John B

Excellent news, Graham. Which diagram are they to be? The "filigree" wrought iron-style gates, or the concertina type gates? As one who's wrestled with the semi-accurate Falcon, nee Jidenco, etches, I'm rather happy about this announcement...

At 25 quid a pop when the VAT is deducted, these are a bargain. I'll look forward to Hattons' delivery...

This just oozes character and atmosphere, Jim. Great stuff!

Current client is in the High-Tech sector (storage & data security). They ban: All personal email (Gmail, yahoo, msn etc) Any other company mail (my own company's secure email server, for example) Farcebook All photo storage (Flickr etc) Any pop-ups, or external banner ads (yay!) LinkedIn Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online They allow: RMWeb BBC Sport eBay Twitter (with Beast's "60 minute usage warning") FRMW Hattons Blogspot & Wordpress blogs

My old muckers in the South Hants MRS built a very fine model of Midsomer Norton & Welton (twice - in EM first, then "converted" it to P4). IIRC it appeared in the first or second edition of BRM, and later in MRJ. It operated in pre-grouping guise for many years on the circuit before being "retired". Before I left the UK, some of the members were considering refurbishing it again and putting it back on the circuit in BR 50s/60s guise - but that was many years ago now and I've heard nothing further.

Super job, Mark. Looking forward to seeing this finished and the clock turning back on Portchullin..

And that's the beauty of this Group setup - somehow I'd missed your layout completely, Jim, despite it being right up my street. For what it's worth, I think it's got atmosphere a-plenty, and there's no doubt where it's meant to be - you've got the sense of place nailed. Thanks for re-posting and bringing it to my attention!

China's getting worried about how much we owe them...

I'd echo the enthusiasm for mills. Either side of t'hill works for me..

How about at Victoria, on the LBSC? The original semaphores introduced by the London & Croydon Railway were also 3-position..

Was it on the GWR-owned / operated Ealing & Shepherds Bush railway?

Some late 70s Stiff Records incestuousness: Elvis Costello's cover of Nick Lowe's "What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding" is definitely the definitive version; Dave Edmunds' cover of Elvis Costello's "Girls' Talk" is measurably better than the original.. Meanwhile, in Asbury Park NJ, Mr Springsteen sometimes wrote things which were outwith his ideal vocal range. Many of these were "donated" to his old mate John Lyon, better known as Southside Johnny, who has THE most amazingly powerful and moving soul voice. Songs like "Hearts of Stone", "The Fever", "All the way home" and others wereat their best when performed by the Asbury Jukes,not the E Street Band. Other notable beneficiaries of Springsteen's pen have included Manfred Mann ("Blinded by the Light", "For You"), Patti Smith (the incomparable version of "Because the Night"), Gary 'US' Bonds ("This Little Girl"), Natalie Cole ("Pink Cadillac"), the Pointer Sisters ("Fire").

XTC did a VERY "out there" cover of "All along the Watchtower" on their debut album, "White Music", in 1978. Whether or not anyone would judge it an improvement on the original depend on your liking for experimental dub-punk.. - me, I rather like it. The Ataris did a cover of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" a few years back - just revved / punked it up a bit, and namechecked a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac instead of a Deadhead sticker. For that reason it gets my vote, however much I love the original. And I'll add to Rod's vote for the This Mortal Coil version of "Song to the Siren". Liz Fraser's voice is one that haunts..

There's a couple of other, more pictorial, books by R.D. Stephen available - still focusing on the 1920s / early 30s. His main interest was definitely the NB around Edinburgh & Fife, with holidays in the areas covered by the Highland and GNSR. The GSWR, alas, is very much the poorest relation in his books - but they are fascinating nonetheless I'm 2,700 miles from my bookshelf at the moment, alas - when I get home I'll update with the relevant titles etc. R.D. covered the pre-grouping, as well as the "Big Four" eras. Others of note: Henry (H.C.) Casserley travelled extensively in Scotland in the 30s - I've a few of his books on said shelf, as well. "The Highland in LMS Days", published by the Highland Railway Society, written by Jenkinson, Geddes & others, does what it says on the cover - and very well too. "The Highland Main Line" - Neil Sinclair, again published by the HRS, has many "grouping" era photographs. "Highland Miscellany" by Peter Tatlow (OPC) covers Highland and LMS eras, and is pretty much indispensible for anyone modelling the Highland, as is the same author & publisher's "Highland Locomotives". "GNSR Carriages" by Keith Fenwick, published by the GNSR Society, is the definitive work on it's subject. Many GNSR carriages found their way into other parts of Scotland, due to them being sold off for use as hen houses / garden sheds etc - there's still quite a few scattered around in varying states of disrepair.

Lovely work as usual, Dave. I especially like the metallic sheen on the boiler barrels and firebox sides - as Mike says, you've captured the "neatly turned out workhorse" effect to a t-cut. So convincing that they look like metal rather than plastic..

"The Big Roar" by The Joy Formidable. Cracking album. The singer's rather delicious, too...

Go to downtown Winter Park - a northern suburb of Orlando. Some lovely High Street shopping for the girlfriend, and the CSX mainline runs through the center of town, right alongside the main street. Some great bars and restaurants here, too. A good tip at Colonial - give them your phone number (hotel number will do!) and email address, and they'll put you on their computer and mailing list - and you'll immediately get discounts on pretty much everything over and above their already-discounted rates. They were doing that for me while I was still a (business) tourist, before I moved to town. It's also a fantastic place if you like cameras / RC / plastic kits, etc... it's only a couple of miles from downtown Orlando, (on US 17/92 and SR 50) but right in the middle of the Vietnamese neighborhood, so some great Vietnamese / Korean eateries in the area, too.

Colonial Photo and Hobby (N. Mills Ave) was my "pusher" of choice when I lived in Orlando, FL. Great selection, friendly & knowledgable staff, discounts a-plenty for regulars. Arnie's Trains, in Westminster CA, is my favorite in SoCA. Reeds, in La Mesa (San Diego) is also pretty good.

Agreed - the atmosphere is right on, the mist-shrouded hills beautifully minimalist and reminiscent of a "soft" day in the Valleys.

My first was "Pinza", newly arrived at Hull Paragon on the "Hull Executive", literally making the ground shake and that glorious overall roof reverberate with aural massage. Nothing diesel-shaped, before or since, has come close.

Now it's the new album from the Airborne Toxic Event - "All at once". Instant classic for their sophomore effort. One of the best new-ish bands around right now, IMO...

Hot off the presses, the new album by Steve Earle - "I'll never get out of this world alive". That could easily have been his theme song, as well as Hank Williams Snr's epitaph, 20 years ago. I'm glad he's not got out of this world yet, it's a better place for him.

Recent raves: Search and Destroy - old skool psycho punk from Iggy & the Stooges Is it any wonder? - The Shortwave Set Register my firearms? No way! - The Russian Futurists Young Adult Fiction - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart No Social - The Shortwave Set Time to Wander - The Gypsy and Cat Don't say Oh Well - Grouplove Hummingbird - Imaginary Cities Give me something - Scars on 45 Squealing Pigs - Admiral Fallow Shell Games - Bright Eyes And, of course, British Sea Power storming the Letterman show last Tuesday with "Who's in Control?" Off to see them next Friday..

It's lovely! Just needs a bit of weathering to tone it down..

My top 2 are easy picks: North Shields - Chris Pendleton's masterpiece; Bramblewick - Tom Harland's work of art. After that it gets difficult to pick from any number of Ian Futers layouts, Peter Kazer's narrow gauge layouts (especially Corris), Steve Flint's Kyle of Tongue and Reighton, Keir Hardy's Wibdenshaw, and Iain Rice's various inspirational efforts - especially Butley Mills and Orford Haven. Pulborough, and Ferring, also. However, my final vote has to go to Steve Howe's Roseladden Wharf, which was instrumental in inspiring me to pursue finer standards - and thanks also due to Steve for his (probably unwitting) encouragement to a spotty teenage oik while I watched his lovely layout at various shows in Yorkshire in the late 80s. I've deliberately only picked layouts I've actually seen "in the timber", rather than in the press or on the web. I suspect that some of the more recent additions to the circuit, particularly Portchullin and Burntisland, would be pushing the top 3 these days..