john new

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.

Wishing everyone the compliments of the season. May your Yuletide be merry and your new year a good one for modelling. From both myself and the groups shown in my signature block.

A pre-paid ticket makes an ideal very late Christmas present for the railway modeller in the family you have forgotten to buy for and is also something for you to spend your Christmas gift money on. The YMRS Show team wish everyone the compliments of the season and hope you all have a great modelling year in 2024.

I posited the thought as it seemed from the outside they were just wasting money. There is a thought though that maybe by issuing the challenge it allowed them to earn more/lose less at the end of the season by running the last few trips and keeping agreed plans for the loco and stock moves etc., than the cost of the legal fees involved in the case as it postponed the cut off date of their existing exemption. If that was the scenario perhaps it was a loss worth taking. The whole issue is something I doubt we will ever get an answer to, or at least not in the short term. I am unlikely to be riding any of their trips in the immediate future due to cost and location but hopefully they will sort out a solution for their passenger operations.

Agree. Those of us old enough will remember when Volvo cars first introduced always on running lights and the motoring fraternity ran advice columns on which fuse to remove to shut them off. Now standard on modern cars and damned annoying when you come across one of the remaining older cars in poor light conditions and the driver hasn’t switched their side lights on.

One of the main changes is not in, or to, common sense but the sea change in attitudes that has given lawyers the ability to win in cases where I still think the man on the Clapham Omnibus would say stupid idiot, it was their own fault. Someone could easily climb onto my garage roof, for example via next door’s drive as we are a hill side property, and if they then fell off with injuries I suspect their lawyer might well claim it is our fault for not adding railings. Overall Health and Safety and Risk Assessments are beneficial as they have reduced injuries and the like and yes sometimes they seem to go to silly lengths (albeit actually sensible when you think it through) such as advisory notices on nut products stating they contain nuts, this contains a hot drink etc., but that is as much down to the ambulance chasing lawyers as anything. WCRC have known what the rules are but seem, from what I have read, to have been hell bent on ignoring them and then wasting money on a legal challenge. One wonders if they were advised (ripped off) by a legal team who convinced them they could, perhaps even would, win the argument, if so I hope it was a no win no fees scenario.

Assuming true, sad, but inevitable.

True. Why I don't like the too many games argument is that at the start of a season the number of potential games is known, if they choose to fully go for doubles and trebles the outcome is foreseeable. Teams can lose , or at least not strive too hard to win, on purpose, for example by playing the fringe players in the lesser cups. My home town lower league club went out of the FA Cup I think because they just weren't good enough via a defensive error and failure to shoot straight in the chances they had. The Trophy though they played a set of fringe players who proved why they are fringe - they got giant killed! Last night's Chelsea win - did Newcastle throw it as they have a long injury list? Probably not but then again a conspiracist could say defensively excellent all game until stoppage time and then a header to one of the Chelsea forwards. Come the penalties somewhat wayward shooting!

I read somewhere ages ago a suggestion that one reason for the unspectacular crash was the whistle being fixed open used up the steam pressure. No idea how plausible but agree it is annoying if you watch the clip with the sound on.

Criticise the hand that feeds you/controls your contract and there is a good chance it will be withdrawn. Looking from the outside in it appears as obvious that if the service, be that railways, the NHS or other service can’t run effectively without staff taking on rest day working and working overtime (whether paid or not) there is an understaffing problem. The drivers don’t think they are being paid enough and staff shortages suggest either (a) the general workforce agrees hence the ongoing level of vacancies or (b) several areas of conspiracy theory suggesting that constant disruptions will encourage customers to stop using trains. If (b) then presumably a political decision.

I don’t disagree with what you say; conversely though, big club big ambitions yes, but don’t bleat about too many matches as it is your organisation that has decided it wants to chase that pinnacle. I get it when teams unexpectedly end a season with loads of games to fit in due to postponements earlier or a cup run (that filters right down to even the localist of leagues) but if the pot hunters haven’t built a big enough squad to cater for what they want to win don’t blame the fixture planners. The one thing that I can sympathise with fixture wise is that game scheduled for Christmas Eve.

Agree fully with your first para. You discover the bits you didn’t know the prototype even had! Causes include complaints from others that they aren’t there, are either too big or too fragile, finding the parts in the box, in the ballast when you track clean, etc., etc.

A couple of observations. 1) Why is so much ignored despite VAR? Everton’s two against Burnley, first goal he ploughed through the defence knocking the keeper over together with so much jostling and shirt pulling. The second a blatent, ignored, offside when the kick was taken. Not a Burnley fan specifically but they got robbed of a point. 2) Managers bleating about too many games when their clubs choose to enter extra overseas matches that are meaningless to the majority of fans of other clubs. A viscous circle of chasing the money in Europe etc., then complaining about the extra games! Latest Man City. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67753483.

My mood changes so not sure if that makes me average. I am happy with my small 4ft shunting plank at home and equally like watching one of my locos tramp around and around the club’s oval test track with a long train. The reason I rejoined was partly to access the “big train set oval” test track.

Noticeable in these very useful colour photos are the light coloured bits of stone etc in the ash ballast. What I remember from days past and the early days of the NYMR but so often omitted when people model ash ballasted sidings. Thanks for posting them.

Just an observation. Living by a rocky, west facing, coast the extremes vary from flat calm (First image) to horrendous (The linked to set). It doesn’t have to be a storm force day. Personally I would model it fairly calm as if you model a windy day everything else will need to be shown as bent by the wind. Some white in the ripples around part submerged rocks but nothing too extreme. The beach and the storm set are the same place. The images of the other extreme are here - a set of four of mine on Facebook with waves breaking over the pub!

It has been like that across the board in government funded jobs for decades. I’ve been out of it since 2008, it was toxically bad then and has got worse. Hoping things do get better for you if you can hang in long enough to get release from the stress with taking a pension.

A freebie scratch aid 1:200 card kit (therefore not too far off for N Gauge) is for the medieval Rufus Castle here on Portland, Dorset. My build photo is here. Link to the download files is here. https://portlandmuseum.co.uk/2022/02/08/build-your-own-rufus-castle/ A short bit also on this video from approx 3:30 to the end.

Operation went ok and on time. Still recuperating but now more frustration than anything else as still no driving. Possibility of busting the stitches. Back on the road Monday next week so should make it to the last club night before the Xmas break. I lost a parent a couple of days before Christmas so it is always a season of mixed feelings. Knowing how the false bonhomie that swills around at this time of year can make things worse just hoping those of you who are facing the black dog can find something positive.

Enough like a Hop 21 in N Scale to only shout wrong (if it is badly off) to the real hopper aficionados.

You will get away with the single grey unfitted hopper provided you remove the NE letters which as others have said is period incompatible with the lateish on BR era H C Concentration liveries. For those who don't know the House Coal Concentration scheme was a BR efficiency drive that means what it says in the lettering. Instead of single wagon loads going inefficiently into multiple small goods yards the coal flows were concentrated into bigger coal depots to aid efficiency. Take the NE off carefully and weather it. In a train it will need to be towards the back as it is not through braked so will need a brake van too. I am sure someone will know a more exact date for the start of the coal concentration depots beyond my memory of post-Beeching late 1960s.