St Enodoc

Only at one end.

Don't forget the new Cowes floating bridge...

Fair enough. If not, you wouldn't have worried about taking the photo.

On your own?

There's been a lot of discussion on RMweb over the past few months about the Peter Lawson collection of locos and coaches, not least on Wright Writes: I'm delighted to say that I now own, with the help of @LNER4479 and my No 2 daughter, five ex-GWR coaches from the collection. These will make their way south in a couple of weeks, when I return to Australia at the end of a short visit to England for a school 50th anniversary reunion next Sunday (no, I didn't think I was that old either). After fitting new couplings, they'll be ready to take their place in the Mid-Cornwall Lines fleet. Thanks to both Graham and Tony for arranging the disposal of these items so efficiently and sympathetically.

There's been a lot of discussion here over the past few months about the Peter Lawson collection. I'm delighted to say that I now own, with the help of @LNER4479 and my No 2 daughter, five ex-GWR coaches from the collection. These will make their way south in a couple of weeks, when I return to Australia at the end of a short visit to England for a school 50th anniversary reunion next Sunday (no, I didn't think I was that old either). After fitting new couplings, they'll be ready to take their place in the Mid-Cornwall Lines fleet. Thanks to both Graham and Tony for arranging the disposal of these items so efficiently and sympathetically.

My "agree" referred to this statement.

My friend and layout operator Peter the Cornishman uses exactly that pronunciation. He's never been a railwayman.

When I first joined LTA their head office was in the PSA building. Great views from the higher floors.

If you're going to do that, why not leave it level until it's passed under the road? A half-height bridge opening sounds a bit odd to me.

Thanks Mike. I should have mentioned that 4206 - definitely Cotswold - has lost-wax crossheads and slidebars (integral with the cylinder backs). The boiler barrel was also, well, barrel-shaped... From what you say, I now think that 4247 is from the Nu-Cast successor to the K's version rather than the Cotswold (and predecessors) version.

Here are some possible clues/red herrings (caveat - some may be due to different levels of bodgery between Graham and myself): - 4206's footplate is continuous from front to rear. 4247's is in two parts, with the join in line with the tank front. - The rivet patterns are different on the side tanks, bunkers and smokeboxes (hard to describe and I can't get a decent photo). - 4206's cab doors have a representation of a handle near the top. - 4206's whistles are further forward on the firebox top. - 4247's boiler has a more pronounced taper and consequently its firebox projects further above the side tanks. - 4247's cylinders have no backs. - 4206 has a better-defined rivet pattern on the valances. - 4206 has tapered buffers. 4247's are parallel. - 4206's pony truck pivot is in line with the leading drivers. 4247's is in line with the cylinders. - 4206's slidebars, crossheads and side rods appear "finer" than 4247's. Oh, and thanks to @Jesse Sim for pointing us all in the right direction.

You are James Watt and I claim my five pounds.

Thanks. Perhaps 4247 is by K's then? Any detectives out there?

Ha, ha, ha!

I had a chance to look at 4247 today. For a start, despite what I said above, I couldn't find any markings to indicate that it was a DJH model, so I reckon we can discount that. The chassis is a typical Nu-Cast style thick frames, tubular spacers design, unlike my older Cotswold 4206 that has an ancient milled brass one-piece chassis, shaped to take an X04 motor. 4247's body assembly is subtly different from that on 4206 though. Perhaps when Nu-Cast took over the model and changed the chassis they changed some of the body moulds too? Anyway, I'm not going any further and I think I'm happy now that 4247 is certainly a Nu-Cast model, nicely put together by the late Graham Bradley.

At the other place, that begins with C, I get "Three Threes Sweet Sliced Beetroot - Australian Grown in Western Australia" in in proper glass jars. Yes, it's not always in stock but I always keep a jar in reserve. https://www.threethrees.com.au/beetroot/

That description was applied, appropriately, to the Bluebell in the early days. The whole point of Bluebell getting to East Grinstead was for the National Rail connection. Reminds me of the old Punch cartoon. Passenger: "Return, please." Ticket Clerk: "Where to?" Passenger: "Here, of course!"

Well here we are at 1052 AEST on 12/5/24 (Mothers' Day in these parts) so I've decided to make my 20,000th RMweb post here - just because I can.

Interestingly, on my last visit to the UK I visited a large, long-established museum and as a UK taxpayer (company pensions) I tried to claim gift aid. However, computer says no - it insisted that I enter my UK address, which of course I don't have.

Sorry to have missed that!

That's right, it's not all that far from Darwin...

Do the Blue Pullmans count?

I didn't want to get too technical, Phil!

Not for nothing was W&H understood to be an abbreviation for "Wait & Hope".