APOLLO

Small firm I worked for had immense problems when the server / storage packed up - no backup - lots and lots of work by everyone turned the situation around - but it was touch & go. I learned a valuable lesson regarding my home computer that day - Backup everything at least twice. Terabyte USB hard drives are relatively cheap to buy and dead easy to use. I have one at the side of my computer, and one in the garage that I back up weekly. Storage on the cloud / Photobucket / Flickr ? - no problem SO LONG as you have separate backup. Brit15

Sorry if posted earlier - This site is interesting for local info re the tower - though a bit controversial so best not discussed here. There are links to the panel manufacturers specs etc https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/ Once again my thoughts are with all those affected / involved on that terrible night. God bless them all. Brit15

I use IrfanView to resize my photos I directly post on here. Free to download & simple to use. Brit15

Photobucket issue ? If so I guess many similar sites affected. Brit15

I wouldn't "store" anything on the cloud, Flikr, Photobucket or anywhere else. All my stuff is on my computer, with three hard drive backups. My Flikr site below allows fellow enthusiasts access to my old railway photos if they so wish. If it goes it goes but I'm paying nowt !!. As others have stated perhaps this is the thin end of the wedge, internet wise with "free" hosting. No doubt the owners of Flikr are looking at this model also. I understand Yahoo bought Flikr & Verizon are looking into / have acquired Yahoo. Look at the way also that Youtube has changed. Brit15

I don't know about Athearn's modern stuff but around 1980 I dabbled a bit in American HO. I bought a few Athearn locos and was amazed at the running & build qualities - central can motor, 8 or 12 wheel drive via cardan shafts & flywheels - super slow running etc (still have em and they still run). Their freight car "kits" were amazing also. Took all of 5 minutes to fit the supplied couplers, wheels to bogies then 2 screws fixed bogies to bodies, couple of other bits n bobs and away they rolled. Loveley detail and factory applied paint jobs also. Brit15

or this Brit15

Shopping around is the name of the game these days (especially for us pensioners). This last 18 months or so I have bought (all brand new) a Hornby Crosti for £80, K1 for £65, B1 for £80, Q6 for £70. All via links on RMWeb "Bargains" thread. No way would I pay Hornby's RRP. Also I'm not over fussed with super detail, rarely fitting the small bits, especially the unseen fiddly ones - I leave them in the box. I have quite a few Railroad locos - they're the best thing Hornby has done in my opinion. Superb models that run well. Brit15

Like this ? Brit15

What about re-creating the 1948 Locomotive exchange trials, (or perhaps the earlier 1925 exchange) ?. Official 1948 test runs on the LNER East Coast Main Line were held on the following dates, using the NER Dynamometer Car, all Kings Cross to Leeds & return. 29 April, hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 46162 Queens Westminster Rifleman in the down direction 30 April, hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 46162 Queens Westminster Rifleman in the up direction 6 May, hauled by LMS Princess Coronation Class 46236 City of Bradford in the down direction 7 May, hauled by LMS Princess Coronation Class 46236 City of Bradford in the up direction 20 May, hauled by GWR King Class 6018 King Henry VI in the down direction 21 May, hauled by GWR King Class 6018 King Henry VI in the up direction 27 May, hauled by SR Merchant Navy Class 35017 Belgian Marine in the down direction 28 May, hauled by SR Merchant Navy Class 35017 Belgian Marine in the up direction 29 May, hauled by LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class 46162 Queens Westminster Rifleman in the down direction Now that would make a super DVD !!! Brit15

Just a sacrilegious thought Tony. Since your fantastic layout is basically an oval viewed from the middle, one side of your stock is seldom seen. You could take a selection of pre-grouping stock (wagons & coaches) and repaint / letter just one side as pre nationalisation (LNE etc), perhaps also including a few much earlier pre-grouping wagons. Wouldn't work with your locos though - it would however make such a "task" much easier. Brit15

Time for a Geordie colliery joke (goes with the earlier blood & guts !!) It was 1923 and a man was standing at the bar in the Blyth and Tyne pub in Blyth, Northumberland. His head was covered in scars and he wasn't a pretty sight. A young lad began sniggering and pointed the man out to his mates. A big burly miner jumped up and grabbed the young lad. "Never, never, make fun of that man. He's a hero, there was a big fall at Crofton Pit and he stood with a wooden bar on his head for 6 hours holding the roof up while his marra's were rescued. That's why he bears those terrible scars." "Am sorry mate, a didn't na", said the young lad, "He is a hero. But, how did he get that cauliflower ear?" "Aw well, that happened when he was hammered into position."Brit15

Try driving over Woodhead in winter with a snowstorm brewing up, you might as well be in Siberia !! Brit15

Liverpool - The only city where you can fart in the morning and get the Echo at night !!!! Brit15

And it gets worse Cladding on 27 tower blocks in 15 council areas in England has failed fire safety tests, the government says. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40391395 I reckon by next week many more will be identified, and many more residents evacuated. Time for some Dunkirk spirit among us Brits, our "leaders" are only lining their pockets at our expense. I'm sure lots of council workers etc are trying their very best, but as Stationmaster states above, they and their systems are overloaded and it seems can't cope with escalating events of this magnitude. Brit15

Many years ago on standby on a cold Sunday evening I was called out to a smell of gas in a low rise block of flats. A strong gas indication was detected through a neighboring letterbox in a (seemingly) empty flat - so immediate forced entry and police presence requested - there was a guy with his head in the oven, switched on though unlit - trouble is natural gas is not poisonous (though lack of oxygen will asphixiate). He was very much alive, moaning & groaning, so we dragged him outside to recuperate, made the flat safe and left him to the police - with some strong language re his attitude to his neighbours (and my) safety. Same night, driving home about 11 pm there's a body in the road. Stop & another guy moaning, groaning, Another car stops and ambulance is called - I try to see whats up & see if I can give first aid - and put my overcoat over him, quickly the ambulance arrives. Well guess what - the ambulance crew know this guy, he's pissed they say- does this regularly for attention. There am I freezing, my coat over this guy - I grabbed my coat and nearly gave the silly ******** a kick !!. Off home to bed. My humanity took a severe test that night - but it was Sunday & I was on double time - so I forgave them both !!!! Brit15

I agree Mallard, as they say down in Norfolk "It's a right muddle" !!. We need good leadership - and quickly - unfortunate fact is there ain't (m)any. This seems to me to be endemic world wide. Almost getting afraid to put the news on these days. Brit15

Breaking news Camden flats to be evacuated over cladding More than 100 homes in a tower block on a council estate in Camden, north London, are be evacuated because of safety concerns over cladding in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. Camden Council says residents in 161 flats in one of five blocks on the Chalcots estate are affected. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40389148 Brit15

This would take some modelling - Red Crabs - millions of em (not the LMS variety either) !! Brit15

There is a very informative thread on this website. Lots of photos, technical plans etc. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=2007285 And post 103 is worth consideration. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=140657316&postcount=103 Flexible floor plate - Not heard that mentioned anywhere before. Brit15.

So the cantankerous Geordie git shed masters could have twice the fun throwing us trainspotters out !!!! Brit15

Yes I was actually, I wasn't thinking of line speeds at all locations mentioned, just some evocative ECML locations from memory Incidentally I have a tatty dog eared copy of the LNER 1947 Southern Area "General Appendix to the rules and regulations with sectional appendix". This gives line speeds and speed restrictions on all lines in the southern area (south of Leeds, Doncaster) Table A - Line 1 Kings Cross to Shaftholme Jcn Up & Down running lines Line Speed Limit 90 mph. (unless otherwise stated) Ones I mentioned (south of Shaftholme Jcn) - main lines. Essendine Line speed Little Bytham Line speed Retford 65 mph Ranskill Not listed so I presume line speed Scrooby & Bawtry 60 mph up & down main lines, (144m12c to 146m 44c) Bawtry Line speed Doncaster Line speed Interesting to note that the 1937 LMS equivalent (and equally as tatty & moth eaten) states no maximum line speeds, just limits at various locations. Brit15

Just found these while perusing the web. After my above post praising the ECML, "my" WCML had some fast trains also - but quite a bit before my time. Here is the Coronation Scot, perhaps the inaugural run around 1937 as the whole of the village is out to see her. She is on the 4 track bit passing Golborne colliery a few miles south of Wigan. And this video with the matching music !! I picked my son up at Wigan NW the other night. Pendolino's, 319's to Liverpool, a southbound fast 12 car Royal Mail flew through, then his train, a 4 car Manchester - Edinburgh EMU. It's a mainly EMU / DMU railway these days passenger wise, fast, efficient, colourfull - but the magic somehow seems to have gone. Brit15.

Green line looks like the performance of a Zamac alloy Zinc pest infected class 31 !! Brit15

Little Bytham, Essendine, Retford, Ranskill, Scrooby, Bawtry, Doncaster, Chaloners Whin, York, Thirsk, Danby Wiske, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle. These names just evoke speed. The list (remembering old O.S Nock locomotive performance logs in the Railway Magazine) seems to roll off your tongue. Stirling singles, A1,2,3,4's Deltics, HST's. 91's and (hopefully) faster things to come. A wonderful bit of railway. I live alongside the "rival" WCML just north of Wigan. - just not quite as magical, even the mighty Duchesses slogged up Boars Head bank here !! Brit15