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Thanks for all the lovely pictures Tony which are very cheering in these difficult days. You mentioned the stoppers or Parlys which called at LB. I wonder what the passenger take up for these was as it is such a small place. Is there any records of the passengers starting or finishing journeys there? Martin Long

I was an operator for many years on a large layout which went to many shows around the country. We used to have practice sessions each week and the result was that everyone knew their operating place and the sequences that they were involved with. The result was that the layout worked seamlessly with multiple moves which took place often without any verbal communication. It was most enjoyable to watch and indeed to work as a well organised team. Sadly the discipline involved to achieve this standard is very often lacking today when I visit shows and I am often disappointed at the standard displayed to the extent that I find most shows really not worth attending any more, Martin

Chris Thank you for the information on your layout "Ufford" (Dunwich). I am delighted that it still exists as to my way of thinking it was one of the best layouts both in its time and now. It encapsulated East Anglian atmosphere in a way that others have not succeeded in doing. The pictures of the Brit especially bring it all back for me. You are indeed a fortunate chap to have this iconic layout. A request please that you keep us Ufford Groupies updated with your efforts at restoration. (I have to say that had I owned the layout I would have kept it as an EM system. It looked and worked fine as such.) Thank you so much for the update. Martin Long

The recent pictures of the various Pullman trains run on the East Coast route bought forth a comment that the West Coast did not run such trains. Given that a major constituent of the West Coast company was the instigator of the Pullman concept in the UK, I wonder why this was so. Was there an issue with royalties or ticket income that the West Coast folk would not tolerate? Was the ex LNWR view the most prevalent in the LMS? What did the West Coast have that matched the standards on the East Coast as reflected in the Pullman trains? I am sure that someone of this parish will have the knowledge. Martin Long

Love the new railway crane. The original was made by Ransomes and Rapier, a world renowned Ipswich engineering company sadly no more. I recall that they had their name as a casting along the jib which this one seems to miss. I was interested in Clive's scratch built one which looks fine but is a product of the rival Cowans Sheldon company. Strange as I had Clive down as an east anglian type! There are models and drawings of the Ransomes cranes in the Ipswich Transport Museum where I have been known to do the odd stint. The museum has the custody of the Ransomes archives which are available to researchers along with a huge number of official photographs. Martin Long

Paul I think this is a marvellous layout and for me it totally evokes the Harz region and those marvellous trains. I was not able ti get to Warley but I wonder where you might be taking it next year so I can watch it and be transported back to happy days spent on the system. Thank you and very well done sir. Martin Long

What a marvellous system and so evocative of the real thing. Well done to all concerned. Is there any chance of some film of its attendance at Warley? Thank you for bringing to life some lovely memories. Martin Long

Hi most learned fellows I do not now if this has been allude to before but there are some excellent scenes on this film. It is what our leader is trying to reproduce and by the looks of this has pretty much succeeded. Martin Long

Thank you for this. Very relaxing and I am grateful for the memories of a time spent on this wonderful railway. I hope to go back some day but the tours to get there are very expensive for those of us on limited means! I had heard that the railway was suffering but I hope these are temporary issues as it is inspritational. Martin

TW wrote " What I do see (far too often!) are those who never make things, standing as righteous pontificates, often with loud voices, being highly-critical of the work of others. Yet, all they've been able to achieve is to open boxes or get others to do their modelling for them." I wonder if this attitude (which I have also met with), is a way of masking the speakers own sense of inadequacy in that he lacks the skill to construct or adapt a model and thus criticises the work of others. It is an interesting idea and no doubt the good folk of this parish will advise whether this is some sort of mental issue. Mind you we are a bloody minded lot really persevering in a world of machines and tools that can seriously damage you. (I speak with a certain degree of pain having picked up a soldering iron the wrong way round the other day!) In my chosen scale of 7mm work though is relatively easy though you need a higher wattage iron. The 2mm folk to me hold all the aces as not only is their work exquisite and almost invisible but it can be carried around in a man bag! Martin Long

That 2mm stuff is awesome! How do they see it let alone make it? Are calibrated eyes required? In some respects the scale must be the apogee of modelling as the tolerances are so fine. I take my hat off to you gents of that ilk. Martin Long

Gosh I really love this thread. It is a continual source of inspiration and learning. The Princess Coronation looks superb Tony and a loco you can be rightly proud of. Great Eastern will be another (happens to be my favourite A1 I wonder why?) There is such wisdom and sagacity amongst those in this parish that it seems there is no question or subject which does not yield a reasoned definitive reply. Thank you too for the altruism displayed by saving Maindee East; I do hope that you get it to a good home so it will continue to inspire us all in the future. I often wonder what will become of the likes of Retford and similar large layouts. Will they all end up in landfill sites like Norris's superb 7mm effort in the 1960's? I only spoke to the late Mr Jackson a couple of times and one conversation left me in no doubt as to his feelings on compensation and wiggly chassis. I did not realise that he played the pensioner card to others as due to the size of the layout I thought he was minted! Thank you everyone for the entertainment. Martin Long

V2's are one of the best proportioned locos on the east coast route. They also have small splashers hidden below the running plate which I have only seen modelled by Barrie Walls. Have any of the 4mm ones seen here have them? (Barrie is still fine but his mobility is not as good as it was before he had the stroke. He is still an avid operator and Wallsea see regular sessions.) Barrie also purchased a San Cheng V2 which he reckoned was a good replica and certainly value for money. I just wish that the proposal to transfer some to the GE actually happened but then we would not have got my beloved Brits! on the line! I once was tasked with selling some EM gauge items for a late friends family. It was a difficult task and the models (all scratch built to a very good standard) never achieved much in resale value. The same applies to P4 where an ex GE E4 class made from brass was eventually sold for £15. In the resale game it pays to be mainstream it seems. Martin Long

The gearboxes look to be a first rate product. I enjoyed the short film as I enjoy everything about our leaders layout. It really cuts the mustard for me and would be something that I would like to have built in my 4mm days. (I did try in a garage which was 9 feet by 22 feet but never go to that level of operational success though it did work. I used SMP track and made my own points and believe it or not I used the then current blue diesels as they ran so much better than the steam outline models of the time. During this time the activities of the Wolverhampton lot were an inspiration as they were doing what I aspired to. Then came the IMREX where Barrie Walls had the original Wallsea and after three daily visits, the die was cast and 7mm it had to be. If anyone back then could have predicted that you would be able to purchase off the shelf such super models that we are blessed with today then a different story might have happened. The standards today on the top flight layouts are light years away from those days. It is truly marvellous how we are blessed these days and yet still folk moan! Martin Long

Amazing stuff yet again! Thanks for the info on beer casks etc. Once you saw them roll into the cellar you never had any inkling of what happened next! Please can Jamie tell us more about the beautiful daughters of Giggleswick? Thanks for the films of the last running session on LB. It just gets better and better. What a mine of information there is resident in this parish. It never ceases to amaze. Between us I reckon we could sort the world out! Pleased to report that I have overcome the trapezoidal firebox for my Riddles class 4. It took a few weeks of fettling n=but it is there now albeit with some bumps dents etc which mirror those seen on the real thing! Martin Long

This major event in the 7mm world will take place at the International Centre Telford on 31st August and 1st September. Advance tickets via the Guild Website. Entrance is £10 for members and £15 for non members. Tickets cover both days and any accompanying family. ( Non Members £15, reduced to £10 if you join the Guild over the event weekend) Societies: ALSRM; MERG; MIOG; Telford Steam Railway; GNRS; Severn Valley Railway; Warley MRC & National Exhibition; GCRS; NWOG Modellers; Scale 7 Group; The LMS Patriot Society; Missenden Modellers; Signalling Record Society; Welsh Railway Research Circle; Bristol O Gauge Group. Guild Stands: Membership; Sales; Overseas; Video & DVD; Publications; Bring & Buy; Loco Clinic; Technical Committee; E & T Driving: Parking is available at the centre or (cheaper) at the nearby multi story car parks with a short walk to the Centre. Transport:There is a mini bus shuttle from the railway station to the exhibition. Running Saturday & Sunday approximately every 30 minutes.

Tony asked:- "Was it the 'finest' model railway show ever staged?" I have to say that it was as far as I am concerned. I was there as an operator but was able to see most of the exhibits and came away inspired, I do not think that I will ever see such a display again though the Risex shows are proceeding well. These =days I find model shows very "samey" with nothing much to distinguish one layout from the next. At the recent Quorn GC show there was a plethora of Traction Maintenance Depots for example. I think perhaps we may have had the best of it. Martin Long

I too noticed the prismatic effect of the windows on the Hornby coach. I suppose it could be neutralised by painting the window edges black which would involve dismantling the whole thing something which may not be easy. As some Bullieds were transferred to the ER might we be see one in the trains that rush through LB? I was pleased to learn that the Great Roy J was given an excellent send off. I only met him once but followed his writings and doings avidly. Dunwich remains up there with my all time great layouts. He will be missed in our community. Some super diesels being shown here. However they will never replace the steam locos in my affections though I have to say as models they often run a lot better than the "steam" outline types. Yesterday I was privileged to go to a session where only M&GN Locos and stock were operated in 7mm. It really showed the value of modelling in that it was possible to envisage the lovely gorse yellow locos hauling trains through the fields of Norfolk all those years ago. Surprising the number of modellers following the old line. Martin Long

Marvellous railway system. Would love to go back there. Where can you see so many steam locos on shed as you can at Wernigerode? Have a lovely trip. Martin Long

Thank you for the Brit pictures. I just love those locos as the best thing that happened on the GE main line in the 50s. I have John Bunyan in 7mm (chosen as I admired the life of the man). I am really heartened by the support on this thread for those of the parish who have suffered for various reasons with their lives. I must be one of the fortunate ones but even then I have had bad moments when things seemed very dire. I now find modelling helps but then it frustrates beyond measure when things do not go right. I am wrestling with the creation of a trapezoidal type firebox for a Riddles class 4 and it is taking ages to get right. Such "challenges" can also turn on the blues. I am fortunate to have many modelling mates who seem to be able to do things so much better than I can. Perhaps one day I will get there. Love the Deltic noise by the way. What wonderful machines thy are. Martin Long

Thanks for the picture of "Valour" The splasher seems to be a different colour to the loco. I was of the impression that the GC painted the splashers the same as the boiler as did the LNER. Perhaps Dr Gee can provide the correct chapter and verse. Whatever it is a mighty locomotive as are all the large GC ones (especially the Atlantics) I spoke with our leader at Quorn and found him in good form. The whole event was a good show though I can only handle about two Traction Maintenance Depot layouts at a time! I was shocked to learn of the industrial scale theft there later. I assume that security was in place and operational. What was going on? It is a concerning trend which may well bring into question the whole concept of model shows in the future. Martin Long

I loved the film of the Class 90. The livery suits them well perhaps the best ever livery for modern stock.. We still have them here in the east (only just) and I guess that when they have gone, folk will be nostalgic for the loco hauled push pull sets. It seems to run really fast and well and looks the business running through LB. Sadly I suspect the bulk of these models will never have the chance to run on a super layout with real space to let rip. That is the quandary facing a lot the followers of the more modern scene in that the space for large layouts is extremely limited and as these days more folk have to rent their homes, perhaps the only layouts that will be "large" in the future will be those made by clubs. That said I still prefer the "steam" era which is why I lurk in these parts as the pictures are very impressive! Martin Long

The East Coast Models L1 kit was developed by Gerry Brown (now decd). Nick Campling did the instructions as East Coast Models was a partnership of the two. Interestingly I built one which was running at the MRC test track in the 1970s and Frank Dyer arrived with his scratch built one. The ECJM one was a foot longer than Frank's and both he and Gerry used the same GA drawing! Never found out why that happened. At the time we were pleased to have an L1 that looked something like the real ones of which there were a few stabled at my home shed at Ipswich. (Would be interested in the proposed convention weekend). Martin Long

On the topic of rather poor "professionally" built models, I have had experience of this through acquaintances. One was a K3 which was a lot of money and it never worked nor indeed did it look much like a K3. The resulting dispute produced no winners. Another was a GW King which was not "square" and again worked with a jerky motion. The builder was quite unrepentant and insisted that it was an excellent rendition and again it ended in tears and a loss to my friend. The area is a minefield and never was the phrase "caveat emptor" more appropriate. Your price for an A4 TW seems rather low to my way of thinking. Martin Long