Bernard Lamb

You are a very naughty man. My first thoughts are to sell up everything and buy an A4 and a dozen of those and build a line round the garden, Bernard

Steady on, that is far too sensible an approach. Such remarks will upset the vast majority of those who claim to model a gauge of 18.83mm. Another observation. For those not involved with engineering or material specifications. Take a look at the tolerance on steel thickness. It will show a sizeable difference in the potential total weight if you take enough material to build a locomotive. Bernard

Mary had a little lamb. She kept it in a bucket. Every time the lamb got out. Her dog tried to put it back in again. Bernard

How long do you expect a mass produced and built down to a price model locomotive to last? Three years ? Five years? In an age where computers are updated every year and a phone is nudging the £1k and is soon out of fashion, we can no longer expect the standard set by Hornby Dublo. Add £50 to the RRP and it might be possible,but would the market take it? Probably not going by general comments. As for spares, well going by the stock turnover that the business model requires, with particular reference to Hornby, then holding virtually any spares is not possible. Bernard

Yes and no. Back in my working days the arguments over the advantages versus the cost of having retail premises when the vast majority of your business was "trade" would go on continually. If you take into account a multitude of regulations and the perspective of certain customers, the probable conclusion is that a retail outlet might not actually generate a profit but is a cheap method of advertising and a massive generator of good will. You could probably do what Boris did before Brexit and write an article that said either option was superior to the other. However Hattons do seem to know what they are doing, so have set up an example of a business plan that works pretty well. Ironically rather better than some of their suppliers, so I can understand why they want a share of the action. Bernard

But in reality they try and force you into it, by putting up a message that you can only continue viewing if you sign in using your Facebook or Twitter accounts, or register for that particular site. The lesser of two evils is to keep a Facebook account open. This morning I received a request to join a group. I am already a member of that group. However I use a different email address so I am not recognized by Facebook while using that address. Bernard

Watford can barely cope with twenty people getting off a train let alone if you tried to get all the passengers off one and safely out off the station. You have to leave a fairly narrow platform, go through a set of doors and the turn at 90 degrees to go down a flight od steps, You then have to go through a passage to get out or up another flight of stairs to reach the Overground platforms. Bernard

Seen today between Excel and City Airport. Making a right din for twenty minutes or so before take off. Something to do with an arms exhibition. Bernard

It is almost worth having an account just to see who it does flag up. Bernard

This was moored by the Excel today. Something to do with an arms exhibition I was told. Bernard

One side affect of the shut down was that there were several 100 copies of the Metro at Hemel station this morning. A quick look at the scene of the fire as I went past was that it must have been very intense as only a small pile of ash remains. It appears as thought the building collapsed in on itself. The end wall nearest to the track, it is very near to the track, that showed up in the item on the news, is still standing. I presume that the shut down remained after the fire had been put out until this wall could be inspected and declar4ed safe. First reports were that it would have to be demolished before trains could run. If the gas cylinders had exploded when a train was passing it could have been very serious. Bernard

How quickly things change. I can remember arriving at MK from Birmingham back when Virgin started to run trains, to be met by a total shut down due to a storm having taken out the signalling. I spotted Chris Green amongst a small group of railway staff handing out drinks and sandwiches to passengers. On another occasion, as well as refreshments, I got a goody bag containing a pack of playing cards and drawing materials for the younger travellers. It looks as though all is OK this morning. I hope so as I will be using London Midland in an hour or so. Bernard

https://rhug.co.uk/product/organic-pork-cumberland-sausages You need to try a bit harder. Bernard

I think that is being rather unfair. Or let us say uneconomical with the facts. The wall/skirt situation has been explained by Dave. I have been through 16 photographs of the prototype and in all lighting conditions the part concerned is so deep in shadow that it is not possible to detect the true shape. The £79 option is sold out so the real equivalent is £82. The development work was done by Hornby when costs were around 25% lower than is the current case. As you say it could have looked better, but as Dave points out it would not have performed so well. For a first adventure into producing a locomotive they look to have done rather well. Better than Oxford or DJH by a country mile. All power to Hatton's elbow and from me a big thumbs up. But then I worked in QC in production engineering, so do have some idea of what is involved. Bernard

They do seem questionable choices. How much extra revenue was generated by two versions of the P2 I do not know. Keen pricing of one model would as I see it have produced a better result. As for the Crosti. I would have though any modeller who wanted one would hack a Bachmann and the casual demand I see as being very limited. As for Railroad in general I fear it smacks of desperation. Protection of the brand name would be better without a lower level range bearing the Hornby name. Having the name of Lima in their portfolio that was associated with good basic shape but crap performance it might have been a better idea to have used that. Bernard

Interesting possibilities. My first thoughts were East Anglia to fit in with my current layout. Felsted sugar beet factory had one. Then I looked further north to the shale fields north west of Edinburgh. They had many examples. Then I noticed the use of tenders, so typical of Scottish practice. Cobbled together with whatever was available. A bit like the LNER Y9s. Then I looked at variants. What an idea for a competition. Create the greatest deviation from an as supplied model. The Shotts Iron Company built the Bairds & Scottish Steel Company N0 8 from spare parts, some of which show a distinct family likeness. That might be a tempting challenge. I shall start with Katie. Duly ordered. Bernard

Code Double Red. Round my way there are signs adjacent to bridges that carry roads over railway lines that bear the words "Locomotives must not cross this bridge." I say Locomotive you say Traction Engine. Bernard

Thirty years or so ago who would have predicted that MRJ would still be going strong, while the power station just down the road would be nothing more than a pile of dust. Funny old world isn't it. Bernard

It's arrived. I do like the rain. I don't mind the wait as I appreciate that it is often rushed out just before a show and I can understand the need for exposure over the weekend and then getting out the posted copies at leisure over the next few days. At least watching here you know when to expect a knock on the door. Just another quirk that makes MRJ different. Bernard

It is clearly not aimed at you and as I commented way back it is not for me. However it will improve the quality of steam era 00 track for a lot of people. Is that not a good thing and a big step forward for the hobby in general? Peco should be congratulated for making a brave decision. Methinks you just want to moan. Bernard

Whey hey! Eight copies in Hemel this morning. Subscription copy should be along in a few days. I resisted the urge to have a quick browse. Bernard

Eisenbahn Kurier many years ago published a series in magazine type format on German locomotives. It was arranged in chunks covering various similar classes. It is a good background to the machines of both the DR and the DB and their ancestors. One volume has a lot of information regarding numbers and insignia. I think this publication also covered the post 1970 computer numbering with the dreaded check digit and how to calculate it. Bernard

The thing is Dave that you do let people know your real name and you do make references to your private life. I tend to do the same as my experiences of Germany are relevant to my ability to comment on certain topics. It is those people, to quote an example our one time regular Kenton, who had an almost paranoid fear of disclosure. Regarding your first point. I have a friend who wrote the software for the banking system. He was paid a large fortune and retired at a very young age. He told me many years ago just what questions the system would ask and how using a credit card and posting about your holidays could influence you getting a mortgage. I believe that HMR&C now use a very similar system and study the trends of spending habit against income. Again that gives cause for concern with comments people on here make re their spending habits. Taken to the extreme the Security Services also monitor social media and spending habits. A friend of mine, a farmer to give a small clue, had a visit from them as their monitoring software threw up his postcode as having an odd mix of substances. A former member of this forum who runs a forum on my foreign interest area insists on first name and surname being used There can be no possible reason to hide your identity. A pen name I can accept where the true identity is known. However I just can't take seriously anybody with a hidden agenda. If I see a question from one of them I simply ignore it. I feel it a rather sad indictment of the age we live in that John Isherwood has come under such savage attack for speaking out. There can be no place in a free society for these secretive (insert expletive of your choice). To be serious they are evil and a threat to our free and open society. Bernard,

Any statistics to back up that statement? Round my way they are considered to be little gold mines. Albeit having to sell food and drinks to go with the plants and accessories. Now if you had said specialist nurseries I would have agreed with you. Bernard