C126

Have you tried the Hotel Chocolat dark chocs? Or Montezuma's? I have to stay away from them now, as they give me head-aches - even more than 100g. of Bournville - but it does not have to be 70+% to be dark... 'Galaxy' is my bulk cheapo choc. of the moment.

Could not agree more. Vastly over-rated. Promise much but deliver nothing. Bring back Gypsy Creams.

Any of the M. & S. chocolate selection. I do not think other makes are coated so thickly.

Just a quick note to alert those interested of the auction of his estate: https://www.hjpugh.com/catalogue/15f99588d598e2b15425039c1d5224cf/1c3c2c7a814e240ee7e8f414f2bd69cf/the-beeches-light-railway-dispersal-sale-of-the-late-well-re/sale-details/ Hope of interest. Do re-post under another heading if wished. Link to on-line catalogue: https://www.hjpugh.com/catalogue/15f99588d598e2b15425039c1d5224cf/1c3c2c7a814e240ee7e8f414f2bd69cf/the-beeches-light-railway-dispersal-sale-of-the-late-well-re/?maxResults=120

Thanks again to all concerned. Got my copy at last after a week away with no decent newsagent's to patronise. Enough in it to please this Southern Region wallah, and some interesting 'peripheral' articles and useful photographs to supplement. I think there might be a transposition of photograph captions on p.13: Photos 4 and 5. I do love the perfect silhouette of photo 6.

May I just reiterate the remarks above about how convenient the venue is for Sutton Coldfield railway station. I was delighted to discover this last year, and hope as many as possible will do the planet a favour and arrive by train. Bon voyage to you all, and thanks for organising this exhibition.

Just to clarify @Rivercider 's contribution, at Bristol T.M. the Brighton/Portsmouth - Cardiff changed direction, so a different 33 was put on the other end. I was miffed to discover this when doing the route for the first time, missing a photo. Also, the loco-changes at Mitre Bridge Jn to/from 25Kv used loops either side of the inter-regional Kensington Olympia train. I.e., the diesel would come off the front and trundle down one side, while an 'overhead loco' was waiting at the top of the loop the other. I was fascinated as a little lad watching this through the carriage windows, trying to work out what was going on. See Andy Gibbs's excellent site , 1S76.com.

Just heard a trailer for this : https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mc65 ... and hope it will be of interest. Monday, 29th May, 20.00 B.S.T., B.B.C. Radio 4.

Thanks again, @Phatbob . Order duly delivered speedily by Kernow Model Rail Centre, and re-numbered last weekend to a 33/2 I saw on a Goods service at Clapham Jn in 1985. 33 209's decals were 'whole' on the sheet; I did not have the patience to wrestle with individual numerals. Just need to try the model running now.

This topic is drifting rather, but if I may be permitted a little cathartic moaning, I realised a few years ago I will never speak a foreign language, because one needs a good memory and the ability to ignore every other interest in life. Which is a pity, because as I got older I was more interested in linguistics, and especially the Oriental side. The film 'Three Seasons' bewitched me with the sound of Vietnamese...

Why should public services be "financially sustainable"? My 1st Class companions will be distraught, and now might even talk to me... 😀

Quite agree, @Ben B , although when I visited a few years ago it could have done with some T.L.C. and new light-bulbs in places. The huge space is quite breathtaking. But I would still like to see a blast furnace. Sigh. Sorry to drift this; back to pictures of railways...

Is this the site whose land deals are mentioned repeatedly in Private Eye ? I find it very depressing the nation's attitude to its industrial heritage. I appreciate a working Blast Furnace is not going to be a profitable or safe tourist attraction, but one has been left derelict for perambulating about in Germany. Why can we not do the same in the U.K.?

Thanks, @BR traction instructor , I had not thought of doing this here. May I recommend 'Indian Temptation' at Bath. Veggie, and liked the dinner so much we returned twice following for lunch a fort-night ago. Lots of South-Asian families eating there as well over the Coronation weekend.

Thanks for posting this, @jjb1970 - looks interesting. There is a B.B.C. recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-laksa This reminds me I must write up my 2d attempt at the Aubergine and Smoked Tomato chutney of last month and just opened.

Perhaps of peripheral interest, David Radcliffe's 'International train-ferry wagons in colour for the modeller and historian', Hersham : Ian Allan, 2009 has pictures of three different 'Arcton' tanks on pp.52-53. For use between Runcorn and the continent, the first is a Pickering 1954 build (4-wheel), and the other two built in Germany. Might be of use for a secondary fluorine traffic.

Dear @Phatbob , it does indeed help. Thank you very much for going to the trouble of posting your thoughts. Glad to hear your purchase is trouble free. I will get my order in a.s.a.p. Hope this is of interest to other '33' fans. Thanks again and best wishes.

Please forgive me if this is being discussed elsewhere, but has anyone got their hands on a new (April/May 2023) 'OO' Heljan 33/2, and is willing to offer an opinion? https://www.Heljan.co.uk/post/slim-jims-shipping-now I was going to buy the D6590 model, not wanting head-light or orange stripe, and re-number it to T.O.P.S. Any thoughts on it from purchasers? Many thanks.

Progress on the ballast and station platform being slower and less competent than wished this Bank Holiday, I finished a kit that has been cluttering my work-bench for years. The Ratio Lineside hut has been modified to be 'more Southern' with a pukka brick chimney and replacing the stone base with brick again. The chimney is a piece of plastic rod with Milliput to embed it as cement. I was most pleased with still having the dexterity to attach the drain-pipe accurately. Even attempted chimney flashing. The door has yet to be fitted, as it has yet to be decided how to use the hut. The door-frame is wonky, and the brick-work courses do not line up on one corner, but it could have come out worse. A pleasing weekend project, I just need to finish that Foden Haulmaster next. And now back to the ironing and boot polishing...

It is Litlington. Sorry for confusion.

My partner and I visited the Tea Garden several years ago one glorious after-noon, via @phil_sutters 's circular 'bus, and would recommend it, if only to support a declining Victorian business. There is an A5 history booklet published, the cover of which I can post here when I get home. Were I a walking man, I think it would be a good 'target' for a walk across the Downs. https://www.explorewealden.co.uk/food-and-drink/litlington-tea-gardens-p1407941 Unfortunately, the 'web site' is just a Face-book page. P.s., bother; am I getting confused...? https://thewishingwellwilmington.co.uk/ Sorry.

I would like to see a track-level shot of this, in the same lighting conditions. If you have time/inclination, any chance of a view from the 'crew room'(?) by the bridge entrance we see on the right of the above picture? Thanks. Sorry to turn this thread into a 'Request Show'. :)

This prompts me to hope RMWeb is seen as a 'broad church', not a bastion only of those who wish to make models as realistic as possible (or, in my case, sulk at being unable to achieve this). I like the vicarious delight in reading of someone showing off her/his new R.T.R. purchase, and am envious of simple but enjoyable 'roundy roundy' layouts.

I should have arranged something special for my fiftieth 'post', but progress is neither so orderly nor inspiring, so here are just a few more pictures and words as a few more steps forward are taken. Thanks to Grandad's Train Shop of Selby getting a bag of ballast to the Post Office at 09.05 on a Monday morning Recorded Delivery for me, I spent last weekend doing more gluing, and this weekend painting the ballast and making a milk-discharge siding. The viaduct walls have been detached, of course. After the shambles of the goods yard, I have not ballasted the points, and can not achieve the shade of 1970's station track dirt wished, but I can try more washes of differing shades over the next few weeks until I get bored. With some of the ballast becoming un-glued when painting, I spent the 'drying time' knocking up a hard-standing out of card for the milk-discharge siding. More surprises trying to mix a concrete colour of 'pale grey with a yellow tint', adding yellow turning the grey a green hue. I assume the black pigment is really dark blue. I made a low wooden fence out of drink stirrers beside the milk siding, as even in the happy-go-lucky 1970's there must have been some protection for milk personnel from a 'shuttered third-rail' alongside for the passenger platform. I kept it low, so figures can be seen. Mention of the third rail means composing a new shopping list of drill-bit, insulation pots for every fourth sleeper, and Code 60 PECO flat-bottom rail. I was also going to try and find some card and wet-&-dry paper in town, for a platform surface, but decided to leave that for another pay-day. Until then, here are a few more photographs. The '71' pretending to be a '74' Electro-Diesel arrives to collect the empties. In the background, a Hornby 2-BIL waits to depart south for Tilling. It was the latter's first time out of the box after purchasing two years ago, so I did not have the courage to couple the coaches together properly; please excuse the incorrect gap. The milk siding from what will be the station platform. A small shed to house pumping equipment is intended to sit behind the left-hand buffer-stop. Two more shots of the loco. No prizes for guessing I find them oddly handsome. Only now do I see I should have spent more time painting the 'insides' of the brick parapets. Another job to add to the list...

Belated thanks to all for this latest issue. Enjoyed the second part of the CO2 tanks and useful accompanying article, both filed. Also the Virgin XC and Bristol Bath Rd articles on operations at the 'sharp end'. Looking forward to the next issue, and the article on Doncaster's freight. Best wishes to all concerned.