Peter Kazmierczak

70012 looks like to be in better nick than some of its classmates over here... I notice it hasn't got the revised air intake on the bodyside, though.

No, no, no, no, no. Fish, chips and mushy peas; yes, yes, yes. But washed down with a mug of Yorkshire tea - milk, no sugar please. Also don't forget the essential round of white bread and butter.

I actually ran a loco on the layout today; a secondhand Bachmann Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T along the 40 year-old PECO track. Amazed how smoothly it ran, even over the small radius insulfrog points. A couple of the buildings I'll pinch off the Shardlow layout; notably the stables from Darley Dale that'll fit in with the horse-drawn tramway theme. However, I need a larger building at one end to "balance" the look of the layout. I downloaded a free Scalescenes low-relief warehouse. I noticed it had a vague MR feel about it; noticeably the roofline. I put some lettering on the side based on examples found on warehouses at Burton. I've tried to do it so it looked like the LMS overpainted the "Midland" bit of the lettering. What'd you think?

Depends on the quality of the marmalade, I suppose.

A 69 down in my neck of the woods this afternoon. 69008 on a 458/4 unit drag from Widnes to Bournemouth, enters the sidings at Poole to run-round.

Always interesting to see photos around Trent. I've parked in the same lay-by as you, David!

Right, I've calmed down now... Off to prepare stuff for our "Talking Newspapers" recording tomorrow, as I'm editing it this month. I will NOT be including any articles that mention photoshopping, though...

The country is going to the dogs (apologies to any dogs watching). We are led by an incompetent "elite" with little or no direct democracy. There is no sense of "goodwill"; everything is black or white - you are for me or against me. Same with countries elsewhere in the world. There are wars. There is poverty. And all the newspaper headlines are going on about is some mother who slightly edited a family pic of hers with a bit of dodgy photoshopping. Who noticed? Who cares? Right, I'll start my rant now...

Our neighbour next door has just got a new pair of cats. They are slowly exploring the area. Saw them in our garden a few days ago...

That was really, really interesting. thanks for posting it, Jamie.

Thanks Nigel. Good point.

To me, the "setting " of a layout is vital in creating something meaningful, with purpose and that elusive railway atmosphere. There are three options I could use to join the termination of the tramway from the alabaster/gypsum pits. 1. An extension from my fictitious Shardlow layout, across (or under) the main A6 London - Carlisle turnpike road, down to the tramway; some one mile or so in length. This was my first thought, but it would be tricky going beneath the road - I doubt they'd have a level crossing on such a turnpike - and behind Shardlow's church and past some glasshouses. 2. Second thought was a line from the Stenson/Sheet Stores line (still very much open), at a junction just of the viaduct over the R Trent near the old Castle Donington power station. This would have involved a bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal, as well as some sidings and a signal box at the junction itself. 3. I'm veering more to the third option; a line from Weston on Trent to the termination of the tramway. It could run for about a mile and three quarters from the goods yard at Weston, north of the canal and south of Aston upon Trent itself. It would only cross very minor roads/paths. We shall see. Any preferred option, anyone?

On a small layout like this siding lengths/capacity are important. There won't be a fiddley yard; this is it. 4 wagons by the loading dock, 2 (plus one for weighbridge) on middle sdg., and 6 on the bottom one. The important dimension is the approach line, 3 wagons clear of the pint plus a (small) loco such as a Jinty or Ivatt Class 2 tank.

Progress - one week in.

Do you have photos of your mod-- rai---- in another thread, David? Be interesting to see. Had a headache last night; still got it. Don't usually get 'em. Maybe shouldn't have watched Big Brother...

Just cut the grass; first time this year. Even spiked some of it and spread sharp sand over. Didn't have the heart to remove the moss though, as it would've looked very bare.

St Winifred's (NOT the one that had a famous school choir though...)

Oops; sorry for mentioning rail---s...

My favourite Underground line is the Bakerloo; no contest. Bit of a time warp. Favourite station is either Clapham North or Clapham Common on the Northern Line; the only two island platform stations left on the system within one tunnel bore. A bit scary, which adds to it all...

I like the two men, with flat caps, walking along the platform. How often do folks carry a suitcase nowadays? And David, it's 55005; 100%, as there are two distinctive marks by the nearside buffer. 9005 was the last Deltic I needed to cop the class, whilst D9004 was my first.

Methinks 55005, Steve...

Day 5 = Didn't do much on Aston as was out to see this blue/grey unit on its first run after a re-paint. However, did put some brick facing to the loading dock. The MR in South Derbyshire/NW Leicestershire did use brick in such locations.

This was a nice touch beneath each cab side window...

All this talk of EPBs and Networkers reminded me of when I worked at a school near Hither Green, just off the South Circular road. One Monday morning when I pulled into the staff car, there was a Networker coach parked on a low-loader right outside. I've no idea why it was there, and have never got to the bottom of it all; this was in the mid 90s. Maybe the low-loader had broken, had a flat tyre or taken a wrong turn? However, I took the opportunity (as you would) to bring out my class of 7/8 year-olds to have a photo of them all alongside the coach.

I think I've been transformed back to the 80s... Branksome, this afternoon.