Stentor

You can see which IOS apps are not compatible with the next version of IOS on Apple device by clicking on Settings / General / About / Applications. This gives you a list of any which require updating to keep them working and invites you to contact the developers concerned to chivvy them up. I'm glad to see that the Bauer media app does not appear on myPad's list but sadly Doom does. // Simon

Chris, Looking at the digital issue on my iPad there seems to be something odd about the pictures of the layouts in this month's issue on the new platform. I thought it was weathering at first glance but if you zoom in they are very pixilated. All the other images are fine, including pictures in adverts, how-tos, etc but the layout shots all seem to be affected, a good example is page 20. I check last month's issue on the new platform and it does not have this issue, I deleted and reloaded this month's issue to see if the fix outlined in this thread has sorted it but it has not. I've tried turning the image from portrait to landscape but again it is still pixelated. Please can I ask you to check with the digital guys to see if they are getting the same issues. Btw this month's issue is very good, even with this unwanted blurring. Thanks Simon

Looks very good, always nice to see some ECR / Great Eastern modelling and on a different scale for a change. Good luck with progress and keep us up to date. Simon

Excellent show, plenty of great ideas and inspiration. Thanks to the exhibitors and the organisers for all their time and efforts. Stentor

To put a bit more meat on the bones about the Decapod I've dug out The Great Eastern Railway by Cecil J Allen. The Decapod had "a grate area of 42 sq.feet and the 5' 3" diameter boiler was pitched with its centre at 9' above rail level, provided a total heating surface of 3,100 sq.feet. With his three cylinders of 18 1/2 inch diameter by 24 inch stroke, Holden had to solve another problem caused by the position of the middle cylinder in line with the two outside cylinders. This he did in a most ingenious way by forking his middle connecting rod so that it completely enclosed the leading coupled axle, which was cranked by 3 1/2 inches in order to synchronise its revolution with the rod. So far as I know, this unique arrangement, which Holden patented, has never been used on any other locomotive" The testing was carried out at "a special plant near Chadwell Heath to give an electrical recording of the actual rate of acceleration. The tests took place from February to June 1903 when no.20 was run between Stratford and Brentwood, and at last after priming and other difficulties had been overcome, her designer had the supreme satisfaction of seeing his creation move a load of 18 four-wheel coaches , loaded with pig iron to represent passengers and with a total weight of 335 tons, from a dead start up to he prescribed 30mph speed in just under the specified 30 seconds ". As to why further examples were not built "for an engine of such power, the supplies carried were relatively small - 2 tons of coal, and 1,300 gallons of water, distributed between a well tank under the bunker and a second tank between the frames ahead of the firebox - but increased capacity would have meant more weight and that was not considered feasible. .... But as suburban traffic at that time was not showing any signs of increase, the Great Eastern directorate saw little reason for all the bridge strengthening that would have been necessary to carry a locomotive of this weight, and after a lapse of 4 years, it was decided to convert no.20 into something useful." Best regards Simon

I enjoy watching David Hyde's videos which focus on how tos and seem to have the answers to many of the questions that I have. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCf19i6XrVOK99d9PWJ9ZZrA Simon

I would recommend buying a copy of LNER Country Stations by John Brodribb, currently from £4.71 on Amazon. Split down by regions of LNER the book has many great photographs and plenty of drawings of buildings and track plans. There is a lovely picture of Thorpeness Station, in the 50s I think, with its 3 grounded coach bodies and a great photo of Halesworth with its swinging platform if you fancy an alternative challenge. Of course always worth a look and the subs to join the GER society, loads of useful stuff there. Simon

What's not to like ? I look forward to seeing this develop, power to your elbow. Simon.

The benefit is less overseeing from SWMBO or comments starting "too many magazines ...". I've never seen an out of stock though.

Thanks Chris for the explanation, it makes sense and Steamport for your reply. Like Steamport I pay in advance for a subscription, though mine is digital, but I don't even get the perk of reading the magazine in advance of Joe Public in my local newsagent where Model Rail is also usually on sale before the digital version is available. Perhaps a digital subscription is not for me then. Simon

Model Rail is the only magazine for which have a digital subscription so is it the case for other titles that the digital version always comes out 4 or 5 days after the paper copies? I've never worked in print but in this digital age I cannot understand why this should be so unless a printed copy is needed to scan up to a digital version. I don't know whether I am just being "lucky" here with the app. I do know that I find it immensely frustrating. What are other digital subscribers experiences? Simon

Please forgive my ignorance here but what was the idea behind self weighing tenders? Given that the water and coal storage on a tender is pretty finite and that their weights per ton are known why would valuable space be sacrificed for weighing equipment? Was it specific to one region as these examples are former LMS? Fascinating subject, any insight appreciated. Stentor