Not Jeremy

I really shouldn't be doing this....

283 has now gone to the printers and should be hitting the streets at the end of next week, I will put the contents etc up when it arrives in sunny Bath-shire. Meanwhile, in lieu of a cat, take a toad!

Last night on TV, this visually pleasing and entertaining series (this is part two of three), had an imaginative re-using of Bath Green Park as Gare Du Nord, just terrific. A mixture of clever digital imagery type stuff with the actual place, it really showed off what a wonderful structure it is. Bath has many faults, and back in the day would have happily knocked the place down, but thanks to Sainsburys and some imagination on the Council's part it was gloriously restored, including the glass that the Luftwaffe took out some years previously. I believe it is currently undergoing some repair work on the overall roof, great to see it being kept in good condition for future visitors and now even film makers!

Blimey, a "Stealth Rat" in the Forest!

Great pictures Tim. I don't know whether you knew him, but Gerald Quartley was signalman at Frome North in later years. An interesting man who was vastly knowledgable about lots of things, especially local industrial history, he sadly died in November last year albeit at the grand age of 88. He gave me a fabulous picture of a Bath tram which I hope to put into a book one day.... In the meantime I am currently building a shed which I am doing my best to make signal box-ish. I will not be calling it "Lockdown Junction"(!) Thanks to everyone for the continuing pictures and information, this is a really great thread. Simon

Well quite...

And don't forget that none other than Iain Rice did a "Railway Children" layout-ette for "The Count" in the far away black and white days. I have myself modelled Titfield in the sense that I modelled Monkton Combe, albeit without the film adornments. It was on a long "dog bone" shaped layout with the rear track hidden behind the scenery, Peco code 70 medium points on their foam underlay, a lovely smooth and quiet layout. Anyway, don't worry too much about what you run on it, I had a lot of fun, mostly running my Lima blue Class 47 with a rake of those lovely Airfix M2ds - it looked great going over the level crossing - again and again and again... Beee Barpp!

One at least, according to the previous post... Boom boom! Not Basil

Just published by Lightmoor Press, this is a magnificent record of its subject which contains a large amount of railway interest as well. David didn't see the work completed as he sadly died in 2017, but Neil Parkhouse has done an absolutely corking job in finishing it off for him so that we can all enjoy the results of David's incredible knowledge of the subject. My take on it is here Well done to Neil and Lightmoor for getting this published. Simon

Great things happening along the line now that it is back on the National Network, the best railway news to my ears since they didn't close the Settle and Carlisle. Colas driver's view along the line Simon

Ah yes, Percy Savage couldn't believe the number of times he belled that train through to Wellow from his imaginary signal box that night..... It was the Bass wot dunnit. No pictures of course, but the last train over the line was snapped by Ben Ashworth, who was by then living up a tree to keep out of the way of Max the giant cat. Which rather leads us to the story of how Marigold Horace "borrowed" Evening Star for the last train and was never forgiven by Derby, Swindon, Bath or anywhere else for that matter.... And just what has this got to do with MRJ? Nothing of course, these events all took place many years ago - a full two years before said magazine appeared. Still no mention of WH Smith, although based upon Life The Universe and Facebook I'm surprised we haven't seen more kitten activity on the thread. I wonder whether And Dell's Dagworth, for example, has ever seen feline action... Anyway, I didn't do it and it wasn't me, whatever it was. Not Jeremy

Max was a cat with refined tastes, including backing signals.... A bit later in his life he ate one half of a large fruit cake which approximated to what seemed like his own body weight. The results were cat-oestrophic, it was a good job the kitchen floor had quarry tiles, coz when I picked him up ex fruit cake went all over the place. A singular animal indeed, as are many cats of course. Oops sorry about that excess of alimentary information, still it makes a refreshing(?) change from WH Smith spottings..... Arf arf Magazine still not out. Simon

Your best answer will be provided by the book itself, recently made available at a bargain price, available from all decent outlets including mine: https://www.titfield.co.uk/Books/Wagons-det.htm#1765. Simon

Call me stupid, but I prefer to think that he is a decent bloke running a decent company with a highly innovative product that has a few issues that need sorting out. Personally I would dearly love to see such an approach or attitude from absolutely anyone involved in setting up the circumstance that gave us the horror of Grenfell Tower, or the utterly disgusting and wrong headed Post Office "Horizon" prosecutions. I have no doubt whatever that we will see no such thing, no matter how many enquiries are set up. So, to return to Vivarail, I think the current developments on the island are brilliant, especially after all the daft suggestions and doom laden hand wringing we saw at the beginning of this thread. Thank you to all the contributors who have provided such fascinating pictures and insights into what is going on. Simon

Just to let folk know, the next MRJ has now entered the production process and should be available from the middle of May. For what it's worth when compared to a "normal" year this puts the tally so far as being "one down" on the normal schedule of 8 mags per year, we shall see. Anyway, in another break from tradition here is some advance information, the best part of which is that this issue is edited and put together by none other than Iain Rice. It features an extended piece on the current 4mm modelling options for the N7, something of a team effort reminiscent of the old "No 1 Shop" feature - a great bit of Eastenery from some proper Eastern boys. Simon De Souza slow models Dromond Station (lots of luvverly bricks) and the Maestro himself explains how best to model bad track. Much more besides and I think you are all going to love it. I don't know what the cover is yet, but it might be a 3mm scale model based upon some of the other content. In the absence of same, here is Max the giant kitten chewing a Ratio telegraph pole just south of Midford viaduct. Luckily the guard was obeying rule 55 when his van went over...... Simon

Maybe, but Gordon Bennet, "Which" is hardly thrilling or joy bringing hobby reading is it? And, if magazine contributors were to put the significant effort that would likely be required into following up your suggestion, then as a consequence they wouldn't have time to produce other (dare I say it) more interesting, things and the magazines would likely be poorer as a result. Anyway, I just don't understand this obsession with comparison and contest, its a creative hobby not a best value shopping exercise, Gawd how boring is that? And RMweb for one is an absolute mine of information on this kind of stuff anyway - and its free!! Not that I have any fundamental objection to the notion you understand, it just seems like a lot of ball ache for very little reward for anyone, let alone enjoyment. Best follow Clive's example and build something...... Not Jeremy

When you get your copy of the book, it lists all of the various model railway magazines that "Aylesbury" featured in. There were a lot of articles as it was/is a truly great layout! Simon

I know just what you mean, and there are some truly execrable examples about for sure. "The Italian Job" is I think the worst that I have come across. There are exceptions though, I really liked the recent "Whisky Galore" remake, we thought it was well worth watching and charming in its own way too. As far as "Titfield" goes, I'd put my money not on a re-make but on a sequel.... Don't worry - I haven't got any money...

You are too kind!!

How so? I think you are confusing two things here. Retail gratification, which is manifestly attractive to many, is at best creatively neutral, whereas our Hobby is a wonderful and creative activity that operates on multiple levels and is available to anyone with curiosity and interest. No price tags attached either....

Speak for yourself matey!

Fantastic! Well done, the work you have done so far looks really good. I hope you do really well with it, you deserve to! Simon Castens

You're backing the wrong team, Mr Kohler. That's not your engine, cost them a packet if she's beaten! I wasn't me - I didn't do it! So long as we understand each other, that's all. Stop! Right, come on, as fast as you can... Well done Sam. All right, everybody, back on board. Oh a foul, a foul, a palpable foul.

Mike Fantastic images, thank you for sharing them. It is really nice seeing these older pictures of exhibitions. Apart from anything else they remind us of how incredibly useful and good digital devices now are at capturing images nearly anywhere and in difficult lighting conditions. In addition to the layouts (that river bridge looks especially good) I love the operator with his ciggie and the bargain books at 25p each. Brilliant. Simon

OK Cheeky comments about price aside, I have checked the book and your comments I think are fair observations. But what is less fair to David, his publishers and potential purchasers, is your implication that somehow the book is therefore "not good enough". Your comment about leaving it on the shelf and waiting for the errata in the next volume is pretty mean to say the least. David is not especially known for impeccable English or exhaustive referencing abilities, what he is well known for is his interest in and knowledge of British railway wagons, the subject of this book, and also great generosity in providing information on the subject to us all over very many years. For those contemplating a purchase, (even at £15.22 from "we couldn't give a fig books ltd"), this book really is a good source of both information and photographs on its subject, which is of great interest to many of us. It is not perfect, but very few things in this life are. As my printer once said to me; "Simon, nobody has ever yet produced the perfect book" I am a publisher and, believe me, the ease with which mistakes (even quite big ones) can creep in to a book before it gets printed is the sort of thing that can keep you awake at night. I haven't yet produced a perfect one, but I'll keep trying and I hope David Larkin does too. Simon