wagonman

Actually that's almost too true to be funny...

Afghanistan. Where imperial overreach goes to die.

The Walter Presents segment on C4 has some good stuff if you don't mind foreign language/subtitles. The 3rd series of the original Belgian 'Professor T' is generally amiable tosh but quite entertaining. Otherwise you'll have to mine the archives.

That's just masochism...

That was definitely GWR practice. They had several designs of Brake 3rd, usually with the guard sandwiched in the centre flanked by a couple of 3rd class compartments either side. T27 is I think. Most were later converted to Van 3rds by converting the compartments at one end into luggage space.

That brake gear is indeed unusual...

I'm wondering for what traffic the 7-plank wagons would be intended, bearing in mind these are presumably merchandise wagons. The MSWJR works at Cirencester rebuilt a lot of wagons – and may even have built a few latterly – but most of their stock came from outside builders.

Perhaps someone should tell Johnson that Alan B'Stard was satire, not a role model...

There was an early design of GWR Mink like that – the BGS do a kit (S305K) http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/modelling/bgs_parts_prices_7mm.html

The latter of course! :-)

I'd be interested in buying a set of the etches too – have another go after all these years. Somewhere in my bottom drawer I have an EM gauge Black Alice – she really is black, with monogram so c1914 – which desperately needs titivating.

Apart from two tunnels and numerous overbridges, nothing...

Oi! My wife drives an Audi A3 Sport – it's like an ordinary Audi except they seem to have thrown away the springs... In practice it's no faster than my Passat though it is rather more frugal. Both have turbo-petrol engines BTW.

As someone might have said: "four wheels good, two wheels bad"...

That sounds a bit outré even for the Grauniad...

Don't give the natives any firewater...

True, the team are vastly superior to most of their followers, including (especially) the greased piglet in No.10.

At a time when it has become almost an embarrassment to be English I rather hope the Italians win – if only to stop the English banging on about their victory for the next 55 years. Other than that, I really don't give a damn.

A couple of weeks ago I broke a bone in my foot and called in at the local Minor Injuries Clinic for an X-ray. Needless to say I got (gently) chided for not asking exactly which bone – there are quite a few to choose from – was damaged, as if it made any difference to my mobility, or lack of it. Bless her, she's a great nurse though...

Volume 2 of Wild Swan's 3-part history of the MSWJR has photos and a drawing that may interest you. One of them – no.18 I think – suffered a cracked spoke so spent the rest of its life with a splint! They were handsome engines. I started scratchbuilding one many years ago before a good drawing was available. Might have another go if there was a good set of etchings available...

Telephone box? Now that is seriously nostalgic.

On the subject of awkward plug access, the VW Beetle took some, er, beating. Unless you had a special tool you almost had to take the engine out to get at the wretched things. From memory the van was even worse – the present Mrs W had a VW van we called the yellow peril. The brakes were feeble, the gear change like stirring lumpy porage, and all the while you were acutely aware there was but one layer of metal between you and the mayhem on the road. And to cap it all it was LHD. Crumple zone? That was you, mate. Ah, the stuff of nostalgia.

I remember opening the bonnet of a 2CV looking for the engine. Eventually found it cowering at the bottom of the large under-bonnet void.

Has anyone mentioned the need to carry a can of Swarfega?

That is no.5 which was the principal passenger loco for many years. It worked between Neath and Colbren Jc only, so far as I know.