wasabi

Working in N, I try to use the Kato Expansion Track over board joints when possible. Basically a section of track can be slid to and fro so it can be freed and the boards then separated. The idea came from a Japanese layout that was featured in Continental Modeller years ago, but Train Trax mention the part on their website - other UK dealers are available. I don't know if the same sort of product is made in HO. You do need to cut a couple of lugs off to allow the track to slide freely, since it is really intended by the makers to be locked in position once installed. I would certainly encourage making baseboards transportable - a couple of mine have moved from a flat to the spare bedroom of my house, and then down to a purpose built shed in the garden. Others have joined on the way. IPW

Why not go for something along the lines of 'Grand Junction'?

Have had 293 dated July and 292 is April so back on track.. Perhaps the change of editor also led to a delay.

Japanese train sets commonly come in polyurethane boxes, A4 sized and with foam inserts to take up to 12 vehicles. I have a number of these sets, plus spare boxes are sold allowing other stock to be stored in the same way. They are very convenient for bookshelf storage and I keep a spreadsheet showing what is in which box. There are also four-car boxes for shorter sets. I don't know anywhere in the UK that sells these boxes individually, but if there is a market then someone with Japanese connexions (Gaugemaster?) could perhaps import them. I get mine from Hobby Search in Japan but no doubt other dealers are available. These are for N - no idea what their HO models come in.

The slave trade was triangular. Merchants from Europe (and I think the Portuguese were most prominent) took goods to sell to African kings, who paid for them with slaves - often criminals or prisoners captured in the many wars between different states. The ships then took the slaves on, mainly to sell to Americans, and bought goods to take back to Europe. The trade started with Muslims buying slaves to ship east. It is actually a very complex history and simplistic actions like throwing statues into harbours do nothing to aid our understanding of what went on. Better to start with a bit of serious research.

The business class flights must have cost a bit. Mention of the J94 reminds me that a friend bought one and has had no problems with it, so perhaps the difficulties were batch related? In my case I ordered a Clayton (N) about two months or so before they crashed. I spoke to a lady who gave every impression of working there, but perhaps was Dave's partner? However, she didn't take any bank card details and I think said that I would be called back for those. Nothing ever happened, which suggested to me (later) that the business was being run a bit haphazardly. I wonder if my case was isolated or other sales were going astray?

I grew up in St Annes on Sea, which is a minefield when it comes to inserting hyphens, capital letters and even putting 'The' before Sea as the local council now seems to do. A quick look on Google shows a travel firm spelling out Saint in full, which I can't recall ever seeing in the town. Sometimes Annes' comes up, which makes me wonder just what Anne has got. Northern Rail uses St Annes-On-The-Sea which I can't recall seeing elsewhere - it is probably inherited from British Rail though. Administratively it has been part of Lytham St Annes for something close to 100 years but I don't think there has ever been an apostrophe used in this name - certainly not on the buses and trams.

Thanks. I would like to order one, please. I will send an e mail with my details - do you prefer payment by cheque or bank transfer?

I notice that some of your kits have been 'reproduced' in 2mm scale, which I use - when things return to normal, can this still be done for particular kits? My interest at the moment is in EE1, the NER 2C2 electric. I am only thinking of the etchings.

Model shops aren't a problem since I live in East London and, sadly, we haven't had one for a few years now. The health risks from handling a parcel are, pragmatically, highly minimal. There is more danger to the delivery driver when out on the road should he be in an accident.

There used to be a Co-Bo parked up in a shed at Swindon in he early 80s, on the other side of the Gloucester line from the Works. It eventually moved to the East Lancs Railway and is being restored, although I couldn't find any news after 2018. Hopefully it will run again one day. The only other Co-Bo I have come across was a Canadian type which I think was built for use in Newfoundland but some or all were later sold on to Cuba, which is where I saw one (on my only visit there). There are also three types of C-B loco in Japan, which are diesel hydraulics.

Albania would be an interesting choice with some spectacular scenery, the chance of some interesting buildings (especially for the pillbox fans) and a railway using cast-off stock from elsewhere in Europe. I went there in 2008 when the railway was very rundown and the three arms of the system had one train a day (maybe two in one case). I think chunks of it are currently closed and there is a major refurbishment plan (but no guarantees when it will be finished). The final section (currently closed) of the line to Pogradec would make a good scenic section as it runs along Lake Ohrid, reaching water level in an ascending tunnel. This section is hemmed in between lake and mountains and there is a compact terminus a little outside town. Modelling broken coach windows might be a challenge though.

In 1987 I used the Ost-West Express as part of a journey from London to Hong Kong - I think there were 11 of us in a party organised by RT&P. We did the leg of the journey to Moskva in one of the coaches but I think the other only went as far as Warszawa. Unfortunately, that was the one where the attendant had stocks of beer for sale in his compartment so it was dry until we got to Moskva - we made sure we stocked up for the next leg! The late Bill Ford was another participant in this trip. Our coach spent 2/3 hours being re-marshalled in Koeln, during which time we discovered a bar in the subway between the platforms, and I think there was also a lot of time shunting in Warszawa Wschodnia. I think there was a small number of other people in the through coaches, but really can't remember any of them at this distance. The curtains were normally drawn in unoccupied compartments on SZD. It's interesting that you mention that the connecting train went in the morning - on my trip the Oostende departure was about 1700 and I think we took the boat train from Victoria at 0915 to connect (plus give some time for some Belgian beers). Ian Worden

Had a Japanese takeaway from a local restaurant last night. No trouble as they had everything we wanted. Won't say where it is in case everyone wants to order for their freezer. Next thing will be filling your fridge with kebabs.

It's not about being fortunate it's forward planning. I worked in Life Assurance and Pensions for quite a few years and learnt a bit about this. But, at school (in the 70s) we had been told nothing about finances, not even how to open a bank account. Maybe things are better now. We did get three years of compulsory Latin though. [IPW]

In relation to prices, five years ago the pound bought 1.5 USD and now it is 1.2 USD. I remember, some time ago, when it was 2 USD and for years I think it was around 1.7. I believe that the Chinese Yuan is 'managed' with reference to the dollar and Hong Kong is the same. This will have an impact on anything made in China and large movements like that need to be factored into consideration of how prices have moved here. [IPW]

Something I can't recall being mentioned is that in relation to supply and demand, the manufacturers may have been concerned about Hornby's credit rating and thus cut down on what they were prepared to supply. Hornby announced a few days ago that they were raising some GBP 15 million from the majority shareholders, which should ease their situation. Perhaps orders for the Rocket helped in obtaining this funding? Chinese firms that lost out over DJM might be looking more carefully at the credit that they are prepared to give others. [I know that the key reason for raising money is given on RNS as to 'reinvigorate' their 'key brands' but, having (now retired) a career in investment I think you need sometimes to read between the lines, as it were].

I live in East London, not all far from LCY. Compared to he time I need to allow to take a cab to Heathrow and then get though that maze, Schiphol is my nearest 'full service' international airport - as long as cost is not a consideration.

Was it Triang that tried that with their CKD range maybe 40 years ago? [IPW]

Part of the answer must be demand. When I came back to the hobby some years ago I restarted in OO9 and was using some N gauge mechanisms which led me on to changing fully to N. I then went Japanese because good quality models were much cheaper, although they are still made in China. The reason is that in Japan the N market is dominant (and reckoned to be more than the whole of Europe) so volume is higher and fixed costs can be spread across more units produced. I don't know how many railway modellers there are in the UK but the main magazines such as RM or Model Rail seem to shift 30 - 35,000 copies per issue, with the insular OO gauge restricting the ability to export in the main scale here. Of course, were I still in 4mm then I would resist changing to HO and British HO will have to attract new entrants to grow. It is of course possible that the hobby might develop in China and the factories will switch to producing N gauge QJs rather than OO 9Fs.

You should only need to give a building number and postcode for a any 'address', with a little more detail for a multi-occupied building. The rest does help the postman, but is, strictly speaking, not essential.

I don't think Tywyn is a good example - there is a lack of accommodation in the town and what is shown on the usual websites seems quite expensive. I suspect that most visitors are on day trips from elsewhere. The last time I was down that way (four or five years ago) was passing through on a train from up the coast and three teenage girls got on at Tywyn, asked for tickets to Aberystwyth and then asked the guard if she could direct them to a shopping centre as Tywyn was lacking in 'proper shops'. Personally I'm not bothered whether heritage railways run steam as my main interest is for the ride and where it goes. 'Nostalgia' for me is an older DMU and I'm over 60 now! [IPW]

Gauge should not be an issue - there are plenty of through services between Spain (1668mm) and France (1435mm) which change gauge on the move at the border, as well as between AVE and 'classic' lines in Spain itself. The TALGO system was first used in 1968 and is also used on a through Berlin - Moskva train. I believe that the Polish SUW 2000 system is in use and several others have been developed elsewhere. Of course, it wasn't invented here....

I moved to Leytonstone in East London in 1987 and used to regularly go into The Engine Shed. Initially I was using 009 but since moved to N but neither were well supported by the shop. I think it was run by a couple when I first visited but latterly by a chap called Dave (Howells?) who was very much into P4 and was building a layout in the backroom, assisted by the Roding Valley MRG. I seem to remember that they met on a Tuesday at 1800 but that was when I finished work in Central London and I usually had other commitments on Tuesday, so I never went. There is a dearth of model shops in London now, but high rents and rates must be factors as well as travel time. We have an Art Shop near which I buy most paints from, but otherwise it usually has to be mail order. (IPW)

Referring to Kato, my impression is that they have been looking at the sort of trains that Japanese tourists might encounter on visits here and buy as 'souvenir' purchases. It will be interesting to see if a series develops. I had also wondered whether Kato might one day acquire Peco as a way into the UK market, but a group which has two sets of track systems (not that they are incompatible) would perhaps cause confusion in the market? That said, Peco's distribution network must have a lot of value and B----t has meant that there has never been a better time to snap up UK assets.