stewartingram

And of course Heljan originally were going to produce 4 diesel railbuses, but the Wickham never appeared. I wonder if it ever will (and the Bristol/ECW one would be nice too).,

I used to work for Pye/Philips in Cambridge. Now if you've ever watched the Proffesionals on TV back in the 80's, they "used" Pye PF8 handportable radios (they were actually empty cases), which apparently worked everywhere they went (not possible with a live one, they had limited range). Now the point is they were powered by a (to Pye) new-fangled re-chargeable battery. Think of an AA re-chargeable, they were that sort of size, but actually not quite - they sold more because no-one else made them. They were an all metal case too, no insulation; the +ve terminal on the end was like a present day CR2032 button battery, just a small insulated gap to the outer case -ve, the gap was about 1mm. Put a fully charged one in your pocket with your car keys, they shorted it out and burnt a hole in your pocket. They were only 1.2v, but if you shorted them out with an AVO 8 multimeter on the 10A range and the needle hit the stop. They gave 10A and more! One of my fellow workers shorted one with his wedding ring, that welded to the battery and caused a quite severe burn under the ring before he broke the battery away! Treat elecktrickery with respect - always.

Probably not fitted with CDL and their ORR has intervened 😄

There,I've amended it for you.

Firstly, Rafferty. Sorely missed but we remember the good times. He never actually ever tried to leave the back garden, so we always knew he was safe. Absolute trust both ways, we could do anything with him, a true friend indeed. Rusty is the newbie. Found in the grounds of the local school, taken to the vet where a friend of my daughter worked. She called us and said do you want him (we weren't looking), Within a couple of hours he was 'home'. He was immediately attracted to us when we met, we couldn't say no. Apparently a couple has taken him but took him back to the vet because he wouldn't cuddle. Now he never leaves my side, yes he now trusts me, but I've never known a cat that continually plays like he does. We called him Rusty because his voice is like a rusty gate hinge! He has grown fast but is still a kitten though.

We used to take our 2 cats to the vet for flea treatments, the prescribed ones certainly worked. Later on Raffertey, who was 9kg, was offered an alternative because of his weight - that certainly worked. George however was kept on the old type, which we then sourced online (without prescription by then). We pay about 1/2 the price that local pharmacies sell it now. Raffertey has sadly crossed the rainbow bridge. To the end he had to have expensive tablets to help him go to the loo, eyedrops available on prescription only, and normal (ie human) eyedrops, which are available over the counted. However, again we bought the latter online at vast savings. We have since gained a rescue kitten, he is now approaching 10 months, growing into a lovely cat. He too has the same flea treatment as George.

Don't take it out to reverse it and risk demagnetisation (likely). There are 2 ways to correct a loco running wrong way. 1] change the polarity of the magnet (I'd do that with my remagnetiser). 2] reverse the wiring to the motor brushes. If you have already swapped them and there is no difference, sorry, but double check that! Swap them again - label the 1st wire you remove just to make sure you are doing it right. If you swop the wires to the brushes it MUST change the direction.

I believe, possibly on the 1st batch only, the middle side door originally had no vent.

Ah, 70007, I had that from CBG to LST when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I can remember standing on p1 at CBG, whilst it simmered away in the carriage sidings, next to the freight avoiding linesbefore it moved over to pick us up. And then we turned left at Shelford, to go via Saffron Walden and Audley End! I have a photo of it somewhere that I took in c1966, in Crewe Works. I say of "it" I should have said " the remains of it", as it was the 1st Brit scrapped, and the cab was dumped outside with other bits of metal. How the mighty have fallen.

Sandy being one of my trainspotting homes from my Cambridge days (and I've never moved far away ), I am surprised at that dmu at Sandy on a Norwich-Birmingham! I never knew they wnt that way. I always thought they were a 'new' service in the mid-60s. I lived close to what is now Cambridge North (it was formerly Chesterton Junction, our most regular spotting haunt.) I remember well the excitement of what we thought were new services appearing, usually 101/104 dmus, Though there may be some relationship to former M&GN services ceasing in 1959?

I've ridden in a mK1 non-corridor BR coach from March-Ely, around 1966. I can't remember what the other coaches were, nor how many. At the time I was quite chuffed to see it and jumped at the chance to ride in it. Most local services were dmu anyway. I'm pretty sure it was a full 3rd coach.

So, no stiitting in a Mk1, but toilets locked in a Mk2, then you have to sit in the Mk1......

Just a thought, a different take on so-called excess stock, either bya manufacturer, or a retailer buying from said manufacturer. Let us assume the the business is ticking over nicely, and has a surplus bank balance. Now, firstly in the case of the retailer, he has funds to buy in extra stock, say £10000 worth (just a number, not taken from real life).. Like I said he can afford it. Somehow he manages to stock it, not needing any extra 'warehouse' space, so really it costs him nothing extra, he is not going into debt. In time the majority of it sells, but it could take a long while. Meanwhile his regular intake, chosen carefuly, sells as normal, fairly quickly - lets say £2000 worth. With perhaps £10000 worth of 'excess',. So he sits on £10000 of excess, which over time gradually reduces. But next year, he spends another £2000, some of which replenishes the surplus (having sold £1000 of it), the remainer restocks the normal shelf. This really doesn't cost him anything above his normal expenditure, but, the important thing, he could afford it in the 1st instance. Thing is, the number of retailers that could afford that are few, Hattons maybe was one of those. Don't forget too, some of that bulk will appreciate in value as time passes, as the items become scarce. Now for the manufacturer. A lot is said about storing surplus costing money. I seriously doubt that the manufacturer would need to pay any more for a larger warehouse, it would be normal to have spare space in the warehouse. But, they would have to pay for the production of the goods, and not see a full return on that for a while. However, it is probable that old fashioned thinking would expect to set a (trade) selling price such that the profit is made within a set period (say1-2 years), anything after that period period brings in extra profit as the R&D is paid off. Nowadays they seem to set prices such that the 1st batch is the only one needed before R&D is written off, along with making a profit on that batch. Seems an odd way of working to me? And then, if they can't afford to pay those costs but have loans to pay back, that puts the costs much higher.

No such thing as an important football match - ever!

Read their comments in MR 324 (April)!

Is this acceptable here? In the same style as the previous pic - a dmu substitute when Fragonset were top & tailing a couple of coaches on the Bletchley-Bedford trains

I wonder if the ORR are actually aware of how they are running the present Jacobite? One one think so, but are they?

Motor cleaned with WD40Contact Cleaner? I hope you didn't spray that into the innards of the motor - a surefire killer. Many years ago I tried that with an X04 and a different switch cleaner. Instantly better running, but it ruined the brushes. (I know the X04 is an open motor, not a can, but it has the similar principles of build)). (I also realise you stated 'switch cleaner' for WD40, not the 'bodger's tool' of the normal WD40).

I take it you mean the destination blinds? I can't help with the typeface, but the are available as transfers from Fox. May not help with a specofoc destination, but you might be able to make something up from what they do. (I have the same problem for ECOC).

I do wonder if there is a case for introducing a 2nd driving test, based on what I saw the other day. At the moment, you get your full license after passing the theory and practical tests (with certain age-related restrictions for age, of younger drivers, which don't relate to me so I haven't followed with interest). You then have to show a P plate from 12 months I believe. I followed a youngish girl this week, who was showing a P plate. To me she had developed some bad habits. She was driving at around 35mph in the 30 limit, and she turned off to the right into a side road. There was no flasher used until a second after she started turning, no use of brakes either so the brake ights gave no warning. Her speed didn't reduce much, and her right turn cut off the corner. All relatively small points, but showing bad habits deveoped. Maybe a 2nd practical test before the P plate is removed? Everyone is a novice when they first pass their test, they haven't driven solo before and have to learn more skills pretty quick.

That scissor lift looks an impressive bit of kit, sadly as new price is too much for me.

Further to this, does anyone have a mobile number to contact him? Reason to ask, is that I think I also put my mobile number on the order. Now where I live, mobile signal is not good (which obviously doesn't matter much to me, it is a mobile after al, which is what I want when not at home! I've had a few unknown mobile calls, sadly I've deleted records, but if some gave me his mobile number I might recognise it, or would do if he did ring.

I like the look of that scissor lift, do you have any more details?

2's & 3's - in my period they were in the 300's! Youngsters today....

"Hump" and "loop" are two different things. As described the Underground uses gradients to its advantage for slowing down and accelerating. However, previous answers up thread are describing loops, in the horizontal plain. I must admit, I'm in the thought of the entry to a loop being straight, in both directions, with the exits being curved (to the right) via the points, as a train starting will be normally slower. However I accept there would be cases for a straight through " road, and a "loop!" curved at both ends.