2750Papyrus

Thinking about this problem on Christmas Eve, I wondered whether the new J72 is allergic to feedback controllers (I use Gaugemaster) and emailed the supplier to ask what they test on. I had an email on my return from visiting family over Christmas to say they test ran the model for 20 minutes using a straightforward GM controller. I therefore hooked up an old H & M Duette to my layout and the loco ran sweetly and quietly (though not slowly), even on half-wave rectification! It therefore looks as if my suspicion is correct. I have checked the instructions and there is no warning about the use of feedback controllers. (The only warnings are about sharp radius curves and not to use DCC fitted locos on analogue DC layouts with electronic track cleaners). I wonder whether Daddyman and other users experiencing problems are also using feedback controllers, and whether Bachmann would care to comment? Also, would magazine reviewers PLEASE run review samples on a range of currently available controllers, not just one!

I spoke to the supplier of my faulty J72 on Friday afternoon and he emailed a returns label. I posted the model off on Saturday and it was received on Monday. The supplier, whom I have previously found to be excellent, rang to say they had test run a replacement for 20 minutes, cleaned its wheels and would despatch it that afternoon. The replacement arrived today and is complete and undamaged. However, whilst it does run, it is noisy and jerky at low speeds. Have other purchasers found this or am I just unlucky?

My LNER version arrived this afternoon. Very pretty, but....the chimney was lying in the bottom of the box whist the dome was hanging off. It runs, but jerkily and noisily. Inverting it the dome fell off and there is a lot of vertical movement on one side of the middle axle. I spoke to the supplier who was as helpful as always and it will shortly be on its way back.

Great to see another GN based layout, and I look forward to future instalments. I had wondered about the use of Dapol SR lattice signals myself on my own layout and think that they look OK. For me, the alternative would have to be Hornby Dublo! Would a signal located next to a signal box carry a white diamond?

Mine (SR brown) arrived today. The body, detailing and decoration are excellent and better than I could achieve from a kit. A previous post said the wheels were by Gibson - one of mine has a trace of flash, which I must remove before it enters traffic. My other slight criticism would relate to the slimline tension-lock couplers supplied for fitting if appropriate. Both the mounting blocks and hooks are very loose such that the latter hang low enough to foul uncoupling ramps. I hope Rails can be persuaded to produce more models by this method to give prototypes unlikely to justify the cost of mould tools.

The earlier comment about the alleged unpopularity of GW brake vans off their home system prompts the question as to what extent did goods brake vans venture off their "home" system in the days before nationalisation/common user arrangement. I would think that on short journeys such as cross-London transfer freights, they would work through. Would this also be the case on long-distance freights or would they have been changed, perhaps at the same time as loco changes? Were visiting brake vans ever "borrowed" in the same way as ordinary goods wagons? Just looking for an excuse for SR and LMS brake vans on an ECML based layout!

To paraphrase Churchill, who is Sighting and why does he object?

There used to be a Dartmouth training cruiser (HMS Devonshire at one time) for the provision of sea training to BRNC students. Later the role was undertaken by a light fleet carrier and subsequently by a frigate squadron. Budget cuts resulted in the abolition of a separate training facility, other than small craft, with longer voyages undertaken within the Fleet. Additionally, there has often been a "guardship" in attendance during regatta week, often a frigate. So there would be some scope for a warship in the scenic background (more in the build-up to D day). Additionally, the existence of a railway on the Dartmouth side of the river could have supported growth in the local boatyards. A number of minesweepers and, I believe, a couple of corvettes were built on the Dart. Did this interesting layout scheme see the light of day?

More than I can afford!

Hopefully saved by AGR.... Mrs 2750 is away at the moment so I thought I'd catch up with a couple of model building projects, working on the dining room table. I was too lazy to find sprue cutters to open a new bottle of Roket cyano so tried to open it with knife on cutting mat. Disaster! Cyano everywhere. Fortunately, the table itself has a thick protector on it but the tablecloth received several large blobs, despite the quick use of a damp J cloth. A quick web search revealed Glue Buster and I placed an order with AGR yesterday afternoon, which arrived this morning. It has certainly softened and removed much of the dried cyano and the tablecloth is now on the stain removal programme in the washing machine. So hopefully my bacon has been saved by the (usual) quick postal delivery from AGR......

Wasn't "hewer" a name also given to the lookout stationed on a cliff (eg the top of Burgh Island) to watch for shoals of pilchard?

How very "non-U" of you!

Wonderfully atmospheric and nostalgic as I grew up in Norf London near the ECML at this time - if I didn't see the trains in the this film I may well have heard them! I learned to drive on a Bedford similar to that being loaded on the car carrier, 3 speed column change and bench seat. Also a valuable historical record of long-gone activity such as capstan shunting and the use of wagon turntables. Are these films available in DVD format? Nice to hear "proper" music as opposed to musac in the background. I saved a 78 of this piece played on the Albert Hall organ when we cleared my Dad's house.

"Dear Lord, deliver me". A long time since I heard that song!

The phrase used to be "Queen Anne front, Mary Ann back".

Never really got into Subbuteo but we had another football game. This had a hard plastic pitch about 20" x 12" on legs about 6" tall. There were only 2 or 3 model players each side and they had magnets in their bases. Each human player had a "stick" about 12" long with a magnet at the end, which was used to control the players on the pitch. This was good fun but liable to disruption by cheating (particularly by my Dad), either by inverting one's stick (and hence the magnetic pole) to control the opponent's players, or by striking the underside of the pitch! I can't remember the name of this game - does anyone else remember it?

Mum used to very carefully cut it in half and share it between Dad and I!

I thought that the purpose of VAR was to correct clear and obvious mistakes, which would largely meet your objective above. However, it is not being used in this way. I thought the replays which led to the disallowance of Raheem Sterling's goal as "offside" were themselves unclear meaning it cannot really be said that the ref got his initial decision wrong. It used to be that the attacker got the benefit of any doubt - that seems to have disappeared, and the authority of the ref has been undermined. I rarely watch rugby union on TV nowadays; it has always been a bit of a stop/start game but is much worse with the use of video replays and interpretations of the laws of the game at every incident. I hope soccer VAR does not go the same way, but it is headed in that direction. Part of the joy of the game is the immediacy and flow of adrenalin - waiting two minutes for confirmation/denial of every goal removes this spontaneity.

Wittering

Quick, before somebody converts it into a desirable residence!

When my company relocated, I took redundancy, rather than relocating with the business. However, I was denied benefit as my wife was working.

And apparently a double Fairlie to follow - I wonder how many variants will be produced? The announcement talks about 4 small Englands but there were also two slightly enlarged versions (Welsh Pony, currently under restoration on the FR, and Little Giant).

For those interested, I would recommend "Escort", by D A Rayner. Rayner was an RNVR officer, who specialised in navigation rather than the usual gunnery and commanded a number of escort vessels throughout the war, from a converted trawler through destroyers to command of a group of Castle class corvettes. He thus served through the progression from obsolete WW1 technology to the luxury of lying on his bunk watching the plot on a repeat radar screen. His narrative is very readable, outspoken, humorous and very human. After the war he wrote "The Enemy Below", which was turned into a sadly US centric film

Please, please, let it be the V2...……..

Some years ago at a toy fair, I picked up a model of a small row of traditional shops, built from a card kit. On the base is printed "B & G (Wetherby) Ltd Fairfield House Sicklinghall Rd Wetherby", together with a list of 11 different 00 gauge buildings. I have never seen any other reference to this manufacturer, whilst Companies House suggests the Company is no longer trading. Can anyone shed any light on them and their productions?