Catkins

A Fire Station - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-26530143 - in more senses than one. But, whilst I might have giggle at this, I do feel sorry for the crews involved.

There are a set of lights at the end of the runway at RAF Waddington on the A15. I will stop if the lights are on - I don't fancy having an AWACS landing on me!

But who would be suitably authorised to instruct road users to pass flashing red lights - not even the police have authority to pass through flashing red lights.

Having had a look at my Duchess, I think that there are two options for the black front end - 1- The Clam-Shell doors are painted black with the black extending down to the running plate seam, this would give an almost rectangular area on the boiler cladding, that could be lined in a box style similar to a tender. 2- the three sections of the "buffer beam" are painted black with the buffer housings in crimson (although I'm thinking just paint the centre section in black), and the lining would be simplified - one set running along the running plate seam, round the entire casing, and another set following the upper gold line position including the speed whiskers shape. Just I'm not sure if the metalwork below the running plate would have survived the war.

In your defence, I can't see any late 1970s / 1980s Fords in there - other than the Capri, and they are common as dust carts round here.

Not forgetting the other great traffic car - The Mark 2 Ford Granada! Must restart my bodge job on one.

I did have cause to report a bridge strike once, and the phone was answered by the relevant signalling control centre rather quickly, and action was taken to stop the rail traffic until the bridge was inspected.

This is agreeable except in the rare, but not un-known, instances of infrastructure, or management, failures placing the driver/pedestrian in an unsafe position, then the system operator, or 'responsible' person, should face the maximum possible penalties.

There has been comment, on here, about drivers being un-familiar with the flashing red lights that are used at LEVEL CROSSINGS, FIRE and AMBULANCE stations or the ends of RUNWAYS, they are in more places than you realise, and they do have an annoying tendency to operate at the most unexpected of times. They are mentioned in the Highway Code - I read my first one when I did my cycling proficiency, and I read my last one before Easter 2012 (I'm a professional driver.) The main points that I can see need reinforcing are- 1- Some real world education, "the bigger something is - the more damage it can do". 2- A red light, flashing or steady, means STOP! 3- You, the individual, have a duty of care towards YOURSELF! 4- If something is not normal - check and check again. 5- Always STOP, LOOK and LISTEN. In how many accident reports does it state that the victim was wearing earphones?

Now that would be a model to see, but using a higher powered engine. Anyone got a spare body?

Nah - it should have head code discs!

Bruce, have you not seen the documentary "Black Sheep"?

Expect the prices of these to start ROCKETING upwards!

I dropped into my local WH Smiths today, and they had sold out of all of the first parts, so had the other newsagent in town! I think that the underlying problem here is that the first part featured a very famous locomotive and it was released at a very cheap price. By the way, WH Smiths think part two will be out in "a couple" of weeks, the other newsagent thinks it will be out next week.

Finally got the pictures that I promised. Curved Mudguards on a modern tri-axle curtainsider - Straight / Hanging Mudflaps - on a (1990's) twin axle fridge box above, on a (2000's) tri-axle fridge box above, I was wrong about there being a 'driveshaft tunnel' between the top of the landing legs - The two long yellow lines highlight the position of the drive shaft between the landing legs, the yellow box highlights the position of the gearbox that both makes it easier to wind the legs, and also transfers the drive fom the winding handle to the shaft. The winding handle is shown by the two short yellow lines. Finally the rear light clusters from the 1990's twin axle trailer, and the 2000's tri-axle. Hope that helps.

And the stupidity is not just found at level crossings. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-18008613

I do like the price of them, £9.00 every two weeks. But I am not impressed with either the magazine or model - I must remember that it's only £9.00 each. On the up side, they will have more presence than the Corgi static models, and will possibly cover a wider variety of locomotives. I've got the first one, and I can see a conversion happening with it, and I might get a second one at the weekend - I'll have a spare tender from the first one. Having just checked the website - http://www.greatbritishlocomotive.co.uk/the-models/ - I'm not wildly interested in the next two, but they could be useful, and there is no indication of what is to come afterwards, but I do notice you get some free N gauge models (that look familiar) if you subscribe direct.

Thanks to Giz - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-DUBLO-MODEL-No-2234-CO-CO-CREPELLO-DIESEL-CODE-3-/300911128112?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item460fb36e30 suddenly looks more like his usual offerings. But I'm still not tempted!!

Some of the stuff that "micmcn" / "Cartmel" has are suprisingly cheap (to my eyes) - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAINLINE-37406-PATENT-NUT-BOLT-Co-7-PLANK-WAGON-MIB-/300732742417?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4605117b11 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-DUBLO-MODEL-No-2234-CO-CO-CREPELLO-DIESEL-CODE-3-/300911128112?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item460fb36e30 Not that I'll buy either. And back on form - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-RAILWAYS-MODELS-1-R-416-2-R-592-ROYAL-MAIL-TRAVELING-POST-SET-/400659548881?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item5d492b8ad1 Edited for spelling.

I might pick one or two of these up. A bit of "what if/never was" modelling could be coming up.

I noticed that the Mk3 has the small yellow boards in the toilet / luggage rack windows - that made me smile. Honest!!

Sorry to revisit this one, but there is something to be said for experience . . . . They have changed the listing, but it's still sold anyway.

If I might be permitted to go off topic for a moment - I disagree with this post, 1) Any infrastructure project costs BIG MONEY - that we tax payers, or customers, have to fund and the issue with that is how the project is 'sold' to us. 2) The Civil Engineering profession should not need to lobby anybody, they should be able to remind people of their successes, but the masses are possibly ignorant, or fearful, of Civil Engineers (I refer you to read any book about Thomas Bouch and the Tay Bridge) 3) Modern politicians are not looking any further than the next election, to them any major engineering project is a photo op. and a sound bite, they have no long term interest in any projects - unless it has an effect on them - see my point four. 4) The early motorways were built by a company called Marples Ridgeway, at a similar time there was an Ernest Marples M.P. enough said! Starting to head back on topic, There has been a lot of comment about the LSWR route being reopened, and the New Waverley route has been mentioned, and the case for The Waverley route reopening should be used as an object lesson by all concerned - it wasn't until the first draft of plans had been produced and publicly inspected that anyone asked about tourist and excursion trains, and the plans had to be altered. Devon, Cornwall, Network Rail and the Railtour Operators Association should all be involved in any planning for a reopened LSWR line. And finally - back on topic After the day that all the FGW and Network Rail staff have had, I would just like to say thank you for all that you are doing in these trying days, and I hope that a long lasting solution can be found for all these problems.

IIRC the red and yellow Freightliner livery was created at the same time as the Railfreight Triple Tone Grey and sectorisation livery, I think it was 1987, at the time Freightliner was part of the Railfreight Distribution portfolio.