Kenton

Interesting to see the contribution scratch building into these winners and not simply a straight kit build - a true reflection of the "Build-a-loco" Challenge. well deserved one and all.

Don't get the mag but would like to add my congratulations to ______ everyone who entered they were all worthy winners. (I would have expected that a competition of RMWeb members and voted by RMWeb members would have been given the courtesy of an announcement at least prior to the magazine. Hey but that would have been the way that I would have done it. Especially as the actual arrival of subs copies is highly dependent on the vagaries of the postal system) As we are already mid 2016 are we not getting a little late for a 2016 Challenge?

OK it is only an excuse for me to follow this topic (I only get emails of new posts after I post some sort of reply), but please stop teasing

/ "reasonably accurate" is perfectly good enough for the vast majority of kit builders and modellers. At least it is far better than nothing at all. Sure that may upset the more pernickety rivet counters, but then they could go out and produce something better and more accurate couldn't they? For the rest, something that can actually be built into a close likeness is perfectly good enough, while we wait for their invention.

could add a brass (or even plasticard) shim to the inside of the W-iron drilled out to take the bearing. Many wagon kits and even loco kits have excessive slop in the wheel set often requiring some padding with washers. This wasn't some sort of attempt at springing by any chance with a stiff wire pressing down on the bearing with some float in the W-iron?

But isn't that all that business is about? Buy at one price from another seller, add a mark-up and sell at the inflated price. I don't see a problem as long as the person selling on the s/h stand received their asking price. The only prolem is that the trader may have gained early/priority access. (just like the exhibitors might get, and little different than the first in the queue when the flood gates open)

Used to go for Sunday entertainment - and friends are really into auctions and car booting. Never have seen anything "model railway" worth buying or bidding on. The auction hoses are wise to the "individual" nature of such items and now sell these at specialist auctions. Most car boot sales now seem to be full of dubious traders selling "off the back of a lorry white van along with assorted iffy imports. You always had to be there very early to find anything genuinely "antique". We were at an auction last week and it was just the usual sad house clearance of once prized possessions, now worthless junk, that should have been added to landfill.

You are not alone. Though you do restrict yourself by selecting one scale. I was also tempted by the Clayton ... and placed a bid ... then remembered that in a big trunk not too far away I already have one gathering the dust of time. (just requires wheels, motor, gearbox and most importantly the incentive .... don't like beetles. But do love JE kits ... one day .... but there is always something better to build from the range)

You could well be correct. I was only 10 at the end of the 50's so childhood memory fog has an influence. All I know is that the Salisbury bus was red (Dad used to tease me because I used to call it the Strawberry bus ) and it was a double decker (usually with the separated drivers cab) I used to stand holding the rail at the front upstairs because of the views and motion all the way there. With no car we used to go everywhere by bus and train and Salisbury was a regular bus journey. I am sure there were also buses to Bournemouth and Southampton that originated/terminated in Weymouth, though for those destinations we would go by train. We would also go to Exeter and even Plymouth a couple of times a year by bus and it wouldn't surprise me if those buses came from Weymouth through Dorchester. From about the age of 8 I would regularly travel to visit an aunt just outside Bridport and the Bere Regis "mystery tours" were a regular Sunday outing going as far afield as Clovelly, Mevagissey, Wells, and anywhere the bus could travel to in a day. In the 50's and even well into the 60's there were quite a few private independent bus/coach operators in Dorset (and probably elsewhere) catering for local needs. I seem to recall there was a small operator in Blandford and another in Bridport. In the 60's I recall very well there was a small operator in Cattistock (a very small village) that ran a bus service to Dorchester, Maiden Newton, Yeovil and Bridport along with other small villages. Although they did run a summer service to Weymouth (apparently) the link is a bit tenuous and although I was a regular customer of theirs in the mid-late 60's (most school holidays I worked on the farm of the John Record in Rampisham and used to take my bike on the bus or leave it overnight at their garage.) More interesting details on the company here and other bus fan info. Most people just didn't have cars so to go anywhere you caught the bus, cycled, or used shanks' pony. Sure Dorset was pretty well served by rail but not the first choice for a short journey as you had to get to the station first. Other than the once a quarter trip to Nottingham, usually by rail, to visit relatives and occasional trip to Taunton, Bristol or Southampton, I didn't get to foreign fields until 68 and the call of university. Since then I've been making up for it.

I'm old enough to remember steam down the line and the vans used for the tomato and flower traffic from the channel islands as well as oil tanks for the refuelling. I don't recall any brake vans being used. I could be wrong of course and a photo would be some evidence of that. But remember that the traffic down the line was at a walking pace (sometimes slower) effectively only one engine in steam so the use of a brake would have been inconvenient. The biggest problem was not hitting cars parked on the line or pedestrians who had their eyes and ears closed. Weymouth was the "end of the line" for buses as well as trains. So although Southern National handled quite a bit of traffic there were several other bus companies running from the depot. Although I lived in Dorchester (8 miles to the North) many of the buses that came through Dorchester originated at Weymouth. The red Hants and Dorset double deckers came from Weymouth garage on their way to Salisbury. The Black and White buses from Cheltenham terminated at Weymouth (usually making up the return the next day). A few of the Bere Regis buses (main garage in Dorchester) were garaged overnight in Weymouth. I recall other colours for buses in the garage. We have to remember that Weymouth was a very popular sea side resort in the 50's-60's and people took holidays there from all over the country. Just as Weymouth had both exGWR and SR lines it received other trains as specials from further afield in BR days.

It has happened before to several RMWeb members - including myself. Nearly every case the comments are justified (In my cases, one badly described - well sorry I don't know everything, the other I paid well over the odds for a loco kit - I had a client who wanted one built and the manufacturer had none in stock) In both cases I didn't take offence or get uppity about it. Folk see this topic, I think, more a commentary on the way ebay works than an attack on the persons involved. It would be nice to think that none of make errors like for example putting a starting price up as £99 instead of £0.99, but it happens. People do sell in ignorance or without the time to do extensive research. Then there are the regular sharks and charlatans who should know better and if this topic helps one bit to change their ways or to warn others of their presence then it has served its purpose. Otherwise, not for those of too sensitive a disposition.

I defer to all you accomplished lip-readers who can pick out a whole sentence from a still image.

The point was quite clear. There are instances of "verbal abuse" that happen every day to everyone. It all comes down to an individual's definition of what is "verbal abuse". If the definition is set at a low it enough level then I would say it is minor and simply "live with it" like everyone else does. But if it set higher then it goes through unacceptable through to downright offensive.So if the culprit was saying something like "why are you b1@@dy taking photos of me?" then I would not agree that is "verbal abuse" if it had been said to my daughter at 12 I would simply accept it as poor communication skills - as said worse happens in the playground. But something could be said which is far more offensive and using language that has no place in addressing anyone let alone a child. It is al a matter of proportionality and in this case the report gives insufficient detail on that matter. However, on the actual real and indisputable offense (the trespass) the reporting is too light. There is no need to even report on the "verbal abuse" - it remains alleged anyway (one person's word against another) - The man is wanted regarding the offense of trespass and much more should have been made of the danger caused to himself and others by that offense. I doubt if the "verbal abuse" would stand up to scrutiny by magistrates unless there are other independent witnesses and the "verbal abuse" stood up to the test of being extreme. Thanks for the additional link to the local press. It is again a shame that it was sensationalised for the wrong reasons. I do not believe it helps the general cause of this topic - That we all believe that the public in general do not appreciate the dangers of level crossings - when the press misreport such incidents.

Not quite sure which is the matter that requires seeking out this individual. The certain trespass or the alleged "verbal abuse". Although no details are given of the nature of the "verbal abuse" I would guess it was hardly any more significant that that which would be encountered in the average playground. But crossing the tracks the wrong side of the barriers is a definite no no. However, the way the report has been written it gets better potential press coverage if it implies something more sinister to do with a child. Surely a photo in the local press is going to stand a more likely chance of a result than national coverage on a relatively obscure web site?

    You presume a level of education and instruction in pure English that no longer is taught or accepted as standard. In this day of instant messaging and text speak, adopted by most of those progressing through the education system and into work, the omission of words, punctuation and understanding of the nuances of meaning is lost. Perhaps in the long gone days where a sign would have been dictated to an accomplished secretary, reviewed and read by many a committee before being issued for release such corrections would have been made. These days they are probably composed on a mobile phone keypad and sent as an afterthought. They were understood by the person preparing the composition as they typed it in but then never read again until you picked it out. The additional fact that it is likely that a fair proportion of those encountering the sign cannot read let alone understand the full meaning simply adds to the futility in even bothering to correct the English.

Since when have lamp posts been OO gauge - sorry that really does get my goat! Especially from a company who really should know better. Gauges are for tracks and rolling stock wheels - everything else is SCALE! Grrrr

Brilliant! has to be the best "Good Buy" recorded. I saw it but didn't bid as I was given an Avonside complete rig for my birthday last year. I have to say that I am not overwhelmed by it and remain convinced that it just isn't "worth" the investment. I have only used it once out of 5 chassis built so far this year. Sure it works perfectly but the time taken to set the thing up and twiddle all the parts just to get the thing to work just seems endless. The result, OK 100% confident in the outcome but is it worth the effort compared to "old tried and tested"? Maybe for your 9F but as most builds for me seem to be small tanks or diesels it will spend more time under the bench than on it. Hope you get more use out of yours.

and much longer than that - still talk is cheaper than actually doing something constructive.

Just not enough of them to go round John Smith Back on topic - sort of - I am picking up a lot of general information on level crossings from this topic - but am still puzzled by this gated user operated crossing. In my total ignorance I would have thought that the opening of the gate would have triggered some sort of indication to the signalman. Sure the "permitted" user would know to pick up the phone and of course can be relied upon to perform that procedure? but what is there to stop the ignorant person without permission from doing so. It just doesn't seem to me to be a "fail safe" system. I know there is a cost implication, but when set against the potential cost it seems to be insignificant.

The over-use of whitemetal castings really does let this kit down. I accept that it is difficult to get bulk into brass parts but quality of whitemetal casting and often resultant over scale needs more thought. I think I am correct in saying that providing the whitemetal castings is more expensive than brass etch though cheaper than brass casting. But it is annoying to see and pay for poor castings. Some of these parts would have been better provided in brass or on the etch.

Naughty Not a Railway Modeller

&nbspAh, that was not the Battery Loco I was referring to (the one in the OP of this topic). That is the L&Y Battery Loco. That is a slightly bigger beast and I believe it was designed with more space to accommodate building to P4. I'm not saying the a P4 version of the NSR Battery Loco cannot be done just that in EM it was a challenge. (A great kit though)

unpainted (or just varnished) and without motor and gearbox fitted (usual state of display models)? But people forget it costs someone to build them.

That intelligently described "coal carriage" realy gives the game away as to the type of seller.

Now you have even me worried!