John Harris

Yes, it had relatively star-studded cast, Michael French (Dave Wicks, ex-Eastender), Chloë Annett (Kristine Kochanski in Red Dwarf) and Sue Johnston (almost anything). jch

You are so right about perceptions. Each winter we hear the warnings on TV and Radio to "avoid unnecessary journeys" or "only go out for essential journeys" in periods of adverse weather. The problem is that "unnecessary" and "essential" are both very subjective terms, is going to the pub "essential"? Well not for me, but I know it is for others. Likewise, many activities are "necessary" for a lot of people, but not for others. jch

Kevin is quite right, "members" on a forum do not equate to active modellers and certainly cannot be extrapolated upwards. A more accurate statistic would be "active" (posted in the last month) members. As an example, the now defunct, "Military Modelling" magazine had around 16,000 members on their forums, but only a fraction of that as subscribers / regular purchasers of the magazine, and it folded through lack of sales. Perhaps we ought to define the difference between a "hobby" and a "pastime". jch

Yes, for a couple of laps. When you use the "ludicrous" mode on Teslas, which maximises speed, the system shuts it down after a short period to preserve battery power. It's why these staged drag races are a fake, yes a Tesla can beat a Ferrari over a quarter mile, but after two or three runs the Tesla has to stop, the Ferrari (or whatever) can carry on till the petrol runs out. The Safety Car and the Doctor's one (behind the cars at the start) are supplied by MB as a sponsorship deal, used at all races. The current safety car is a Mercedes-AMG GT R, capable of 198mph, driven by Bernd Mayländer an experienced racing driver with Porsche and MB. jch

Without wishing to upset you, but CDs (and DVDs for that matter) cannot be regarded as a permanent back-up. https://cdm.link/2017/02/a-generation-of-cds-is-already-rotting-and-dying/ Some disc media, evidently using faulty dyes, can fail in under ten years, via something unpleasantly dubbed “disc rot.” This was a minor issue while I was working, supporting payroll services, as some offices decided that CDs were a better option than pile (and pile) of paper, but the supplier could not guarantee the CDs would last more than 20 years. jh

Many modern circuits seem to be built with a view (excuse the pun) to look good on TV, the racing is secondary. There is also a tendency to get a bit "samey", I know new golf courses are often designed by professional golfers (or retired professionals), perhaps we need circuits designed by former drivers? Mugello had more than a hint of Brands Hatch in places, the fact there were slopes and tighter corners. If they want to "spice things up", perhaps drivers should have to change the tyres themselves? jch

I remember going to an Ian Allen 'garage sale' at their Surrey base ages ago. I picked-up several books that were 'review copies' from other publishers, a couple still had the covering letter from the publishers inside. You are right that it was obvious that the "transport" and "military" publishing enterprises were starting to decline, cheap printing in the Far East being one cause. jch

I suppose that "train station" is more logical that "rail station" or "railway station", mainly because I go there to get a train not a rail? That said, my pet hates are "do the math" (not really singular) or "the science says" (no, it does not). I also get a bit annoyed by people being described as "scientist", science is a very wide subject, all people who practice science will have a speciality, biology, chemistry, particle physics, cosmology, etc. But, as others have said, it really just shows that English is a living and evolving language. My Granny, when she was feeling a bit under the weather, always said she was "feeling a little queer", that would be very confusing on two levels these days! jch

Though it's not my "thing", I usually see at least one, often more, people on the platforms at Stratford in East London taking photos and jotting down numbers. There are often a few at Liverpool Street too, but they tend to be on the platforms furthest from the ones I use. I would also wager a small sum that teenagers taking photos on their phones are not approached. jh

Not a model, but I predict that model shows and "normality" will not return to the UK as quickly as we might hope. It's not a model railway show, but I saw that a show was cancelled in 2021, the reasons are sobering :- "...we are unable to proceed and Bolton Scale Model Show 2021 is officially cancelled. The reasons for this are numerous, examples are given below, but are not restricted to: Local special measures due to increased Covid transmission rates in the North West of England affecting organisers, club members and potential exhibitors/traders/visitors. The demographic of our show is liable to high impact from Covid. Imposition of a limit of 500 people maximum by the venue, including all visitors, exhibitors and traders (for comparison, the venue normally holds 1500 people and we achieved this in 2020). Restrictions on hall layout: No stands along external facing walls. A minimum spacing of 4m between each trader or exhibitor table. A maximum of 1 person behind each 6ft of frontage (Trade and Exhibitor). No provision of catering by the venue. A maximum of 2 people per toilet facility at any given time. No venue support to setup/strikedown. Health and safety considerations for post-show strike down and waste disposal. Proposed increase to venue hire cost due to requirement for post-show deep cleaning. Obviously the hall in question might be particularly 'picky' on their rules, but some, notably the venue limit, might become common. Sorry. jch

Meanwhile in China... jch

Oddly, I prefer that to the rather (to my eye) gormless look of the current BMW Mini. jh

Remember a Rolls-Royce these days is essentially a posh BMW, made in Sussex. jh

Although it's a while since I worked in IT, and there were specialists to solve such issues, given the number of issues you have eliminated two thoughts spring to my mind. Although you changed the video card, are you actually using that video output, as most motherboards have on-board video, you only add a card to get better quality. The on-board video has to be switched out for the video card to work. Could something be shorting out on the case? Best of luck jch

I suppose "the duration" is a proverbial length of string anyway, though with the Mayoral election rescheduled for next year the issue might become part of the campaigns, it is recognised that over 60s are more likely to vote. jch *Full disclosure, I have one of these cards!

As far as I understand it, these changes are Covid-19 related and 'for the duration'. Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at Transport for London said: “We are working hard to ensure that those who have no option other than to travel using public transport can do so safely. Given the national requirement to maintain two-metre social distancing, the capacity of buses and trains is hugely reduced. These temporary changes to the Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card pass during morning peak travel will help reduce the risk of crowding when it would be more difficult to maintain social distancing.” Mayor Watch Of course, that could still be for a number of months, though once schools return in a couple of weeks, the numbers commuting might mean 'social distancing' is an aspiration rather than a reality. At least the Elizabeth Line trains are longer, albeit with fewer seats. jch

I feel you have hit the nail on the head, the costs of model railways are a bit of a 'red herring' in this situation, the real issue is that the majority of teenagers are not just interested in railways, model or otherwise. As others have mentioned, the costs of a model railway, compared with modern games' consoles or iPads, are not that different. If I may be controversial, the whole "Thomas / Chuggington / Underground Ernie" world possibly does not help, these franchises seem to be squarely aimed at very young children, once children get to 9 or 10 they start to feel trains are for "babies" and their discarded sets are passed onto younger siblings. jch

I realise that this is an unpowered static kit, but having got a new Hornby Rocket, I was wondering if anyone has tried converting / updating the static kit to the final configuration of the Rocket (as displayed these days). I think the main changes are the cylinder alignment and the addition of a smokebox, though the wheels might well be changed and the preserved locomotive lacks a tender. Any input would be gratefully received, I guess I'm hoping there was an article in an old magazine. Thanks in advance. jch

While I agree with your sentiments, there do seem to be a significant number of "viewers" (I use the term loosely) just sitting watching the BBC hoping to find a cause for complaint, hence the corporation's very cautious attitude to such programmes. jch

I fear that most of this thread misses the point. The vast majority of under 18s have little or no interest in model railways, of course there will be exceptions, but the majority are not. I don't think it helps that model railway, indeed modelling enthusiasts in general, have an image problem. There also seems to a decline in 'solitary' hobbies in general, unless you can post your successes on social media (which is rarely Facebook if you are under 25). It would take a very brave manufacturer to invest in a 'budget' range. As an example, Hornby (under the Airfix brand) launched ranges of plastic kits based on "Doctor Who" and "Shaun the Sheep", both popular international franchises, the kits were eventually sold off in "Model Zone" for a £10 (originally around £30) and proposed kits were cancelled. I suspect most of the new "Harry Potter" related railway sets will be sold to the Potterati or collectors, not to budding pre-teen wizards. jch

Most UK road/rail vehicles are pictured here, I suspect there are few, if any, 'first responder' vehicles of this type in the UK. Few lines in the UK are totally inaccessible from the road or via a field. jh

Lee is right, though as Regularity points out it should be clearly stated they are "printed material". I also assume the magazines didn't include a free DVD as that might make a difference. I regularly order books from places as diverse as Russia and Japan, I have never encountered any delays or issues will an order. jh

Many thanks, that's a good set of leads, I'm very grateful. Thanks jch

Is there anywhere on the interweb that lists all the previously issued Bachmann models or sets? I've found a few sites, mostly in the US, but they list no more than half-a-dozen in HO (for example), which I'm sure cannot be right. I appreciate that some sets / models were not officially available in the UK, but a listing of US issues would be a help. Many thanks in advance. jch

There is an old adage in the motor industry, “Race on Sunday—Sell on Monday”, attributed to all sorts of people and used in advertising campaigns over the years. I am guessing that Pirelli tyres are not the top sellers at Kwik-Fit this morning.