John R Smith

Hear, hear. They were crap. I had them on my 00 layout in the early 1960s. John

I'm amazed that you could shunt over this without problems, seeing as this is the lead for the goods shed. And why here, at Padstow, in particular? John

It was 43 years ago when I built all the track for my 0 gauge layout using Peco individual chairs and slide chairs, so they are certainly not a new product. I laid balsa sleepers and crossing timbers and used a mix of glue and Peco track pins to hold everything together. John

Are you sure that your photo is late 1950s? I was wondering if this picture dates from when the goods yard had been closed, and the switch is clipped out of use . . . despite the apparently shiny rail heads. John

Why on earth would you have such a thing, at Padstow of all places? Whereabouts in the station is it? John

This is rotten luck, Andy, and you have my sympathy. Last year my kitchen here at the cottage was flooded twice and it was a nightmare. John

In my experience, that doesn't happen. If you spray-damp the ballast with water mixed with just a spot of detergent first, then ballast using 1:2 PVA to Water plus another drop of detergent, you should get solid setting right through to the base. Whether you want that or not, is of course another matter - especially if you might wish to remove and alter the track layout at some point in the future. Full depth PVA ballast is like concrete! John

That's all looking excellent, Steve, I like the passengers in the waiting room! I'm glad that you are pleased with the 08, I am hovering on the brink myself but would have to have a green one for 1964. John

Hello Steve The parcel probably went past me twice . . . John

Very nice, Mike. Funny how everybody suddenly seems to have an 08 this week ! I have the Skytrex oil drums too, and I note that they only have one bung (or tapping point) when I am sure they should have two. There were often loads of these drums around at loco depots (Wadebridge had zillions) and I have often wondered how they were unloaded and moved around, because when they are full they are very heavy indeed (over 2cwt I make it). I have used them in the Totnes lamp hut but never had to put a full one up on the blocks. John

Yes, it looks great Rod. Oh, to have that much space! John

What happened to the old point, Steve? John

Brilliant, Steve! J

Very nice indeed, MIke. I have been to Thurso and I did recognise the building, so you have captured the feel of it alright. John

I would have thought so. Otherwise what would the shunter have done if you had to cut one out of a rake? John

Hello Rod Yes that is better IMHO. These Sulzer engines seem to have quite an edge to the exhaust when under load, so a bit more treble helps. I have some stereo recordings I made back in the early 1970s of class 46 locos with the larger Sulzer units, and if you crank up the volume on a good sound system they do have lots of bass and treble in the mix. With tiny speakers in a model loco you are always going to get a miniature version of the real sound, so I think you just have to accept that. Stand beside the full-size loco, and you can feel it through your feet! John

Whooo! Ramchester with signals! Brilliant pix, Rod, and what a difference they make. I bet you are well chuffed . . . John

Thanks for the new video, Jinty, the take-off from rest is much more convincing! John

Jinty Thanks for the videos of the 08. It's quite impressive, but the take-off from rest does seem a bit abrupt. Something this size and weight should just ease away, initially - with the real thing, the transition from stationary to moving is often only just perceptible. Unless the driver is an absolute hooligan, anyway . . . I spent some time on these 08s at Newton Abbot, and the thing that struck me at the time was what evil rough-riding brutes they were. If you were riding on the shunter's platform up front, you really had to hang on for your life. I always tried to ride in the cab, if I could. John

The killing blow . . .

Funny, isn't it Steve - when these Warships first turned up we didn't like them at all, as they displaced the Castles and the Halls on all our West Country trains in the early '60s. Then as time went on we began to appreciate their virtues - the rather impressive noise from the Maybach engines at full chat, the way they went up Dainton Bank, and their turn of speed when they could be given their head. Eventually they turned up in all sorts of unexpected places, like the Waterloo to Exeter run, Okehampton, Tavistock and Plymouth (SR), and even Ilfracombe. Generally speaking, when they were on song they went very well indeed on all these duties. So by the time they were being scrapped in the early '70s, we had got rather fond of them and were sorry to see them go. John

Seems strange. If D845 was double-red, then she wouldn't be able to cross the Saltash bridge, presumably? John

It's looking good, Howard! John

Just absolutely stunning . . . One of the best uses of space that I have seen. Please avoid any temptation to clutter it! John

I think that it was just as likely that many employees would not be too great at reading full stop, Welsh or English, come to that. Back in 1974 our Ganger at Newton Abbot had a struggle reading and could barely write - we used to fill the gang time sheets in for him (because we were vey fond of him and didn't want to see him get into trouble with the inspectors). John