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MY aunt and uncle lived in Vicarage Road, near the girls grammar school. Leading to obligatory visits to Railmail if they were open. Happy days!

@AY Mod - hi Andy, thanks for reinstating it, but I think its gone again!!?? Steve

Solar Together told me they won't instruct the scaffolders to remove it until the final payment has cleared into their account.

Scaffolding supposed to be going up tomorrow - just in time for the thunderstorms! ⛈️ Panels on Thursday, but the installers can't tell me if they will have a battery to install - apparently in short supply but expecting a new shipment tomorrow!

@AY Mod - Hi Andy - can you help? Thanks Steve

Earlier today I was looking at the thread, went back to look at it tonight and I can' find it? Is there a problem, or is my browser playing up? Steve

Cashconverters have some model bargains on their website: https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/shop/collectables-hobbies--toys/toys/model-cars--vehicles/model-train?Sort=default&page=3&f[category][0]=1073742377&f[locations][0]=all Most notable is a Dapol GWR Express Parcels railcar for £79.99: https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/shop/collectables-hobbies--toys/toys/model-cars--vehicles/model-train?Sort=default&page=3&f[category][0]=1073742377&f[locations][0]=all

@Kingmoor65 you might be interested in this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125452913410?hash=item1d35938b02:g:8zUAAOSw0vti7~gc

Got my installation date: 18 August, which is much quicker than expected. £1000 up front payment, balance on completion - after which they will remove the scaffolding! Now hoping for an Indian summer!

@hayfield, Interestingly the surveyor did say that installers are struggling to keep pace with demand and that the price of panels is actually increasing right now. Apparently Solar Together buy forward, so they commit to millions of £ worth of panels, and the pricing is tiered, so as they install more panels they get rebates on the ones they have already installed. He mentioned panels are <£200 each but the price is increasing. Steve

Hi John@hayfield , Solar Together survey complete, and recommendations received: 7 panels Shade optimised (so one inverter per panel) 3.2kWh battery A new garage board, the current box doesn't have enough ports Installation, including scaffolding with bridge over a porch which is extra) Cost: £7153. Annual consumption is estimated at approximately 3,000kWh Total estimated production is 2,576kWh 50% of savings at 28p/kWh = £425pa. My actual rate is 29.5p/kWh, which converts to a saving of £447.77. 16 years to payback, or 6.26% return on investment 80% of savings at 28p/kWh = £603pa. Given my actual kWh rate, this is a saving of £635.30. 11.26 years to payback, or 8.88% return on investment These numbers take no account of future increases in the energy cap - although I have been unable to find any predictions for the per kWh rate from October, or January 2023. The price cap will be reviewed every 3 months after October. Whilst the payback is longer than I had hoped, we have no plans to move house in the foreseeable future and the ROI of both scenarios are quite respectable compared to other investments. This was also a useful read: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels/ Steve

Either discretionary spending is starting to tighten up, or we are all off on our 'olidays. Rails are offering another 15% coupon on their ebay store: https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/railsofsheffield Expires on 4th August.

@hayfield thanks John, This whole business feels like any technology, no sooner have you paid out then something better and cheaper comes along. For instance there were recent reports of new solar panels that are 30% more efficient than the current ones, but at what cost? I am working on the laws of supply and demand right now, having registered for this scheme before the price hikes I think the cost is quite reasonable. I presume future schemes will be significantly oversubscribed which may push prices up, as some have reported here. Ho hum! You pays your money.......

@hayfield That's interesting. Please remind me, do you have a battery? I wonder if we should take fewer panels and offset the lower cost to fund a larger battery? Given the feed in tariff is now quite marginal and we use most electricity in the evening. So, would it make more sense to install fewer panels to charge a larger battery to support our evening consumption? Steve

@hayfieldLooks like about £500 per panel, plus ~£3000 for the battery?

John @hayfield They have quoted £8500 for 11 panels, battery (can't remember the KwH rating) and shade optimisation (whatever that is). My neighbour used the same scheme and same configuration but one less panel for £8000. So £10k for 14 panels seems about right Steve

In a similar vein, a large local supermarket rejigged their store to put sweets and other "bad stuff" in the far corner of the store. On inquiring why, the staff told me it was something about a government initiative to put the high sugar goods as far away from the entrance/tills as possible. Is the theory to get the sugarholics to get burn more calories to find their poison? But another large supermarket chain nearby haven't done the same? Ironically, the store restack has displaced the alcohol section, which has been relocated right next to the tills! 🤔

My Solar Together survey is booked for Monday!

The nearest you might get to a station pilot would have been the private locos that shunted and marshalled trains in the quarries off the line (e.g. at Horton-in-Ribblesdale). I think there are some pictures in Rails in the Fells. These locos may have strayed beyond the boundaries of the private lines to ready trains for the mainline. Not sure if this is helpful. Steve

i got some super cheap ones from Lidl which come with a small clip to hold the LED strip in place, this can be screwed in place and is very unobstrusive. They can be wired in sequence using one power supply and have proven very useful. Only trouble is you will have to wit for them to come back round!

Not sure this a paradigm shift, just a series of inflection points in the normal evolution of the market. Emerging players will always push the market to new heights, that is why they come to the market in the first place. We saw it in the 1970s with Airfix and Palitoy launching some truly outstanding models (for their time). Hornby responded and upped their game, eventually, otherwise the alternative was to ignore the competition, lose sales and risk of going out of business. The Bachmann 47 was a risky play if only for the pricing, but must have been commercially successful as we now have the imminent arrival of the new 37 at a similar price point. We should be grateful that the price of British outline RTR remains considerably cheaper than continental equivalents. The established players will always be less nimble than the new entries, they have longer product development times, production cycles and carry a lot more overhead or debt that needs to be funded - hence their higher prices. Ultimately, the new players are a good thing as they will drive the market onto bigger and better things. Of more concern may be the impact on the kit makers - who often found a market plugging the gaps left by RTR. I suspect their audience of modellers that eschew RTR is somewhat on the wane, as the like of Tony Wright now applaud the latest RTR offers and are often consulted on their development. So, their market seems to be shrinking, as the RTR players produce more eclectic prototypes in the quest for something a bit different. That said, the same changes are at force with smaller more specialist suppliers and technologies (3d print) emerge to drive the more established players to improve their offer. All part of life's rich tapestry! Steve

Hi @Tony Cane Looks good to me! Please PM me how much you want for it, assuming you are prepared to sell it! :-) Steve

@ozzyo Not yet, I have ordered from Mark in the past but it is a bit of a pain for one axle! Steve

try moneysavingexpert.com they usually have good advice

Hello Everyone, I have been trying to find a shop that sells these wheel sets, but to no avail. Everyone seems to be out of stock with no indication of when they will get any more. Would anyone have one (internal or external bearing) of these wheel sets that they would be prepared to sell me? I already have three, but need the fourth for a LNER tender build. Any assistance would be gratefully received. Many thanks Steve