cobbler

Thanks Steve It's a tempting offer, Father Christmas brought me the new Peco handbook on N Gauge modelling. I can only dream of operating a layout sitting in a chair. Keep thinking an operator is for life, not just for Christmas RC ☹️

I thought I was the star operator, keeping the layout running show after show, pandering after their every whim miss one show and they film a DVD How the mighty have fallen ☹️ Richard

I bet watching the DVD being filmed was interesting. John being his usual diva self, insisting on fresh flowers around the layout and having his personal hairdresser flown in by helicopter from Towcester, George doing his Kenny Rogers impression and demanding that his version of " Coward of the County" is used as the backing track on the DVD Richard

I found the free DVD that featured Towcester layout very useful for putting your tea mug on Hope Fenchurch one will be of the same quality Happy Christmas Richard

It's a new book, new photographs, track plans, yard information, updates etc Brought a copy at Warley, had a quick look at, looks very good, my copy been sent to Father Christmas Richard

Northampton yard has a grounded VCA van, DC 200535, it it was used by the Carriage and Wagon fitters as a store, it is now disussed and covered in graffiti Richard

It's a failed DMU substitute service, George has a DVD with two coaches stored in sidings for use when there is a railcar shortage or failure Richard

Is it Model Railway Journal Have you finally made it ?? Richard

John We have spoken about this Remember big breaths, big breaths Richard

Hi Steve Enjoying your updates and new layout thread. Wish some of your enthusiasm would rub off on me B-( Keep up the good work Richard

Hi Carl Layout and new Tippler wagons look great Keep up the good work Richard

Liddlington Tip on the Bletchley to Bedford line dumped spoil into the worked out brick pits. When Liddlington closed, spoil was dumped at Forders Sidings, again in old brick clay pits Richard

And the fluffy three legged cat, he was very put out that his favourite chair was pushed aside and covered in boxes. 26 ft layout very tight in 26 ft living room !! Richard

Massive thank you to everyone who helped make the show a success. Highlight for me was the dodgy floor, if more than one person watched my layout the floor sunk, sending wagons racing across the layout!! We raised £207, all of this will be donated to Cancer Research Best wishes Richard

Two weeks, nobody told me ! Better finish off the layout. Don't worry about track plans, only 3 sidings and one point, very easy to remember. Richard

Popped in today whilst on holiday, great little shop, came away with Gaugemaster scenery bits for my new layout Richard

Will you be checking the "magazines" in Amsterdam to see if they sell Rail Express ?? Enjoy your "business trip" Richard

I have a rare unsigned copy, it's still in the plastic subscription wrapper. I have put it away to keep it safe and use it as part of my pension fund portfolio Richard

The coal yard at Northampton behind the station lasted until the very early 1980,s. it consisted of two dead end sidings with the bagging plant in between. I joined the railway in 1982 on a youth training scheme and on work experience was allowed to walk round the yard checking if the wagons were empty and taking the numbers to pass on to TOPS. They handled fitted and unfitted 16 and 21 tonne mineral wagons, Mco, Mcv, Mdo and Mdv. They were unloaded by hand into the digger bucket which moved the coal to the bagging plant. Each siding had several upright sleepers sunk into the ground and spaced out for the wagon doors to be rested on to allow the coal merchant to stand on and shovel coal out The loads would come in each day on the trip from Bescot. The merchant was Wiggins Coal, they also had a small weighbridge with a brick office next to the road entrance into the yard. The sidings are still called the coal yard but today handle stone. Richard

Picked up a blue one from my local model shop in Northampton yesterday, they had received two, Tarmac green and a NCB blue. Very disappointed in its running, put it on my layout last night, clean code 100 track and Electrofrog points, initially didn't move, after a nudge it stuttered and spluttered on straight track, stalled and stuttered on points. Wheels are clean, tried to run it in, even spluttered on a rolling road and kept stalling Richard

I have a copy of Steam World from October 2006. There is an article on Cashmores at Newport, there is a photograph of B 950541 , lettered Pontnewyntdd, taken in the yard Richard