Not Jeremy

I remember the Hornby "Pannier" coming out, and ogling it in the window of Eric Snook's shop in New Bond Street before it was knocked down, and thinking that it was very nice. Your detailed one still looks great Tim, it is the dreaded Triang buffer height that gives it away really, another thing that Hornby Dublo got right. And of course the later Hornby Dublo suburban coaches were the right length - really lovely models in green, and very free running with nylon wheels and a better wheel profile than Triang. I had three of those, bought in Kenya(!) and sold them to Dave Webb to fund the purchase of a Ford Cortina. He's still got them I think!

This is sort of not quite in the right thread, but related. My very first model train was the Playcraft clockwork "Bishopsgate" set, which thinking about it would have been purchased for me sixty years ago - sheesh! It grew a bit with limited purchases from Woolworths, including the NBL diesel, the beautiful can motor from which I still have, (and hope to use in a new model in due course) Later I graduated to Triang with "Winston Churchill" and a large oval of track, and so it went. I have always liked the shape of the Playcraft shunter, and some years ago I cobbled together a sort of "modern" version, by combining an old body, the chassis from the Bachmann train set 0-6-0 and the cylinder and connecting rod assemblies from a dead Mainline 4MT. The result is quite pleasing to my eyes, vaguely "USA Tank" ish. In true "train set" style I could not get all the valve gear attached, but it doesn't really notice.

I agree, they look terrific Neil. For myself, I have a real soft spot for the Wrenn rail blue version of the ex fish SPV parcels van, and equally the all blue Thompson BG from Bachman is deeply satisfying to my eyes. Here they are, either side of a more recent Hornby offering on "Marshcastle", hauled by one of those hideously inaccurate Class 25 abominations(!) And here's the Thompson in the parcels and motorail bay of the erstwhile "Rowley New Street" Reading a lot of stuff these days, I do slightly get the feeling that a relentless pursuit of accuracy is bulldozing imagination and creativity into oblivion. Not that I don't have "scale tendencies" of my own, of course.....

Ah yes, "Kingsbay", the Peco iteration as I recall. Did you ever photograph it? I seem to recall that we all thought better of the model than you did! Simon

Well yes, they are, (Triang Hymek bogie centres) but do/did any of us notice when operating playing with it? You made a very lovely job of that Hymek Tim, it easily passes muster today, in my opinion. I think the old Triang blue pullman had style too, and has only fairly recently been eclipsed on all fronts. I bet nobody would do this to a Bachmann model though...

The Triang Hymek is very believable, it's one of this pair. Suitably "breathed on" by CK and with better wheels by Brian Clarke, who was the original owner. All these years later it still runs beautifully and looks very "Hymek-ish". That said, I think the Heljan Hymek is pretty much unimpeachable, a really lovely model.

Yes, it looks like a Class 20, dreadful looking things...

It was a wonderful event on so very many levels, quite possibly my most enjoyed ever model railway show, and I have been to a lot of them! Ravensclyffe is/was bloody brilliant, and the whole show had a wonderful mix of exhibits and a great cast of characters(!) I went up there and back in the highly convivial company of John Farmer. to help run CK's Bleakhouse Road for the weekend, and shared a room with my friend Steve Cook (who makes a rare appearance to Andy's right in the first photograph). Steve was also helping on Bleakhouse Road (talk about over-staffing) and we had a truly, truly wonderful weekend. And, of course, gwwrob was there as well, it was just the best time. Apart from the excellent company, the show had so much going for it, a great range of exhibits, the raised demonstrators tables, the "lecture" aspect of things, featuring several notable characters, even hosted by Steve Lamacq, and good trade too. I'd call it genius, and all driven by and arising from the interactions and associations forged through the phenomenon known as RMweb. I know there were date clashes, which didn't help, and then there was the Coventry match worry schtick, (the details of which I forget), but I was surprised nonetheless at how few RMweb members bothered to turn up, there were some complaints about ticket price at the time, as I vaguely recall. Truth is, I was kind of "returning to the fold" after a fairly cataclysmic bust up with Andy and the forum, a good many years previously, and was made to feel extraordinarily welcome. I dread to think what the whole thing cost Warners, and it would be rude to ask, but for myself if no-one else I will forever be grateful for being involved in such an utterly brilliant show. And then there was the post show meal and social - as good as it gets. And the peripatetic "Timmy two trousers" from naughty Steve Cook and oh how we enjoyed running that Regional Railways 153 on Bleakhouse Road, CK was most "impressed"(!) I was mighty glad not have got involved in the dreaded "ice bucket challenge" - respect to those that did. Thank you for such a good reminder of such a good show. "Simply the best", to paraphrase Tina Turner and Gerry Beale... Simon

I think this picture of my "Spitfire" built from the excellent John Dale kit shows the look and proportions of "standard" L quite well. I still need to add the sandpipes, coal it up and apply weathering, but is a pleasing looking thing. In my imagination, it was supplied to Robert Neville Grenville for use on the light railway that ran between Glastonbury and Butleigh, largely working around "Pomparles Siding" and the National Fruit and Cider Institute.

That may well be true, but given the little known fact that John here produced (against the general flow of the dead hand of G1MRA) one of the most exquisite (scale) Gauge One layouts ever, "Great Halviggan", and that Gauge 1 is even today firmly stuck in the boondocks, (as Iain Rice would have said) then I feel compelled to observe that he may well also deserve a bit of a slap for promotion of Gauge One at 10mm to the foot. John's Great Halviggan was one of the most exquisite small scenic model railways to have ever been created, in my opinion. It featured as "Portfolio" in MRJ 20 (back in 1988) and also features in Iain's "Creating Cameo Layouts" book of 2016. In which (P 105) Iain says that it was John's model that inspired and led him to his own "Trerice" series of models. The point being that "Great Halviggan" was built at 3/8" to the foot scale (1/32) instead of the bloody awful 10mm to the foot scale that Henry promulgated. Apologies, little to do with the current thread, but I felt suddenly and strangely compelled to chip in...

Thank you for flagging that up - brilliant!

Now with the printers, "The Art Of Railway Modelling", James Hilton's new book on railway modelling in small spaces. Following on from his earlier book, "Small Layout Design Handbook" (which is being simultaneously reprinted), in this book James develops and discusses his ideas about the artistic side of what we are all about, proposing perhaps a new way of presenting, looking at and talking about our model railways. "Lead Actors" and "The Stage" are two of the chapter headings, while the final section of the book takes these ideas and applies them to a new selection of layout ideas under the heading of "The Stage Set". As previously, these ideas cover prototypes and ideas from both sides of the Atlantic. The visuals and photographs are strong and James has also illustrated his ideas throughout the book with thought provoking "Tricks of the trade", together with several "Case Studies" from different modellers, many well known through RMweb. I particularly like that one of these was a "Cameo Competition" finalist, which gives the whole thing a pleasing reference back to Iain Rice, who so many of us valued and appreciated through his writings and ideas over many years. I don't know that everyone will agree with everything James says, but I do think this book has something a bit "different" to say, and offers ideas and thoughts that are relevant to all of our own models, be they large or small. As Wild Swan Books, I am very pleased to be able to publish James' new work. The format and style is strongly related to the first book, and from a publisher's point of view offers a slightly different approach to the "traditional" Wild Swan modelling titles, potentially opening up several new publishing ideas. ISBN 9781912038558, landscape format soft back, colour throughout, 280mm X 210mm with laminated cover, 104 pages, priced at £18.50. Due from the beginning of October, this book will be available direct or from all Wild Swan stockists and quality bookshops, including James' own "Narrow Planet" operation. Simon

Just to let everyone know, both "Small Layout Design Handbook" and James brand new title are both approved for printing and now in production. I am entirely confident that we will not be attracting the attention of the apostrophe police with either title! Delivery date to be confirmed, but I would hope to receive stock of both at the warehouse in about 4 weeks time. I or James will start a thread for the new book shortly, its title is "The Art Of Railway Modelling", ISBN 9781912038558, £18.50. Exciting times!

Available from Wild Swan Books in Bath, my take on it is here One way and another, it is an issue that reminds us all that there is only so much time. Left in which to make that model, go to that show, visit those friends or even realise our railway dreams, be they small or large.... Or you could keep trying for that killer put down on RMweb instead. We are very fortunate to have a great hobby, with so many great people in it.

Hi Ric the final proof has been circulated and we are just about to put the resulting revisions into the text. They are very minor. I have a price for the printing and expect to get the book out in time for the Warley NEC show. Apologies for what by now feels like a delay, various other things happened this year(!) Simon

Did anyone ever make a model of a Siphon in HO scale I wonder? When I say “anyone” I mean an actual modeller rather than a manufacturer. Gerry Beale’s extended review of the Accurascale siphon appears in the latest MRJ, number 298, which is out now. It reveals it to be an astonishingly good model, the particular type that Gerry has from Accurascale is the diagram O59 post casualty train conversion. In related news, at Wild Swan we are now working through the final edits on John Lewis’s new Siphons book, which will be coming out this year. I am aiming to have it out for the Warley NEC show.

Perhaps they will send you one, what with you being such a respected old modelling hector and a long standing locomotive luminary too. My favourite of yours remains 76043 (well you know the loco mean), no manufacturer of any standard will or could ever produce such a satisfyingly wonderful model locomotive, in my opinion. I’m not necessarily drawing comparisons, but it would be interesting to stand a Guy Williams model next to the same type as built by one of these brilliant new model manufacturing companies. ,

Crumbs!

Dear god, welcome to ready to run world and its stifling mentality. as I recall, the slightest research into the subject of the lovely “L“ locomotives built by Manning Wardle of Leeds will reveal to any even half sentient being that most were built for contractors, of which there were very very many. They were then very often sold off to all sorts of other users, who did lots of really interesting things with them. In the context of which, please could somebody apply some bleddy imagination and wit and produce, or talk about or at the very least think about all the myriad possibilities that this presents to us all, think of the things that exist outside of “strict preservation” and all the interest it might contain. Or of course, feel free to continue to complain about the wrong sort of trailer for Sir Berkeley, argue the toss about wheel bosses, display your ever so boring knowledge of different shades of green, earwax or what-ever! Sorry, I’m in a place that causes one to reflect, and this thread is losing me the will to live!!

A great choice, I built John Dale’s superb kit a while ago in 1/32 scale, I managed to wangle a short “wrapped” cab with an open bunker on “Spitfire”, a particularly winning combination even if I say so myself!

Just found it, upstream of Farenough, quite near Pewbick north of North Tatworth, nearest stop on the SERC Netherstench, Chunky Halt refers… Antoine De Caunes

Do you know, I think you are right. I will look it up!

I thought it was growing behind the caravan….. How is “Sedgevole” these days? You could show a picture of the loco to the nice people in this thread!!

Just a “heads up” that James has been busy and we have just signed off for printing his new book, which is an exciting and inspiring development from the first one - details to follow shortly…… At the same time we are reprinting the original, so anyone who missed out the first time will soon be able to obtain a copy. It is the same book but with a few minor issues from the first run having been addressed. Priced at £17.50, it should hopefully be available by the end of September, along with James’ new book.