Liam

Help, I'm stuck in and covered in snow and everything's white!

Ah yes, I was hauled by her when I visited the East Lancs on Wednesday.

Heart of Gold - The Kinks

In that case . . . Same again in this livery please.

Gosh, those were the days when New Street had its own station pilot!

Any Time At All - The Beatles

I can't see a Toad!

Take the 'A' Train - Billy Strayhorn

A tape measure revealed the other day that the baseboards I have in storage are too small for Kinlet, so I'll probably have to buy some custom built ones! I saw that Model Railway Solutions do gift vouchers, might be one for Christmas . . .

I'd like to suggest option 4 Scott; flip a coin to decide which freight train to take out, then when at the station draw 4 cards (just to even it out a little) to decide what to take back to the fiddle yard. This might add some surprise and unexpectedness to the game. The layout is looking great, did you build the baseboards yourself?

Sorry to go further O/T, but The Johnster's experience reminds me of a more recent occasion when I was travelling from Portsmouth to Gillingham (Dorset), with a change at Salisbury. At Fareham a mother and her two children got on, hoping it would stop one of the next stations along. I don't think she realised that the Cardiff bound train (at least that day) ran non-stop to Southampton, and her son became quite angry and noisy, shouting about and even ripping up his ticket. The guard has my sympathy as he remained very calm for the whole time, but no doubt he was relieved when they got off.

I'm guessing you were the winner of the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe with that joke?

My 'Royal Scot' had the same problem, a bit of blu tac between the coupling and the socket for it on the tender fixed that. Mind you, that was with tension locks so Kadees might be different.

Heart of Stone - Rolling Stones

Smoke and Mirrors - Gotye (Also the name of a great diorama featured in BRM a few months ago)

How about next time you watch the Night Mail, the original 1936 one?

Yeah, give me the sounds of Maybach, Brush, EE and Sulzer any day!

Nothing like a nighttime spotting session - did one at Crewe a few years ago, just wish Celtic hadn't been on their way to play Juventus that particular night, and the Aston Villa v Manchester City match wasn't that night either . . .

Unlike locos, even before nationalisation wagons were frequently found to roam other companies networks and this continued after nationalisation; I didn't buy a Hornby Gresley BG to go on my exhibition layout for no reason! If Southern PMVs (and a GWR 'Obbo') can get to the Kyle line in Scotland (though that wasn't until post 1970) then I reckon you're within your rights to run stock from the other Big Four companies. Branch lines aren't that boring after all . . .

Did someone say Highley? Years ago I had planned to make an exhibition layout of that but in the end decided not to, as it's quite a task modelling a real location. But it's one of preservation's well known stations so I'm sure it will make a very interesting model. I've attached some photos, if it helps a relative volunteers in the signalbox sometimes, I could ask them for some photos of the interior next time they're there.

Gimme Gimme Gimme - ABBA

Eastbound Train - Dire Straits

Hi Chris I've just come across this thread and your project sounds amazing. I was seriously tempted to model the Dean Forest but in the end opted to model some exchange sidings near a colliery in Shropshire, but in the late 1950s instead of the 1930s (when the colliery closed). I follow this with keen anticipation! And rule no. 3: There's no such thing as "Too many Swindon built locos" All the best, Liam

Isn't there a BG or GUV which is now the sales coach in one of the sidings? Wonderful modelling Larry. It hardly seems less than 3 weeks ago when I was at Carrog myself.

And one of my favourite stations too.