Hibelroad

Signalling is very much a neglected feature on many otherwise highly detailed layouts. Part of the problem is that the whole area is somewhat mysterious, partly due to the fact that there are few magazine articles or books explaining what it’s all about and how to model signals and associated equipment correctly. I’m am guilty of neglecting signalling mainly due to ignorance and would agree that it’s a subject deserving wider discussion.

When I first started work with the electricity board ( early 70s) we had a man with a van who spent all day touring the area looking for trees and bushes to lop before they reached the lines. He did much of the work himself and his donkey jacket had rather a green appearance due to all the algae and moss off the bark. He has a good working relationship with the hill farmers and spoke their lingo ( like Gerald in Clarksons farm or the farmer in Hot fuzz). As a result we had very few vegetation related faults but I suspect such a job would be seen as an avoidable expense these days.

Sadly the world is full of fantasists and any work environment is likely to produce tall tales. Usually these are based on some minor funny event which probably happened to someone else. This is then greatly embellished and turned into pure fantasy. If you challenge the tale teller they get very defensive, so it’s generally best to walk away. During my apprenticeship I spent time with a group of electrical switchgear fitters who told some amazing tales, the only difference was that they knew it was all made up and played it for laughs at the expense of the apprentices. However if I was of a mind I could take those tales and claim they were things that had actually happened to me, and so these things spread.

I’ve not read all the comments but my view on this is quite simple, I’ve always attended exhibitions which were either conveniently local or big shows which would provide plenty to see. Sometimes I would look forward to seeing big name layout, although they could be disappointing in the flesh. However it is always exciting to discover something which draws my attention but I have never previously heard of, Bradfield Gloucester Square, Queen St goods, Halifax Kings Cross to name but a few. If I only attended shows on the basis of layout descriptions I would miss out on these finds. Many fine exhibits are set in scales, eras or locations which I would not model myself but are still fascinating and cleverly displayed. Putting a layout on show requires a great deal of effort and dedication and it would be a shame if that were wasted because visitors didn’t have all the specifics spelt out them prior to attending.

I recently made a large purchase on a credit card and had to jump through hoops to get it authorised despite it being sent to my home address. However, thinking about it, it is often possible to divert a delivery once its on the way and there are probably other scams which the law abiding person would not have thought of, so I think we just have to trust the card issuer despite the difficulties security measures cause. I'm afraid Amazon may be taking a rather a lax approach to card security, they want to get the sale made as fast as possible, so I would be wary of lowering the security settings on a card.

Well done on completing the chemo and it’s good to hear that things are improving. Did you get to ring the bell? Many hospitals have a bell ringing ceremony on completion of chemo, it’s an opportunity to thank the nursing staff for the treatment and care. I completed chemo two years ago and have just completed a 12 dose maintenance course (one short injection ever two months) and it’s certainly put my lymphoma back in it’s box. I feel pretty good now and have lots of projects on the go so it better stay in it’s box !

I sold off an inherited stamp collection some time ago. I had a number of a type of stamp which was typically reaching £40. I decided for ease to sell off the last of these books on buy it now for £30, but it didn’t sell. So I relisted it as an auction starting at 99p and it sold for £45. After that I sold most things starting at 99p and reckon I always got a good price. People like to bid and are sometimes determined to be the winner.

But the question has to be asked, have they ever woken up with an ugly man ?

I suspect it’s the post people get pipped at.

I’m sure the Revell glue will be fine but a liquid solvent would be neater as there is less chance of excess oozing out of joints.

Any liquid poly cement applied with a small paint brush, there are several brands on the market. It’s also useful to have some epoxy available for odd jobs like wheel bushes but avoid superglue, that’s only good for sticking fingers together. If you can get to a model shop they would be able to offer all the advice you need.

To be honest I have never had any great interest in the current railway scene at any point in my life, I consider myself a modeller pure and simple. I have a keen interest in the L&NWR, having amassed many books about the railway and period, but current railways leave me cold unless I am searching out remnants of an earlier age - is this unusual?

I always thought that blinded by the light should be the national anthem because, like the national anthem, everyone only knows the first line.

I had a dream last night that Suggs was walking up to my front door, is this the first sign of Madness?

The Yellowshed boxes are nice, similar to the copy of the Parkwood box which I made (mine is the one on the left). However the top section of the box needs to be removable as it otherwise overbalances the box when open. I found some hinges which slide apart (just visible in the picture) and would suggest that something similar is needed for the Yellowshed box.

A good few years ago someone managed to hijack Google so if you typed in “French military victories” it came back with “ do you mean French military defeats ?”

I have a number of Parkwood boxes and carriers and they are excellent. It’s a shame they are no longer available. Last year I build a 7 mm LNWR Jubilee kit which had been in the cupboard for many years and decided it needed an appropriate box. Having failed to find anything available commercially I set too and made my own by copying the Parkwood design. The originals appear to be Maple but mine is Oak as that is what I had available. Sourcing the hardware is a problem as the original fittings are no longer available but I got something similar from Amazon. Having said all that, to make these boxes you do need a considerable arsenal of woodwork machinery, table saw, router table, thicknesser and bandsaw plus appropriate hardwood. I did toy with the idea of making a few for sale but to be honest they would have to sell for around £70 even if made on a hobby basis, so that’s probably the reason they are no longer made.

Why? Are you calling Thyme ?

Experience (some of it bitter) has taught me that you can have good tools and cheap tools but you cannot have good cheap tools. Second hand is a possible solution but even then the good tools fetch premium prices.

Another thought as regards taking a cat to the vets is that it all depends on knowing your cat. We have had cats who would develop an abscess every time they got a scratch so they were always making the trip in order to get another shot of antibiotics. Our present cat George is much tougher, he sometimes comes in with signs of being in a fight but his immune system must be good as everything heals quickly. Taking him to the vets would be stressful but of course I don’t hesitate if there is any doubt and the wound in the photo above does look rather nasty.

That is a woodworking lathe, not a metalworking lathe which would be a lot more use to a modeller.

I don’t know much about consumer law and I’ve never had a problem with well established traders such as Hattons, but surely “sold as seen” can only be applied to face to face transactions, how else would you see it? If a product is sold with known defects which would detract from its appeal to a buyer then they should be listed and in such a case the item would be “ sold as described “.

A good antiseptic for cats is hydrogen peroxide, it doesn’t sting and breaks down harmlessly to water so it doesn’t matter if it is licked away.

Even a cracker joke would be welcome now ☹️

He’s thropics husband, as in Phil an’ thropic.