Guius

Doncaster (Dome) Show is a cracking good O Gauge day out - I would thoroughly recommend it to any one interested in any aspect of this particular field of model railways. Plenty of traders who are prepared to separate you from your 'hard earned' in many diverse and tantalizing ways, from tools and materials to RTR locos. Good parking and frequent buses to and from Doncaster Station make for relatively pain free travel. Guy

Thanks for posting Ohmisterporter. 18 crew in the German tank! I wonder what they all did. Guy

With regard to the veracity of engineering drawing, it's been my experience that very seldom does a working drawing issued to various departments of an engineering concern, as an instruction to build, honestly reflect, for the most part, the finished article. We as modellers, are not privy to the 'evolution' which has take place implicit in any project planning operation. Many engineering companies would produce an 'As Fitted' group of drawings for the customer, (or 'end user' in New Speak) often diverging from the original drawings considerably. So, we have to work with the information we can gather and make educated guesses to fill in the empty spaces best we can. Guy

Since we have delved into '12" : 1 ft' - money no object paradigm, I would rebuild the Penrith to Cockermouth Railway. I might even let other people use it occasionally! Guy

I converted my flat screen T.V. into the curved variety when I put my boot through it after accidentally catching 'Britain's Got Out of Celebrity East End Street' last week. Guy

The Luftwaffe made a few 'alterations' to the Furness Abbey Hotel in 1941 as they did to Barrow Central, both buildings being, for the most part demolished after the war ended. The ruins of Furness Abbey only tens of yards away from the hotel bearing testament to Thomas Cromwells disillusion policies would certainly 'make a statement' on any such model interpretation. Anyone familiar with the Furness coat of arms will recognise the magnificent Sedilla which has survived despite the years of iconoclasm and general looting of stone for inclusion into local houses. Guy

I'd agree with the suggestion of Foxfield, main line and Coniston branch plus the prospect of some out-of-the-ordinary goods workings, Kirkby-in-Furness slate, hematite hoppers or Coniston copper ore comes to mind. Guy

Thanks for posting your videos Charlie, it'll be good to follow your progress. Guy

Like your setup Andy, and just a bit jealous of your modelling room to boot. Guy

I think there's a chance for a second career for us superannuated individuals here, after all PC George Dixon was 81 when he hung up his truncheon ! Electric scooters with 'Blues and Twos' could be pressed into service to carry the less agile officers, 'easy grip' truncheons perhaps and I'm sure no one would mind the odd afternoon snooze back at the nick before Countdown. Guy

The North West O Gauge show at Leigh was cracking value at £5 I thought, if O Gauge is your 'bag'. Excellent trade support, demonstrations, and club/association presence and a few layouts to get the juices flowing. Guy

I (almost) convinced a friends granddaughter that, as apprentices, we had to sleep under our benches with a vice for a pillow and got every other Christmas Day afternoon off - if we were lucky. Just can't resist the opportunity sometimes. (said granddaughter is 26 BTW) Guy

To some people having any sort of interest or hobby is seen as odd and "un-cool" if it isn't sports related or car related. The idea of building a layout or locos etc. for the pleasure of creating something by hand is quiet alien and, if truth be known, a little intimidating simply because they would not know where to start on such a project, and so our hobby becomes an object of derision. And once derided, it's no longer a source of a feeling of being 'a bit inadequate' in the face of technical skills. I remember being introduced to a friend of a friend who had a couple of vintage cars in his garage, being very well restored I asked how much work it had taken to reach this condition, at this point he told of the number specialist he had engaged to do just about every single job, he simply had 'project managed' the restorations and paid the invoices. A few weeks latter I attended a steam and vintage rally where some cars and motor bikes displayed stickers saying " Made Not Paid" after enquiring I learned this referred to the work of restoration being done by the individual exhibitor and not 'contracting out' the work out to third party specialists, such was the feeling that anything was restorable if you had deep enough pockets and little skill So, in a nutshell, the voices who are our hobbies detractors are simply jealous of or abilities and the things we like to create. Guy

The corollary of 'could of' is 'off of' as in "I've left off of painting for today" it might be pedantic, but it really irks me. Guy

The trouble with the 'no tax on food stuffs that damage our health' argument is that the resultant cost of over consumption is deferred until the problem presents its self at the NHS door to be treated years down the line. This cost then, is passed on to society in general to pay for, not just in monetary terms but also in shortened useful lives. Guy

I have a "cunning plan" to cut litter discarded from vehicles after a visit to 'drive thru (sic)' restaurants, cups, boxes, wrapping etc. would have jet printed on them the reg. number of the vehicle from which the order was taken. Local by-laws may need amending for the next stage, as this would need the local authority to levy a litter fine/tax on the owner of the car from which the litter is deemed to have been generated. A similar scheme is operated by some local shopkeepers who write on the wrappers of things bought by young people their name, so as schools can identify persistent littering offenders. Guy

'All things in moderation' If you fancy a tin of Coke occasionally - no harm done, unfortunately fizzy sweetened brown liquid has become a daily staple for many who have been persuaded that its consumption will confer attributes such as attractiveness, social acceptance and above all 'look cool' by the advertising industry. Woe betide any government of any hue that dare to limit the profits of the said multi national by suggesting their products are less than panacea for modern life by pointing out the perils of obesity and diabetes let alone damage to the environment from disregarded packaging. Guy

I live a few tens of yards from the Irish Sea and during the better weather many people have beach parties on the foreshore and dunes, unfortunately many campers (but not all) leave the resultant rubbish behind. This includes tents, sleeping bags, clothes, plastic bottles, glass bottles, tin/beer cans all for someone else to dispose of. I often wonder why come to a SSI and deliberately foul the unique surroundings they have come to experience. The answer, I fear, is just because they can. Witness many National Trust car parks only to see fast food packaging that has been jettisoned after a "happy meal" again for someone else to remove. Personally I would impose an additional "Take-a-way Food Tax" to pay for the disposing and recycling of abandoned packaging. Guy

Just discovered your project Neil and it chines with my own interests and endeavours so I'll follow your progress if I may. As an aside, the Seathwait Navvy Riot of 1904 in which a workman died shocked the area and is still commemorated in the Newfield Hotel with the Westmorland Gazette page framed behind the bar. As late as the 20c itinerant bands of workmen 'tramped' from 'diggings' to 'diggings' to work on pipe tracks (mainly) at this time, still with a reputation for hard drinking and trouble making, the great days of railway construction having mostly passed. Have you had the chance to look round the remains of the Duddon Ironworks by chance? would make a great modelling subject in itself. Best Wishes Guy

I stand to be corrected but didn't Bill win quiet a lot of money on the National Lottery in it's early days while he was working on Heartbeat? Guy

Yes Humph (or is it Humphrey? ), I am happy to confirm that we O Gaugers are most definitely and categorically not all nonagenarians or irascible sociophobes. Guy

Why not 'gen up' on the O gauge planning thing by spending some time at a club or exhibition and talk to a few people who have a little more experience in modelling O gauge, you'll get the 'feel' of the gauge a lot better and then move on to Templot once you can more accurately judge the 'space versus requirements' conundrum? BTW all O gaugers are nonagenarians, irascible sociophobes so best of luck! Guy

The only possible thing on the 'keep a small debit' side of the argument is that, under certain circumstances more credit worthiness (should you require more credit) is apportioned to someone who demonstrates he/she can regularly make payments, above someone who has no indebtedness and is therefore an unknown quantity. It my seem a counterintuitive view point to hold, but I believe that to be the situation. Guy

Jim at one time lived in the station building at Arkholme on 'The Little North Western' Leeds/Morecambe line. Guy

Have you got your power supply cable in at this point Peter? Guy