jonhall

I found the Harz timetable from Wernigerode rather limited, once you have been up the Broken, the choice of where else to go is really quite limited, if you want to get any steam on the Nordhausen line you need to get the first diesel railcar off in the morning, and you still can't do the whole length of the Nordhausen line, you need to get off the railcar somewhere in the tram-train section, to catch the only steam back. But a day trip to the Broken from a hotel in the Hannover-Wolfsburg-Magdeburg area might be quite a good taster of the Harz. Alternatively basing yourself at Wernigerode for 3 nights, then doing a day on the Broken and a day to Wolfsburg would give the opportunity to mooch around the sheds at Wernigerode in the evenings, and the town itself is really nice. As someone who often travels to Germany 3-4 times a year on holiday, these days I fly, but I have the advantage of living near Heathrow, so the first flight of the day can get me on a German train at about noon, and I get most of a useful day on the way out, and way back. I'm reasonably convinced that my grumbling appendix was triggered by 14 hours on trains Munich-Frankfurt-Brussels-StPancras and have done too many railtour holidays where 2 of my precious days leave have been taken up by getting to or from the main event, but I totally get that if you haven't done that trip as often as I have, that the journey is part of the adventure. If you do fly, then Dusseldorf airport is worth considering as well - right on the railway, and relatively small, so transit through is quite smooth. Jon

In terms of tickets in Germany, you could consider a single country Interail pass - You can use almost all trains including IC/ICE/Eurocity trains flexibly, and don't need a reservation (but you might want reservations, which you can make separately). There is a promise of a 49euro fare for all Germany, but that will be local trains (RB or RE) NOT the high speed expresses, and details aren't yet available. Jon

How about Stenna rail&sail via Harwich overnight, you can probably do most of a full days work, then catch a train to the boat, this can be done for about £100 for fare and berth depending on when you book, and the date of travel, although I'd add the optional meals. Tram from Hoek van Holland to Scheidam and then Rotterdam, and from there train to either Hamburg or Wuppertal, depending which way round you are going around. You could also consider spending a day or two in Holland and do either Stoomtram Hoorn Medemblik or the NS railway museum in Utrect. Hamburg I would add time to do a boat trip round the Harbour. You could consider continuing toward Rostock, and take a day or two and add The Molli, and/or the Rugen narrow gauge. From Wolfsburg you are not far from the Harz and its narrow gauge. if you are staying in Wuppertal consider going to the Bochum Dahlhausen railway Museum If coming b ack via Brussels on Eurostar you could consider adding a night in Brussels, and visit the Belgian Railway Museum at Sharbeek, so you reduce the risk of a missed connection. Its worth remembering, the CIV conditions of carriage - if you book a series of through trains in one go, and an earlier one is delayed, then 'the railway' has to get you on your way, if you book split fares, and an early train is late, then its your problem for not allowing long enough in your connections. And don't believe anyone who tells you the Germans run trains on time - they do sometimes, but they often don't! jon

etc

reinstating some of the photos

York straight rail type apparently https://www.yfanefa.com/record/18159 Jon

Ive not seen this film before, from the Yorkshire Film Archive https://www.yfanefa.com/record/27363 jon

I bought a new xacto razor saw at Warley and already hate it intensely, it rotates in the handle and gives sqiffy cuts. With Hal Nail's recommendation I've just ordered one of the Tamiya ones - otherwise I'd intended to do a like-for-like replacement of my previous saw which was https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelcraft-Zona-PSA35-400-Quality-Razor/dp/B01DPUGL7W/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=6WRqx&content-id=amzn1.sym.9987c01f-79a1-401b-8cc0-4469362e1651&pf_rd_p=9987c01f-79a1-401b-8cc0-4469362e1651&pf_rd_r=0SVDMR76K3B6T15RYT1G&pd_rd_wg=kCJbL&pd_rd_r=3e8903eb-c94d-431c-8e84-07f4abce6035&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m Jon

Were the jumpers on the two ends of each unit different? When I saw this comparison I thought the jumpers have moved from the middle out to under the window, but as I've attempted to look for a date, I notice that the two surviving coaches, both from 4002 are one of each arrangement? jon

No, that isn't a truck tuner - a truck tuner improves the shape of a moulded bearing 'v', the tool I linked to is for drilling a 2mm hole to put a brass bearing in Jon

I think this is what the OP needs https://www.hamodels.net/axlebox-bearing-cutting-tool-for-4mm-wagons-coaches.html Jon

You might find something in one of the Spiele Max stores in the area, but not all stores have a railway section and despite the fact I've been in the one in the shopping center opposite Magdeburg HBF in the last 2 years I don't recall if I found any toy trains (I was more desperate to find an optician to put a new screw in my reading glasses - which I did find! The Spiele Max in Dresden was looking like it was loosing the railways when I was in there in September. Jon

When I was there in mid 2020 there was a small secondhand shop in (IIRC) the road next to the Altora hotel, down towards the HKK hotel. I wasn't ultra interested in the contents, but might be worth a look if you are passing? Jon

You could also look at 'Transport Age' magazine- issue 11 (https://www.gersociety.org.uk/images/b__Transport_Age_Contents_List.pdf) it describes the tin manufacture, and the canning. Transport Age is available on DVD form the Great Eastern Society and is a great investment if you want to understand how British Railways and the other nationalised transport companies worked in the 1950's and 60's https://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/files-emporium-home/c-23-cd-our-dvds-and-cds/transport-age-and-british-transport-review-dvd Jon

Donor tanks are Lima HO wagon's that have been minding their own business since the mid 70's

I feel I've put some of these on here before, but I can't find it...

They were bought out by the British Pullman operators to become the 'Northern Belle' operation. Jon

Its NOT on. There seems to be two issues, the Stevenage leisure center has had/is having some sort of refit that reduced carparking to a level that made it unattractive, and there is nobody who wants to take on the role of exhibition organiser - I'm sure if you want to organise something they would listen to your proposal. jon

two versions, one had extra clearance, but that proved unnecessary.

When you have a laser cutter, it looks like a solution to every problem - I know I could have managed this perfectly well with a scalpel, but...

try changing your country to Belgium(english) on the home page Jon

Finally got around to trying the mesh windows against Bachman coaches, and the look OK to me. Jon

Embsay? Are you sure you don't mean Ingrow on the KWVR? Jon

Based on this year, there will be almost no allocation of Eurostar-for-interrail-holders tickets available. Obviously check which station your train from Lille runs from - the transfer between Lille Europe (Eurostar & most TGV) and Lille Flanders (domestic/local trains) is pretty straightforward. My experience of the opposite corner of France this summer was rather 'just because there is a train on the timetable doesn't mean there is anything at the platform'. Jon

If your stock is mostly NEM you probably also want one of these https://www.petersspares.com/103650-dcc-supplies-symoba-102-nem-362-height-gauge-pk1.ir The British outline manufacturers have played fast and loose with the term NEM pocket, a lot of models have a pocket with the same dimensions as an NEM pocket, but are not at the right height. The NEM-kadee 17/18/19/20 expect the pocket to be at the correct height, so there is no high/medium/low versions, which means if the poket is wrong, the coupler will be wrong, and it will need more work than just unplugging the old and replacing. I echo KevinLMS's recommendation of the Kadee height gauge - its essential. I would also say that I don't think the #5 should be ever used in British outline - I always use the longs (26/29 or 46/49) which put the coupler box closer behind the bufferbeam and the overset needs less packing from the floor - having a longer arm means more articulation around corners. Jon