Stanley Melrose

As a kid my Aunty, who was a stewardess on the New Zealand Shipping Company liners, used to take my sister and for a trip on the Overhead to see "her" ship, the Rangitikki in dock when she was home from her trips to New Zealand. What a thrill for a small kid to see over the dock wall and look at all the ships loading and unloading. Years later I spent 3 summer holidays in my student days working on the docks loading imported timber from the dockside onto the company's trucks for onward delivery. The Ovie had long gone but being close to ships that sailed the world still had its excitement. It's a shame that it had to be dismantled because it could be a major tourist attraction today and useful for those living in the dockside apartments created from the warehouses - and even for eventual access to Everton's new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

In the late 1960s I was Ford of Europe's passenger car engine product planner. Ford US decided to fit the then new European designed and manufactured OHC engine in the Ford Pinto. We had numerous meetings to decide how engines could be supplied from Cologne and (later) the UK in sufficient volumes to meet US needs. I still smile when I recall a Ford of Germany engineer standing up to advise the Americans that the engine had all been designed to metric measurements, including metric fastenings. Of course, they protested but he became adamant that it wouldn't be long before the US had to embrace DIN standards to ensure that US made cars could be exported to Europe. Of course they still use 8.5" x 11" paper instead of A4 but they'll get there one day. Stan

I trust you found the delightful little village of Ausfahrt which is signposted at many autobahn junctions?

£2.49 and free postage from Amazon . . .

Many thanks to all who replied. Here's another one that I'd like to identify (attached). Both these vans were in the Bank Hall Breakdown Train. Stan

Can anyone identify this van, please? I believe it to have been built by the LNER but I'd appreciate it if anyone can confirm this and identify the diagram number. Any other details, e.g. wheelbase, would be much appreciated so I can see if there is a OO gauge rtr or kit available. Thanks in anticipation Stan

Thanks!

Forgive my complete ignorance but were any Class 47s delivered without a yellow warning panel? I suspect not but would appreciate confirmation . . .

For clarity - the drawings I purchased were digitised scans and the copies provided to Mr Green were digital copies of those I received so I still have those that were provided by Carlisle. If anyone else wishes to have copies (strictly for personal use), please PM me.

I've read this thread from time to time with mounting dismay. A good while ago I enquired about buying a 4mm = 1ft kit for a 70ft Cowans Sheldon turntable. This was due to the complete failure of the Metalsmith/Midland Railway Centre to release their kit. In my email interchange with Mr Greenwood he revealed that was planning to re-do that particular kit. As I had purchased all the relevant drawings from Carlisle where the Cowans Sheldon drawings are archived, I offered him copies to assist him. These were duly dispatched to him and after a while I asked if I could see a photo of the revised product so I could finalise my purchase. Nobody reading this thread will be surprised to learn that I didn't receive a photo of the updated kit. Stan

Way back I worked for a multinational vehicle manufacturer that provided company cars to those on and above a certain pay-grade. The scheme was administered by a group of staff that was mostly of a lower pay-grade and consequently didn't qualify for the scheme. It was discovered after many years that records were set up to provide ALL of them with cars under the scheme and it further transpired that this had been passed on across several generations of staff in that particular department. The industry was rife with fraud in those pre-computer days but I wonder if it's different nowadays?

There's an interesting factor underlying the transition to BEVs. As sales of ICE (petrol and diesel) decline, manufacturers are going to have production facilities running at a loss so they will be eager to shut them down. Equally, those that have invested in BEV production facilities will be eager to get them up to full production to eliminate the losses they will be incurring at lower than full utilisation of these facilities. I expect a marketing blitz as reality hits the bottom lines of the car industry which will override customers' preferences - i.e. if you want a new car, it will be a BEV or nothing. In the meantime, those same manufacturers will be lobbying like mad for charging networks to be installed asap and everywhere. Stan

We had a 4kWh set of SPVs installed 10 years ago on 23rd November so how has our investment of £10,784.30 repaid us? When we get the FIT refund from the claim just submitted, we will have received £18,036.01 with 15 years of FIT payments yet to come. Truly one of the best investments we've ever made - and I charge my BEV instead of exporting the surplus. I appreciate the terms offered since those heady initial days are probably nowhere near what we pioneers have had and will continue to have but as John is showing it's still worth considering. And why aren't all new build properties being mandated to install SPVs? Stan

Will this change make P4 versions more likely - even probable? I hope so!

Nope, I think you'll find that all mobile phones are linked to the nearest mast whether off or on. The Swiss have kept track of their population via their mobiles since day 1. I have little doubt that our government "protects" us using the same facilities.

All excellent advice but I think he'll find there isn't sufficient space between the cast sideframes for P4 wheels set at anything like P4 BtB. I suggest checking very carefully before starting . . .

I hoped the turntable products had been taken over by the chap who has taken on the Metalsmith products but he hasn't taken the TTs which remain with Mr Smith who is retiring and appears to have no interest in selling any. A big shame but that seems to be a dead end. Stan

Many years ago a headline in the Liverpool Echo read DR FUCHS OFF TO THE SOUTH POLE His excursion was shortly terminated and he returned to his starting point to prepare for a second attempt - recorded in the Echo as - DR FUCHS OFF AGAIN

Does Gordon's family have a charity to which those of us who enjoyed his postings might contribute as our recognition of his special talents? I had a personal correspondence with him about our shared love of (and frustration with!) football but I'd be very happy to remember him with a donation to a charity of their choice.

Many thanks - it looks as if ownership has been transferred to someone who may be more interested and able to bring the promised products to availability. Let's hope so!

Over 10 years ago I was in contact with the gentleman offering these turntable kits hoping to buy a kit for a C & S 70ft version. Now it seems Metalsmiths and Midland Railway Centre have vanished from the internet as far as these turntable kits are concerned. Does anyone have any idea if the owner is still in business?

8ft 6ins and 8ft 9ins - compensated, please!

I made my first journey beyond the 100% charge of the batteries on my ID.3 yesterday. I downloaded the Ecotricity app and set off with a reported 243 miles range but knowing I would be doing a significant part of the journey on motorways so probably reducing the potential mileage achievable and needing to re-charge en route. I'd checked and figured out where was the most likely place to get a bite to eat and re-charge so arrived and found a suitable charge point unoccupied. Now my little problems started. The sunshine was so bright that seeing what was on the screen of my mobile was virtually impossible. I must have looked a right idiot as I twisted this way and that trying to see the screen until a fellow BEV owner came along and offered to help. He, too, had never had to re-charge away from home thanks (as for me) to the lockdown (and making no journeys beyond local shopping trips and the tip) so he wanted to see how to do it. Between us we managed to hook up and charging commenced so off I went to get my snack. After about 40 minutes I went back to the car and all looked OK so I decided to get in, put the windows down and have a siesta. A bit later I checked and it still seemed all OK so I went off to the loo before setting off again. When I came back and checked the state of the charge, to my annoyance it had been stopped and I reckoned I would probably need more to complete my journey. It turned out that in my getting in and out and shutting the driver's door, locking and unlocking the car I had somehow loosened the cable connection. I decided to complete the outward leg of my trip and see how things stood then. As I started my return journey, I figured I would probably just make it home with about 20-25 miles range left so decided to go for it. About 30 miles from home up came the ominous message that I had sufficient charge for 51 miles so should re-charge asap. As most of this last stretch to home is maximum 50mph speed limited, I figured my calculation was still good so carried on. I made it home with 18 miles worth of charge remaining and found an invoice for £2.70 from Electric Highway awaiting me. The car is now hooked up to the SPVs and my 230+ mile trip was a cheap day out but I'll probably seek a wider margin of remaining charge next time!

There are houses in the US for sale advertised with a half bathroom. The mind boggles . . .

You forgot the gallant Sir Bastepol who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War . . .