Metropolitan H

Well - that is a novelty, I hadn't expected there to be an Australian Arcaadia! Is it in anyway idyllic? - Or is it all wriggly tin roofs? Regards Chris H

Is that tile spacing incorrect? - We were in Dorset (actually Wareham) the other week and commented on exactly what you show on the buildings across the garden from where we were dining. I see no problem! \Keep delighting us with your modelling - Little Muddle is akin to Arcadia. Regards Chris H

Circa 1995, I did indeed have the job title "The Assistant Rolling Stock Engineer" - for a few years till reorganisation moved me to an Infraco as part of a Private Public Partnership arrangement! Regards Chris H

Surely that should be "Fully Automatic Railway Train" - or it was in my younger days, till someone in athority realised what the acronym was. The project names was then changed to "Fully Automatically Controlled Train". And that is a true - FACT. Regards Chris H

Phil, It is a homemade 4-4-0 with 1/16 inch brass frames running on Romford wheels and extended axles / outside cranks. Fitted with a ECM type 3 motor and Romford gears driving the trailing axle - it has 2 sets of 2 diodes (opposite polarities in parallel) in series with the motor - so you can stop it creeping when the PWM control is supposedly "Off". Footplate and outside frames etc are all plasticard while the upper works are adapted from the Gakken kit. Still runs well following a very light lubrication. Most recent operation has been on "Worton Court". Regards Chris H

Just for fun, the following picture shows my pair of 40 year old Gakken (more recently Minicraft) coaches - running on Peco Wonderful wagon W irons & axleboxes. I never did make up the saloon type vehicle. Here is the brake vehicle with my modified loco from the same kit - the 4-4-0T "Richard" - and a home-made Southwold Railway van from placticard on a card whitemetal wagon underframe. Regards Chris H

I like the Marmite and Peanut Butter chocolates that I once bought in Richmond (N. Yorks) - I think it was the "Mocha" shop. Alternatively Peanut Butter on a good slice with Marmite on top goes down a treat for breakfast. Regards Chris H

There was me thinking that this Topic was moribund, had turned up its toes and died. So goes away for a very pleasent weekend - then return to find there has been an outbreak of great "Deliberately Old Fashioned" doings. We will just have to go away for another good break! However, I will add to the theme with my own bit of "Deliberately Old-Fashionedness" - with a couple of pictures of the distinctly foreign Posh train seen recently at "Gutter Lane" (a relation of "Birlstone", but as yet without scenery). Hope it helps to keep this Topic going. Regards Chris H

I think you will find the Ashover "Baldwin" tanks - and the Bachmann 009 models - are / were 4-6-0Ts - ex British Army. There were a few Baldwin "Prairie" tanks in UK - ex US Army - including a few at the Penrhyn Slate Quarry, but not very successful as replacements for Hunslets "Charles", "Linda" and "Blanche" which long outlasted the Baldwins. Regards Chris H

Not a line I know as well as to the east of salisbury. However, that doesn't stop me voting for the stretch west from Tisbury, through Semley to Gillingham - and beyond. Regards Chris H

I'll also go for that selection, but will add the excitment of the Watercress train one Friday evening in June 1967, from Basingstoke to Woking, doing well over 100 mph on the racing stretch up through Fleet. The three coaches and about five bogie vans of watercress from Whitchurch with a rebuilt on the front and the driver didn't care as he was retiring. Regards Chris H

I'll sit this one out - my railway world stops at Edinburgh on the ECML. - But I have reached Kiruna (Sweden) by train(s) all the way from St.Pancras (albeit the train was on a boat for a 18KM ride from Puttgarden to Rodby). It took a few days. Couldn't get all the way to Narvik by train as the line was closed for engineering works so we had to go by Rail Replacement Bus! Regards Chris H

My vote goes to Berwick with the Tweed estuary and the Royal Border Bridge. Regards Chris H

Another vote for Durham Cathedral and town. The view of the Tyne and bridges from the KE bridge is also rather grand, but Durham tops it. Regards Chris H

30th June 2016. Regards Chris H

York Minster gets my vote. Regards Chris H

Werrington Junction, then Lolham Bridges - where Grandfather took me by bicycle, a long while ago! - then the Trent at Newark and Lincoln Cathedral. Can't narrow it down further. Regards Chris H

1 - V2 2 - A3 3 - V3 It was a hard choice to leave out the V4! Regards Chris H

I shall look forward to seeing the new version of The Railway Children - especially with JA in the cast. Regarding the ".....................King class which is in bad need of a good owner." - surely the kindest thing would be reclaim the wheels and mechanism (assuming they are useable) and then arrange for the rest to be buried somewhere deep?? - I do like the occasional challenge, but upper works of that loco, looks to be so bashed and misshapen that the metal is probably stretched and irredeemable. Regards Chris H

Another vote for the Black 5 4-6-0. Despite the graneur of the Duchesses, it was the 842 go anywhere, do anything 4-6-0s that really made the railway tick. The 8F 2-8-0s were also pretty impressive - but not the best looking 2-8-0, that accolade is reserved for Mr Churchward's 47xx class (with 5ft 8inch drivers) on another railway! Regards Chris H

The Bulleid - Raworth Class CC were very interesting, but of limited use and only three of them. It is a pity that the prototype 1Co-Co1 diesels 10201 / 2 weren't completed till 1950 - they would have had a much wider area of operation - and went on to spawn what was to become the Class 40. So my vote goes to the Bulleid "Lght Pacifics" (WC & BB types) which were real "Go anywhere / Do anything" machines capable of prodigious feats of haulage - although they could be a bit slippery when trying to get a load underway. Regards Chris H P.S. - You could also put the Light Pacifics through the Carriage washer - but only if the crew needed a bath! CH

?? - Even before Peterborough was cut off from Northants in the 1960s, it was still a good 25 - 30 mile from Northants to the nearest point on the Wash - even though you could get there - eventually - by way of the Muddle & Go Nowhere! Having said that I can remember seeing the coastal Sailing Barges - Loading / Unloading - at the mill just north of Peterborough East, in the 1950s/60s. Regards Chris H

My vote goes to the GNR Class H4 2-6-0, better known as the LNER K3 - although built as a fast goods loco, they soon proved themselves a good hauler of Heavy Express trains and so set the scene for the A1s / A3s / V2s etc. Regards Chris H

Now I'm lost! - Little Muddle has a harbour for sea-going craft, but with the talk of Oxfordshire, Bukinghamshire and Northamptonshire accents (and Northants has distinct differences across the county) where is the relevant coastline?? Regards Chris H

I meant to type "Blower valve" - now corrected. Chris H