Clearwater

On Blackadder, Fry went to Cambridge whilst Atkinson was at Oxford...

If these puns continue, I'll have to consider stopping following this thread. If I do, thanks for the mammaries

This is really serious for Cameron. If he doesn't stop hamming it up, he'll be gone by Hogmanay

I have just been through Peterborough on the train. I prefer Gilbert's version....

Our local one closed a couple of years ago but had been running down for a while. I now go to a shop in Chelmsford but to be honest,I've not looked at train set prices there. They tend to be competitive on other items though and, in common with the non box shifters, does have some long sold out elsewhere items which I appreciate. The nearest place to me selling Hornby trains is Hawkins bazaar in Westfield shopping centre. Their prices seem full - eg western master set for 150 compared to 120 at a popular Liverpool shop.

To illustrate stationmaster's point, I was given a copy of the current Argos catalogue. Three Hornby items in it: 1) R1155 dcc pendolino set for gbp149.99 cf previous catalogue price of 179.99 2) No r number "Western Messenger" 'this includes a smart four wheel locomotive, a selection of wagons and a small coach. The oval of track with siding add operational interest as wagons are shunted to and fro' advertised as half price at 69.99 with previous online price of 139.99 Loco is a 0-4-0 in gwr green with Truro written in its tanks 3) Tornado Pullman Express. 60163 plus three (railroad I assume ) Pullmans. Priced at 99.99 down from 149.99 My son, who's three and half, has asked for item 3. Actually I don't think that's bad value and I'm impressed that he picked the best option of the three!

Brings to mind my apocryphal granny "if you've nothing nice to say, say 'owt" To the OP - good for you. It's your life, do what you want, not what others want you to do. Your true friends and family will support you.

Agreed but think of it this way, each one of those they sell at full price keeps the price of the King and collet coaches etc down

Not sure if it's appropriate to 'like' engines awaiting scrap. Even if we know that eventually there's a happier outcome!

It's catching. There's this at Paddington this morning https://twitter.com/oxfordshaun/status/645139786529906688

At least he was Swindon trained !

It's on loan from a shop and you're reviewing it for a magazine?

One of kernow's delivery companies will deliver to my local newsagent- most useful...

Bravely/foolishly/wisely (delete as applicable) I took my wife into the Hornby shop in Swindon, spying a two for one offer on coaches, I selected some ex-Lms blood/custards to add to my collection. My wife said "don't you already have some of those?" Fortunately the shop has a handy set of hawksworth coaches next to it. She thought they looked absolutely the same and was at a complete loss why I needed Midland region coaches in addition to western region and completely missed the differences I pointed out to her. She also thought a 56xx was a pannier this morning. I'm not wholly sure it is in my interest to educate her on the finer points...

I think so but as I caveat may be apocryphal

Thanks for the advice guys. Am investigating under floor options..

Not to mention O2s, 14/48xx, 5043 and 34051. Lms red l&y tank. Still a few items on wish list from prior years as well. A GWR liveried castle (not with hawks worth tender) etc Medium term radar: 47xx, Merchant Navy, kernow d6xx, rail motor, new Hornby gwr and southern coaches. Storage is also an issue. I'm thinking of following the great escape example and creating holes in back of my wardrobe....

On another thread, it was implied some magazines have review samples (cf S15). Prob on the same boat as those...

I'll bite. Great shot. Just thinking of the angles, if you moved a few degrees anticlockwise, could you hide the wall corner with the hose from the water column?

Ha! My favourite (real - allegedly although may be apocryphal) unfortunate acronym was the newly incorporated "City University of Newcastle upon Tyne." Story goes they had stationary printed before they realised. In mine above, the 'H' was a bit of a stretch to make the spelling of the acronym work. Thinking about it, given submariners often grow beards, I could have made it the "Hirsute Officers, Lieutenants and EnsignS." I'll get my hat and coat

I'm afraid further bad news has reached me about the HMS Margate. The Association of Retired Submarine Engineers, Honourary Officers, Lieutenants and EnsignS has written to me to say that they are believe HMS Margate is not faithful to the prototype. Apparently the bulbous nose shape is approximately 1.2 degrees out. more worryingly, the satellite pictures from google earth quite clearly show a riveted design whereas given HMS Margate has had its deck guns removed (guns being deemed an unnecessary addition to a naval ship given the recent success in commissioning an aircraft carrier without aircraft). On the prototype, decks guns were only removed on the all welded design. RMWebbers have expressed extreme surprise at the quality of the QC processes in Chinese shipyards that could have missed such basic details and are consequently looking forward to major discounts at all major retailers. [Edit: with apologies to any real ex-submariners. Not a job I could do!]

Scanning through this debate, it seems to me that any manual operator intervention at a show could be a good thing. It provides a natural break for the audience to ask why are you doing that? What's the reason it's operated like this? Let's face facts that if you're under 50, you've probably never seen steam outside the preservation era and have unlikely seen the small scale shunting operations of a goods yard. If you're under 30, you may not even have seen much loco hauled passenger trains either. Hands free is all very well but can leave the public /operator barrier very much in place.

I had to go to a wedding in Cheltenham last year. Concur with the access issues. I drove from London with a detour via Steam at Swindon. However, my wife couldn't have the day off work so had to get public transport. Naively, thinking back to the flyer, I thought there'd be a comparatively fast train from London. Sadly not. Took her a ridiculous amount of time to do the journey.

I think you're being too harsh on yourself re the curve effect of the engine coming out from under the bridge. For those of us who don't know the protype well enough to judge, I think the curve almost helps show more of the loco and the glimpse of the red carriage gives a tantalising sense of anticipation of the rest of the rake to follow. Even on the third photo where you comment that you should have placed other stock to block the view of the end of the carriages, I don't think it matters. I know that it's really the same train coming around the corner but in my imagination, that's another express speeding off in the distance Layouts like yours set the goal to which we all aspire.

Whether by accident or design, the ability to use the ex-goods yard at Kiddi means the SVR is spared the curse of many heritage lines of inadequate parking (as well as having excellent rail access). Even with lower car usage levels in the 80s, parking was always terrible at either Bewdley or Bridgnorth. Equally, Kiddiminster station is very handily situated for main road access