, left, right and left before passing over a set of lights on green. Rant over. I feel better now. Andy (a nervous wreck)

I had a bit of a tidy up earlier this year. I counted 52 unfinished wagons on the workbench. I didn't count those already in storage. I can see the cutting mat now though, just about. 35 currently reside in various stages. Some of those are from the 52. In my defence I did finish one last Wednesday and completed three projects from start to finish last week. It's the brake gear you see. I needs to psych myself up for it I dread to think what's in the USO (un started object) pile. Andy

An old p/way man once said to me " Look out for the one that gets you" That is; don't cross behind a train until you can see there isn't another one hidden by it. This very wise advice stuck with me and is also useful for crossing the road as well. There have been too many people lost on both the railways and the roads for not having the benefit of hearing and heeding such advice. Andy

Ah! Now I was a little late on Saturday and arrived 1410. Didn't seem to be anyone around so just enjoyed watching the layout for a bit. Very nice, but it appears that due to a premature senior moment I was in front of the wrong one. I got the 01 bit right, not the letter. Still, Dobris was worth it. Andy

Wow just wow. Just spent 25 minutes sat watching this with my mouth open I would never have thought of weathering on the go. Thanks for posting this. I really need to work on my technique now. Andy

Well we are all set for tomorrow Early (well too early for a Saturday) kick off to pick up the crew and looking forward to meeting the masses. If you are near D39 stop off and say hello. I'll be near the SM42s most of the time, look there's a green one, over there, on the left of this post Have a good one everybody Andy

You're almost next door, well the next street actually. I'll do my best to get to one of them. Andy

Possibly the line between Round Oak and Pleck Jn (Walsall) There is certainly some track left and not so long ago there were the remains of a level crossing at Wednesbury (now gone) and at Eagle Crossing there was the burnt out remains if the box and the remains of the barriers and lights under the new(ish) road bridge. Whether they are still there I doubt. The Claydon L&NE Jn line to Bletchley also has a fair amount of stuff still about but is in the process of being revamped for East West. To be fair I suspect these two could be called mothballed rather than abandoned Finally, Google shows there are still odd bits and pieces to be found on the line to Louth (from Grimsby?) Andy

Looking forward to this as usual, (not looking forward to the sore feet though) but I suspect will not see half of the show so will be relying on some post show photos being posted to see what I missed. If anyone is near stand D39, stop off to say hello. I'll be the one trying to get people to talk to me (I don't bite, honest!) if I'm not playing trains or whizzing round the show. Have fun Andy

Glad I looked into the German forum out of idle curiosity a couple of weeks back and found this. A quick look at the map and I discovered it was just a short hop from Bielefeld and the A2 Autobahn to Brakel, so a plot was hatched to visit en route to Mrs SM42's homeland (via Model Bahn Shop Lippe at Detmold. Luckily Mrs SM42 was flying out later) All I can say it was well worth the diversion and I wish I could have spent more time there but I had to get to the in laws at a sensible time. Thanks Mallarddriver for highlighting this. Oh and the diversion via the Harz area due to closed Autobahn junctions to get back on the A2 near Helmstedt was worth the drive too. Nowhere near the steam trains though, shame. Andy

As a Palbrick conversion the steel sided BR version (medfit with extended sides and end clamps) lasted into the 70s. These appear to have been converted before 1960. It seems many Medfits were redundant before they were built. May have just found a wooden one though in 1964. (Western Steam Farewell by Darren page, Pg41) It is hard to make out but the markings on the wagon seem to indicate in departmental use but definitely a revenue train. Further possible wooden versions in revenue traffic June 1962 in Working Steam, Collett and Hawksworth Halls by Roy Hobbs, Pg 52 There are a few in the backgound of other photos I have found dated 1963 but look to be in departmental traffic, albeit surrounded by revenue wagons Andy

Best I can find is 1962 in a revenue train, but even then I'm not too convinced it is one. Andy

Till you get bored or find something else to do. How long that is depends on many things. The company, the time of day, one's general mood and of course the layout One of our club layouts it's probably about 10 minutes and by then you want to smash your brains out with a slice of lemon wrapped round a brick. Even the challenge of getting all the trains moving at once and acting like a demented juggler changing points to avoid collisions and shorts and making sure nothing hits the buffers can only relieve the boredom so long. Still it wasn't made for marathon operating sessions. It had a purpose and it meets it admirably. On the flip side a circle of track and one siding round the conservatory kept me going for a good hour. Simple pleasures Andy

I shall be at work again this year on 11 November As last year we will stand in silence for 2 minutes at 11am. Even the phones stopped ringing for 2 minutes last year, surely no coincidence It wasn't the best of environments to remember those who gave all, but it was very moving all the same. Andy

Are you back yet Fezza? How did it go? Any pictures? Andy

In terms of traffic to Kidderminster in the early 80s I only recall seeing raw beet being tripped down to Foley Park in 21t hoppers. I do not recall any other traffic in or out. Mind you it was rare to see a train carrying sugar beet, or indeed any train on the branch in those days. (Occasionally the Severn Valley would venture through Foley Park tunnel and then scuttle back from whence they came, but I digress.) I also don't recall seeing much in terms of wagons sitting around at the Foley Park factory (not that I was looking too closely as I whizzed past in the back seat of a Renault 16) and I believe most finished / by products left by road. Indeed I would say most beet came by road from the local area judging by the large numbers of lorries and tractor/ trailer combos seen plodding along the ring road and the numbers of beet lying in the gutters during the season. All a big housing estate / land for redevelopment now Andy

Not quite the same but would Proof House Jn outside Birmingham New St fit the bill? The Vauxhall Lines are on a viaduct on a viaduct to give clearance over the Stour lines and the levels come together on the approach to Duddeston station See here if I have got the link right https://goo.gl/maps/9T1BnyfSKTS2 Andy

Have you tried contacting Network Rail? They may have some plans of the bridges in their archives. Andy

I'm not sure where you keep your layout and therefore this may sound odd but can you open a window, preferably once each side of where the layout is. Here at SM42 towers we open the windows at front and back and let the breeze blow through. This makes a good 5 or 6 degrees difference, very useful when trying to sleep at night (but still too warm for modelling as the Liquid Poly sounds like a bottle of fizzy pop when I open it). . If you have windows in the railway room, cover them to keep the worst of the sun out i.e , close the blinds or whatever covering you choose. Good luck. Andy

HTH, although all I can offer is personal observations made from my visits as I have trouble keeping up with all the news. It's in Polish you see, a language of which I, unfortunately, don't know enough. You can probably guess whereabouts in Wielkopolska I spend most of my time. Yep, the cake shop. If you are there long enough (Poznan that is, not the cake shop) Fezza we may just bump into each other. Andy

Narrow gauge railways can be found in Gniesno and also between Znin and Gasowa, neither of which are too far from Poznan. I haven't been to the former but the latter has a little railway museum at Wenecia and is a very pleasant trip in the open sided carriages in good weather. There is also a reconstructed Iron Age settlement at Biskupin. There is not much to see at Gasawa. Diesel loco haulage is being replaced by DMUs on most routes and those listed above by GD are quite a trek from Poznan in most cases. Electric loco haulage is far more common at present but EMUs areas creeping in more and more. Don't expect trains to get anywhere quick either. Things are getting better but what we in the UK would expect to take 2 hours may take 4 in Poland. Wolsztyn is around an hour by train from Poznan. To go around the shed will cost 10zl (£2) In Poznan city centre using buses and trams may be better than the car. Buy tickets in advance and validate in the little yellow machines on board. They are time limited. 15, 30, 45, 60 mins and 24hrs are available and can be used on both buses and trams till the time runs out. Poznan has two model shops. Lokomtyw at 17 Polwiejska (No 18 tram to stop of same name near the Stary Browar shopping centre) or a No 2 tram to Plac Wiosny Ludow which is at the other end of the street. The shop moved into a little arcade that is opposite the Lech Poznan supporters shop a few months ago. Not been there since but used to have a small but good range. A little further out is Dataland in the Solacz district. No 9 tram from city towards Piatkowo and get off at Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy. (takes around 15 mins) The shop is on the right about a 100yds up the road in the direction the tram went towards Piatkowo. A small but very well stocked shop. (3 is a crowd in there) It is under the owner's house so look out for the Faller and Piko adverts on the balcony railings of the house. There is a lot of work going on around Poznan city centre so some of the trams may be diverted in the central area. Oh and don't forget to partake of coffee and cake at a Kawiarnia. Heaven. Travelling around by train and public transport is quite cheap. Have fun. Andy

Aldi were still selling plastic shafted cotton buds last time I was in. 35p for 200 I think. I only throw the cotton wool bit out. The plastic tube makes a nice pipe wagon load or can be used for all sorts of scenic shenanigins. Andy