ba14eagle

Ive seen, in possibly more than 1 thread, mention of a model of 47625 City of Truro in blue. Has anyone got any firm news of whether this is a model that is likely to become available?

I assume that everyone should've received the email

I received the email, with the same options

I think exhibitors should freely engage with people viewing their layout, providing it doesnt mean they stop running trains, which detracts from the enjoyment of the rest of us watching.

I go to too many exhibitions where there is so little happening, on a number of layouts, that I just walk on by. Some of this is due to the exhibitor being too involved in debates over the rolling stock in use or some aspect of the scenery construction.

It can also be due to, and this is more annoying, the exhibitors having completely unrelated conversations between themselves. At a recent exhibiton i attended, this point was emphasised by a debate about expenses relating to the exhibition in progress! I dont pay to listen to peoples issues such as this - this is for Saturday night over dinner or back at the clubroom.

No doubt, there maybe some who are now reading this post and say "who is this bloke - what has he ever exhibited?". Well, I havent done a lot, but I have exhibited my own layouts or helped run others layouts and have tried to entertain, as I want to be entertained. Where possible, I did try and engage with people and found / find it to be a vital part of exhibitions.

I used to work with a chap who spent an awful lot of time in one of these small rooms, seems his 1:76 equivelant is doing the same!

And he is using the ladies!! Mrs S. wont be happy

In the first picture of the kitchen, dont forget, the freezer was located under the counter, on the wall that backed onto the operating floor.

Im waiting to see all the junk stored in the water tank room and the fish tank on the operating floor :good:

Excellent performance by Palace yesterday - I just hope the 4 points we've blown by not converting pens, doesn't come back to haunt us in May   

Just checked the status of my order for two weathered ones 2E & 2H....and shown as order pending.

 

Still waiting to hear anything, the order was placed 31/03/2010.

 

So hoping that I am close to the top of the list of those awaiting despatch.

 

R

I received mine during the week before Christmas, so hopefully, you should receive yours soon. They are well worth the wait!

Just found this thread and thought I would add some of my own memories.

Firstly, Stroud-Sims in Trowbridge - has already been mentioned. During my lifetime it was located in Silver Street. Even then it was split down the middle, with railways being found at the rear of the store. Later became Trowbridge Toys and Models and then Digby's.

One from the late 70's / early 80's was Melksham Models, located in the main street near to where the entrance to Sainsburys is now. USed to stock Lima as I recall. Another name that has also appeared in this thread, was Howell Dimmock. Anyone remember when he had a shop in the old school in Chantry, near Frome? After this, he had another small shop in Catherine Hill, Frome. Talking of Frome, in the 90's, Mendip models started out with 2 different shops in the town.

Moving further afield, in late 1989 / early 1990, I lived in Christchurch, Dorset. A work colleague was also into model railways and was a useful companion, touring local model shops during our afternoons off. There was a hardware store in Bargates which used to regularly have secondhand items in the window. Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth was blessed with Bournemouth Model Centre and Motor Books. The Branch Line was on the road between Charminster and Castle Lane West. In Boscombe, there was Fosters, who had masses of secondhand stuff, and Boscombe Collectors Centre. In Southbourne, there was another shop, but the name escapes me - possibly Railmart?

My job then moved from Christchurch to Frimley Road, Camberley. There was a model shop about 1/4 mile up the road from my pub and I also became familiar with Junior World in Hook and Cove Models.

Does anyone know if there is a similar thread to this, but for permanent model railway exhibitions? I recall visiting plenty of these, most now shut.

I must admit I've not read every post from the start of this thread, but here goes. 

I've often been tempted to build a layout of a fictional preserved railway and, unashamedly, used it as an excuse to run whatever I liked   In fact, recent expansion of my rolling stock fleet, has been with this in mind - I have, until recently, been focussed on running locos and train formations that would have been seen in a narrow time frame - basically Summer of 1986 to Spring 1987 - my golden years of spotting / bashing - and before those nasty "sector" colours took over  but am now rebelling and collecting anything from the steam era, that takes my fancy. Ideas at the top of my list include locations such as Wellow (S&D) or Devizes (GWR).

The other thing is, do the arguments used against the idea of modelling a fictional preserved line similarly apply to modelling a location on a closed line, as if it had avoided the beeching axe and still been open now? The same locations could still fit the bill.     

Looking forward to seeing this develop, as I too worked this panel box.

Would the speed limit be reduced on the "wrong line" due to the signal distances and the fact that they where two aspect?

IIRC speed was 85mph in the reversible direction

Hello Walls, I spent most of my working life as a Vansalesman for sausage, pies and bacon companies. Four years for C&T Harris of Calne, I passed my driving test on one of their Commer Walkthroughs aged 17 having starting with them as a vanboy (they called it being a apprentice vansalesman .  . Five years for Spear Bros. and Clark, a local Bristol company, twentyfour years for Robirch (sister company to Millers of Poole), then finished up the remainder of my working years working for Bowyers. I really enjoyed the job.

Best wishes, Keith

My late Father used to drive a Commer van for Bowyers, out of the BRS depot in Melksham. I remember we used to have plenty of banter with the Walls and Millers salesmen we met, on his round in Bath.

If only Oxford Diecast could give us some models in these liveries.

You generally get one of two set ups on bi-directional lines. Either full signalling that is basically a copy of the signalling fitted to the normal running line, so if it 4 aspect in the 'right' direction, it will be 4 aspect in the 'wrong' direction, with signals fitted opposite each other, or a basic version called SIMBIDS (simplified bi-directional signalling). With simbids, you get less signals in the wrong direction compared to the right direction, and these are more often than not 2 aspect signals, yellow/green 'distant', and a red/green 'stop' signals. 

I used to work Swindon Panel and our lines were SIMBIDS fitted. The signals on the reversible were few and far between and only 2 aspect.

Using the reversible line for overtaking manouvres, of slower trains, used to be a complete but was authorised a few years ago - the benefits to performance must have been realised! 

 Au contraire, placed an order online for 4 weathered ones (Id not pre-ordered them) and received them quite quickly

I wasnt fooled by the foboff - I was cheesed off with it and annoyed that those, who may not have pre-ordered, have got something ive waited for 6 years! The next thing Im expecting is for the wagons to go out of stock and be left without any and then have my nose rubbed in it by unscrupulous persons selling them on EBay for double the price.

Please dont think I dont understand that the retailer is busy with a whole load of orders to sort, but a sympathetic response to my enquiry would have been more acceptable than, what appears to be, a complete load of bulls**t.

#95

"A nicely packed box arrived from Kernow today which I’ve just opened. I phoned on Tuesday as it was 2014"

 

Lucky chap - I ordered 3 in 2012 and am still waiting!!!

I phoned KMC today to enquire if my order was on its way or close, but was advised that the dispatch of gate stock was taking priority and the PBA werent going out until the new year!! So, if like me you are patiently waiting for your wagon orders, tough luck was the impression I got   

In 1985 the Western region had a rake of Mk1's which were painted chocolate & cream for the GW 150 celebrations. They were used on Bristol to Portishead steam specials

Cant remember when it was (but in the last 12 - 18 months) I used Southern to try and get to Ford, for a visit to Gaugemaster.

I managed to get over carried to Barnham, as the doors wouldn't open at Ford, despite there being plenty of platform to alight onto! No announcements were made on the journey from Clapham Jn, to say there would be limited door opening, so goodness knows what happened. Anyway, couldn't be bothered to wait for the next train back to Ford, so carried on home.

#95

"A nicely packed box arrived from Kernow today which I’ve just opened. I phoned on Tuesday as it was 2014"

Lucky chap - I ordered 3 in 2012 and am still waiting!!!

An evening keeping the real railway running on Saturday and a nice day out in the New Forest, on Sunday, with my Lady, visiting the New Forest Model Railway Society Open Day. I did, at one point, think I had been teleported to the NEC, when I couldn't get to a view an O gauge layout!

Also, 37675, which had been one of the Laira 37/5's, had been allocated away from there, after being involved in a tragic accident at St Blazey depot on Christmas Eve 1993.

By 1998 i'm not sure any locos were actually "allocated" to St Blazey - previously, there would have been a few 08's but the 37/5's would have been the Laira allocated locos and a few visitors from elsewhere.

Apologies for going off topic, but was it 312204 which was dubbed "the canary" after being painted in WMPTE yellow livery in the mid 80's?

Some Fragonset locos at Swindon, whilst on hire to Wessex Trains for Glastonbury Festival trains. 23rd June 2004.

31452

31454

31601

A few slide scans from my collection.

An unidentified 47 (possibly 063) heads for Westbury with a single BDA wagon

10-5-1987 47156 on Westbury depot

11-4-1987 After its collision with 33032 at Frome, 47202 is dumped at the back of Westbury Depot

7-3-1987 47573 at the old Liverpool St station

21-2-1987 47582 shunts onto its train at Norwich Thorpe

10-5-1987 The unique 47901 rests on Westbury Depot

A few slide scans from my collection.

8/5/1987 - 33008 on a Bristol bound train passes Yarnbrook, between Westbury and Trowbridge

8/8/1986 - 33025 arrives at Bristol TM

29/10/1988 - 33033 heads the "Crompton Cornish Swansong" at Truro

7/5/1988 - 33103 at Brockenhurst with the Push-Pull Farewell railtour

14/5/1988 - 33112 at Cardiff Central with an NSE organised railtour from Waterloo to Carmarthen