jchinuk

On 16/11/2019 at 19:56, johnofwessex said:

Is the only 009 track avalible in the UK Peco or are there others?

 

If so what and where do you get it

I'm new here and newly returned to railway modelling, however I have found that the 2mm Association sell rail and sleepers suitable for 9mm gauge track (though as you assemble it the gauge is really up to you).  Unfortunately, you have to be a member to buy the products.

Products

I hope this helps.

jh

I don't think the electric car market (in Europe anyway) has a sufficiently accurate mileage test to properly compare cars.  Unless something accurate is devised, the car buyer will feel cheated.

In many parts of Europe, and all the UK, half the year you need lights and a heater while commuting, both of which will drain the battery in an EV.  Okay, LED lights are better, but there is still an effect.  By the time you add in a radio, music player, phone, it all mounts up.

Obviously, if you are on one of the Economy tariffs, cheap electricity over night, charging at EV at home makes sense, but only if you have a driveway or off street parking, trailing cables across the pavement is just inviting a law suit when someone trips over it.

There is unlikely to be a "Vehicle Excise Duty" (there is no such thing as Road Tax in the UK) on EVs, most likely there will be a road charging system, dearer in the commuting and school times, less during the day, very cheap at night.  This should be fairer, those who use their cars the most pay the most, those with longer memories will recall that adding VED to fuel was mooted at one stage.  One side effect will be that the Government knows were every vehicle is at any time, which raises issues of 'civil liberty', mind you ANPR tracks your car pretty effectively at the moment.

jh 

On 17/12/2019 at 06:43, johnofwessex said:

 

What on earth do you need 3 phase for at home!?!

A lot of model engineers with workshops use '3 phase' motors for their lathes, milling machines, etc.

jh

On 22/05/2018 at 06:56, Neil said:

 

With a bit of organisation, allocated parking spaces and a roadside charging point it should be possible. I've seen similar set ups in Amsterdam alongside the canals.

Remember many new estates in the UK are specifically designed to discourage car ownership, no street parking, no driveways, no garages.

jh

21 hours ago, spikey said:

Thank you gentlemen.  I think that's enough information now for me to persuade the good woman that we wouldn't really be much better off if we got involved with it.  After all, to go back to the no water example, we didn't actually suffer any hardship from not knowing about the bottled water distribution because, being the sort of people who like to be resilient and as self-sufficient as possible, we always have 40 litres of fresh water tucked away for just such eventualities.

 

I'm inclined to think that on balance, for us, we can manage perfectly well without social media, at least for the time being.  And besides, we're still trying to get our heads round our first smartphone ...

If you are uncomfortable with any service or hardware (be that smartphones or DCC control) it is best to be cautious.

It's also worth mentioning that using false names on Facebook is a breach of their rules, though I guess virtually undetectable.

Using Google gives up as much data as using Facebook, that is why there alternatives that do not store search data, notably DuckDuckGo, but there are others.

All websites, Google, Amazon, Argos, gather information on your purchases, as do 'loyalty card' schemes at the supermarket.  It's really a bit naive to be concerned about Facebook, Twitter or any other social media, when Tesco (or whoever) know more about you anyway.

Getting back to your original question, assuming the water (or electricity / gas / broadband) goes off, I think the networks have a Freephone number you can call to get a recorded message with further information.

jh

On 21/12/2018 at 12:24, Neal B said:

I've visited Duxford twice in the last year and i didn't see any evidence of a railway, although that could be an indictment of my observational skills. I did see some aircraft though. I think.

According to Google Earth, the track is still there, though it has been cut in half (circled in red).  There seem to be a number of tipper wagons on the isolated loop, though they are outside the museum grounds, at least the parts the public can access.

The IWM never really made much effort to promote the railway, yet it always seemed busy when it was running.

The static exhibits are still inside the Stygian gloom of the Land Warfare Hall.

jh

On 20/01/2020 at 12:46, Phil Traxson said:

I have to say that I wanted a hatchback on my Princess 2200, massive boot with a letterbox for a lid that you couldn't get a reasonable size suitcase in and very poor rear visibility.

I had the chance of, and bought, an Ambassador which addressed the problem of boot access and rear visibility, and with the back seats folded took two push bikes without stripping them down at all,  only this one had an awful weak knee'd 1.7 engine that struggled if you filled all the seats , let alone the boot.

My perfect "wedge" would have been the Ambassador body with the 2200 engine. At the time I didn't mind the poor MPG, it was a decent trade off for the comfort and smooth torque of the Princess, almost a poor mans "Roller".   

It was possible, conversions, but like most BMC and BL cars, great ideas were never properly developed through the lack of cash for investment.

jh

I was in my local branch of 'Hobbycraft' (Romford) yesterday and they are selling the Hornby Christmas Train set at an agreeable £12.50, not bad for an oval of track and the controller, let alone the locomotive and wagons.  I can't find it on the 'Hobbycraft' website, so it might be in stores only or that might be me!

They had about five sets left in Romford, upstairs right at the back, next to the jigsaws.

jh