Philou

Give that man a cigar! Yes, the bogie has been made with the guard irons reversed. I wouldn't have spotted it, but it was mentioned in the RM review a couple of numbers back and that's how I knew. In the article it was said that new bogie frames would be sent out to all customers for self-fitting. As a replacement was due, I didn't want to make anything of it. I have had a look, and it's only the one screw holding the bogie in place and I suppose if you had no use for the front coupler, then it could be just a case of turning it around, though I don't know if the NEM pocket would thwart that approach or not. Personally, it's no big deal and I shall await a replacement bogie frame in due course. Another teensie-weensie 'error' that the article picked up was that the makers' plate says 'English Electic' - which I couldn't see without viewing the above photo enlarged!! Cheers, Philip

It's been taken out of its box and I've had a quick look - the sheen on the paintwork looks good in my eyes as I don't like the 'glossy' look at all. As mentioned above - very weighty - which all adds to its presence. I haven't had an opportunity to run it yet. There is one error that is apparently to be rectified - and I'm not going to say what as I don't really want to set hares running as I wouldn't have been any the wiser. The error notwithstanding, I think it looks a really nice loco and for a first effort - well done. I await for the Fell in eager anticipation. Cheers, Philip

Well, colour me maroon and green! A parcel arrived just a half an hour ago containing the GT3 (I recognised the box). It wasn't dispatched until Friday and it's here in my hands Monday lunchtime - and no demands for a kidney or an arm before being delivered! SWMBO was a bit miffed that a loco arrived, but I did tell her that is was ordered eons ago and paid-for in installments, and the loco wasn't going to take her place - harrumphh! I shall have a quick look and test it on my layout - all 1yd of it - but no box-opening videos, I promise. Cheers, Philip

Received a mail too and it's being tracked - somewhere in Limbo Land - aka Roissy Airport and in the hands of La Poste. I await to see what may happen regarding any demands for VAT (TVA). For those who live on mainland Europe (more specifically France), I'll let you know. Cheers, Philip

Fleischmann used to make the Bo Bo - I have one in blue. Possibly Lima and Trix have also made them too - I think I saw one of each in my Dad's collection in the grange. I really need to go and catalogue it all. Cheers, Philip

...... and the cast iron stop valve cover ..... not modelled very often either. Going back to the 'detached' terraced houses, did anyone note that the kerb line had been dropped to allow the rainwater from the drab green coloured house to drain into the highway drain? No reason now to worry if your model footway isn't laid 'flat'! Stone kerbs and gutters used to be very common in Cardiff together with sandstone flags. Just for info: Modern carriageway construction avoids constructing concrete 'gutters', known as channelling, as the surfacing, which is the 'pavement' is now taken to the kerb edge. Channelling is restricted to where the highway is very flat and the channelling used to make gradients to take the water to the gullies, the 'drain'. In highway parlance, the highway is divided into the carriageway and the footway and any hard surfacing is the 'pavement', which can cover both the carriageway and the footway. A footway that does not follow a carriageway is usually a footpath that may or may not be hard-surfaced. Cheers, Philip

..... and note the difference in brick sizes too. Quite common when using 'modern' bricks within older walls. IIRC metricated bricks are 225 x 112.5 x 75mm against 9" x 4 1/2" x 3" and even that doesn't take into account regional differences! (And differences in mortar bed thicknesses too). Cheers, Philip

Returning to the 'hydrant' signs, H and SV have been covered, WO is a Wash Out valve so the water pipe can be emptied once isolated by the SVs. The doors in the wall are or were coal-holes (someone mention coal staiths behind). Just as a by-the-by, Scalescenes reproduce these doors as part of their terraced houses. In many parts of S Wales, the rows of houses were served by back-lanes and it is still common to find worked stone corner protectors at the entrance to the lane. I haven't photos of my own, but there is also the change in surfacing between roads at their junctions. Some might be tar and chip to macadam to cobbles at lane entrances. Cheers, Philip

Looks good and much better than my virtual one! I'm glad to see you did keep in mind the 'test stretch' as boards wider than 900mm usually end up with bad cases of the 'nudge'! Good luck, Philip

My method is to start to start with one chamfer and with a soft brush build up the shoulder working into the end of the sleepers adding ballast if necessary. A rub with a finger will compress it. A gentle spray of water with a drop of washing up liquid and then with a dropper a reasonably strong mix PVA:water (with a drop of WUL as well) and liberally apply. Whilst that is drying off, repeat for the next shoulder (if single track or the far outer one if more than one track), once done repeat for the cess between the tracks (if double track or more) and finally finishing off between the sleepers/rails. What works for me, is working with dry ballast and plenty of PVA mix to hold it all - though I must say @gordon s's ballast does look rather good! I do a metre of double track in about an hour. Cheers, Philip

Aaaargh! Noooo! What are you doing me? I'm now more confused than ever! What I can say is that I definitely had the two D/Ds in red/green and cream (second shelf down) and the BOAC shuttle bus (box on right, third shelf). What I probably had (have still?) is the maroon with cream 'go-faster' stripe (left hand end third shelf) and its 'opposite' coloured one cream with maroon 'go-faster' stripe mid-way on the third shelf. I did acknowledge that I was probably wrong regarding the OB - it was the flared rear end that had me confused (though it doesn't need much nowadays!!!). Anyway, back to Titfield, I'd be in the market for an updated 14XX. If it was available in various guises (48XX, 58Xx and 517) I'd have one of each of them too, ta very much! Cheers, Philip

A general question to those out there that live in the EU, if I may? My partner has just received a text on her mobile saying there is a parcel outstanding but held up due to unpaid custom duties (the GT3 shouldn't be subject to tariffs but VAT IF I've understood things correctly). I think I smell a rat as I haven't given her mobile number to KR and the site to which it wants me to go to is not a secure site (i.e., https://), and if it was a boney fido courrier/carrier, I'm sure it would have had a name attached to the incoming number. But .... but .... I thought I'd ask in case anyone else was waiting and had received a similar text. Cheers, Philip

'Salt' ...... codeword ..... shhhh ....... loose tongues cost lives .............

Could well be that I mis-remembered when I posted up (grey matter an' all), I seem to recall (now) that the Dinky model had the driver in a half-cab (or is that a figment too?). I left them at home when I bought my own home 47 years ago, and they could well still be in the attic with a load of bits'n'bobs. I'll ask my brother to have a look. Cheers, Philip

Dinky used to do the OB in maroon and cream and cream and maroon. I have no idea of the scale (at the age of 9 it wasn't important) and I have lost sight of them unfortunately. Cheers, Philip

I found the above discussion regarding salt and export very interesting and I thought I'd look up the ship in question: She is the SS Cambridge and according to Wiki she was German built in 1916 but was given to a UK company after the First World War as reparations. She was eventually sunk off Australia (Bass Straits) in November 1940 by a German mine. She had called at Cardiff, Newport and Swansea before quitting the UK for Australia, via Milford Haven. Simple musing on my part but is the photo posted up one taken before her last voyage? If the photo is wartime, then of course the UK would have been reliant on food coming in from its Dominions of the time - tying up exported salt with returning meat and butter. There was no mention of her cargo - but I wondered if the salt on board may have been saltpetre, a component in the manufacture of munitions? Wartime and all that. (She was a refridgerated ship and I don't know if that would affect any 'dry' cargo.) Cheers, Philip

I was pleased to find the e-mail this evening when I got back after a few days away from the laptop. I just hope the French VAT/La Poste are not going to want an arm or leg off me before it lands in the letterbox! Roll on the Fell! Cheers, Philip

Funny thing about the masks and how it affects people - I'm fine with it and can wear it for hours - if I remember to take it with me/put it on! My partner hates it for more than half an hour or so. I can understand people not liking it but consider this: Over here in France where it's been pretty well obligatory once supplies of masks were freely available, there have been very few reported cases of 'flu and gastro-enteritis compared with other years. My view is that the mask together with more frequent washing of hands has reduced our 'normal' infections. Onto dates for shows: We had our AGM last week (limited in numbers) and it's been decided that we shall have a small show/swap meet in October (w/e of 22/24). A one day affair without invited layouts as such, but a number of modules inter-linked, so plenty of room for the public. One or two select traders will be invited plus those doing the swap/meet. As Hon. Treas., my dilemma is that if we don't charge for entry, we can have the hall for free (belongs to the Town Council). What we can't risk is charging and only have a few people turn up due to the lack of variety of layouts. (I think there is likely to be a pent-up demand and we shall have a meaningful footfall.) To overcome this, I did suggest that the public can come in free but will need to PAY TO GET OUT - which is not as silly as it seems as we shall just ask for donations just as most museums do in the UK. As it will be a public one day affair, there won't be any putting up of traders in hotels nor will there be any 'foreign' layout attendees either. Tables will be paid for, but the traders WILL get a free lunch and evening meal (all prepared by outside caterers). We shall be selling hot and cold drinks and pre-packed snacks - but nothing will be prepared on-site. Social distancing will apply and masks and hand disinfectant will be obligatory (subject to the rules in force at the time, natch.) I'll let you know how we get on - IF there are no further restrictions. Cheers, Philip

I failed to use a resistor on a 3v supply and the magic smoke escaped. I learnt!! I use 1kΩ from now on and it's plenty bright enough even at 3v. Cheers, Philip

Don't forget the bricks are going to be 'darker' under cills and eaves as the rain can't get to them to wash off the dust and grime - particularly if you're doing the steam era due to the additional soot and smoke particulates in the air then (London smog anyone?). Depending where you live, the mortar joints may not have been cement/lime/sand based but lime/coal-dust based as they were in S Wales, very, very dark grey to black in colour. Cheers, Philip

@nbaker Hi to you too, Just one or two things to be aware regarding your baseboards: Anything over 900mm baseboard width could cause problems in stretching over lines and objects, so avoid putting too much track along the wall/outer edges - otherwise it'll be the 'nudge' and cause things to fall over or be displaced; Curving lines look better than straight lines on-scene (doesn't matter in the fiddle yard area) and if you're using flexible track, you can have your station on a slight curve too. To get it all in, your trackage on the left-hand side may need to tilt at 45° and likewise in the fiddle yard area. I haven't got Anyrail so I can't offer to have a fiddle and my favourite software package has been 'lost' in a harddrive failure so can't replicate there either for the moment, but I'm sure some kind souls will be along soon to assist. Cheers and good luck, Philip

Just thought I'd have a butt-in regarding a comment made by @The Johnster regarding Beeching and rail/railway station closures and their counterparts in Europe. I cannot speak for 'the rest of Europe' and I speak only as I see it here in France. The main railway system outside of the new shiny shiny TGV has been shot to bits and is falling apart due to a lack of investment in the 'classic' lines, all due to the Government insisting (forcing) SNCF to spend money that they didn't have on the TGV network. They're so badly off that last year, IIRC, there was mention made of REDUCING the TGV stations to about 30 to serve the whole of France. Our local TGV station is at least an hour's drive away (Besançon) and very little on-site parking. Our local station on the classic line (Line 4) is Vesoul only 35 mins away with parking - but the train service is limited to 4 up and 4 down to/from Paris. Want go elsewhere? Nah mate, need to go to Paris first and then come back. It's not only in the UK where there have been massive closures, but here too, without the re-opening of lines as in the UK. You want to go cross-country? You're having a larf - up to Paris and back down again. At least in the UK you CAN use X-Country - maybe not everywhere - but you can. Whatever people think of privatisation, I do think that it has been A Good Thing (TM) and they could do with a bit of that over here. (Pity HSTs are rather old and probably non-compliant emission-wise as I could see them on our local line.) Sorry if it's coming over as a bit of a rant, but it just seems such a waste of a vast infrastructure that could be put back to good use. They're so insular (bit of an oxymoron there) over here, that they won't look to the UK for ideas - though they seem to have woken up to the fact that there is a case for bringing back sleeper trains - yay! Right! As you were and back to the Neverwazzas - I think they're all excellent. Cheers, Philip

Seems quite lively, pulls a fair load but still pig-ugly! I have no idea if the sounds are correct, but I shan't be one to complain when it turns up. Any idea of time-scales for the decorated samples? Cheers, Philip

@NHY 581 Is that a photo (just above) of your motor? I suspect it's not you with your back to the camera - or is it? Cheers, Philip

@KNP Nah, checking out the fish to come back later with his rod. Very nice work and I really enjoy your photos. Cheers, Philip