Catkins

He'll probably ask his better half to do it.

Going back to a recent collision on a Norfolk road - I have to ask what were the protection officers doing? Because it clearly wasn't doing their job properly!!

I presume you hired the parents.

The only issue I have with your statement (highlighted) is that we stand a very real chance of food shortages due to the following; 1) Increased transport and production costs NOT being passed on to the market will result in the producers not selling / closing down* 2) A change of any current trading agreement cutting of a supply of a product. 3) Any environmental controls such as fire, flood, or drought, killing any crops or livestock and damaging the land. I fear any "housing shortage" is an entirely man made issue, arising from the sales of social housing stocks, planning constrictions on the use of "brown field" land, an increase in the number of second homes, a failure of recent governments to increase the amount of social housing available coupled with pure and simple greed.** * If they close down the land could well be sold off for housing ** I currently pay £300p/m for a mortgage on a 2 bed terrace, to rent the same would be £450p/m, with £900 up front..

Just remember that a lot of 'Business-to-Customer' deliveries are offered by companies in a market that can not realistically sustain the number of suppliers, and in an effort to survive or thrive then they will cut operating costs, or attempt to increase market share, buy undercutting the rivals; it all leads to a race to the bottom, and the weakest will fail, but on the way there will be casualties - staff training and wages are two. If you don't believe me, then look at the changes in Road Haulage, consider the fact that a new entrant in the pallet network market has gone under before they could even start, and remember (Initial) CityLink died at christmas 2017.

as I am quite happy to call myself an "acquirer /Stasher / Hoarder", I am happy to say that I buy model products that I like, and I might like the colour, the loco, the model manufacterer, the bravery in producing said model, or I might actually have a memory of the prototype. Add to that, I have inherited nearly all of my dad's old model stock - some of which is old metal bodied wagons - I also still have all of the stock from my own childhood. When I look at what is currently available, then to my mind the competition is very healthy as it allows for a range of models and prices, I am looking at buying a 66 this year, and I really can not justify spending Bachmann / Hatton prices for a model that has a very major compromise (16.5mm track gauge on a 1:76 scale) I will quite happily pay a lower price for a model that to my mind LOOKS right, I will also look at the cost and features where rolling stock (mark 2 coaches) is concerned. On the subject of "Gentlemen's Agreements" otherwise known as anti-competitive practices / price fixing cartels, the judicial authorities will jump on the participants like a ton of bricks - check out the EUCJ action against truck manufacturers. Another consideration that the factories are nominally independent of the manufacturers, and will accept work from anyone who can fund it. However, I accept that a skilled workforce does tend to collect in one region in a country (W. Mids. - Automotive Factories) and as a consequence the staff will mix, and details will cross over - it happens in every job! Add to this the fact that some senior staff in the model companies are also modellers / exhibitors again there will be a natural cross over of details. I'll close by saying that there is space in the railway modelling world for every sort of company, from the basic/cheap end right through to the high fidelity end to have a comfortable slice, not withstanding the amount of models that are in need of an update, and the number of prototypes that still have yet to be modeled.

And the "rebuild" would have the advantage of being able to prototypically include any advances in steam loco efficiencies and engineering.

Having just watched the video in post #1894, if you modeled some of the trackwork there, you'd never get away with it at an exhibition.

I could be wrong, but I believe it was allocated PO1 as an internal user number, and it was a standard 08. We can now await the more knowledgeable members to give us the right info.

I'll just add my experience of delivery companies, of which I have "been" a "customer" of Royal Mail, Parcel Force, Parcel Force International, DPD, APC, UPS and (everyones favorite) Hermes: - Royal Mail - Mainly very good, but I have the (small) Post Office sticker that states "If no answer, please return to sorting office", that has not been followed 3 times, first time I mentioned the fact to the chap behind the sorting office counter, second time I asked to speak to the delivery manager, third time I went ballistic at the chap behind the sorting office counter. Parcel Force - I've had to drive to their delivery office in Leicester (I live in Grantham), no great shakes as I used to work from Leicester. Parcel Force International - Collected the parcels from Post Office Counters with no problems. DPD - I was able to use the tracker to follow my delivery, when I was at home, or I was able to collect from the local collection points with no issues. UPS - The only parcel (to date) through UPS, I had it redirected to a collection point, but I got there before the parcel - the UPS driver rang his depot to find out what happened, and I found out that I was a day early. APC - I was not in when they attempted to deliver a parcel, I was able to go to the depot and collect the parcel, and everything was fine. Hermes - I've returned from a week away to find a Hermes parcel had been left outside my back door (I did contact both the vendor and Hermes), other parcels have been left on top of waste in my wheelie bins, and some have been tucked behind the wheelie bins. I'm afraid that I do not have much faith in Hermes being able to improve their standard of handling packages.

Hornby released the short Mk3s with just '00' on the bodyside, and a rub down transfer sheet was included that had a range of numbers '1Y00X' where the Y was either a 1 or 2 depending on the class, and the X was anything between 1 - 9. IIRC they also tried it with a 47 or 37, and I know that the 37 in green came with stick on headcodes.

The other thing to consider is the current lack of NEW diesel locomotive engines that comply with the latest emissions legislation and are able to be fitted into the UK loading gauge. As all the "heritage" diesels were built before the emissions legislation was even thought of, then more companies will be looking to hire or purchase older locos.

Thanks Mike, I was only going on what I had remembered from second hand info.

When BR Intercity started using the 90's on the ECML, they were diagrammed on the Leeds services because the timetable did not require the full 125mph capability. it also had the bonus of limiting the traction knowledge required to one or two depots.

Just to inform you that the film has some minor plot deviation from the film, but all in all the book and film are both good (so long as you forget that Tom Cruise isn't tall enough to play Reacher) !

The problem with the current generation of MPs is that most of them seem to forget that we the populace have elected them to represent us. Most MPs seem to be in parliament for themselves.

I'm going to ask - what "age range" are the books aimed at? I ask because the titles look like they are childrens books. Not that it is a major issue - I've got a collection of Biggles books that I still enjoy reading.

Lets be pragmatic about this. The locos will receive a proper paint job - with all the preparation, rubbing down (at which point any metalwork can be replaced), undercoats, top coats, and lacquer - that entails. It seems that it is not costing the owners anything - so they can spend the money on the nuts and bolts. A paint job will last longer than sticky vinyls, and the colours will match. I quite like the variety that is emerging on the network now.

Hi Sub39H you might find this link useful - http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/Diagram_Book_200_for_issue.pdf the Mk 2D BFK is diagram AB106, on pg 56. the Mk 2D TSO is diagram AC209 on pg 86 I hope that helps a bit.

it's a good thing when you access multiple news outlets, but it's a bad thing if you only ever access one news outlet.

The original plan for the ECML was fleets of 89s with Mk3s, but the treasury baulked at the costs, likewise with the infrastructure - the mast spacing on Holme fen was at the standard spacing, which takes no account for ground movement or high winds - and until this current round of infrastructure upgrades that has been the trouble spot. Regarding the 'geography' of the ECML, there is a lot of double track sections on the southern half (London - York), namely Digswell Viaduct, between Huntingdon and Peterborough, from Stoke Tunnel through Grantham, Newark, and Retford to Doncaster, and then more sections north of Doncaster. It has just occurred to me that the money being spent on HS2 could have been used to quadruple the ECML all the way from Huntingdon to York!!

Looking at the coaches you are starting with, i wouldn't even bother cutting the bodies. depending on the number for the TSO, you could just use the two seating halves from the BSOs (some TSOs were refurbished and had airline seating installed - they got used on the MML and latterly on the GEML). To make the BFK interiors, I would suggest using the two "luggage cage" halves and scratchbuild the seating compartments.

50007 was trial on the Boston Docks Steels a few years ago - I've got a video somewhere.

Isn't that what some news outlets are able to do? And some of those are owned by individuals / family groups.

If the recent publicity surrounding the stand-by ferry service for April this year is anything to go by, then any lessons the the UK Government might have learn't from a war that was fought nearly 37 years ago, and 8000 miles away, have been forgotten.