Regularity

No, this is just his virtual avatar.

Back on track, but when was the most recent, or failing that the most relevant, layout plan posted?

And strangely, this is true, for one day thus will come to pass, even for those who have never walked with an uncovered head in a rainstorm, which I imagine to be a very small number. Anyway, in the mid 80s I was a student in Preston, and in my first term it rained at some point during each and every day!

Not watching paint or glue dry, then?

I would like to take the opportunity to correct you here, my good Captain.You say “prevalent”, but might “endemic” not be better, and you could add, “wanting to find out” to things that get looked down on...

Is he one of the crew?

The shade does appear to be very similar to British Racing Green, too.

Resistance is non-existent?

I am reminded of Arnimal’s progress in building wagons (which seems to be about one every fortnight), and this comment: Mike is producing superb models at a prodigious rate. He puts us all to shame! Steady progress, with a bit of work done each day, and a degree of planning so that the last thing you do is glueing (and clamping, if required), means that a surprising amount can be achieved. Also, when you come back to it the next day, the glue has hardened such that you can carry on with the next bit.

Close, but “futile” was the Borg.Vogons said, “Resistance is useless.”

Type in the type of wood you are looking for, and it probably would. PS You haven’t specified the sheet size, so it’s hard to compare. I presume this is 8’x4’, or 2.4m x 1.2m? PPS Nor have you specified the thickness, so all in all, converting the currency is all that we can do by way of comparison...

If the wood has been stored in the same place prior to cutting, and the boards are stored in the same place, then any change on one should be the same as in the other, so this should not be a problem.

Go to google, and in the search box, type “convert 53 euros to gbp”.

No movement in your dowels. Be careful how you write/say that...

Glad to see you about, Gary. Re the figures, am I the only person to wonder if the second from the left is trying (without much success) to do a Bruce Forsyth impression, circa 1978? Didn’t he do well? No. OK, so I am the only person... Edit:

Are we going to see the HMRS rebranding itself as the “Historical Buy-it-off-the-shelf” Railway Society? Surely regauging modern RTR to EM is not that difficult?

Ex-works: despite the name of the building it is a salesroom only now.

Why three dowels, and not just two?

Can’t believe I have agreed with you...

Because it was Soo predictable...

I don’t accept your premise.Firstly, 4-4-0s are usually the bane of most modeller’s, so the fact that they worked with incredible reliability on these layouts speaks volumes for the practicality of the standards. Secondly, those 0-6-0s could be pretty large and we’re fitted with working inside valvegear which was very accurately made, but would not necessarily respond well to lots of excessive side play, and clearances and tolerances were as fine as if the motion was outside. Thirdly, although Heckmondwyke was designed to run a full representative service with the correct stock, other things did run on the layout at speed. Since I don’t accept your premise, I do reject your conclusions. That’s an interesting point, though, that MRJ by providing Tony with the opportunity to express his prejudices against P4, has allowed Iain to provide the results of some sums which show why P4 runs better, but I still think it was worthy of more than a letter. A fully fledged article with diagrams and photos would be good, especially if the S4Soc were given permission to reprint it as a handout. Some of the drawings can be found in Greenly’s “Model Railways”.

Too clever by three-quarters....

PVA, applied very thinly to both the wood and the cork and it will stick almost instantly. Apply weights to keep the pressure on, preferably overnight. Job done. That was a tip given to me by a neighbour who was a joiner. He gave me two further tips. 1) Nothing is a good as Resin W, even though it costs more it is like a more expensive tool and saves money in the long run; 2) Act as though you are self-employed (as he was!) and that you really don’t want to waste a single penny by using too much glue.

######. I think I have too, somewhere! I still remember Billy Bragg’s comment on the oxymoron in the line, “I don’t want to be hip and cool. I don’t want to play by the rules.” The Great Man neatly pointed out in a magazine interview on being cool that not playing by the rules surely was the very definition of being hip and cool. He probably didn’t expect to be quoted on a model railway bulletin board a third of a century later... ...but he also made a point which is pertinent and relevant to Iain’s letter, as there is a risk of people who are thought of as “cool” starting to believe it, and getting together and creating an elite. He said - and the phrase has stuck with me since - that “the Oxford English Dictionary defines an elite as a bunch of w@nkers who think they are the bees’ knees, not very cool I think you’ll agree”! Something to be careful of. I realise that I am rambling and drifting, but “elitist” is sometimes thrown at people who subscribe to MRJ.

Bend don’t break, See both sides. Throw off those mental chains. Can’t believe I could recall those lines, even if incorrectly.