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Is there an accepted definition of a fiddle yard? I know what they look like and what they are for. But is there an accepted definition of what they must feature, or must not feature? Ta.

You know those plastic, static models of autorails made in France by Atlas? Quite a few have come up for sale on Ebay in the past few days, should you be interested. Eg: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTORAILS-RAILCARS-TRAMS-TRAINS-EUROPEAN-H0-Scale-1-87/132632747578?hash=item1ee1871e3a:m:myI_97XH_2zHCAwHwtz6dVw and: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=atlas+autorails&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=atlas+autorail&_sacat=0 I draw this to your attention.

Models made by Asphalte 87 https://www.asphalte87.com/Catalogue-Asphalte87-2018/mobile/index.html part of the REE Models stable, may be of interest.

The French railway magazine publisher LR Press is staging its Trainsmania model railway exhibition again. It will be at the Grand Palais in Lille, from the 3rd to the 5th May next year. I went to the first such exhibition last year and it was tremendous - the best model railway show I have been to. The exhibition was very large and the quality of the layouts was often spectacular. It will easily be worth a two-day visit. Just one word of warning: last time, the catering facilities were hopeless. I hope they have improved next year, but watch out.

The once-a-day-in-each-direction direct service between Clermont and Beziers is still running, despite continued mutterings, and past proposals, from the various authorities about ending it. It is well worth the trip; 7 hours or so meandering in slow comfort through lovely, unspoiled and mainly uninhabited countryside. Currently the Clermont departure is at 13:03 and the Beziers departure is at 09:37, though the timing of these direct services that go over the Garabit bridge seem to vary a lot, both from season to season and year to year. Take plenty of water and sandwiches. You may well find, as we did, that you are the only passengers travelling the whole route.

I hope it is a good affair. I would like to go but sadly the 3.5 hrs Sunday journey time from London to Derby by rail has put me off.

You could try the online photo library of the French publishers La Vie Du Rail.

Well, a couple of years ago my TGV service (Nimes to Lille) took a dreadfully long time, once it had passed Paris. It had been diverted off the LGV line onto a slow secondary line running through places like St Quentin, Cambrai and Douai.

This blog looks very interesting, My parents took us on many holidays to the Var region in the 1960s and 70s so I am always interested in the area (and its railways, of course). I suggest you will get more traction (ho, ho) if you post in the French railways forum on this site. France is very much a minority interest among UK narrow gauge modellers. But old narrow gauge lines in France are of great interest to quite a lot of French railway enthusiasts.

Browsing through the latest Voie Libre magazine was even more of a pleasure than usual this evening. First came the glorious news that REE Modeles https://www.ree-modeles.com/ is going to make a ready-to-run model of a 1950s Billard A80 railcar, with wagon. Presumably this will be HOm gauge. All I can say is "Hallelujah". It is beyond me that no-one in France makes a RTR engine of any sort in HOm, and this is just what I wanted. REE models are fantastic, especially as DCC sound comes as a standard feature with them. The next really good thing was the article on the 27 micro-layouts displayed recently at the biennial Sedan exhibition. The layouts looked fantastic and the concept of a similar themed challenge for modellers might, I suggest, be taken up by the French railways society for its annual gathering.

A quick Google brings up this link to an article from the magazine Ferrovissime: http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/ferrovissime/numero-55-decembre-2012/page-26-27-texte-integral It may not offer what you want, but may suggest other lines of enquiry. May I just say that the lack of RTR models of French railcars is deplorable.

Indeed. The rail service there is diabolical. A couple of years ago I went to Sedan for the biennial model railway exhibition. In the end we flew from London to Luxembourg and drove in a hire car back to Sedan because there was simply no direct rail service to Sedan from Lille. To do the entire journey by train would have involved a Eurostar to Paris then two, or even three trains, out to Sedan via Charleville. Quicker, and only a bit more expensive, by plane.

Thank you.

Has anyone had real success in installing DCC and DCC sound in continental ready-to-run HOe locos, such as those made by Liliput or Roco? I wish to model a French narrow gauge scene using HOe, and with onboard sound effects as well as ordinary DCC control. I have been advised by one person with expertise that installing DCC in HOe bodies is very tricky because of the lack of space inside them, more so when sound is required. Also, I am told, gaining reliable electrical pickup is also very difficult, which will disrupt DCC and DCC sound much more readily than analogue-controlled models. If you have overcome these apparent problems, do let me know. Thank you in advance.

How very annoying. The CF to Beziers journey is most enjoyable, especially in the new-ish railcars they use. Slow (due to continuous speed restrictions) but very comfortable, providing fantastic views of the scenery. Are they still one a day in each direction? Pic 1: Leaving Clermont Ferrand in the morning. Pic 2: Staying for a few moments at Bedarieux in the afternoon.

It was an enjoyable exhibition. Quite a few rucksacks and backpacks in evidence, but thankfully not being worn in such a way as to be an offensive weapon i.e. not being worn on the back so as to take up three times a person's normal body space.

This exhibition takes place in Walferdange in Luxembourg on November 11th and 12th. Has anyone here been to previous versions? And what were they like - worth a visit?

Hello Peter, I was reading Voie Libre (which reviews your Mers-les-Bains layout) and noticed a brief review of your two new books on French narrow gauge networks: one about the Saone et Loire and the other about the Beaujolais. Do either of them cover the "Tacot" line from Autun to Chateau-Chinon?

Some of what I saw on my holidays: Le Train Rouge.

After my recent holiday in the Corbieres area of the Aude department, I can thoroughly recommend a day trip on Le Train Rouge, a restored tourist railway that goes from Rivesaltes to Axat and back. Here is a link: https://www.letrainrouge.fr/ I'll post a few pics shortly.

Well, I have just watched The Train. It's a brilliant film, and not just for the trains. Creating some genuine tension from the start, and keeping it going all the way, is quite an achievement.

I have stumbled upon this French Youtube channel called Aiguillages https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ3xXAuhGLfZchx7IlV_LqA which is a series of home-made video reports about railway modelling and preserved/tourist railways in France. There appear to be nearly 50 videos so far, and they look like very good fun. I don't know if the presenter, Thierry Pupier, is a one-man-band behind all this, but it's a very impressive effort.

This is what Phoenix (PAMP) said when it bought majority control of Hornby in June. It sounds very supportive but in reality, as is the way of business, as clear as mud. "PAMP continues to support progress made by Hornby towards a profitable and cash generative state. PAMP has no intention to change the locations of Hornby's places of business or to redeploy any material fixed assets of Hornby as a consequence of the Acquisition. Following the completion of the Offer, PAMP intends to increase its understanding of Hornby and its longer term strategy for delivering further earnings growth following the completion of its 7 turnaround strategy, by entering into further discussions with its management and the board of Hornby. PAMP believes that Hornby has an attractive portfolio of brands and it is PAMP's intention to work collaboratively with the management and the board of Hornby to review all strategic options for the business including, but not limited to, acquisitions, disposals, licensing agreements, funding requirements together with management and board composition. The motivation for PAMP in any such discussion will be to optimise long term value for all Hornby Shareholders. Until the detailed review of Hornby's strategy is completed, the details of any changes to Hornby's strategy are not yet known and no decisions have yet been made by PAMP in relation to specific actions that it would seek to take. PAMP recognises the importance of the Hornby management team and employees to the future success of Hornby. As the review of Hornby's business has not yet been completed, no decisions have been made by PAMP on its long-term intentions for Hornby. Until such review is completed, PAMP cannot be certain whether any changes will be necessary. Likewise, if changes are necessary PAMP cannot be certain of what the effect of any strategy changes will be on Hornby's employees and management."

Great modelling. May I suggest the Dubonnet wall painting should be weathered a little bit?

"But don't think an auction is a cheap day out - unless you come home with nothing. The auction process will draw you in and cost you much more than you expect in the end." Not quite. Sorry to go off at a tangent, but as I discovered recently when auctioning my late father's antique furniture (some very nice, some not so nice) the demand for brown antique furniture has died a death. Some of my dad's stuff went to charity, unsold after 2 auctions. Had I wanted to buy the stuff back I would have been the only bidder on some items. Prices have gone down by 90% in the past 15-20 years, according to people in the trade I have quizzed. Stuff that does sell goes for less than an Ikea equivalent, and for far less than you would pay a cabinet maker to make a reproduction.