brianusa

Over here at a local air show, a ride in a two seat Mustang is around $450! Just as good!! Brian

The famous links at St Budeaux and Lydford to enable service to Plymouth in the event of serious damage to the main lines. Both were in use long after the war. Brian.

Discretionary spending is up to the individual. What may appeal to one is of no interest to another so if one is interested in trains then driving one is the ultimate experience so be prepared to spend a pound or two. As has been mentioned, its for the good of the railway after all. I did my stint on an Alco diesel switcher over here and not having an enthusiasm for hard work, found that it was just right for me and a great experience. Brian

Its amazing how this site and our common train interest means a lot no matter if we live up the street or the other side of the world. We get concerned when a regular misses a post or two, so for some it means a longish wait until another post shows up. C'mon Phil! Brian.

Tis is happening on US E Bay O gauge also. They really need to make it easier to report such incidents; I know, spoof @E Bay.com, but it needs a clickable entry for immediate notification. E Bay like many others, F/Book, etc, guard their privacy jealously when a simple E Mails would answer a lot of questions instead of jumping through the hoops to get anywhere! Brian.

Interesting picture, never seen it before! Brian.

Weeds never seem to give up at Bodmin Road. However, NRs weed train seems to give up knocking off weeds easily! Every time we visit the weeds are there most usually on the Down line for some reason. Brian Brian.

In view of what the Pentewan Railway was all about, most likely it was basic black. What they transported would soon dirty up any loco and pictures, even black and white would confirm this. It is doubtful if anything like fancy lining would have been employed as the PR was not very rich. If this question had come up a few years earlier, my Grandmother would have had the answer as the railway passed by her old home in Polgooth and she used to tell me of the railway. Sadly she didn't mention any colours! Brian.

Its more than logical to have the third rail 'live,' as in my O layout the o/s rails are the return conductors for working accessories, etc. Besides the 'real ' railway has a live centre rail! Brian.

Quite a sylvan scene and the track certainly looks in better shape than in time past. Brian.

Thanks Gary, often wondered what it was like there. Brian.

From the description of the layout, it was intended to be a watch the trains go around type layout along with a few necessities needed for this operation; station, sidings, etc. My Dublo days ended years ago but now I have an O gauge tinplate layout that follows the same need and description as this one; somewhere to watch the trains. This one does so admirably in the space allocated and while it could be extended for more realistic operation, in its current state it gives a lot of enjoyment. I've always wondered about the long sidings along the edge in a lot of Dublo layouts, especially far from existing stations, etc. It would seem the space could be put to better use but they are invariably prevalent.. I suppose they could be considered refuge sidings for parking trains.. Also, T/Ts are nice but they take up a lot of room, IMO better to have a couple of sidings with an engine shed and use the other space for goods or carriage sidings and perhaps doing away with one main station building. On the other hand , do exactly what you want to do and enjoy it! Brian.

City of Churston? Hmmm!! Brian

Fixed or not! Brian.

I wouldn't say I was flabbergasted but certainly surprised. It would be great to think of its success, but that's what all train enthusiasts think, otherwise they wouldn't be enthusiasts. But the public are a fickle lot; all for it to start with but do they support it over the long haul. All it would take are a few delays, leaves on the track or some other excuse and they would be back in their cars, congestion or no. If that what should not be mentioned, ever comes to pass and the line is open all the way then perhaps as an entity, it might achieve some success. There again maybe not! Brian.

For New Zealand, that scenery looks remarkably like North Cornwall! Brian.

Some nice old cars! This time of year, summer eventually arrives over here and so its time for collectors to bring their cars out for an airing. Recently a Triumph TR3, and an MGA showed up around the harbour, top down, blonde optional. Also several 'fifties American cars including an immaculate '57 Olds, made their appearance but there was no car show which usually brings them out on the street, so it must be the weather. I was driving my '95 Lincoln MK8, which in a few years will be eligible to join in. Brian.

FB like so many internet sites has its lovers and haters. I don't exactly hate the idea but I have no need for it as I subscribe to favourite sites that interest me. I spend (waste) enough time with these. When it first started I subscribed but over the years passwords have been lost and in spite of trying to sign in for a special need, I have not been able to do so. I write them, they send new password, I sign in with new password which doesn't work. This happens all the time, I give up! Brian.

Back to horses between the rails. One of the most lasting, if not the last, was the Lee Moor Tramway AKA the Plymouth and Dartmoor railway which most know ran from the quarries high on Dartmoor down to quays on the Cattewater in Plymouth. Even I can remember this being active, or at least seeing horses pull a couple of wagons. When the line was eventually closed, we were able to play around parked wagons and work the signals at the Coypool crossing. Different times! Brian.

Were all GW brown vans considered addonable to passenger trains? Brian

Hi Alan, I had mine out when I was five. Still here over seventy five years later and a lot of trains since then! Brian.

Hopefully that's not some early scrappers stored on the back siding! Brian.

We used to get off at Polsloe Bridge halt to go around 72A. Exciting times! Brian.

One I've known from an early age; Shaugh Bridge on the Tavistock branch. Sometimes there was a booking office inside to the left of the door but have no idea when or how it was staffed. Picture from an unknown source. Brian.

A little difficult these days to find your basic halt. The nearest these days usually comes with a bus shelter which is certainly not very photogenic and hardly worth the effort. The older variety sometimes had oil lamps, a railway wire fence or if you were lucky, spear fencing and fancier gas lamps, maybe even a pagoda shelter. Brian.