Metropolitan H

Thanks for that. What does impress me is the embossed joints between the nosing stones and the bricks - the little brickies must have been strong lads to handle those bricks! To be more serious the B-L enamelled signs are real gems. However, looking up "Certofix" gives allsorts of catheters first - you need to specify adhesive, then Google waxes lyrical regarding the aroma of the Fish glue from Hull, a relative of Seccotine (but that is from Belfast). This then brought "Pafra" to mind - sometimes recommended for whitemetal kits, with limited success. Regards Chris H

While I agree that one of the problems with the copy of Pendon's "Waggon & Horses" model, lies in its being up on the north face of the Downs overlooking the Vale of the White Horse, the original building was NOT Berkshire - it was (is) in Wanborough just SE of Swindon in Wiltshire. So while the rest of the buildings have an affinity with locations near water, that pub doesn't - the nearest navigable stretch was the Wilts and Berks, but that was often a bit dry. Regards Chris H

Hannover Bahnhof? Is that Roy in with beard, glasses and cap that I see in the back row? Regards Chris H

And a very good read it is too. Kept me in my chair for a good while yesterday - including a bit of day-dreaming as Mother would have said. Well done. Regards Chris H

Very interesting, when do you want to have a test run session? You realise you havent left clearance for running the overhead electric fed locos - I will also be interested to check whether the GWR railcar can get round without side-swipping the walls and platform? See you soon. Chis H

About 45+ years back on a day-trip on a narrow-boat around some of the BCN network, I was warned about clear canal water - it normally indicated that the water was effectively poisioned by toxic chemicals - so not capable of sustaining life, so "Do not touch / bathe / drink" and in some areas it would burn holes in your clothing if it got splashed. The other thing we witnessed was a boat pole ued to help get through a shallow bit came up and the wet end started smouldering due to the phosphorous picked up from the bottom - old leaving from the regular passage of the phosphorous boats. The pole end went back to be trailed in the water till the muck washed off. So you can probably have clear canals in some of the nastiest places - but brown elsewhere. But best to drink beer and boil any water used for cooking or washing. Regards Chris H

Surely a "Brace" would be just two coaches. You seem to have a "Trio". But they do look very good, as does the Metro tank. Wel Done. Regards Chris H

That van, really does look superb. Any chance of a 1:43.5 scale version - or would that really be asking too much? Regards Chris H

I too have found your Bovine channel to be broadcast in widescreen format - unlike all other RMweb topics. But this is on a Windows PC - I do not have a tablet (other than the ones the doctor prescribes - ugh!) and have never bothered trying to look at this site on a phone. So it is something very odd about The Sheep Chronicles - often amusingly so. Regards Chris H (a different one)

Noted. I stand corrected. Chris H

Trouble is your boat is definitely a "Butty" - or hauled boat - as it has the towing mast. A motor boat - or steamer - should not have the mast like yours. I agree that the longer rope looks best. Regards Chris H

I agree with the suggestion that the bogies and couplings are Fleischmann - they look exactly like what I remember being fitted to 2x Fleischmann models of Swiss Federal Railways coaches in the mid 1960s - bought in Interlaken circa 1964. They ran very well. Regards Chris H

How is that pronounced? - Is it like an "Idle" of Panniers) Regards Chris H

John, I think you need to read up on the "Surrey Border and Camberley Railway" and on the "Shillingstone Light Railway" of Sir Thomas Salt. Sir Tomas Salt had a 2-6-0 - 0-6-2 Garratt, which was occasionally used to feed the pigs! Regards Chris H

Will you be including the intermediate station (Halt ??) at Bow Brickhill? Regards Chris H

Shame. It was mostly "Small beer" - no stronger that Watney's "Starlight" - but very useful in foundries or blacksmiths' s workshops. Regards Chris H

Annie, Having looked at both sets of pictures a few times - and the original CJF design - I think I now understand your problem with the signalling. The two track layouts are not the same - the 3-rail "O" gauge layout is missing a vital cross-over that allows incoming trains to access the far terminal road (at the wall side of the station / layout). The station can work with this layout, but a lot more shunting is required to move the stock from arriving trains to the far "Departure" platform. One of the good features of Minories as originally designed by CJF - and laid out in your newer 2-rail version - is that all three platform roads can accept incoming arrivals which can then become ready to depart with the application of a turn-over locomotive from the loco spur. Hope that helps. Regards Chris H P.S. - I am definitely a 3-rail, coarse scale "O" gauge fan nowadays. CH

Are we seeing the "Royal Inniskilling Fusilliers" in transition to becoming "Royal Air Force"? - or vice versa? Regards Chris H

You need to be very careful with that crate - seeing as it is marked "Gauranteed Electrical Calamities"! Regards Chris H

To add to the questions, I have a niggling idea that "not all head lamp relied on showing all white (clear glass in front of oil lamp flame) aspect?" Memory says that there were some codes that relied on lanps having coloured glass shades - such as blue / violet etc.? But were did that idea come from. It probably all changed after about 1910 - by which time Met steam passenger workings would be restricted to north of Finchley Road, following the electrification of the Circle Line and other inner area branches? - But do remember that the Met-Vick Electric locos are fitted with five (5) square lamp sockets across the front of the footplating, in addition to the three electric headlights mounted on the cab front, some of which had provision for different colour shades (including "Red"). There was normally an oil tail lamp carried on one corner lamp socket "turned backwards" ready for use as a stabling tail lamp when the loco was stabled "Switched off" - ! I will try and find further references - but it isn't highest priority at present. Regards Chris H

Not that early. I had my first dose in November 2019 - culminating in related heart attack on the last Friday of the month! Regards Chris H

You also have to think about the chemistry and paint technology - and how they have changed over the years - particularly since circa 1950. Before the 1950s most "white" paint was based on "white lead" - not banned in UK and Europe till 1992. But the "white lead" turns grey then black when exposed to Hydrogen Sulphide in the atmosphere (from burning coal and other fosil fuels) - so white painted carriage roofs and signals don't stay "White" for very long. Since the 1960s, "Brilliant White" paints, mainly based on Titanium Oxide - or Zinc Oxide - pigments have become the norm as they are safer to use and stay white for much longer. So we have all become used to seeing white window frames and wookwork - and signal posts!. The Pre-Grouping world was a colourful place - but white paint went grey very quickly in coal fired cities. Regards Chris H P.S. - Heacham station is on the east coast of "The Wash", so that signal will get much more attention from the rain off the sea than the coal smoke that will be blown to the east. CH

Sorry to be a nuisance, but I think the GER 2-4-0 pictured is a T26 - with 5ft 8inch driving wheels (LNER class E4). The T19s had the much bigger 7ft driving wheels - think "Petrolea" - of which some were rebuilt into the "Humpty-Dumpties" with bigger Belpaire boilers and later rebuilt again into 4-4-0s - to become the LNER class D13 - as photographed by my Father at Heacham in 1938 or 1939(?): Regards Chris H

I suspect - from previous experience - that the foot pump is for creating a draught while steam raising - prior to the loco being hot enough to use the blower. Regards Chris H

Interesting, especially as the first two wagons have wandered a very long way from their normal area of operations - North of the Scots border! Regards Chris H