Philou

Off topic but related - when I worked I had to 'interface' with the public in a written form and I was asked quite often if I could re-write a letter to in effect - 'dumb it down'. My answer was that it was a technical response to a technical question and that was it! Pfffff. On occasion I was also asked if it was possible to re-write a letter of refusal (planning permission related) to which my reply was 'in just how many ways can you say 'no'?'. It's a letter of refusal (prettied up of course)!! You can dumb down but there is a limit!! Back on topic - cler - est - tory for me - even though the Hattons coaches are without. Do you think someone may be tempted to bring out a matching range of bogie coaches? Cheers, Philip

I don't know if this of any help but seeing the comment regarding insulating the wheels - years ago I converted some H/D 3-rail locos to 2-rail. The way then was to drill out the wheels on one side in which you could put in a pukka plastic sleeve and push the axle into the hole within the sleeve (they were spares from H/D and cheap as chips at the time). In the end I used to do both sides and the loco was fully insulated. On steam locos the bogie/pony wheels I changed for Jackson ones. If the sleeves are still available, would this be not better than resin, especially if you can't get replacement non 3-rail wheels? Just a thought. Cheers, Philip

@Enterprisingwestern Do you have an option to have your parcels sent by Royal Mail 'signed-for'? For the time being, I've had no hassle whatsoever with Royal Mail/La Poste here in France ............... I hope it continues . Cheers, Philip

I was told similarly last week - which means I shan't be able to get the Genesis stock through my 'local' shop ........

Whilst there won't be duties payable on intra-EU transactions, the rules regarding VAT payments ARE changing - VAT payable at country of recipient rather than country of despatch. If you happen to live in a country where the VAT rate is higher than the sender's rate, I assume you will pay the higher rate. I don't recall if the recipient will cough up or if the sender pays, but new arrangements will need to be in place. Being the EU, I expect it will be seamless *cough* ............. as each country can set it's own rate of VAT (within a defined limit).

Ummmmm ................. why the rant? I don't do Facebook nor Twitter. I happen to prefer my privacy as I expect many others do who visit here. Just sayin'.

Unfortunately @WM183, as I understand it, the VAT rules between member states will change on 01.07.2021 to be based on the Brexit model. It just that the UK has had a six-month head-start .................. I see doom and confusion on the horizon for everyone . Cheers, Philip

Well, I've just had to clear out the spare bedroom of things that 'just appeared' over the last year - it could well be that a clear-out occurred without due notice. There is another thread elsewhere and some of the stories were really, really bad. Cheers, Philip

..................... and before I forget as it was mentioned above, plywood sheets can be bought over here in 1220 widths (4 foot) and can be 2.4 (8 foot) or 2.5m in length. French plasterboard is BA13 (13mm) but measures out at 12.5mm (1/2 inch!)

Well, the conversion to the metre was started BEFORE the French Revolution and Boney. It was an attempt to standardise measures in France as the peuple were getting restless at being ripped-off. There was the pinte, the pouce (thumb) and the livre (pound), but depending which town you went, they all differed AND if you were buying and selling grain for example, the pinte for buying was bigger than the pinte for selling, the difference being 'ker-ching' - PROFIT! There is a book 'Measuring the Earth' that I can't find at the mo', in which two Surveyors Royal were sent out to do exactly that - measure the Earth - well the distance between the North Pole and the Equator along the 0° meridian and the 1/1 000 000 measure of that distance would be the metre. They set out long before the Revolution started and finished well after it was all over having been arrested as spies and the like in between times. The nub of it was they didn't have to go all the way to the North Pole nor the Equator, but measured France from about Boulogne to the Med following a meridian (the 0° Meridian as we know it wasn't established until the 1920s - my French great-Grandfather was involved in that) and allowing for pesky mountains and rivers getting in way, they did it. I don't recall the exact measure they came up with but is was slightly bigger than the French yard (une latte IIRC - from which we have our lath and is also the Welsh word for a yard). Anyhow, the measures were erroneous due to wear in the instrument they used - the instrument was very finally calibrated but the mechanical gubbins weren't up to the job being mainly in brass. The revolutionary government of the day decided to NOT go metric and put it on the back burner until Napoleon took it up. Unfortunately, the 'standard' metric length in platinum was a fudge and isn't the 1/1 000 000 distance that it was intended to be. Over the years ALL the physical weights have changed due to loss of surface atoms and changes in gravitational influences and hence they're now based on atomic wavelength measurements. HEY!!! Wake up at the back!! I'm nearly done. Just to finish off, over here, you can still go into a shop and ask for a demi-livre of butter (250g). And the imperial measures - and inch being the length of the king's thumb twixt knuckle and first joint, shoe measurements being based on lengths of barley corn and the Avoirdupois (literally 'have-some-weight') was based on the weight of a particular seed (IIRC came via the Greeks). All-in-all, all of it is a right dog's breakfast! (But metric is simpler to use but less flexible - consider: 10 is divisible by 2, 5 and 10, whereas 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, (6), and 12) Oh, and the kids over here do not 'do' their 12 times table either that I consider pretty important. Cheers, Philip

Close but not quite regarding water and Farenheit - 0° is the freezing point of salted water (I thought it was a saline solution - there you, I learnt something today), but the top of the scale was the boiling point of pure water at 212° (WHY?!!!) and then divided out in between. But hey, you overlooked the Réamur scale which was 0°R (freezing water) but 80°R for boiling water - go figure! Just as an aside, when I worked in labs at the Polytechnic, we had to make a freezing mixture (to be used to cool another experiment at negative temperatures) using rock salt and water and I got my mix down to -45°C - proud of that or what! Cheers, Philip

IMHO where 1:76.2 scores best using the 4mm/ft scale, is that you can use any old ruler even the old school wooden ones (remember them across your knuckles?) and provided there are mm graduations, you can immediately produce a scale drawing from an imperial scaled one. Now try that in 0 or H0 ......... (Added: working in 4s is simpler than in 7s, IMHO)

I suppose if you were really cheeky, you could turn up at an exhibition with a goods yard with plenty of stock (but no locos). 'When's the next train, then?' 'None, closed on weekends'. Well, the thought made me laugh anyway (bored at the mo'). Cheers, Philip

Having lived in Ledbury it sort of sums it up really! The closest first tier road was the M50, but on the scale of motorways, it was/is quite minor. However, tying railways and the Archers with Ledbury, at least it was mainly GWR-land. Cheers, Philip

Hmmm ...... the road numbering on the map is all to pot - eastern UK and Scottish numbers. I thought it was supposed to be 'sort-of' west Midlands/Herefordshire area. The map certainly has a Ledbury/Hereford feel about it. Cheers, Philip

There's a rather large spider about the size of a small dog (only joking) on show in the National Museum of Wales that DID come in lurking in a bunch (or is it hand) of bananas - quite lively too apparently before it was ... err .... caught. It's years since I saw it, but I assume it came in aboard a Geest ship at Barry. Cheers, Philip

My experience so far in France is having had three parcels (loco in each plus three coaches in the one), and, so far so good, no additional charges were requested - all having been sent via Royal Mail/La Poste. In sending out printed material from here to the UK (car pron), I send 3 or 4 at a time under printed matter (imprimés) rate and have been charged €3.70 (or thereabouts) all having been received in the UK without additional charges (thinking postal rather than VAT/tarrif tariff). Perhaps MSL could do the same (depending on weight natch)? YMMV of course as to how each country deals with postal rates. Cheers, Philip

Having mentioned Chalindrey, it's where I saw one of the first Euro-based Class 66 (66255 IIRC) a few years ago now, still in it's unchanged EWS branding (no DB or Europorte markings), on the 'train des eaux'. It was taking empty covered wagons (UK type IHAs) to Vittel and Contrexéville to load up. Why I remembered it in particular was that it had sucked a couple of umbrellas into the louvres! Cheers, Philip

Ah, Chalindrey! My local station. The roundhouse is still there and in use for storing a few locos overnight - it's also a diesel refuelling point. The rest of the roundhouse is used currently for dismantling loads of asbestos-filled coaches and other stock. There are lines and lines of them awaiting disposal at Vesoul - including some stainless steel ones. The chair of our club works at the roundhouse and the club is about 1km away. Cheers, Philip PS: Seeing Arcachon mentioned - when I was there two years ago, it was a continuous parade of TGVs in the station!

Hello to all, I'm pleased to announce on behalf of Lord and Butler of Cardiff that the shop will re-open to all as of Monday 12th April. Opening hours for the time being will be Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 4.00pm. There's lots and lots of lovely new stock and all that's missing is YOU, the customer. A warm welcome awaits you all. Please note: Social distancing and anti-Covid measures will still apply for the time being. Cheers, Philip

If Hornby won't, perhaps one of the new boys on the block will? Two motors and ready for 21/22 pin DCC - won't be cheap mind! Cheers, Philip

Dear deity, I just read the review that @Steamport Southportkindly directed us to. I can relate to that but not as badly. Oh my aching sides, I haven't laughed so much in a while. Mrs Philou is wondering why I'm in tears, unfortunately I fear the idioms and expressions used will be lost somewhat in translation into French. Tearfully, Philip

May I ask @Wayne Kinney if a set can be made by those that wish to, without affecting the kit as supplied? If the answer is 'Yes', can I make a suggestion that once all the leaflets have been used up and/or the tooling become worn, then it would be an opportunity to alter the instructions to reflect the making of the set? A Mk1 and then a Mk2 version if you will. After all, despite compromises that have to be made modelling in 00, should we not be striving to achieve as near to prototype as is practically possible? It's what most RTR loco manufacturers seem to be doing. If a set can be achieved by means of a tap of a hammer on a simple jig by those that wish to, why not? I for one shall be interested in these new points, especially if they can be curved! (Modelling GWR, I think I'll leave the joggle alone!) Cheers, Philip PS: Is 'flair' correct? I thought it was 'flare' as in flaring. You Wayne have flair, but your check rails need a flare.

I'm not into 0 gauge, but they do look very good! Good luck and happy modelling to those in the 'senior' scale. Cheers, Philip

Veet over here - stinky and very caustic! Do not exceed the time or dose .... just sayin' and don't ask - TMI already! Cheers, Philip