Mike Bellamy

The Trent Valley Area Group would like to invite all members, friends and other railway modellers to their Open Day on 27th January. Please note that this is at a new venue. The hall we used last year is unavailable and so we will be at St John's Church - full details below. For many years this was the home of the St John's Mickleover Model Railway Group which I joined in 1981 and met Paul Martin and Phil Traxson who were both Festiniog volunteers and I was introduced to narrow gauge prototype and NG modelling. Trade support already agreed with Association Sales, Second-Hand Sales, EDM Models and Port Wynnstay Models. There have already been a number of offers of layouts, displays, demos etc and I will post these in a day or two Anyone else wishing to bring a layout, model display, demonstration, items for sale etc should contact Mike Bellamy by email mike.bellamy@btinternet.com as soon as possible with their details as we have a smaller room this year and may not be able to accommodate as many as last time. TRENT VALLEY AREA GROUP MICKLEOVER (DERBY) OPEN DAY St JOHN'S CHURCH DEVONSHIRE DRIVE MICKLEOVER DERBY DE3 9HD SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY 2018 OPEN 10.00am to 4.00pm ADMISSION £4. WEBSITE http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Admin/Shows/TVG3/tvg3.htm (Thanks to Paul Martin and EDM Models) Details contact Mike Bellamy 01283 733914 (evenings only) or email mike.bellamy@btinternet.com

. How about a 'workstation' such as those from Grange and Hodder as shown here http://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/store/p14/Work_Tray.html .

Andy York . . . . . . ! !

Some time ago I heard an unsubstantiated rumour that the Salters 4mm tooling had never left Derbyshire. As was mentioned in the other Coopercraft topic, POWSides continues to produce kits using Slaters mouldings - in fact this quote is on their website (but undated) and shows that they cannot be getting them from Coopercraft. The following are just some thoughts based on guesswork and not any knowledge of the situation . . . . but could it be the case that the damaged machine was specifically designed for the Coopecraft models and not Slaters . . . . . Slaters (for whatever reason) retained the tooling for their 4mm range . . . . . could Slaters have been planning to do 'sub-contract' production for Mr Dunn . . . . . . was there a clause in the business agreement that has allowed Slaters to continue production for direct sales to POWSides . . . . . has the business agreement so far prevented a reintroduction by Slaters but David White's email quoted above indicates that this period may now be over. All rumour and guesswork - who knows what might happen . . . . ? ? .

. My friend Paul Martin of EDM Models usually has them but they are showing as out of stock at the moment. Since the pound/dollar rate took a nose dive, he has found it more difficult to cover the increased costs of importing stock from USA without making things too expensive for UK buyers who always want the cheapest option!. I suggest you email him to see if he intends importing more. Details here http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Glues/gluestools.html#Tools .

. I sometimes help Paul Martin with his EDM Models stand at shows and it's impossible to say which coupler will work without knowing the height it needs to be set at. I recall one customer at Kettering getting a bit irate as we wouldn't sell him anything as he hadn't a clue what he wanted. Paul stocks 9 different couplers for O Gauge and they are all different in length or height. You must first of all get a Height Gauge as it is essential that every vehicle is set to the same height and then choose the length of shank. They are all illustrated here http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Kadee2/K8.html and Height Gauges here http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Kadee2/K2.html Hope that helps but sorry I have no personal experience of actually fitting them that I can share. Mike .

Try this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42271150 .

. Yes but at least you can post that photo the right way up - the Boss got his picture sideways . . . . . . .

. The Guild run three shows a year. 1 day Kettering March, 1 day Doncaster June and 2 day Guildex at Telford September. However all of these shows include layouts. There is a show at Reading (this Saturday) organised by a separate O Gauge Group which is Trade only. I must admit that I much prefer looking at trade stands than layouts but would there be a club or organisation out there willing to put a substantial amount of cash on the line to see if it would be a success . . . . ? .

. They are not building for the Irish market. Their subsequent postings in the thread quoted above make it quite clear that they will be for the British market - OO Gauge and 4mm scale .

. Perhaps you missed the comments at 9.35 in post #662 . . . . . . . If you hate it so much why do you bother going ? .

. The full details are explained in post #1038 on 30th October http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112011-coopercraft-its-fate-and-thoughts-on-an-alternative/?p=2906434 .

. Nice to hear me (and others) described as a 'Bright Spark' . . . . . . .

. 100 mile round trip to visit Mum in a Nursing Home and to do shopping for Dad. She's not recovering very well and he's never been on his own before - not sure what the future will be for either of them . . . Tomorrow clear my bookcases and pack boxes ready for our house move. .

. For a contribution to Club funds you could take the layout home with you - remember that Farkham is for sale after the close of this show . . . . http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126877-farkham-is-for-sale/?p=2877837 .

. HA ! Even the boss can't get his photos right way round - those 3D glasses have made everything look sideways . . . . . . .

. Remember today may be your last chance to see this classic and much loved layout (unless you have a Sunday ticket !) .

Andrew and Wayne Alex is on the Rail Express stand at the NEC and so he may not be able to respond for a couple of days. He has seen the pre-production sample but I understand that there were a couple of things that weren't quite right and so revisions were sent back to the factory. As far as I know we are still expecting delivery in January. As treasurer, I'll be spending tens of thousands of pounds just after Christmas and then hoping all those with reservations actually come up with some cash for us to try and balance the books and boost our building fund for the new clubrooms. Then we start all over again with something else to be announced at our show in May - deposits are already paid and so research is underway . . . . . . . Mike .

Nice one Chris - but a bit big for your Garden Railway you mentioned a few days ago . . . . .

Of course, the new lighting will help everyone get a better view of Farkham at the last appearance of this classic and much loved layout . . . . . Farkham is now for sale and anyone interested is asked to have a chat with the team at the NEC this weekend. Further information here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126877-farkham-is-for-sale/ .

Thanks - so that confirms my thoughts when I was there last month . . . . . . . . . . good news for those without their own lights - and of course all those with cameras ! ! .

The title of this topic seems rather appropriate at the moment What's next ? I ask the question as yesterday Hornby announced that they were issuing further shares to raise funds to buy 49% of Oxford . . . . . . . . See here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/108082-hornbys-financial-updates-to-the-stock-market/?p=2927234 .

I help a friend at some O Gauge and Narrow Gauge shows (Paul Martin of EDM Models) He has a hand held card reader that runs through an 'App' on his mobile phone provided by 'Sum-Up'. If he can't get a phone signal then he has a portable wi-fi set up on his laptop running on another mobile network so he always has two chances of getting a signal. Very rare that we go to a show where we can't use either system. .

And me . . . . . . . it's so simple to find out the person who has registered a website name and they haven't made any attempt to keep that a secret. Turns out it's a non UK manufacturer to the west of Neil's Fraggle Rock . . . . .

One of those posts yesterday was mine - and I found the details in a couple of mouse clicks. Better not say any more . . . . . . . . . . .