Bernard Lamb

Just how much of this thread have you read? Model train manufacture might well have moved to other countries, but the material and methods are basically the same. What is proposed for the steel industry, is for the UK to be the only country in the G20 to no longer hase a manufacturing capacity. I put that on the same level as a threat to national security as giving up nuclear weapons. Do we seriously want to have less capabiity of making steel, and the products that are made from it, than Iran? That will be the situation in a few years time if this goes through. Bernard

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, the government has put a block on the Japanese getting their hands on a US steel company. Bernard

Very true. But in this case we are outsourcing all our production capability in respect of making steel. The proposal is to stop making steel from iron ore and just to recycle the steel that we have. This obviously is not sustainable. We will have to import more scrap steel to melt down and import types of steel that we need but cannot produce. We simply export the pollution, probably to countries that have lower standards than we have. One long term answer would be to build a massive steel works in Vietnam to take advantage of the local high grade ore. That would be capable of supplying much of the world's capacity and be greener than anything that exists today. But the Americans and the Chinese would never agree to let that happen. Bernard

That looks very like it. Bernard

......and that is how this problem started. Some time ago, a decision was made to close one of the two South Wales steel works. LLanwern had the best rolling mill, but Port Talbot had access to a deep water dock, where, raw material could be unloaded. A lot of people thought that the decision was the wrong one. Me included, but I am biased, as my work involved material made at both works and Llanwern steel was usually better suited for what the company I worked for required. Not to mention that they provided a fair chunk of my income at one time. The UK will be the only G20 country that cannott produce new steel. If you see that as an issue of national security or not, should have an influence on how you view this closure. Actually it all goes back much further, usually involving politicians making some very odd decisions. These decisions nearly always come back to bite them on the bum. Then there is the question of how we manage critical industries post Brexit. Do you want to give steel making to the EU and rely on imports? Bernard

I would go along with you and a darker shade of green. Something near to what is often called British Racing Green. I had a die cast model back around the mid 1950s, so it is a pretty distant memory. We are either both right or both wrong. Bernard

But the air ambulance can come and pick up the rider. That would seem the only way out. Otherwise you sttay there and starve to death. Bernard

But has the percentage decline in numbers been greater than in other sectors of retail trade? Bernard

The irony being that around 10 years ago, when I was a regular traveller on the route, tickets were always sold as singles. I would find a cheap outward trip and then search for someting near the price for the return leg. Being flexible I would sometimes stay another night if this was a cheaper option. Or even come home on the WCML when there was a cheap ticket available. Not often, but it did happen. I do find the 70 minite choice rather odd. bernard

Meanwhile in Germany. Piko are looking forward to a good increase in sales for the coming year, with less reluctance among customers to spend money. Bernard

While not mandatory, there can be financial benefits in having comprehensive safeguarding measures in place. I am the auditor of the local cycling club. The model raiway club use another bulding on the same, former indudtrial, site. We receive various grants and concessions, due to having various procedures in place. AFAIK neither the model railway club nor the motorcyle club, who also use the site, have as good a deal as we do. It is certainly worth-while checking what money is available, both locally and nationally, to help and encourage young people to take part. Bernard

Iwould think that quite a number of passengers on The jacobite have never seen any type of train door from the inside. A far cry from 1960 when I was introduced to the morning rush hour arrival at Euston. The doors would open at the start of the platform and half the people would be out of the train before it had come to a halt. It might sound mad these days, but the circumstances and expectations were very different back then. Bernard

That is part of the irony, If you offer an excellent service, it has an impact on the bottom line. With four impacts on sustainability all hitting Hattons in a short space of time, thay have been forced into making a decision. One option would have been to lower standards and they clearly seem not to want to go down that road. All praise and honour to them for making that decision. Others would have reacted differently. To me it does not bode well for the future of the hobby. My own dealings this year show the small imact I have had on the situation. One order cancelled by Hattons as the supplier cut their delivery. One order that I had forgotten about did not appear when other suppliers and customers had received the items. I oredered from the manufacturer three weeks after release of the prosduct. A week later I heard from Hattons that they now had the items in stock. That was two orders they lost, through no fault of theirs. If a large number of customers had similar problems then it would soon be affecting Hattons. Bernard

Oh dear. I did say if you are working in a proper job and are also receiving income from self employment. Which is what I understand will be the case for most of the people posting in this thread. In over forty years I have never had to pay on account. I have always sent in the details for the last tax year around August and then had a bill to pay in January. Bernard

Very sad to read their email. They have always provided me with a first class service at a fair price. When, very infrequently, I had a query I would receive by return personal message eitther with the answer or with a suggestion as to how I should follow things up. Best wishes to all of the staff. Any company wanting first class peope should jump at the chance to recruit them. Bernard

Wetcott was very strict in controlling access. Two to three weeks notice just for a delivery driver, with some interesting background checks. I never did get a chance to see a rocket test. At one time I believe that they had the only surviving German V2 engine in working order. Bernard

AFAIK you do not have to 'register'. If you are working as self employed as well as having a proper job, then you just need to send in a tax return with the relevant figures for your self employed income. They will probably accept these without question, providing that you claim a reasonable level of expenses. Depending on the amount of tax due they will either adjust your tax code or ask you to pay a lump sum. You can actually have several seperate self employed accounts, providing you send in the figures for each HMRC will sort it out for you. They even manage to deal ith overseas income that is not brought into the UK.😀 I have had problems, but in general HMRC do a good job. It is the governemt who frequently change the rules and cut back on staff, in my experience, who cause most of the problems. Bernard

My last attempt to use basket liner for modelling was sabotaged by Lego. Sadly we lost her last year. Her kidneys could not cope with her tendency to continually eat. Bernard

In my take on it the parcels siding is at the front rather than the back and I have added a loco release crossover to make a run round move for shunting possible. It works well but you need disipline to limit the amount of stock, in order not to create a blockage. It works well with two coaches and a couple of vans as tail traffic with steam power and goods trains of around 6-7 wagons. Benard

The American built S160s are an interesting mix in respect of this point, if I understand it correctly, mainly upper but one batch lower. Bernard

Usually the best option. These days I tend to do this straight away rather than mess around trying to get the supplied part to work as I require. Bernard

That sounds about right. I have never had figures questioned, or further documents asked for, in respect of SWMBO's self employment figures when I filled in her tax return. HMRC presumably have an algorithm that decides that any figures that are sent in are within the typical range for the sort of work that is being done. They have a pretty good idea of what profit margin is viable for a particular type of work. If you claim a ridiculous amount as expenses then they will pick it up. If you state that your income is lower than reasonably expected they will also pick it up. What our friend did to upset them I know not. If they did take action as he describes he must have been up to something very much out of the ordinary. Bernard

I have come across some surprising objects carried around in Enterprise hired white vans.😄 Bernard

My daughter and her partner went to stay with friends in Amsterdam for the New Year. They got the last train out before the cancellations started. They came back this afternoon, again without any delays. I reckon they were very lucky. As the train approached Calais everybodys phone started ringing with a general alert about high winds and floods. This was repeated on arrival in Kent. Alighting at Ashford, if that idea had been put into operation, would have been quite a welcome to England. How are these warning calls triggered? Bernard