03060

Wished that I'd known you were coming over to the Leeds show Andy as I would have introduced myself. As a Leeds MRS member I was there both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and was on door duty between 2pm and 3pm. One day I will make over to York for one of NGS meetings, promise. Glad that you enjoyed the show. Regards, Ian.

Surely this is a typo ? .... and should read :- "Bleat is up and Baaaaahring any overnight gremlins" Have a good show,

I can hear those Pacer units squealing their way around that curve even now ! Looking good.

I came over from Leeds on the Sunday and was glad that I had as I thought that it was a great exhibition. However, I'm finding fuel prices are seriously crippling my finances at the moment and I'm really having to think how and when I use my car, even for local driving. I currently have a 90 mile round trip for each shift I work which is costing me at least £80 a week, double what it was costing me 4 years ago when I last worked at this company where the wages have not increased (nor likely to) this is eating up most of my 'disposable' income at the moment. Wigan was approx a 120+ mile round trip for me, approx £30 + entrance fee + sarnie and drink, so a £50 day out before I spend any money with the traders .... but this was the one (and only) exhibition that I was determined to make it to this year, 'normally' I would have gone to about 6 shows a year within a 25 mile radius and a couple that I would travel for, I had to dismiss the idea of going to TINGS as I just couldn't afford to go to both. I would also have been to the KWVR multiple times (just for brekkie and a dog walk sometimes) and the Middleton Railway several times ... I've been to each only once this year. Ok, this is just one man's current thinking and problem .... but maybe there are many others in a similar frame of mind or financial position and so is worth mentioning as the organisers ponder the low attendance level. I'm just glad that I'm in a fixed rate energy scheme until next Autumn .... and don't eat much ! I did have a great day out and thank the Wigan organisers and Exhibitors for their efforts, if you can afford to put it on again I will again be making every effort to get there. Thankyou. Regards, Ian.

I've been considering cancelling my subscription for quite a while now, not so much from the cover price point of view (although I hadn't realised that it was so high !) My main reason for cancelling would be that I find the photos consistently very, very 'black' in the shadows, as a litho colour printer myself they just look overinked to me, although this may be due to either the origination department or the source material (either photo or slide.) I find that I read very few of the articles but do look at the pictures before putting it aside, by this I mean no disrespect to the editor or contributers but if I was buying my copy over the counter having already looked at the content first, as I do with most other magazines that I buy, then I would probably have only bought a couple at most of the last dozen issues or so .... but that is down to my own personal interests and not a reflection on the editor who has to pitch the content to a wide audience. The modelling section isn't of much interest as I buy modelling magazines to satisfy this need. I usually buy several magazines per month, not as many as I used to, but I have to say that I'm getting more and more choosey as to which I buy as space becomes tighter in my house and my disposable income gets tighter. I'm afraid that for me Traction is likely to have to go as it is the only one that I subscribe to .... although I still like to see it when it drops through the door .... just in case it contains something that I'm interested in (West Highland Line, West Yorkshire in the 1980s, Cornish Clay lines, etc.) It's probably only because it is bi-monthly that I haven't bothered to cancel sooner. Regards, Ian.

This is the page on the Shirebrook thread that I was thinking of regarding the ballast but as suspected none of the photos are currently available, so a bit pointless now ! Sorry. Love the 1984 plan, I'm also collecting stock for a layout based around this period so this would be what I would aim to build .... but I have several other things to build first .... maybe one day. Regards, Ian. (03060)

There was a discussion on using this to represent ballast in some N gauge Sealion / Seacow wagons a year or two ago but I can't remember in which thread ... most probably the Shirebrook thread ... or possibly Kensington Olympia. Whether or not the photos will still be there I don't know, I will try and find it later and post a link (getting daggers from the wife as we are supposed to be going out !! LoL) I know that I bought a tub of it on the strength of the comparisons but haven't had chance to use it yet. Regards, Ian.

That shot gives a lovely impression of space ... which in reality, I presume, there isn't that much of. Great shot. Regards, Ian.

Very interested to see these two maps / shots as I travel through the blue box area every time I go to work to what I think is on part of the old Manvers Main site (not certain of this) which is only a couple of miles more to the right of the aerial photograph. I've been meaning to study this area as I can see odd signs of old railways and road signs suggesting a Woodhead route connection on my way down the B6195 from jct 36 off the M1. Bit of a trek as I live in NW Leeds. Although this area has been and is being heavily developed in recent years. Regards, Ian.

Any chance of an updated photo, please, Andy ?

The signal box, waiting room, water tank and siding layout, which from my angle almost looks level across the pointwork.

The station building side. My Fiat Tipo in the last photo dates these to between 1989 and 1992.

Not sure if this is what you want but I've dug out my old photos which I think were taken in the late 80s or possibly very early 90s.

Had a pleasant chat with Ian today at Wigan, he had already been made aware of this thread by others. I brought up the subject of the NE and WHL potential books and he confirmed that it is Booklaw who have the photographic material but haven't as of yet done anything with it so far so I think it is them we need to express our interests to. Whilst not my favourite of his layouts Glebe Lane certainly has that 'Futers Layout Style' and I was rather taken with his Heljan Class 25 which both looked and sounded great although, it seems, I forgot to take any photos of it !

Finally got there today having had a late call to go in to work on Saturday. Well worth the visit over the hills to the dark side and all of the OT earn't on Sat was spent with the traders. Highlights for me were Harlyn Pier, Shirebrook, Dallam and Newchapel Jct on the layout front and the long chats I had discussing the superb scene of Bewdley and a good general chat with Ian Futers at Glebe Lane. Very impressed with the hand painted backscenes on both Bewdley and in particular North Ballachulish ... which I could quite contentedly look at every day. Many thanks to the organisers, a good day out. Regards, Ian.

Good luck with the hunt for the signals Rob and thanks for this photo which not only includes the loco behind which first hauled me over the WHL but also my current 'subect of interest', namely a Mk2 BSOT which I think will be easier for me to model in 'N' by just adding a frosted window, some lettering and a short red stripe to a BSO rather than the Mk1 versions which requires quite a bit of butchery to a BCK ! Regards, Ian.

I'm also watching this one with added interest as I fancy building an 0-6-0 tender engine at some point for no particular project, it would probably be between this kit or one of Jim's J36's which you showed us a while back. As ever, looking good so far, Ken. Regards, Ian.

Nothing spectacular to report but I've been very pleased to see a healthy looking little female Blue Tit twitching around my garden for the last couple of days, these have been unusually absent since spring. Regards, Ian.

Unfortunately they are not at the Wigan show this year as they are attending Fareham show on the same dates, although they are at Stafford show tomorrow if anybody is willing to ask the question regarding any future 'Ian Futers' publications ? Regards, Ian.

Purely an observation and not wanting to reignite the great coaching stock debate of p.56 & 57 but I've just been watching the excellent runround scenes again from DVTs Class 37 Tribute DVDs and noticed that the Mallaig train in these 1984 scenes was made up of an SK, BSK, SO, SK, SO with the Observation coach being swapped from end to end of the other stock for the reverse direction. I was concerned that I also had too many SKs in my collection but maybe not. The main reason for posting though (and relates to the operation of Fort William in model form as well as in reality) is that the 2nd movement in the sequence in Vol.2 has always puzzled me slightly in that 37039 appears from siding 1 and reverses into platform 1 from where it disappears completely, next scene has 37178 appearing at the same position in platform 1 and completes all of the following stock shunting movements, I presume that 37039 has shunted the Mallaig train from platform 1 to siding 1 (releasing 37178) before 37112 is seen leaving platform 2 in the opening shots and has headed up to Tom-na-Faire depot. My question being .... can movements from Fort William station up to Mallaig Junction 'only' be made under the directives of the colour light signals from either platforms 1 or 2 and not directly from either of the sidings ? Open to anybody who understands these things ! Regards, Ian.

I'm another massive fan of Ian's layouts and books, one signed copy which he willingly did at an exhibition somewhere. I asked him about the West Highland book a few years ago, I think he said that the bulk of the information was with the publishers but he didn't know if or when anything might get published so maybe it is the publishers (are Santona still going ?) that we should be prompting that there is definitely a market out here waiting to be satisfied. I didn't know about the North Eastern book but would definitely buy both, I enjoyed his short lived 7mm layout Kirk...... something or other which I think he sold on. Loch Lochy and Victoria Park were my favourites though. Regards, Ian.

Shows you how good my powers of observation really are .... I totally missed that whole album !! LoL Regards, Ian.

Morning Rob, Glad that you've found BREIDY 1986's Flickr site and had time to study his WHL folder, it's taken me several weeks to to look through it .... twice ! Regarding the photos that you've picked out here (which I have to say were in my 'favourites' selection also) I would like to add the following comments, please : Photos 1 & 2 - I wondered if this was around the area where the freight train derailed at Rhu with the old wooden bodied china clay wagons and oil tankers piling up and spilling their loads into the nearby field ? Which might account for the track renewal, I think that there is a comment about this on Spannerman's site. Photo 3 - The first wagon is a Mackeral which I believe were coded ZMV, although I have to agree it looks very much like ZHV. Photo 4 - I think that the flat wagon is one of the superbly long and low Sturgeon wagons that were built either with or without sides, this being the first non-sided one that I've come across on the WHL, I've seen sided versions sneaking into photos at Bridge of Orchy and Tom-na-Faire. The wagon between it and the brakevan is a Grampus. This photo has cost me another £50 .... adding another wagon to my collection when it arrives tomorrow .... just need a layout to run them on now ! Hope that this helps, Regards, Ian.

I'll show this to my Daughter .... that should stop her from getting on any long-haul aeroplanes !! LoL

My first pair of Catfish arrived midweek but due to my shiftwork I've only just had chance to have a good look at them in daylight and give them a little run on my test track along with some other similar hopper wagons for comparison ie Dapol Dogfish and Farish Sealion. I'm suitably impressed enough to guarantee that I will be ordering some more when different liveries appear, although I don't need many for my West Highland layout (still in the planning stage I'm afraid. I will also be trying to convert one or two into Mackerals at some point. I wish Osborne Models every success with this and other new wagon ventures and a thankyou for providing me with another Engineers wagon type that I can tick off my list.