fulton

My nephew, German/UK citizen and his partner UK citizen, are both working in Hamburg, for one and a half years, work permits, health insurance etc. seemed straight forward, hardest part was setting up bank accounts, so they could be paid!

Sorry not the hassle of passport control, I normally use the tunnel no problems, Dover seems to have a can't do attitude, always predicting problems, I mean the 90 days in 180 rule, which I have come close to at times, the Irish EU passport gets around that, we have a house in Strood and a flat in Dusseldorf.

Seems to be a UK/French thing, to save hassle I now travel on an Irish EU passport, like around six million UK citizens I was eligible to have one, hopefully will help when the extra restrictions come in, as I travel in the EU every couple of months.

Cannot think of the show, I was exhibiting my small American layout, was by myself on the Sunday afternoon, the show was very quiet, I looked at the layout and started writing a list of all the things I did not like, or could be better, quite a list from replacing the noisy point motors to drilling out the chimney pots, started the list soon after, I think the layout is better after the overhaul.

As I posted previously, this whole situation needs to deescalate, as for suggestions to follow them home or report them anonymously to the police reference white powder, do not even think about it, cool it down, they will soon get bored, in my previous work I have seen how these things can get way out of hand.

Add modern timber framed hotels, first floor function rooms, NMRA Crewe, you could feel the spring as some people walked pass, no packing at one end against a wall, 15mm the other end near the room centre.

MSE ones from Wizard, on the right.

Good point, but when I was staging exhibitions and when I exhibit, I view the show as a showcase, or shop window on the hobby, I build what I like and present it, generally to good comments, I will not compromise the prototype (except have more trains running) or add gimmicks to make my layouts more entertaining, I think it is good to have a mixture of layouts, show layouts that you could build at home, and layouts just for exhibitions. As to the OPs question most layouts are up and running by opening time, damage does happen in transit, so be prepared with tools and touch up kits, I once mixed up my power supply to the points and DCC, points did not work and lots of flashing lights on the DCC, fortunately no damage done, when leads swopped over, but now leads are very clearly labelled and I carry a spare DCC base unit just in case.

4mm/1foot 1/76, Modified Langley Models white metal kit, on my model of Janes' Creek, Strood, but this brick lorry really built for my, as yet unbuilt, model of the Smeed Dean siding at Murston near Sittingbourne. Photo of Janes' Creek layout under construction.

Sorry to hear of these problems, with ignorant and inconsiderate drivers, but maybe you need to step back, take some deep breaths, and think what is the problem here, you live near a school, twice a day for part of the year, parents park, there is noise and more traffic, the real problem parents will move on in time, you cannot reason with some people, doing battle with the parents or the school, in the long run will only effect your well being, what are the solutions? you move, the school shuts or you accept the situation. When I am in Germany the entrance to my underground carpark, is sometimes blocked with parked cars using the supermarket next door, fire access signs are ignored, they move after a few minutes, a fact of life in a city centre, no point getting angry about it.

I understand it was due to personal reasons, of the organizer.

I think you are well out of date, maybe years ago, you are not to have known, most were of his wife, who has since died of cancer, he now runs a memorial charity in her memory.

Have found their "Solution Box" sets to be very usefull, they come with a book, in english and spanish, and most of the materials you need, step by step instructions, I found them a good way to learn new techniques, lots of cross over from the military modelling world. I normally order direct from Spain to the UK, no problems.

Have used AmmoMig acylic matt and ultra matt, with good results, by brush or sprayed in a number of very thin coats.

While this thread has moved abit to problems with long distance rail travel in general, will add our very recent experiance, starting and returning to Dusseldorf, we have just spent two weeks touring independantly by train and bus, mainly in Switzerland but dipping into Italy three times, only problems were with German parts, going we were due to change at Bonn Seigburg, for Basel, annoncement that as we were running late we might not make the connection, in which case we should remain on this train to Frankfurt Airport and change there, but they would let us know! as we arrive at Bonn no annoncement, lots of confused passengers, my wife could see the platform indicator which showed the Basel train was also late, so we got off and did make the connection. On our return from Basel we chose a train that did stop at Dusseldorf, nearing Koln there was an annoncement that as we were running late this train would not now be stopping at Dusseldorf or Dortmond, we should now change at Koln Messa, to a local train, all OK except, Koln Messa is an awkward station on two levels, with I think 12 platforms, Europes biggest Gamers convention was also closing next door, in my view all the platforms were dangerously over crowded, DB staff were on all the edges keeping people behind the white line, what the station did not seem to have was any trains!, ours was due to be 45 minutes late, not much happening on the other platforms either! there were also fully kitted Riot Police on each platform, they looked very out of place as most of the passengers were either teens or early twenties, all in good humour, considering the overcrowding and delays, I was pleased to get out of that situation, we are both retired but fit enough physically and mentally, to deal with these events but lots of other older people could not. The rest of our travelling in Switzerland and Italy went all as planned, was particually impressed with the train from Lucarno to Basel, so modern and well laid out.

Too true to be funny.

Your comments are part of this modern trend to apply facts, to popular and widely held knowledge, next thing you will be telling us Britain did not win WW2 all by itself. (THIS IS A TONGUE IN CHEEK COMMENT, before I get a massive backlash,I can think of allsorts of popular myths that if the facts are shown, could result in very angry responces as the myths are so strongly belived.)

I was thinking more of the hobby in China itself, know one of the UK ones well, and very good it is to.

Just completed a trip on the Swiss Glacier Express, very impressive but thats another story, sitting next to us, having a table and four seats to himself, was a Chinese journalist, the staff made an extra efford to look after him, with constant updates and information, we got talking, he presents a radio travel programme, said the Chinese love to travel, has been to the UK and was very impressed with Beamish, also turned out he has a big interest in model railways, sayes it is a popular hobby in China, we had a good time exchanging layout photos, he was more of a collector than modeller, a very enlighting chance meeting. He got off at Chur while we continued to St Moritz

I was the other way round, was signing on at my local Jobcentre, then retrained for security, first job was back on the door of my old Jobcentre! suited me for the few years until I retired.

That was a problem with the Aygos' you could almost hear the little car brain thinking about it, then it would decide "I know lets try 1st!" Less of a problem with the Ford, maybe because it has more gears, a bigger diesel engine and the gearbox managment has improved in the last ten years, but yes it can still be caught out.

Modern autos, to me work so well, my current Ford Connect van has an eight speed autobox, twin clutch, so smooth and just as economic. Even my last two cars both Toyota Aygos with the much critizised MMT transmission, I enjoyed driving.

Not just parking spaces, but other items designed for when cars were generally smaller, travelled on my regular trip on Le Shuttle, through the channel tunnel yesterday, followed a 4x4 Merc on, it only just fitted, the tyres only just fitted between the kerbs, once followed a Bently on, driver refused to take the upper deck, as he did not think he could get round the corner and up the ramp, I drive a long wheelbase Ford Connect van, classed as small/medium, does fit but not alot to spare, have to fold the mirrors in to pass the toilets, more people will be paying extra to use the single deck, which also have wider doors.

As the loco is second hand, could it have been run on a layout where something like Rail Zip had been applied, a friend used it on his O gauge layout, and found locos that were marginal at pulling their trains now sat there spinning! only answer was to clean it off the rails and wheels. Before anyone reacts defending these products I have no preference either way, simply relating a friends experience.

Even within the EU there are checks, on the Belgium/French border, on the E40 there was a temporary set up which has now been rebuilt as a more permanent set up, I have been stopped there and my van searched, really looking for stowaways, recently travelling from Poland to Germany, German customs had a temporary set up doing random checks, I did not get stopped but did get a very hard looking at, I suppose being a UK registered van. As to Eurostar I think a competitor is pure fantasy, good for us to speculate and huff and puff, but there is no economic case for it, if it did happen it would be like a new budget airline, minimal investment, leased trains and infrastructure, staff on temporary contracts, with funding for, say six months, if no profit then it closes down.