john new

Total cost of attendance including the accommodation, general expenses and van hire etc., was why the SLS stopped taking a stand. We were still taking income from selling our Society books and photographs but overall making a loss. Warley club were excellent hosts, the stand fees weren’t excessive, but overall it ceased to be worthwhile. Add to that the previous volunteers were giving up, the age demographic again, and younger people (by that I mean even the 50+ age band) were not coming forward therefore those doing it were all either already 70 or getting close to it.

Don’t disagree, but the steam tour market these days seems to be more about the day out behind a steam loco by non-enthusiasts of the traditional type than in former years. Regarding the Jacobite it is Harry Potter inspired for many, steam loco (tick) route over the viaduct (tick) exact steam loco from the film (can’t tick doesn’t seem to matter) so if the loco isn’t exact/doesn’t matter I doubt the coaches will other than perhaps being maroon. I like to hear the loco but when I travel on a heritage line these days many fellow passengers either shut the top light or if shut leave it shut.

Which is entirely acceptable within the ORR rules if for the short term they use their Mk2 stock assuming that is CDL fitted. Whether the punters will then be disappointed by coaches that don't look like those from the Harry Potter film will probably depend on how much of a true film buff they are. I suspect most pax won't notice, or care, but that consideration is one for WCRC to evaluate, not only for the W Highland but also general tours - how many of their passengers really want opening windows to hear the locomotive (enthusiasts) and how many just want a day out train ride with or without silver service meals?

Fully concur, writing as a former Cemetery & Crematorium manager. The problem regarding “toppling” unsafe graves was in most cases tracing families as relatives often moved house and out of the area. The first address change we got, even when relatives cared about the grave, was after the remedial action to make it safe.

Very much concur with your (2) although other subsequent posters have contested it being correct. My first Warley was with a Mike Cook layout at the Harry Mitchell centre back in the 1980s (1984 IIRC). I have done several too at the NEC both with a layout and an SLS stand. I think the proposed smaller venue will be better, the NEC is a vast cavernous space. Thank you Warley MRC for your input to the hobby over many years.

Very valid point. With my earlier post of one of the four grandchildren being into model trains, all four members of his family (my eldest daughter, SIL & the 2 boys) all do various crafting and modelling in other fields when time permits. I would say encourage but don’t force feed.

With my own daughters (2) interest in trains is a 50% success rate and for the grand-children (four) it is 25%+; one is train mad with mild interest from his brother. If I step that back to my generation and look at what success my own grand parent's level has of their equivalent four (Self plus sister and two cousins) the success rate for active railway modelling is also 25% (me). I think what needs to be recognised is that going forward it will be in a different format, exactly what Peter Waterman is trying to capture with the modern interactive Making Tracks project. There was a boom period through the 1960s (as there was with several other leisure interests) but the social scene has changed with a decline from that peak era as other things have become the ""new norm".

Reminds me of a time many moons ago staying on a family visit to parental friends - saw one of those proudly displaying a discs sticker on the back being towed round Wollaton Park wall on the A52 with the front stove in! Does anyone still remember those Discs stickers? The five of us of my generation from that trip are all still alive, sadly only my mother (now 100!) survives from the parental group. Good memories of all of them.

Personally I quite like Office365 family as it allows use on both my wife's computer, two of mine, with a subscription my daughter can also use*. What I don't like are two points - windows 11 with which I have yet to see any visible improvement at the user interface level (I accept there may be under bonnet improvements to security etc.,) and secondly the way any email link defaults to opening Outlook which isn't my regular email client so I have to annoyingly copy the email address and then shut down Outlook. Fortunately I only use Windows via Parallels on my Mac to run programmes without a Mac version. *You can mix and match on both Apple and Windows Op sys.

Did you find out subsequently? If you still need to know my wife is a Trustee at the Museum and next time she is up there she or I can have a look and see if we have accession, or other, records for them. NB Museum currently closed to the public until Easter.

Couldn't think of another way to describe the sound. The Accurascale horn sound does not reproduce the sound like I remember from Deltics. Perhaps KOYLI has had a new horn fitted in preservation and it is correct for today.

When I was volunteering on the NYMR back in the 1970s and 80s the joke at the time (after a few sherbets) was about the future Pickering - Levisham electrification scheme. Phase one was the modern l/crossing and colour light signal gear that had gone in/was going in. The post does mention the NYMR and Levisham so a smidgeon closer to being back onto the topic!

Every claim bar that for any damage to the truck would be third party so wouldn’t need an explanation to be given, just proof their own insured was not to blame. Allelly’s insurers would possibly need to know why but have no need to give out a public explanation.

Some progress during 2023, but not as much as I intended 12 months ago. Mostly stock weathering rather than layout work.

The UK Model Shops site is still inaccessible to update. Now done.

Portland, Dorset. It is in my location box. We now have the recently opened D-Day museum, the local museum plus Henry VIII's Castle which is English Heritage.

Likewise have DCC pre-fitted (but not always sound) having been bitten in the past with a loco I eventually had to send off repair and DCC fitting as it was so darn difficult. (The Dapol OO B4 tank). Best to let those who do it for a living have the difficulties.

As my wife is a trustee of one of the, now two, local museums on the island fully concur regarding the deaccession policy. The problem I guess for many heritage museums across the board including heritage railways is were the exhibits/artefacts ever properly accessioned in the first place?

Hoping all our regular visitors have had a good Christmas. Wishing all our modelling friends a happy 2024, whether you are already into the new year or still waiting for midnight. We will shortly be updating the error that has been pointed out to us on the UK Model Shops listing. The show is, as always in recent years - Saturday - Monday. For 2024 that is 30th March - 1st April. UPDATE - as at 17:03 the UKMS website is not currently loading although it was earlier today when I checked it from my phone. Will amend when possible to access the necessary page.

Some parts of advancing beyond just a train set, however small that step is, come from wanting to be more prototypical. As examples as even on my dealer style layout I used a green base, as green was used by Hornby, and there are no facing points other than for entering the slow lines, where there are the loops. The track plan for the goods area would be close to prototypical were it to be transposed to being a scenic layout. The difference, for me, between a scenic train set and a basic intro level model railway starts with observation and application of ideas from the prototype. That can be either operational or through advanced modelling and scenery. The preserved (ex-L&Y?) signalling layout in the NRM is undoubtedly a model railway as is the Gainsborough club layout. Several suburb scenic layouts, therefore undoubtedly good models of a railway, are run just as roundy-roundy tail chasers. We are such a disparate church there is room for both.

At long last football showing some common sense about postponing fixtures in adverse weather and travel conditions. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67826293

Sadly as I would have liked to see it. It was taken off our layouts page a bit back.

Yes. I ran a Hornby-Dublo layout for several years loosely based on dealer display layouts. Only recently scrapped as it became too big to easily handle for exhibitions, plus the trailer I shifted it in became unroadworthy. See https://www.island-publishing.co.uk/dublo2.htm

I like the model of Moelwyn. I have a card kit to make one which the late Keith Hunt sent me as a beta test not long before he died. Must dig the file out and print/build. With Keith’s death the beta project was abandoned.