FarrMan

Tony What GWR wagon models are still available, please? On a less serious note, I don't suppose that you have any pidgeon vans going cheep, or would that need DCC and a speaker? Lloyd

Unfortunately, that is very common in Academia. Preparation, marking, as well as admin and any personal development to keep up to date on your subject would take a lot more than the 11 hours left of a 35hr week after class contact time, especially if developing a new teaching programme. Hence the detestation for meetings that were a total waste of time. Lloyd

What material do use it to cut? Lloyd

I agree that working from home has plenty of advantages for the worker. As far as managing is concerned, it depends on how much you trust your 'subordinates' and how easily you can assess outputs. When I was lecturing, I regularly took work home in the evenings and on Saturdays, as well as during the 'long' 'holidays'. Sometimes the peace enabled you to work much more efficiently at home. My Son has worked from home for the last 3 years due to eye problems, etc. When the pandemic began, he requested permission to work from home permanently, and was eventually given it. It was suggested that he do 3 months probation before it was finally agreed, but his line managers agreed that as he had been doing it for the previous 2 years, 3 months probation was a bit unnecessary! Quite a bit of his time is taken up with meetings on line, as the participants are in various parts of the world, and due to time differences, they can sometimes be at odd times. One particular advantage is that he has now moved from a 3 hour drive away to a 25 minute drive away. Lloyd

Going from memory of 60 years ago, and my memory is not very good at best, the East side of Midland Road (i.e. the side towards the station) was industrial premises all the way along. I have a vague memory of a bakery part way along, but not much detail beyond that. I think that they were all low buildings, which is why they would not have been visible from the station side above the usual row(s) of wagons parked on that side. Lloyd

Many thanks for all the suggestions re couplings. As I expected, a wide range of views expressed. i am inclined to experiment with a few dinghams and a few sprat and winkles and see how I get on with them. Lloyd

From the time it took to remove that kink in the main lines through the platforms, they tended to happen VERY slowly! Lloyd

Now that I have an excuse to do some practical modelling at last, though as my Grandson is only 6 weeks old at present, I am not in a rush, could I pick the assembled brains on this thread on the question of couplings. The plan is to resurrect his father's model of Hemyock, which never got beyond laying track when he no longer had time for it about 30 years ago (a 120 mile round trip to and from school each day, mainly on single track roads does not leave much spare time). The track will need relaying, but the baseboards should be reuseable. Short trains and shunting will be involved, and a 'one engine in steam' policy practiced. I like the sound of the Hunt's couplings, but apart from holding the stock with the dreaded hand, would they be suitable for a lot of uncoupling and recoupling? Is there any automatic uncoupling system with the Hunts? One thing that I have learnt from this thread is to avoid tension locks like the plague! All advice most welcome. Also advice on best ways to make authentic looking buildings, or where to find it would be very helpful. I hope Tony does not mind this digression. Lloyd

To quote Flanders and Swan - "We like to go in convoy. Wer'e most gregarious". Lloyd

I thought that strawberries needed light to ripen. How are they grown in mines? I know that mushrooms were grown in old underground caverns or tunnels in the Bradford on Avon area, hence the Bradford Mushroom mines. I got some of their spent compost a long time ago - it paid for itself in the mushrooms that grew! Lloyd

I remember that at Huntingdon as well. Lloyd

Is a patter maker another word for a comedian? I assume he was a pattern maker, which is a very highly skilled job. Lloyd

That's a bit of a relief. I thought you must have at least 549 trains in your program! Lloyd

Is that the voice of experience?Lloyd

Others have suggested details of this, and I am in no position to comment on any of them. However, wind loading on a structure can lift it up as well as blowing it over - witness roofs coming off buildings in a storm. It would be normal to tie the roof down onto the walls, and so I assume (dangerous phrase that) that the timber portion would be tied down to either the brick, or as that is poor in tension, to the foundations. Lloyd

I hope that I am not afflicted by this 'church thing' of refusing to accept that you may be wrong, though I have met many who are. As the saying is, empty heads make the most noise. I have, however, been accused of unprofessional-ism (in an academic context) for stating that i do not know everything, even about my own subject. I tried to instill into my students the idea that they can learn something from everyone. I doubt that i achieved success even in that! Lloyd

Phew. I have managed to catch up with this thread after about three months being behind to a greater or lesser extent. What a huge range of interesting topics covered. Thank you to all who have contributed. When I saw that I only had 40 pages to catch up on, I thought 'O good. Only 1000 contributions to go to catch up!' Lloyd

As long as he didn't morph into the Artful Dodger! Lloyd

I'll vote for 3 or 4 this time. Lloyd

Or perhaps in his case, Farmer's Weakly? Lloyd

Re least changed stations on ECML, I am not familiar with most of them, but I would have thought that York, Newcastle, Waverley, and Perth would be in the running. Apart from the filled in north bay at Perth, there is not much changed as far as I can see, and I would go for Perth or York for my vote. Lloyd

I left Peterborough in July 1967, and I do not recall any rebuilding work starting by then, but talk of it, so it may have started late 67 or early 68. Lloyd

I will vote for 2, 3 and 8 (but only the C43). All the others are too late for my chosen period (1929) or wrong location, though they appear to be more popular! Lloyd

Brian Ditto for me as well. Lloyd

Gilbert Not a terminus, but Dawlish is hard to beat for this one. If it has to be a branch terminus, then St Ives.