brianusa

What is the consensus on these 'new' Dinkies? They are obviously better than the original in paint and finish, etc but they don't have the same cache as those from Binns Road. They are a lot cheaper though! Brian.

Good to see the railway coming back to life, Mike. Brian.

And I thought Horrabridge was all there was! Brian.

A treat to see green coaches after what seems a preponderance of chocolate and cream. Like the scenery!! Brian.

My father started it off with a Wyvern which after an Anglia, seemed a big car; bench seat, column shift, etc, but omitted winding windows, an omission I just couldn't fathom. I had a Vanguard but followed on with a similar vintage Velox which was a little peppier. Then I moved on to a Zodiac. All good cars for their time but I remember having to buy a radio for the Zodiac which was odd considering it was a top of the range car and the Vanguard didn't even have a heater! Brian.

A lot depends on your age and if you were a train spotter. When I first started trainspotting they were only about thirty years old or so and you kind of grow old with them. For me especially having left the UK in 1963, I never really knew a diesel so steam reigns eternal and the engines look just as they did all those years ago. I should be so lucky! Brian.

From memory archives, Ocean Mails at Millbay.. My mother was always a film fan and as a very small child was taken to Millbay Docks upon the arrival of a liner from America. No one was allowed on the docks due to customs regs so we all stood behind a gate to watch the proceedings. My nascent interest in trains prompted me to ask why that carriage had the big letters on it and was told it was for the mailbags that were coming off the tender (the little liner!). After the war, I was a better reader but can't remember whether I saw Ocean Mail carriages, by then my interest were the American cars that came over with their owners and sometimes even a film star on the way to London. Its hard to conceive all that went on when you look at the area now! Brian.

Surely in this day and age there is a flexible plastic that could give and return to its original shape. It would be tricky for working signals (case for colour lights) but would be OK for telegraph poles, etc. I have a round length of some sort of plastic that bends in my Meccano parts box but I haven't the faintest what it is made from.

The BBR was mentioned in one of the mags in a letter from a reader concerning the painting of pre grouping locos. The Bluebell is well known for repainting Victorian and Edwardian engines in original liveries while other lines seem to prefer BR black. At least they could be painted in the grouping colours so why the preponderance for BR black? Presumably the reasoning is that most enthusiasts today grew up and were spotters in that era. However, there's a rich historical value in the ability to see these old locos in their original colour schemes which would add a pleasant contrast to the rather drab BR black. Brian.

The main lines look quite realistic with all the bits and pieces lying in the track. Very prototypical these days! Brian.

The recent Cranbrook to Exeter Central is a similar situation. Brian.

Most train products these days are of good quality even for the most discerning modeller. Saves a lot of fiddling, unless of course, fiddling brings you contentment. Looking good! Brian.

This topic is so long I thought we might have got there got there! Brian.

Diesels - Western. Steam - Southern!, and you can't get more Southern than Sidmouth Junction. Brian.

Touch of the John Betjemans there, Capt'n! Brian.

That's done it! Once you start playing with trains its tough to get back to building again. Brian.

Hopefully you are right, Capt'n. Some Roundup to kill the weeds and a quick rub with emery cloth on the rails will work wonders! Brian

Thanks for this. If I could do as good, my Lionel Olton Hall loco would be a good candidate. Brian.

Any more pictures of this tour? Some pretty odd venues make it interesting. Brian

The more one looks, the harder it is to realise that it in N scale. Brian.

Probably more realistic for the usual Devon weather this time of year! Brian.

What you do with all the stock that won't fit on the layout! This is the Hornby side, the Lionel/American side is opposite. Brian.

"We're not in Brent, Toto"! Brian - aged.

Umberleigh? Near Roborough? Never heard of it! Bickleigh perhaps or is there a connection I don't see; a bit early for me! Yelverton had a visit by the Cornwall Railway Society a year or so ago and it looks like a jungle, a bit like Miss Havisham's garden! Harrowbeer was my learning patch just like Mrs Stationmaster along with many others. During the war, we used to sit on a high bank near the road up from the station which was at the end of the runway. Planes used to land right over ones head. Brian.

When I was very young(!)for some reason Granges were one class I really liked. Don't know why; maybe the name, there were a lot of them in the West Country at the time and now I look forward to the new build, Betton Grange. Brian.