Ramblin Rich

Interesting comment regarding 2 versus 4 character headcodes. There' s a bit of discussion in the "GWR 1930s electrification" thread about headcodes in the AC electrics, where the central windscreen panel was originally intended to be a 2x2 headcode panel

Go on then, I'll ask. What is it...?

Whenever I read one if Terry's books, the sheer joy and hope for a good world which comes out from his writing is always slightly overshadowed by him not being around to tell us more. There were still a lot of stories unfinished. My daughter loved the Tiffany Aching stories (kind of relevant here!) and is working her way through the Witches series, but I still prefer the City Watch stories. If only there was a Sam Vimes in reality....

Love the blending colours on this, very abstract!

A shame the funding isn't sufficient to reopen the section from Treviscoe to rejoin the Newquay line past St Dennis. Falmouth to Newquay would still need reversal at St Austell, but cuts out some running distance via Par. Although it also cuts out services via Bugle - sorry @Rivercider!

Or how about a Swindonised version of the Southern Z class? Stick a taper boiler on one o' these! https://sremg.org.uk/steam/zclass.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Z_class#/media/File:Z_at_Exeter002.jpg The wheelbase is 17ft 6in; not actually sure what the 5205 coupled wheelbase is? Or is a 3 cylinder job too outlandish for GWR tastes...

Nope. 47 090 was Vulcan https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/vulcan-spotted-at-old-oak-47-090--613545149211619695/

What do you call a steam engine on sedatives? Thomas the Tranq. Engine 🤪

Quite true, we went from the Wright brother's hop in 1903 to supersonic flight within 50 years. Moon landing and commercial supersonic transport in less than 70. We've definitely tailled off in the years since.

Nah, that's Popeye after his pipe was confiscated 🤪

Redutex make self adhesive textured brick/stone papers. Available via several retailers eg https://hobby-lines.co.uk/collections/redutex

That reminds me so much of photos of Port of Par locos Alfred and Judy, with the difference in height to standard vanfits. (Yes I know they were Bagnalls not Pecketts).

Nope. Just trying to keep up with the puns. Ta-rah I'm gone. (Tarragon)

Annnd that's shallot...

There's also this firm, off the A38 near Buckfastleigh https://www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/members/well-hung-meat-company

Front of the first one looks very much like an A4's wedge. The second one looks like it's going to open up like a Bristol Freighter plane! https://www.curbsideclassic.com/uncategorized/rampside-outtake-silver-city-airways-bristol-type-170-freighter/

The de-streamlined version (if that's an acceptable word) really does suffer from the curved footplate making it obvious that something has been removed. The de-streamlined Stanier Coronations looked fine due to the straight footplate. Similarly the P2 style A4 looks far more acceptable.

From our last stash of cracker jokes: What athlete is best in cold weather? A long jumper

Nice work on the inspection saloon. I've always though the outermost side windows looked too close to the ends compared to all other Mk1s; presumably it improves the views for the 'officials' onboard! It's a good bit of cut & shut to get a non-standard window layout like that.

It's in the Iain Rice book "An approach to Model Railway Layout Design - Finescale in small spaces" - so copyrighted. It's unusual for Iain Rice in that he designed this one for Peco Streamline geometry rather than hand built track. I've always been a bit surprised by his statement "Peco Streamline may be coarse in its rail section and over-fussy in it's sleepering... but the geometry is spot on and conforms fully to prototype practice" - as DCB says, the slip comes down to 2 foot radius so rather tight! The Finetrax slips and other pointwork are definitely a good idea (especially if going for EM), but would affect the layout in terms of length and angles of pointwork.

"What-have-you problem" 🤨

But also the proportions have been simplified so the ratio of height to width is easier (8:5) and also the spacings where the arms are positioned across the width. Plus the middle arm angle matched to the outer arm. It is subtle and most won't notice but I think they've done a good job.

Not quite as prolific or colourful as the models of Michael Portillo, which seem to pop up on a lot of exhibition layouts now!

Oh, I could get so banned for voicing my opinion on Premier League payments compared to those of us in the real world....

I'm sure I've read that the nose end only contributed a small fraction of overall drag and a lot more benefit came from enclosing spaces under and between coaches. I have always wondered why the Stanier Coronations had the streamlining removed, but the A4s kept theirs. Was the cladding or framing more structural on A4s do couldn't be taken off? What would a completely de-streamlined A4 look like? An A3 with sloping smoke box...?