APOLLO

Ahh !! Meccano and cranes. Only thing I ever built was cranes - but never had anything like enough bits to make one of those. My dad also used to pinch bits to repair things - his old Mk 7 Jag had more Meccano in it than my set !! Brit15

I can't help with the Q6 but early emblems lasted well into the 60's, and some loco's were withdrawn with them. Here is a photo of a 2-6-4 tank with the early emblem hauling Blue / Grey coaches out of Bradford in August 1967. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52572-why-is-this-so-rarely-modelled/page-11&do=findComment&comment=683432 Brit15

Boeing 777 ? Brit15

You can buy an "Uncle Joes Mintball" flavoured vodka in Bar revolution King St Wigan (backs onto the L&Y line) - tastes really nice but you can't buy it anywhere else so I am told. Keep up the good work Kev, Take care of yourself and be well soon. Brit15

I still have my old Tri-ang TT yellow lapel badge as in your train sets. Long time ago since I opened my Jinty + 2 suburban coach set - 1959 I think. Still have them but the box long gone. Nice to see them and good luck with the R.O.D. - looks a nice loco. Brit15

Brit15

It's a long time since I flew to the states - first time was with Caledonian, twice with BA - all were good back then (late 80's-90's). We regularly fly to Thailand and have tried quite a few airlines & routes (via various changes in Europe) - no real complaints but I absolutely hate Heathrow and try to avoid at all costs. We now fly Emirates Manchester - Dubai (7 & a half hours) then a 2-3 hour wait and on to Bangkok (6 hours). The mid journey break is most welcome, and Dubai airport is clean, new, well signed and plenty of shops etc to browse. If you are flying on to OZ the second flight (to Sydney) is a nearly 14 hour non stop slog. Emirates fly from Birminghan also to Dubai so there may be a better departure option. I like the A380 - a superb aircraft (even in cattle class). Re Trolleybuses, Wigan did not have any but nearby Hindley did - the old LUT (Lancashire United Transport) and it's predecessor SLT (South Lancashire Transport). They finished in 1958 as everything was time worn, buses replaced the trolleybuses. Quite a large network to Leigh, St Helens Hindley Atherton Walkden and Manchester. http://lths.lutsociety.org.uk/library/PDF-010-1.pdf Just why the Trolleybus fell out of favour I do not know. They would be superb today, especially with today's technology just the main route needs to be wired, batteries taking over in city & town centres. Little infrastructure needed, just string up wires from lamp posts, no digging the street up to lay tracks etc etc. Quiet clean and green(ish !!). Bring back the trolleybus !!!! Brit15

My dad always used Redex in his cars, most garages had a dispenser at the side of the pumps - all this before self serve became the norm. His cars never had engine problems though they just rusted away !! Brit15

Bob, float your track on a bed of reeds like Stephenson did at nearby Chat Moss. The Liverpool Manchester line, recently electrified still floats over the moss today. Perhaps a too heavy / solid foundation on top of a slope isn't the answer. A viaduct perhaps ? Whatever - best wishes. Brit15

Those seats look VERY uncomfortable and uninviting - a virtually straight back, thinly padded, badly recovered with crumples etc. Brit15

Rampant vegetation growth on and around our railways nationwide is an ever increasing nuisance to both rail operators and photographers / observers. To me it has become ever worse and seemingly unmanaged over the last 20 years or so. I often wonder the causes - economic cutbacks, global warming = more CO2 = more rampant growth - reduced effectiveness of weedkiller due to legislation, etc. I don't really know but here alongside the WCML just north of Wigan it certainly is a noticeable problem. We received letters from Network Rail the other year regards tree pruning, and they held a meeting in a local church hall explaining what - where - why. The work was done - just the big trees etc getting close to the overhead wires etc, but the growth will be back, and with a vengence if my back garden is used as a guide !! Nice to see your "virtually" tree-less Little Bytham Tony, just like it used to be. Brit15

Hump (sorting) yards also closing in the USA. More and more unit trains. http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/03/22-csx-to-close-down-tilford-hump-yard-in-atlanta Brit15

I recognize the road, It's Wigan Lane just down from where I live. It's changed a bit - and car batteries aren't four quid anymore !! https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5523446,-2.6276404,3a,75y,149.86h,90.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUl3ISTUgJg_fQzNhwTPjxA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Shame about the Rover, new bonnet wing and bumper she'll be as good as new !!. Brit15

I was in San Francisco the week before the big earthquake in October 1989. We were staying at the Holiday Inn in the centre of town, fairly high up. I noticed and remarked a couple of times that "This building is shaking slightly" during our stay. hardly noticeable, but there seemed to be minute movements now and again. I wasn't over bothered till we came home a week later and the big one occurred. frightening thing was the bridge and freeways that collapsed we were driving over days ago. The Hotel together with most modern structures seemed not to be damaged - I don't really know as this was all pre internet (for me at least). There seems to be trouble brewing around the ring of fire around the pacific, and California (along with many other places) live with the threat of another big one day to day. Perhaps we are very lucky here in the UK with our comparingly minor events. Brit15

Transition certainly is happening, but perhaps not all consumers welcome it. There are many pros & cons, too many to list and each will move up / down the scale of importance / relevance as time and technology progress. Our politicians are clueless. I don't want an electric car, or even a hybrid, but then at age 65 I won't be motoring much after 2040. EV's / Hybrids are currently (!!) very expensive and I can't justify one (along with the depreciation) for the motoring I do. There are no short cuts or cheap easy options in the energy game. Our (UK's) Natural Gas increasingly is imported from countries of dubious political regimes - (Russia, Qatar) Can we trust them to supply us without interuption long term ? (they both have lots of gas that's for sure). Wind certainly helps, we need Tidal Barrages also (Severn, Morecambe Bay etc) Germany has been mentioned - a technological powerhouse for sure - BUT Germany has / is closing all it's Nuclear power stations and building new Lignite powered stations. Google Lignite, its a very poor grade of coal and burns awfully emissions wise. When Didcot power station was closed (due to meeting it's emissions quota I believe), it's main generators were taken to Avonmouth Docks and shipped to Germany - for use in a new lignite power station. I shake my head at all this green this that etc when things like the above happen. Prepare for a very expensive future energy wise - green or otherwise. Brit15

Hi Chris - no problem, I had little doubt as I scanned the photos from my dad's originals. I never spotted at Whitley Crossing, though I visited with my dad a couple of times on his Lambreta scooter !!. Dad liked to photograph here and one of his photos was half page in the Wigan Observer back in 1967, a mucky Black 8 slogging up brew, steam leaking everywhere. I'll dig out the photo and post it. I vaugeley remember a lad in a wheelchair was there, and later came to our house once to watch my brothers railway movies. I don't recall any others mentioned. A long time ago now !!. Living back then at Poolstock my spotting was the stretch of the WCML between the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Westwood Lane, Cemetery Lane (the sloping wall of which can be seen in the far left of the above photo), and, best of the lot, Taylors Lane bridge, at the Springs Branch shed outlet. I have both your books, they are superb. I knew one or two of the characters mentioned, Johnny Bretherton who went down Poolstock Lane at over 60mph on his motorbike - we always knew when he was going to / from the branch !! Jimmy Lincoln who was involved in the Accident is still knocking around - he is my mates cousins husband. I also knew Frank Eaton. an old Springs Branch driver long gone, a real nice man, and one or two others who's names escape me. I'll try to dig out my old spotting books - there somewhere !!! I'll be pleased to help if I can. I'll stick anything I find of interest on this thread. I am looking forward to your next books, especially the Lower Ince one, and will help if I can. All my photos / negs are on my Flikr site below. You can use them if you wish, just acknowledge me or my dad. They are not captioned but I can probably add info to most. Just ask or PM me on here. Brit15

Brit15

More crazy but interesting ideas on the future of Railroads ---- (from the 50's of course) http://wx4.org/to/foam/warstories/its/da_bomb.html Brit15

Just found this site - SPINS Southern Pacific Industrial Numbering System - lots of industrial track diagrams etc. http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/spins/books.html This one is San Jose http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/spins/spins_san_jose_opt.pdf This is how SP did switching - very interesting and this can be used for a model railroad - even a small one. http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/spins/spins_overview_opt.pdf The (mainly SP) site wx4.org is HUGE - you could spend the rest of your life looking at timetables, photos, memories etc. http://wx4.org/to/foam/a_rrcontents.html Found the site by accident a couple of hours ago and remembered this request. Hope it is of interest Brit 15

Sorry I can't help but this is a subject that will become more and more significant to many on rmweb as time marches on, myself included. A subject worthy of discussion and advice. Brit15

This from the early 50's http://atomic-skies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/to-peoria-by-atom.html Mind the Yanks did build daft trains But this one didn't take off (thank God) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's diesel or electric in the future (or a mix of the two like now). Brit15

Quick question - Are "stayalive" capacitors / installations only suitable for DCC users ?. Can they be used on straight DC locomotives with iffy electrical pick-ups ? Brit15

It's just started snowing right now in Wigan Owd Bob - might be blowing across to sunny Leigh !!! Nice loco above, looks like an industrial loco should. I remember the 0-6-0 steam loco "Lyon" and other tatty beasts working at Ince Moss colliery in the early 60's - just across from Springs Branch. Also the locos on the NCB lines at Whitley Crossing that went to Giants Hall and Standish Lower Ground, that system had a couple of diesels a bit like yours - unfortunately all this was disappearing fast when I was a lad - happy days though !! Brit15

post deleted

What we do in our tiny island doesn't affect the world very much. What happens in the USA, China, India certainly does, and those three countries virtually run and depend on diesel. Few alternatives for them - renewables won't do it - billions of people in China & India are expecting rising "western like" life styles, as their right. Brit15