Bernard Lamb

Frogs and Toads all over the place, but what about equal coverage for Newts? Bernard

Peco code 75 joiners fit well but look horrible.. C & L plastic joiners look much better but you will need to solder wires across every joint to keep the juice flowing. There are people who say you should do this any way, even when using metal joiners. They are probably right. Bernard

I suggest North-Eastern Branch Line Termini by Ken Hoole as a good place to start. It includes Richmond, not directly by Andrews but he was involved. I am pretty sure Ken Hoole has covered the area a bit to the south but my direct interests lie further north. The book I mentioned does provide a lot of general background knowledge. There id also a 3 volume NER Record that would be worth a look for general infrastructure and details of fixtures and fittings. bernard

Just had a similar situation with red grapes. One white sheet ruined by blackbirds. A mixture of grape juice and bird . One very upset SWMBO. Bernard

Local update. The Swifts seem to have had a good breeding season and have left. A Red Kite has taken to actually perching on a fir tree in the garden. Several Wood Pigeons appear to be crazy and wander round on the lawn or sit on the corner of the roof and let you walk round them and show no sign of trying to fly off. Not in the garden but a few minutes walk away I saw this fine fellow. Bernard

I us either The RYA or a local sailing and canoe club when needing details of rides for the Thames in the London area. They can come up with accurate predictions for specific points rather than just a generic area. Very handy if you are on a shore with limited places to escape. Bernard

I see the use of these being rather limited on current roads in the UK. However with the introduction of road pricing, it starts to make more sense. At present those proposing the idea are not publically making the connection. Bernard

I wonder if she would like this? Bernard

Nostalgia. I used Bronicas and Mamiyas back in the 1980s for wedding photography. A friend with a 35mm Nikon claimed he could take just as good pictures. Until I covered a wedding at 3pm on a damp dark November afternoon. The results showed him why the larger format was far superior. I had a pin sharp 45mm lens on the Mamiya that could be used fully open for group shots and in this situation was actually better than the standard lens on the Bronica. The discipline of using 3 or at max 4 rolls of film was something that I still have difficulty in escaping from with multi shot digital options that are the norm today. I have recently tried a full frame DSLR, Nikon D750. While it does give far superior results to the smaller format, certain tasks are a very steep learning curve that I have not yet ,mastered. The options of shutter and/ or aperture priority needing the setting of the controls twice to obtain the best results. Brilliant for architecture , but time consuming. Bernard

I prefer the John Oliver/Jorg Bruggerman version. Bernard (running for cover)

Derek v Mike My sympathy lies with Mike. In a non railway world I was only once put in such a situation. A retailer, who still appears in adverts on national TV, had a contract with my firm for an installation. On the first day he complained about all manner of things. We were all very polite. A week later he moaned even more. Again we were all polite but wary. For the next week we all kept notes. At the next meeting we were ready. As soon as he started we countered with the "true" version of events. He quickly departed never to trouble us again. He was out for a discount and was rumbled. I am afraid that there are a few obnoxious pratts out there and on the odd occasion you have to be direct to the point of being rude. Bernard

Positively overcrowded. I mentioned Gretna and doing a bit of checking come up with a population of around 2700 in the 2001 census. I have no idea how many people lived their in pre grouping days but with 4 passenger stations and three separate companies the citizens did have quite a choice. Bernard

I would think that Gretna must be high up on any list. Bernard

There was a similar situation with the Edinburgh tram system. In Leith Walk they intended to hang the overhead wires from the buildings. They neglected to inform the residents at the time. When they found out they were not amused as some had been refused permission to put up brass name plaques. A friend of mine has three buy to rent properties in Wendover that fall within the compensation zones for HS2. He regards the line as a cash cow with an unexpected bonus and can see no sign of any adverse impact on his income. Bernard

I tend to by pass the main concourse coming from the Underground and go directly to the suburban platforms. There is a time table board but to view this requires a delicate side step from left to right and back again across the main pedestrian flow. Works fine except for when they do not display times and/or the train you want comes in on the other platforms. A not infrequent occurrence. As for the facilities, I never use them. Far better to cross the road and use those at The Friends Meeting House. No religious adherence inherent or implied, just a satisfied customer. Bernard

To go a step further why not get an undergraduate in engineering to do the drawing as a project here in the UK? You might even find one who has an interest in railways. Back in the day we had two Universities willing and able to supply students to make prototype drawings and to undertake various other tasks. Having worked at the sharp end all my life, with constant deadlines, I do find it strange how things take so long these days. Or do the makers of model trains lack any clout in the wider world? Bernard

My apologies to the OP. The layouts look to be of great interest with some well known names attending. The along comes an unruly pair with talk of "foreign rubbish" and Commie "foreign rubbish" at that. Looking forward to the weekend. Now where is that Saxon VT, DR 89 2 to a later generation. Bernard

Don't remind me of the D20. Just about the worst kit I have ever handled. I think some bits still survive in the odds and ends box as I never did get it any where near finished. I was not impressed by the attitude of DJH when I questioned the totally mythical tender side frames. Bernard

Just take care with a suitable time period. From what I have seen so far it looks like 1914 onwards could be possible. Shorter bunker on the ones built before that date. I have a feeling in my water that they will not tool up for the earliest variants. With such a long building period they are a bit of a mine field. Bernard

In that case can I make an advance booking for a BR52 with the rigid tender. Just to give Ivan some competition. I might even be able to find a BR42 to go with it. That is the Kreigsloks big brother for those not in the know. Bernard

Do you mean something like this one? Wrong company, but it does illustrate the potential traps of making a model from the real thing. Bernard

In some places that would be the case. However you are in Andy's house and here we play by Andy's rules. it is up to him regarding you being allowed to post on here. Other people, including the Chinese, have a rather different opinion of PR from that held by you. Other people, again including the Chines, have a different view regarding an acceptable time table. When I visit a new place I am very wary that things might be done differently so until I am familiar with the rules I keep in the background and try not to cause offence. You, on the other hand, seem to be on a mission to wind up as many people as possible before you are rumbled. Bernard

The bridge over the stream. No that's wrong. Whatever it is who cares. Down to the nitty gritty. A good issue covering many topics. I found the mobile crane article fascinating as a piece of modelling that incorporated novel methods to get the thing to actually work. In a publication that in the early days went further then Historic England would go in the use of East Anglian vernacular, I found the dumbing down of engineering terms a step too far. Does land have to be in quotation marks or draw filing need an explanation? Or do I assume too much of the average MRJ reader these days? With regard to the article on buildings. The table on page 184 is worth it's weight in gold for a general synopsis of materials. The work on bashing a Beetle to fit resonates as I have just been doing such an exercise to cram one into a Planet. Not in my case adding the complicated mods to fit motion parts. The HR vans while not being of direct interest make an entertaining read and remind me of Perspex modelling from around 1960 when I saw a modeller of a GWR railcar carved from this material. Back to the old comment re Smiffs. Sales to local casual punters appear to be good in the Hemel shop. All in all a vote of support from me as the best issue for some time. Bernard

I would suggest that you do a few days work experience with a company that has dealings with China. It might make the situation a bit clearer. From your comments the people you have dealt with at Bachmann are learning fast regarding the ways of the orient. Bernard