Clearwater

21 hours ago, woodenhead said:

A GW mens urinal

Come on.  That's just take the p!

24 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said:

Always did that at New Street, they were a handy 'base' for your bag & coat. In fact on summer Saturdays you had to be early to get one at all..!!! The trick was getting one with all 4 wheels in contact with the ground - a bent one that rocked on 3 wheels any time you moved could get irritating. 🙄🤣

 

Which was people's favourite 'end' at New Street - a or b? I used to prefer the a end, you could see stuff coming up the tunnels from Proof House Jnc.

Agreed re a.  End of 6/7.  Took my sons there a couple of Saturdays ago.  All seemed so empty.  No locos stabled anywhere....

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I recall a talk given by a senior person in a university physics department who did not have a higher degree. He said he took some pleasure in being able to say he was the only member of the department who had not been doctored.

I only hope he didn't profess his ignorance.

@County of Yorkshire Yes - they quite liked the bow ended coaches.  We'd got a seat in a compartment on the 1014 shuttle.  I'd seen the prior train depart full so thought best to grab a seat almost straight away....

@County of Yorkshire were you there Saturday?  If so, I was also on the 1015 shuttle ex-Kidderminster... Albeit we then went to Bridgnorth behind one of the standards.  Shuttle back to Hampton Load behind 4555, picked up 4079 to Bridgnorth.  4930 to Highley and then Taw Valley back from Highley (1601 or so)  to Kidderminster as small people with me were getting tired...

7 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Handy if you want to provide a social service, but less useful for selling stuff. Experience with a local shop suggests the seats will be filled, day-in, day-out, with the great unwashed (literally) who will use the space as somewhere to doss all day, and spend nothing. You'll need extra staff to entertain the "punters" too. Best of all (again, from local experience) the normal punter who will spend money, will be put off by the aroma emanating from the clubroom area.

 

Good shops know who their regulars are, and can differentiate between those who spend, and those who just occupy space.

 

</cynical>

If I was being even more cynical, those type of punters are the ones who often offer unsolicited "advice" to what they perceive as less knowledgeable customers which latter customers may find offputting.  Having a few times at model shows or rail events been "trainsplained" by doubtless well meaning people, I can assure you it's off putting!  Sales staff / shop owners may also not appreciate an "expert" offering "advice" that is contrary to their business interests...

Took my sons yesterday and agree was busy but jovial.  Weather was pleasant without being too cool or too hot.  Quite GWR focused (a plus).  Enjoyed seeing 4079 and nice to contrast the different exhaust beats and different sizes of the gwr classes on show.  
 

hopefully a successful day for the SVR financially and I look forward to seeing Pendennis stretching her legs on other lines too.

They also sell these ( which I actually think are quite good).  I’m sure her late majesty thought nothing better to celebrate her 70 years on the throne than a plush soft toy in a better shade of purple than the loco it’s imitating.

Despite statement to the contrary, on sale in Kiddi shop today.

Visited the SVR today.  Very much enjoyed seeing 4930 and 4079 in steam.  However, I saw this bike up against Hinton Manor’s tender:

Isn’t it a bit much to have a bike labelled to belong to one of the chief scrappers of steam locos?  Top trolling as the kidz would say!

I'm on the SVR tomorrow.  If I can, I'll ride in one of the older sets of carriages.  Will be intrigued to see how bright the lighting is in the tunnel section.

I am aware older carriages are darker.  Personally, I'm not bothered by lights on model train coaches.  If I've paid £75 for a coach, I want to see it.  I don't want to switch the lights off in the room and just see the carriage lights!

36 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

I am not trying to be elitist, or to 'dis' modern models, but it is a fact that the current obsession with interior lighting in models is the main thing that 'grates' excruciatingly with those of us who were around at the time in question; (don't get me started on 'sound').

 

If you can see it's there in daylight, it's too bright; sorry - but that's a fact.

 

I understand that manufacturers provide what most customers demand - but that doesn't make it authentic.

 

CJI.

How does the lighting compare on heritage lines?  For us u50s, that's the only way we can even get close to what steam era lighting would have been like.

Looks good Phil but I think you've breached Rule 2 of Railway modelling that buses should always be on bridges?  

Hi Graham

sure it’s been asked before but what are the dimensions of the layout both scenic and with the fiddle yard?

thanks

David

On 06/04/2023 at 21:05, adb968008 said:

one has to wonder why people volunteer.

 

my little one is fascinated by trains, and shes female, and as long as she’s interested in the hobby I will encourage her.

So after reading that i’m looking for my ELR membership card, as I will be ripping it up, and not be visiting the ELR again soon, unless I see any reason to convince me otherwise.

 

 

 

Without knowing all the details, it’s impossible to be completely objective however it does seem bizarre behaviour by the ELR to ‘ban’ a volunteer particularly a female one with a positive public profile.  I too have seen her tweets and can’t see how she’s anything but a role model. It strikes me that there’s more than a touch of the green eyed monster from the chairman that he’s not got the profile, the nominations etc.  ELR should be working closely with someone like Joanne Crampton to use the profile she’s created to benefit  them.  This does appear to be an own goal from the perspective of managing their own reputation.
 

I’m not local to the ELR so to say I’m going to boycott them is virtue signalling.  However, I wouldnt go out of my way to help them based on what I’ve read. 

12 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Adam,

 

She was 'promoted' ahead of (BR numbers) GOLDEN EAGLE, KINGFISHER, FALCON, MERLIN and WOODCOCK, even though she was built after them. One can also include GOLDEN FLEECE.

 

What is surprising is that four A4s were built after her with single chimneys. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony,

I'm sure someone here will correct me but I thought that was due to the licence the LNER had to use the KylChap blast pipe system.  I think I'd read that they'd only brought a certain number of licences so once they'd used them up that had to go back to building single chimney A4s

David

6 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

That's not as bad as posting on Wright's Always Right that you find L&NER Pacifics in general, unattractive...........

 

I mentioned it once but think I got away with it...

 

Rob. 

Wasnt that about RTR TT120 ones?  If so, you were probably safe...

Out of interest, I’d read that the Liz Line is achieving traffic targets.  Has there been a measurable decline on the central line?  Particularly Liverpool St to Stratford?

There are three castles in steam at present.  Not sure about 5029 and whether it will steam again but if you’re GWS, surely you’d think it was less time and effort to steam 5051 again.  The “best’ 7027 could hope for is a cosmetic restoration.  Much as I like castles, I fear 7027 is in the same category at the merchant navies that remain pretty much in Barry condition.  I doubt they’ll ever steam again either.

42 minutes ago, micklner said:

 

 

It does makes me wonder how makers sell any kits at all nowdays. Kits are becoming very uneconomic/viable to many people, as way of modelling in any subject not just Railways. Especially  if they are unable to build and paint the kits themselves.

 

 

 

 

I am mere amateur (and on a work related break) at building things but the couple of chassis that I've put together, wired up, built a gearbox and seen them run up and down my little 1m test track under their own power however ungainly gave me a huge positive endorphin boost way superior to any rtr box I've opened (and I'll continue to buy rtr where it makes what I want).  When I make something it won't make the display cabinet at Railex or trouble a best in class award but I've got a sense of achievement from what I've built.

Interestingly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, when I talk to non-railway modellers, they're usually much more interested when you explain that you've made something from some sheets of brass than something you've purchased off the shelf.

I agree with something said yesterday about 3D printing.  That's the new frontier in the way CAD designed photo tools were a few years ago.  Modellers will always take what new technology there is and see how they can adapt it to make something different.  I find this thread endlessly fascinating.  The pictures shown, particularly part assembled,  the techniques described, they lodge away in my mind as one day I'll want to refer back to them.

David

On 27/03/2023 at 16:20, gwrrob said:

Another footbridge shot by Trevor Jones [Hornby Magazine] sees a Castle speeding through with an express whilst a prairie shunts a SR van in the yard.

 

What i like on this shot is how the crop gives an illusion of another half dozen coaches behind the ones we can see.

Also, if I was trainspotting, I'd be a bit annoyed by the frosted glass on the bridge preventing me seeing the locos numbers!

David

John

Looking at your pictures above, a couple of questions:

Do you line with a pen or transfers

When you paint, are you spraying with masking or using rattle cans?

Looks great!

David

On 19/03/2023 at 12:33, Compound2632 said:

It used to be said that it was sex scandals that brought down Tory politicians and financial scandals that brought down Labour ones, this reflecting on what they had been most deprived of in their younger days. I'm not sure this now holds true.

A mate of mine, who worked in politics and at the time had ambitions to be an MP, said he hoped it'd be a sex scandal that would bring him down.  His reasoning was that at least he'd have had some fun!

42 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

To which I would add, that if the mainstream magazines generally don't promote using/include building products from these suppliers, then the younger and less experienced modeller won't know about them in the first place.

 

Unless they are fortunate to attend shows like York and Railex at Aylesbury, they won't see those layouts that are independent of the RTR sector and find the specialist supplier under the same roof.

 

 

 

As I noted above, it was pretty clear that the best layouts at Ally Pally were not rtr dependent and in fact almost exclusivity kit built.  Westcliffe, Plumpton Green, Blackfriars Bridge, most of the o gauge layouts, the narrow gauge were clearly not rtr.  I think both westcliffe and Plumpton have been to Railex?

10 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

Yes, I thought that. I don't think I've ever seen so many RTR boxes in one room at the same time... Did you see Norwich Central and St Etienne-en-Caux? I thought they were very good too.

yes.  The narrow gauge was good.  I also liked the 1870s Blackfriars Bridge.  A quality layout.  The Brooklyn dock layout was unusual and good too.

4 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

I said hello to Jesse today at Ally Pally as I recognised him from the recent photos on here Tony, but I'm afraid I didn't know who Tom was to say hello to him too, and they were on their way to have lunch so we didn't stop and chat.

I'd thought the show might be a little quieter than usual because of the National Rail strike; it definitely wasn't!

We went today as well.  Quite busy when we arrived and not great for viewing layouts for 7yo in particular.  However, when it thinned out around 3, was quite pleasant and enjoyable as could get easily to layouts.  Some good ones but perhaps lacking a biggish 4mm roundly layout.  Slightly too much too similar trade in my view.

Boys wanted scanning by Alan at Modelu who remembered scanning older son a few years ago.  He pulled prior scan up and found it was over 5 years ago..

Some excellent layouts.  Particularly Plumpton Green.  Fully signalled, 1910 p4 LBSCR so all non-rtr.  Loved the block signalling mechanic to work the crossing.  Owner /builder justifiably proud and nicely chatty.  Also like Westcliff.  EM, again exclusively non-rtr .  Great use of forced perspective on the cliffs.  Like how they have their fiddle yard open to view which allows the stock to be admired.  I liked the phantom over a Scottish layout.  Equally I generally like the 7mm layouts even when smallish.

David