Allegheny1600

Wot? No bidet either? Shocking!

Thanks Polly (I think that’s your name, apologies if not), That looks a fascinating operation you’ve shown in the videos. The small machine loading Tornado, is *I think* known as a “Bobcat” - it’s been a while since I was in plant hire and that may be a trade name or a nickname, I forget! Having found some of my older pictures, here’s something quite large; This was a tracked Lima machine serving dredging duty on a barge! Spotted in Nafplion harbour, Greece in 2019.

Thanks guys. Ooh, interesting conversations, this is what I wanted to stimulate! Operations; Again, my interests vary on a day to day basis such that one day I will want to sit back and watch trains circulate, the next, I will do some switching, the next I will operate per timetable and so forth. However, although I am a mostly digital user, I am not interested in any kind of automation. I do get it, especially when it comes to watching trains circulating but I cannot get interested, I don’t want to and my brain doesn’t either. Plus, I’d rather spend that investment on other things. Experience with large layouts; Some! I’ve been a member of four different clubs around the UK and a couple of groups in France. My first own built large layout was built in two linked attic bedrooms with split levels in my old house in Derby, this was largely an American outline layout. When I moved up north, I eventually purchased a layout of 27’ x 9’ from my local club called “Leigh Moor & Randale Summit” - this looked like a four track section of main line but was really only a folded single line with two long loops. Under analog control I could set it up so two trains could circulate, after I gave it digital control, it was easy to run three at once - single handed. I thought it was fairly non country specific but it was actually too British to run my various foreign trains on so I sold it quite a few years ago now and went small layouts for a while. This was not that satisfying to me. More thoughts; I am being drawn towards the idea of a multi deck project with say, British at the highest level (I am very drawn to the latest 00 releases and such height would disguise the narrow gauge look), European and American below. I can justify trains travelling through France, Germany, Austria in sequence, on one level but I simply cannot reconcile then skipping into North America for example. Three separate levels! Plus, a potential storage yard on a very low level, phew! And I want the stuff without traction tyres or multiple locos at the top! I strongly suspect the only way to link these levels is via a large diameter helix or even two, one at each end. I am thinking of screening each level off from the one actually being operated, by removable curtains Velcro’d into place like exhibition layout screens are, this way I only see one scene at a time. Finally - I am drawn to the ’L’ shape of layout, whether it will be with equal sized legs or odd, I cannot say but likely veering towards the golden ratio. Cheers all, John

Phwoar! That looks like something out of “Mad Max” and yes, I do mean the genuine Aussie version! Forgive this Pom if that’s exactly what it is, I know almost nothing about cars from down under. Well, I know what an ‘Ute’ is, I think!

Bulgaria; Copyright: Martin Zahariev. Train 16105 stops at Tsepina during a daily service between Septemvri and Dobrinishti. This looks to be a glorious and tranquil location to me.

These locos are so iconic to me. From seeing 001 on test on the Wirksworth branch in around September 1976 to seeing and hearing them all round the East Midlands through the 80’s to getting a cab ride on 126 at Butterley once and spending time on the bank at Toton listening to that howling roar, I love’em. Thanks, Cav and Alex.

Wahoo! Really glad to see LLB in the first release, this is something I feel the red box team let everyone down on. I liked their model but this is the final key I need to return to 4mm modelling!

South Australia; copyright: David Arnold. Pacific National 8208 on a rail train near Bindarra, SA.

Ah, I see! Thanks, Jol, I was getting hold of the wrong end of the stick - not for the first time! My better half and I did look at one of those companies opening up in N.I. who were promising to receive and forward mails one way or the other but for us, it wasn’t worth it. I think the one I looked at wanted about £60 per year plus a certain amount for each item sent on. Things being as they are, people are bound to find ways around new laws, it’s human nature. In the meantime, we have to be patient and or do the old “nothing/goods to declare” routine by going in person. Good luck to you all, John

Hi Mike, While I do sympathise with your position and not denying it’s a tough one, all need not be lost. There are ways of obtaining British (or North American) outline stock from within Europe although I’m well aware it’s not easy, it’s not impossible. There’s German eBay: https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Hornby&_sacat=180250&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=3&_ipg=200 This search picks up everything “Hornby” that is listed in the EU. There is Catawiki in Holland: https://www.catawiki.com/s/?q=Hornby&sort=relevancy_desc - not much right now but there has been much more. Plus there are dealers selling brand new items such as; Menzels in Germany: https://www.menzels-lokschuppen.de/index.php?cl=alist&searchparam=&cnid=8e54dfb6cb21b258fc7b6aa28c025&attrfilter[Hersteller][Bachmann_Branchline]=1&fnc=executefilter Surely there are other model shops in Europe that sell UK outline? John

Belated sympathies about your dad, Neil. It’s bad when such a thing is expected, a completely devastating thing when it’s out of the blue. John

Thanks Ian, I’d just found a rather nice NZ picture myself! John Coyle screen capture.

Hi all, I know there is a similar thread here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70346-railroads-in-a-giant-landscape/ but that seems focused upon mainly North American scenes with some South American thrown in (it is in the US/Can section, after all!), my couple of attempts to show that the rest of the world also has spectacular scenery didn’t seem to get much appreciation. Not complaining, just saying! I just wanted to show that the rest of the world puts on an awesome show too. To start us off then, how about a quick look towards the east? Copyright: Bharat Vohra. A viaduct on the Quinghai - Tibet railway - the railway to “the roof of the world “! Copyright: Bharat Vohra Another viaduct on the same line. Copyright: Temuulen Batkhurel Now to Mongolia, the Khonkhor loop near to Ulaanbaatar. Over to Africa now, specifically Morocco; Copyright: Martin&Markus Duffner. Express train 504 from Taourirt to Nadur. Apologies for using other peoples images, I do have some pictures from Morocco but they are rubbish compared to what’s available online. Finally, Sweden; copyright: Alexandre Zanello. One of the famous iron ore trains run by LKAB between Sweden and Norway. There is an awful lot more of Europe, Asia and Africa to explore not to mention the entire continent of Australia and many many islands with railways in dramatic scenery, I haven’t scratched the surface here. Please feel free to add more as well.

Gotta love those SW1500’s! That Athearn “blue box” version was my very first bought new American outline model, for the huge price of £26.50 iirc! I say huge price as at that time, a typical Hornby or Lima loco was probably almost half as much again and only had an utterly rubbish mechanism whereas the Athearn had central motor, flywheels, all wheel drive and pickup, it was a revelation! Mine was I think, 2638 LA and I painted the handrails, step fronts and so forth, I only wish I had kept it. Clean and polish the wheels, add additional pickups, clean the mech, wire throughout and she’ll be superb. Cheers, John

Hi, My parents lived in central Derbyshire from the mid to late fifties, just outside a small village called Windley. They, later, we lived up a farm track between two farms, right in the middle of nowhere really and the farmer at the end of our track had such a Jeep. I always remember my dad telling the story of when this farmer got his tractor and trailer stuck in a muddy field - he simply went and got the Jeep and it pulled the lot free. They were very capable little things, apparently.

Thank you! Yes, that was a very helpful and detailed answer. I’m sorry I didn’t reply before, I don’t know how I missed it but fortunately, I just spotted your topic again. Will continue to follow your progress with interest. Cheers, John

I get annoyed by incorrect spelling or pronunciation of the word “catenary” or “railway catenary”*. Never mind the incorrect descriptions of the various parts of “the overhead”, not many seem to understand that but I suppose with the less common modelling of overhead wires in the UK, one should not be too surprised. *now that I’ve spelt it out, it looks wrong to me!

Looks like you read my post in the humorous way I intended! I was being funny, in case others didn’t realise.

Your problem is the neighbours themselves! At my previous house, we had problem neighbours just like that and if you create a solution for their problem, they won’t do anything to help. My solution was to eat any chickens that made their way onto my property. And, make it known this is what was happening. Your imagination should be sufficient for this. The neighbours will soon ensure that no more chickens escaped. If you don’t want to deal with eating the chickens yourself and don’t know anyone who could, I suggest disappearing said chickens elsewhere and leaving other “evidence” visible I.e. ex supermarket chicken remains! Alternatively, get a fox to do the job.

How about Mongolia? copyright: Batkhurel Natsagdorj. Location: Khonkhor loop, Sukhbaatar Duureg, 14171, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Books may be exempt BUT I have been charged import duty, taxes + £8 handling fee on items clearly marked “books” so beware! It may be that I was incorrectly charged but until you receive the item, you may not know what it is (if you’ve ordered more than one item, for example) and trying to recover the fees is made (deliberately?) difficult. Just an added risk when importing items you want.

Sobering, no official statement on the cause. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/07/pakistan-train-crash-dozens-killed-as-express-services-collide-millat-sir-syed

Hi there, This has been most interesting to follow, you’ve done a great job. Re: the Kadees, may I suggest leaving the dropper (fake air hose) in place? This is the thing that facilitates the hands free coupling and uncoupling as both pieces of rolling stock require it for the magnet to work. If you cut it off, you are forced to only use a skewer for uncoupling etc. The appearance is improved of course and if you don’t really do much switching, the skewer method may be satisfying for you. Just my thoughts, no worries if your preference is different. Cheers, John

American ladies do seem to like the British accent!

Oh gawd! Just imagine - the moaning about having to pay for items that won’t be used, it’d be worse than paying for a DCC decoder that’s not used! ”the differently-gauged” - what a great expression, I love it.