Penlan

With my eyesight, these days that's a step to far, in fact I haven't got steps on the poles either I looked at some of the etches available, but couldn't be bothered in the end. The layout no longer goes to exhibitions, and the few visitors who come just want to see trains running, BUT currently I'm putting together an article for early next year publication and I expect the photo's will be super clear to the N'th degree, which if the pro. photographer will allow me to do some PaintshopPro work on them, should let me clear a few blips & blobs

I have to admit I've put mine on the outside of the curves, mainly so I don't keep catching them on my shirt/arm when I'm track cleaning. The one on the Signal Box, which is on the inside of the (roundy-roundy) layout, has a couple of spares ready, just in case One aspect of telegraph poles that annoys me on layouts is when the wires would obviously (if they were there) go through buildings, thick trees and/or be sliced off when a signal is operated. My telegraph poles are kebab sticks with 1mm square brass cross arms and 0.3mm wire soldered in with thin wire sheathing for the actual insulator.

When I order things from Alan Gibson, I write a letter, enclose a cheque, as per the costs from the online Catalogue, and get my order back around a week later, no problems.

Modern Humbrol's - since they decided to manufacture in the UK - are a poor quality as far as I'm concerned. I have tins 20 - 30 years old that just require stirring and they are ready to go, I seem to have to only open a new tin and the goo inside starts to set - yes I do now let it down with some white spirits, but also their control of Matt / Gloss seems random. However if you wish to buy Humbrol, then a search on Ebay (or similar sites) will find plenty of suppliers, that's where I've got mine from. Agree with Humbrol 62 - Leather, very useful colour.

Well, the 'Cornish Alps' are nearby

With the current works on the A30 near Truro - being upgraded to dual carriageway - and the jams on the 'Atlantic Byway' because of the traffic avoiding the A30, I'm staying in west Cornwall.... Re. Services, travelling north, if by myself, first stop from PZ is Sedgemoor (nee Brent Knowle). I worked on the M5 construction along the stretch W-S-M to Taunton in 1969 - 72, and have a soft spot for Sedgemoor Services. Coming home, one of the lowest ranking, Collumpton, but it's about 2.5 hours from home, so a quick toilet, possibly a Hamburger and Orange juice and off I go. When I was exhibiting Penlan (the layout), I would arrive here around 8 - 11pm depending where from, a useful 'wake-up' call. SWAG day 2022 is on the cards for me, but I shall have to wait to see if I can make it, family reasons.

And John Miles likes a challenge

Another model (Not mine) to show what might be.... But in view of above comments, wrong.

Amanda, I've sent you a Message.

10 pages, I can scan a copy of the article if nobody else has the full mag for you.

I have some old (Red Rose Kits) chassis etches for LNWR 42' Radial coaches and at each end of the coach the 'fixed' and outer radial axles are in fact on an inside bearing bogie with the pivot bearing point off-set to wards the outer (buffer) end - probably 3 - 4mm This basically reduces the throw of the outer (Radial) axle and thus less end throw over the buffers. I've never had a problem with the inner bogie axle not having enough weight transferred to it to keep it on the rails.

Especially in Supermarkets, though it seems they can't find their cards either a lot of times. In west Cornwall there are a lot of fast food outlets that are 'Cash Only'.

Well I had my copy from Smurf's on Thursday in Penzance, but, we do have a cluster of 'Mystic Megs' Way down West Hi Chris

They don't waste money 'Up North' on fancy looks on something that nobody will notice

Well the first two and 6th could be L&Y bar the fact they don't have the destination chalk plate this side of the doors. The next two look to be Midland, after that they all look like varieties if Ventilated vans similar or the same as the LNWR D445A's. All E.& O.E.

When, eventually, you come to the point of adding scenic details, one of the things I haven't fathomed is how the coal for Helston Gas Works was loaded into lorries for transfer across Helston Town to the Gas Works. The Coal wagons appear to have been unloaded onto the loading dock, but I don't recall seeing any photo's of the dock with an 'elevator' there to load the coal onto lorries for transfer across Town. As far as I can see, the coal wasn't unloaded anywhere else in the station area, e.g. so a lorry could back up and the floor of the lorry be basically level with the coal wagon floor. The project is coming along very well.

I would leave it alone, it has patina, looks 'comfortable', sit's nicely on the track. What's not to like.

Ah, somebody else who likes an Ammeter in the circuit

I shall be 'Off-Air' for a couple of days, no internet connection, after I've posted this..... I will catch-up on Wednesday.

A bit off topic, but some help needed. I use to have the LMS Wagons Volumes many years ago, but they seem to be out on long term loan, well my interest is pre-grouping, so I'm not to bothered, however I'm aware in the books there are references to pre-grouping designs. What a colleague is looking for are the LNWR GAS OIL wagons, not the carriage lighting gas supply wagons, but the oil wagons that the gas was manufactured from. There were 11 of them at one time in LNWR days. I suspect they would be a smaller version of the LMS Dia 1816 etc., wagons as shown in Essery & Morgan's 1977 book 'The LMS Wagon' (which I still have). And on page 83 of that book is the Carriage gas twin tank wagon, NOT oil. If somebody can flick through their volumes of LMS Wagons and see if there's a mention or photo of the LNWR Gas Oil wagon I and my colleague would be very grateful.

Some 15 years ago at an exhibition, exhibitors had to have their circuit breakers tested. I always carry a 240v outlet tester with me to exhibitions, to test supply (e.g. is it on?). The inset floor supply sockets allocated to my layout and a couple of others at the (very large) premises, was wired wrongly. They weren't happy that I pointed this out to them.

I thought 'C. Eng.,' was supposed to cut out all that proliferation of titles

And he produces excellent numberplates - I had some arrive the other day

1956, 'Modelling the Old Time Railways' by Edward Beal. Year Leader in Mathematics at Kynaston Comp, then we moved down to Winchester and a Sec Mod., Still have the book, though to safeguard the cover, it has a further brown paper wrapper on it.

NOoooo, an interesting modelling detail is the different styles of cattle dock fencing