Not Jeremy

A bit of an obscure query, I am researching Great Western Siphons and have come across a reference to a diagram 062 siphon G which carried a large board which said: Tote Delivery system demonstration, or something like that. As far as I can see this would have been in early BR days. Has anyone any further information on this, I can so far find nothing. I will be extremely grateful for any assistance or pointers. Simon

Brilliant pictures, like a time machine! Simon

Going back to the chamfers, the "other" Titfield toad definitely had them: Photograph from my collection. The "main" Titfield Toad 68740 did not: This image is copyright of Studio Canal and appears on their public website, from where you can purchase it, together with many other wonderful images. Simon

Looks terrific - Summer double time! Simon

Nailsworth

It looks absolutely superb - well done! As far as the spring hangers go, I modelled them exactly as you have done when I built "my" W68740, so if you are wrong then so am I! I was working from the Toad that is at Bristol Industrial museum, which I think I thought was an AA20 Either way I will not be losing any sleep over it, nor do I think should you.

Some of us kept our milk outside, but collecting it could be hazardous... Why do I get the feeling that the caretaker is about to turn up and chuck us out of the building... Sorry Phil, it was Andy's fault....

Hang on! Thats near... And that's far away.... My pop up model railway exhibition in Coventry many years ago gave a good idea of the scale of the model.

But in its pre "buried and planted over" days!

As Kevin says, it was a bit of a time warp sort of line and the model of Waddon Marsh is terrific, right up my street! I love the prototype photographs too. I used the line once; in 1980 I took the train from Hampton Court to Mitcham in order to buy some Hitachi "Bean Can" carburettors for a kit car I was building. As I recall Mitcham station building was in a house that pre dated the railway. I used to frequent Platform Two in Wimbledon too, often with my uncle who had started work as a cleaner at Gillingham and was a great modeller and fan of the "Suvvern". The layout to my eyes perfectly captures the atmosphere of the Southern at the time, pure magic! Simon

Just chipping in to say that the book on offer is a really lovely production, very nicely produced, full of information and well worth having! Simon

That is a great little show, you will really enjoy it. Run by the same bunch of reprobates that set up and ran the world beating "Small and Delightful" over 25 years. Can it really all be that long ago...

Based upon the colour scheme on what remains, this was perhaps an action by the little known group Action for Rolling Stock Exactitude....

Fantastic pictures, thank you for sharing them. I think I have somewhere some really pretty decent pictures of the GWR building that flyover, shared with me by a friend who bought them at a postcard fair as he couldn't work out where they were. I will try and find them. Moved by this thread (and even the old GWR) here is a shot of a box that wasn't photographed much, Limpley Stoke, which was closed when the MAS scheme was introduced through Bath. Taken by the late Mervyn Halbrook, who was signalman here and later on at Bradford Junction. Mervyn was on duty when "Lion" first arrived to make the Titfield Thunderbolt, and was a fund of good stories and a very decent bloke. The original photos are with his daughter now, and I don't think this has been seen before. I'd appreciate it if it weren't copied everywhere else, but then again it is great to share these images so if any does then please at least attribute it properly to Mervyn Halbrook. This is a great thread, thank you to all contributors! Simon

Regarding the reinstatement of the whole route, the forum attached to the "Join Up" website that I mentioned some while ago has now been set up. Join Up Should any of you wish to join in, then you will need to register to access the forum.

I have just caught up with this absolutely stunning project via a conversation with Jerry Queensquare Clifford. Everything you'd expect in terms of artistry, originality and skill from the man who brought us Blea Moor and Laramie. In fact I think it might just be genius, pure and simple. Simon

I ventured out today, it being a good friend's funeral and not currently having a vehicle, and it proved to be a bit of an adventure. It started well when the nice man in the ticket office gave me a free 1st class ticket to Chippenham as their machine went doolally when he attempted to sell me a standard return, only a single mind, but that didn't matter as it happened. A long wait, whole system restricted to 50mph max, the Westbury train before ours went via Thingley, first call Trowbridge, as line blocked by a fallen tree near Bradford on Avon. This was a 158 unit, seen here loading at Bath running c 15 minutes late. I saw two trains run in on the down line while waiting, one from Westbury, the other from London. Our train then ran in, this was the advertised 10.13 but running c 20 minutes late. We ran (sensibly) at reduced speed throughout, but what was a bit odd was drawing to a complete stand at Thingley and then crawling in to Chippenham. Thingley Junction from the train, usually passed in a flash. I got a lift from friends to the funeral at Semington, we passed a fallen tree along the road causing quite a queue, although there was little traffic about. Ceremony nice, it was Ivor Hill, a member of Westinghouse MRC and a lovely man, he was a bus driver when I was a kid in Chippenham, I remembered him up in his cab and he used to assure me that he remembered me too(!) Got a lift back to Chippenham, I didn't go to the wake as I was concerned about getting home. I was dropped off at Chippenham Station, where the very helpful staff were dealing with the unfolding situation. A train for Bath was due in, albeit running late, and there was a London bound train on the up platform. While I was there, at about 1.30 I think, the news came through that all trains were now stopped and a review would take place at 2.00pm. The staff on Chippenham station were absolutely exemplary in their calm, helpful and kind approach to everyone and everything, myself included. I decided at that point to trust to shanks pony, and thought I might manage to hitch a lift some or part of the way(!) It's quite a long way from Chippenham to Bath(easton)....... Here's the underpass beneath the railway at Rowden Hill; A nice sky with pylons at Copenacre; Box Tunnel from an angle and position that would normally get you mown down by traffic; The site of Box Station; Well I didn't see any trains running, there were no buses and no b*gger gave me a lift, so several miles and a hailstorm later I eventually got back home. My feet hurt and it was an insane day on which to go out, but I'm glad I went to remember Ivor, and the cup of tea when I got back tasted very nice. Here's the picture of Ivor from the order of service - he would have chuckled at my bus-less journey! Simon

You really should keep away from those Gauge One layouts

Oh Yes.... Porcy Mane! Note, this was actually based on Sid, a label purchaser in Heinz who was an entertainer in the evening around Hayes and Harlington, a wearer of fine lime green Crimplene suits and chunky gold rings.

I love it when you talk dirty......

That is so funny, thank you very much!

Quite right, don't know what came over me, must be the influence of that Mayonnaise at lunchtime(!) Thinking about it though, yes we did call them school dinners, and lunch is a word that has an ever so slightly irritatingly pretentious air about it. I'm not entirely sure about "supper" either....

Very sad, a very knowledgable chap and generous with information. But am I the only one to have also found him to be a bit of a "rum" character? A visit to home of O Gauge circa 1978 saw him selling me some parts that he would have known I'd never use. They are still in the same cigar box I carefully placed them in all those years ago... RIP Philip

Hang on Porcy, I know what you mean, but even today a small amount of the aforementioned M stuff transformed my lunchtime sandwich into something that was nearly nice. Mind you, it wouldn't have done anything for the stale bread marmite sandwiches we got given for school lunch. (I'm so glad my Mum can't read this - she'd be really cross!) I've just had another thought though, has anyone else noticed how it is nearly impossible to wash the M stuff off spoons etc, it does make you wonder what it does when it gets inside you A bit like STP on old engines I expect... Are we there yet?

I have just two thoughts in response to recent developments; haricot cuits and potage.....