Flittersnoop

Stanley Holloway, Sid James et al in 4mm scale? - I'd make room for them on my layout, especially Hugh Griffith!

You seem to have an attitude problem. The two lines I visit most regularly - Severn Valley and GWR, both have significant stretches of CWR. So no, not fake news. And if one of the features of a railway that I most enjoy is removed, I reserve the right to "moan", which is I guess how you characterise the expression of any opinion contrary to your own. Jeez, some people!

There are other lines that are installing welded rail. That is the problem.

While I appreciate the commercial and practical factors at work, I find it depressing that such a key component of the old railway, bullhead track, can be consigned so enthusiastically to the history books. The "clickety clack" of jointed rail is, for me, one of the main pleasures of a visit to a heritage railway. It's telling that what used to be preserved railways are now "heritage" railways. I wonder how many other inconvenient and expensive aspects of the railway (semaphore signalling, for example?) can be dispensed with before these lines are simply tourist railways, since most of the heritage hasn't been preserved? Has anyone ever considered starting a fund-raising appeal for the clickety-clack - it seems to work for trains and viaducts, why not track?

If the tunnel could form part of a viable route between London and Dublin, it might, just, be built. But it can't possibly compete with air travel for passengers and the ferries for freight. Even typing this comment seems like a waste of effort - the feasibility study, much, much more so.

Kits currently under offer...

Kits are complete as far as I can tell, except the Gresley one has no wheels. I just want them gone! Postage would be about £5, I'm guessing, as they're quite heavy.

Elms are at the extreme north of their distribution in the UK - most of the trees are (were) the results of suckers, not pollination, as the climate prevented seeds from germinating. That's the cause of at least some of the "clone" problem.

I wonder if Bachmann would like a share of the market for models of industrial locos, steam or diesel? An almost infinite choice of prototypes, too...

First railway photos of 2021 for me - a spare few minutes in Gloucester today yielded 60019 on the Robeston to Westerleigh tanks, having just left the station and crossed Horton Road crossing, and just as that train passed me, another 60 (60024 Clitheroe Castle?) passed behind on the return empties.

They're not bothered about adverse publicity from uncomfortable seats on trains, so why not lengthened journey times? They can always say better connectivity is more important.

Does anyone know whether this model is based on a prototype, please? The solid brick-built buttresses either side of the road-side door are a bit weird to my eyes, but I realise there's usually a prototype for everything.

These tank wagons are now on "special offer" from Hattons - £45 each...

In the 1980s I used to have a summer job within sight of the Wickford to Southminster branch and I'm pretty sure Class 104 units were used in the rush hour to supplement the usual Cravens units.

The closest analogy I can think of is the Irish line from Waterford to Rosslare. That closed in 2010 as the number of foot passengers on the ferry declined. Until ordinary passenger numbers pick up again after Covid, perhaps the Girvan - Stranraer line should be mothballed and a bus service substituted?

I still haven't read any reason not to close the line south of Girvan except that it would be "politically unacceptable". Are there really that many votes in south-west Galloway? I suspect that in the near future, when the financial Covid chickens come home to roost, such sentimental thinking may be ditched, sadly.

One other that I'm amazed hasn't been "done" yet; the GER Buckjumper.

I tend to agree with you, although who in their right mind would invest any money in a line that hardly anyone would use afterwards? Any tourist taken to Stranraer Harbour station would be very, very disappointed, and to get a more acceptable destination would involve lots of cash. But then again, I visited Blaenau Festiniog on a wet day in the early 1970s, and that was pretty depressing, so who knows?

If there is, by your own admission, very little traffic south of Girvan, then what is the reason to retain the line, other than sentimentality? Other lines in Scotland have been reopened because there was a demand for the service. Retaining a line for which there is no demand is perverse. I've been to Stranraer once by train - the scenery was attractive, but not more so than (say) from Carlisle to Carstairs. As for Blaenau Ffestiniog, it's in the heart of one of the UK's premier tourist areas - not something that will ever be said for Girvan - Stranraer. As Luckymucklebackit has said, it wouldn't take much more than a landslide or bridge damage for the line to be closed, "temporarily"... And as for reopening the Port Road - was there ever a railway that better succeeded in avoiding every potential source of traffic along its route?!

Silly question, perhaps, but why is the railway to Stranraer still open if the traffic on offer is so sparse? Closure would be a lot cheaper than building a new station at Stranraer.

I think this might be a photo of the southbound sand train, although my photo shows it at Romford.

Curses! That 0-4-4T has finally prompted the resuscitation of my Collector's Club membership.

Thank you for the info. I did wonder why it wasn't a Colas loco hauling the oil.

Friday 2nd October 2020: a windy day at the Lindsay Oil refinery at Immingham. The gates are opened and after the biomess goes by 60020 departs for Preston (I believe). Couldn't see which 66 it was. Two VERY long trains.

It would indeed seem that almost all the pristine Cargowaggons were snaffled by Hattons, Rails and Kernow, and the whole batch is sold out. There aren't even any on eBay at ridiculous prices! Heljan appear to have underestimated demand.