GRASinBothell

I've bought a few containers from Graham, including one of those converted into a canteen. I should look more closely at what else he has to offer. That particular figure looks reasonably anatomically correct, if you ignore the neck area, which may well be a casting fault in the original - correctable with a file or Dremel if it offends... I have to say the tinprinting on that Darstaed Southern milk van looks rather crisper than on the salmon pink LSWR equivalent. My vehicles, milk for the transport, of are an eclectic lot, and don't really go together as a train - the aforementioned LSWR van, and two United Dairies/GWR tankers - one 4-wheel and the other 6-wheel. Gordon

I do like that figure manhandling the churn. Kew? Pity they let the grass grow on the platform like that... Gordon

I don't know, Brian. You could have used a flat plug (which would take the wire out parallel to the wall, avoiding that loop), and then put a model of a redwood in front! And don't say a redwood would be out of place. I just saw an item on the BBC about a 200-year old redwood that a developer cut down "by mistake" in Swansea! Gordon

Among the Peco backscenes, there are several that combine to form a harbour scene. Either "as is" or enlarged down at your local copy shop, they could be used to set the scene. Gordon

Glad to hear the Doctor won't get to wield his axe, and the real estate won't be turned into the Birlstone by-pass... Gordon

I hope this doesn't mean Birlstone or Paltry Circus is falling victim to the egregious Dr. B... Gordon

The spoon-span on my 14xx seems to be a tad under 80mm (very similar to the Corgi Bassett-Lowke Peckett, though that uses rollers, rather than spoons). Gordon

Ah! I hadn't spotted the signature. Gordon

I'm trying to work out what it's supposed to contain, with that "OPEN ONLY IN DARKNESS"... Gordon

Even after the line closed, getting off the island was miserable in the summer, especially in the evenings when people were heading home. I don't think it made a big difference. Only a few yards away, the roundabout on the Havant bypass was a big block, and the lights in the middle of Havant for anyone heading to the A3 would be another. Gordon

If you look at the thread on the Darstaed Mk 1 coaches on this forum, you'll see what happens when a coarse-scale manufacturer moves into finescale territory - calls for all sorts of fine details a coarse-scaler would never have thought of and a concern for absolute scale heights/sizes. If you look at just the chassis of a loco, there are all sorts of compromises a finescaler wouldn't be happy living with, such as the narrow chassis with no brake gear, and cutouts to allow oversize flanges to negotiate tight curves. It would take a lot more than a wheel swap to make much inroad into finescale sales. Gordon

It wasn't actually uneconomic at the time. The problem was the bridge needed replacing, and while the line actually broke even, or made a small profit, it couldn't cover the bridge replacement cost. The big mistake was not including the railway when they replaced the road bridge in the early 1950s. If they had, the line would probably still be with us. On the other hand, that would have removed the need to retain the terriers, and we probably wouldn't have (m)any of those preserved. Gordon

I'd been wondering whether I could get away with using bracket signals as starters for adjacent lines, or whether they were only used to indicate the line dividing ahead. I have a Hornby signal with 2 dolls acting as starters at one end of my station for the lines either side of the platform. At the other end (and on the other track - this is a double track station), I have a Bing signal with 3 dolls for the 2 lines either side of the platform and exit from a siding. Gordon

We lived on the sea front on Hayling Island in the '60s, and yes, "poor" would be a very generous description of the soil. Nothing much grew in our garden... Gordon

When I indicated I couldn't justify having more than two, he said that three terriers were equivalent to one full-size loco! Gordon

...and us Americans, Kevin! We still get to use what they quaintly call "English Units", including funky gallons and tons that were never used in England! Gordon

Yes, Paul sells the Merkur track. Here's the Merkur page on his website. http://www.wjvintage.co.uk/product/merkur-3-rail-tinplate-track/ Gordon

Yes, it does look good. I have the LSWR one on order. It's going to have to share my train of South Western six-wheelers with Mr Drummond's replacement for it... Gordon

I think you're going to get a chance to model more than one kind of platform surface - tarmac near the station building, changing to gravel further out... Gordon

I take it that you have the Middleton Press book "Branch Line to Hayling". That has a couple of pictures of the inside of the signal box, so you can see the other side of the boards (no little niceties like insulation!). That might help your drawing of it. It also has pictures of the other hut (referred to as an enginemen's mess hut), including one of the washing facilities ( a bowl of water on a stand outside the entrance!). Gordon

He may not have been a peer himself, but he was the son of a peer (Lord Randolph Churchill), was born at Blenheim Palace, was a Knight of the Garter, and was offered (but declined) a dukedom on his retirement. I think "commoner" doesn't tell the whole story! You could, of course, bring along some of Andrew Stadden's figures (he does Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Winston Churchill). Gordon

Is that one of Mr Ridgely's horse boxes? I have two of the WJ Vintage/Raylo/ETS Terriers - one in SR olive green, and the other in Mr Stroudley's improved engine green. Mr Marsh's umber is growing on me, but I don't think I can justify having three! Gordon

Purple Bobs do a kit with 2.5 metres of platform extension, so I don't think it will be necessary to do anything to chinchillas that will attract the ire of the RSPCA... Gordon

Some time ago, you mentioned an interest in an LSWR road van, and while looking for something else, I found this. http://www.mousa.biz/sevenmm/wagons/lswr_wagons7.html#lswr-10-ton-goods-brake-van Gordon

Thanks. Does the "...and move over today" imply it is being (partially) reinstated? Have you looked at the Purple Bobs Hobbies station building? Gordon