tersono

Yeah - funny s*** but urban legend. Here, however, is the true story of Jack Schitt

Jack Schitt is the son of Awe Schitt and Oh Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married Oh Schitt, the owner of the Kneedeep Schitt Inn. Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt and they produced six children. Holy Schitt, their first, passed on shortly after childbirth. Next came twin sons, Deep Schitt and Dip Schitt; two daughters, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt; and another son Bull Schitt. Deep Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school dropout. Dip Schitt married Lotta Schitt, and they have a son named Chicken Schitt. Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt married the Happens Brothers. The Schitt-Happens children are Dawg Schitt, Byrd Schitt and Horace Schitt. Bull Schitt just married a spicy little number named Pisa Schitt and they are awaiting the arrival of Baby Schitt.

I asked my doctor for something for persistent wind. He gave me a kite.

How about that Aussie that wanted to visit his ancestral home in Norfolk and ended up in Virginia...

Who’s Virginia?

Bing is just as questionable as Google whilst being generally less good as a search engine.

Of the independents, Dogpile is probably the best alternative to duckduckgo.

That's extraordinary.... Wow.

Hope to see it in person at an exhibition sometime soon...

awesome. Will definitely be using this for my next layout...

I've been using N gauge Unitrack in permanent layouts for years. My usual method of ballasting is to use OO gauge cork trackbed (the sort with shoulders), cut down the centre line, turned upside down and glued down. That brings the surrounding levels up to match the height of the unitrack. I then give the area a light coat of ballast and some weathering. Looks good, runs well and is extremely durable/reliable.

Extraordinarily evocative of the time and region. Beautiful work!

Merry Christmas, Andy

I'd probably buy both versions if they were available, but it's the original that I'd really want.

I may have to resort to a kit one of these days.

Oddly, I've always been a Southern modeller, but I can't resist big LNER locos - I seem to own more of them than anything else...

Wow. Just wow.

Honestly, I'm still not entirely convinced that's a model. The only thing that makes me think it might not be real  would be the hat being worn by the geezer in the cab

The layout looks great. Would love to have seen it in person, but rather a long trip from Surrey!

Wow. I know the real railway very well and that does a great job of capturing the flavour of the place.... Great stuff!

At a recent exhibition I watched the owner of "Earl's Court" (which is a mainline terminus with no points in the visible area and only two in the fiddle) drive trains into the station, use a station pilot to pull the coaches back out and run parcels vans and milk tankers in and out. I went back to see it again several times - not only was it an extraordinary piece of modelling, but I found it fascinating to watch.

BUT - if I'd had to operate it myself, I'd have been bored out of my tiny mind. Operating isn't my thing at all. I enjoy building, I enjoy watching trains go around, but not actually operating the thing myself beyond stopping an occasional train in the station of a roundy-roundy. If I ever built an exhibition quality layout (and I'm currently working on something that might eventually fit the bill), I'd have to get someone else to operate it - I couldn't stand it for two whole days.

Yes, I know, I'm odd...

Or more likely thoroughly investigating the claim to ensure that it has been lost

Yodel confirmed that some time ago - part of the problem was getting the replacement signed off by the powers-that-be who had chosen an inconvenient time (for me ) to not be in the office...

Ultimately, though, the whole mess was down to Yodel, not Hattons. The replacement is being shipped via RM and in future I shall simply request that they ship that way. Not a big deal.

It has to be said, they're very good at dealing with a slightly peed-off customer (i.e. me). Professional, friendly and always pleasant, even when things are not going their way. Despite the delays (and a couple of agreed deadlines missed), I have to respect the way they communicate with their customers.

Thanks for the tip - very useful and much appreciated!

 

For what it's worth, Hattons are currently investigating, but it looks like Yodel have lost the parcel. Hattons themselves are being as helpful as they always are - their customer service is exemplary.

Well, it took 'em a while longer than I would have hoped for, but Hatton's have finally re-shipped the goods that Yodel lost. Even replacing a used item (of which they only had one) with the new equivalent - AND offering me a small discount on my next purchase.

I will admit that I was getting rather frustrated with the amount of time it took to resolve (next day delivery has turned into over two weeks!), but nevertheless they came through in the end. No doubt I shall be spending more money with them before much longer

That looks terrific - great video.  Sound really works with diesel, too (I've never been entirely convinced by steam sound effects - mebbe it's just me).

Congrats! Wish I could get there to see it!

Gary please can I share an experience with you? As well as using the "radio buttons" on the order form to select royal mail, it is also worth putting a comment on your order like "please never use yodel for my orders" I was advised to do this by the Hattons staff because occasionally if they are packing an order on a day with no RM collection and Yodel would be the same cost, they might swap to yodel thinking it will be quicker. I was very lucky when this happened to me as I was home when the email notification arrived so I was sble to ring them and get it repackaged for a RM collection.

Hope this is useful

Thanks for the tip - very useful and much appreciated!

For what it's worth, Hattons are currently investigating, but it looks like Yodel have lost the parcel. Hattons themselves are being as helpful as they always are - their customer service is exemplary.

Ordered some stuff on Tuesday - despatched same day. Unfortunately, being an idiot, I opted for 'Yodel 24 hour', which means -of course- that the package has disappeared entirely. Yodel told me it was out for delivery yesterday, then again today, but when it didn't arrive they then said it wasn't out for delivery at all and they couldn't say when it would arrive.

Hattons are a great retailer - superb customer service, genuinely a pleasure to deal with (and I'm sure they will get this sorted out pronto). I've been using them for years and will continue to do so.

Yodel, however, are every bit as hopeless as their reputation suggests. Next time I'll stick with Royal Mail.

Coming along nicely - I shall follow this one with interest

That looks awesome, Andy. 

What a great little layout. I hope to see WS at a show one of these days!

Astonished! Ordered a Bachmann 47 at 0720am Sunday, and it arrived before 11.00am today (Monday) here in Cardiff via Yodel.

At this rate, they'll be arriving before we order 'em!

I've often thought it would be easier if I just had my paycheck deposited directly into Hattons' bank account (well, half of it - the rest can go to the pub).

I've been buying from Hattons on and off for years. Great dealer. Ordered a Hornby P2 late Saturday afternoon around 5pm (for 55 quid yet - too good to pass up even though I don't yet have a layout for it!) and it's already here (noon Monday). Can't fault that...