BG John

Most people invited into our homes are expected to pay their way, but the state expects us to pay for TV to live with us, so I evicted him years ago

It would need to be a Mk 2 as they appeared in Jan 75, although I haven't looked up when the Mexico came out. I was always embarrassed when I saw Mexicos, as their drivers used to flash me thinking I had one, when it was actually a 1600 Sport with spoilers!!

I've just discovered that the photos in Post #20 were taken in July 1975

Is that sign on the right an instruction, or a statement? I think signs that say "No Dogs" should be read as a statement of fact, and a dog should be placed in there straight away. And those stupid "No dogs allowed" signs are always being mistaken as a ban on dogs, whereas they should mean that you are allowed to be there without a dog, but there should really be a dog there!

I think this is about the best I can do. It may have been taken with my Mum's Box Brownie, and if not, certainly something not much better! I think this was just about the only working steam loco I ever saw. I just missed out on steam in the south, and never got up north to see the end there. We'd stopped for a picnic beside the road, and either heard a whistle or saw some smoke. I've got a few more distant views of it, and a really grotty one of a Hymek on the Radstock branch nearby.

Here's one at New Frome Quarry in 1969. I tried to get a bigger scan of just the loco, but I haven't got enough free memory at the moment. I'll try later if it's of any use.

I did on a previous layout. I used toggle switches with a small hole drilled through the lever, with a small piece of tube soldered to the wire on each side to hold it in place. They make nice positive mechanical and electrical switches. I was using them with hand built points using code 80 FB rail, some with three blades as it was mixed gauge. Then, being too tight to buy omega loops, I bent them into the wire. I don't know if it was genuine Mercontrol wire, or something I had lying around, but I did use the correct copper tubing. No photos I'm afraid, as it was in pre digital camera days, but I've got the components in one of my boxes of useful stuff, and may well use them on the new layout I'm planning, so I could dig them out if it helps.

What about some much older cars from the days when they were longer lasting? My Dad kept his 1952 Austin A40 Somerset until 1972, and only sold it, with 60k on the clock, because the brake pipes were rusting. I'd have thought, with a bit of work, that it could have gone on for a good many more years. Lightish green, reg GRX858, but rarely went north of Watford in his ownership.

Many years ago, Harry Sparks, who happened to be a fellow member of the local railway society, turned up to change my electricity meter!

I used them for going trainspotting at Reading, but was too good to do such things. I just thought it was funny that others had! I thought only well behaved people lived in Bracknell in those days!

As they have detailed interiors, do many of the droplights have a notice saying "Do not clean soot off the window"? I seem to remember them on the ones I travelled on from Bracknell to Reading! Although I've always modelled the GWR, it's almost tempting to build a layout to run a few on, as they, and the 2-HALs, were the first trains I travelled on, but those rivets do seem a bit OTT.

The office looks very tidy. Shouldn't there be disorganised piles of paper everywhere?

I'm pretty sure this was painted with an "Indian Red" model paint, or at least what was recommended at the time, thirty or more years ago. It may have been Precision Paints. I've probably still got the tin! Of course that doesn't mean it was accurate!

You need to watch those cuddly toys. I found these two drying out one day By the next day they were getting to know each other And you really don't want to see what they got up to later . I was so shocked, that the photos are blurred! One of my lodgers let them move in without my permission, and they still haven't paid any rent!

Do the books show the normal price, and either have a priced list of other publications, or a link to a list? Buyers of overpriced copies would then only do it once, and may leave negative feedback, and spread the word about this seller.

I've just come across this book (paper and ebook) on Wishford. I don't know if everyone knows about it, or if it's just me being out of touch! http://bretwaldabooks.com/book.php?p=105

How about this for New Zealand driver training? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20614593

A run down smallholding, maybe occupied by a reclusive junk collector, or an elderly owner who can't manage it all any more? The buildings could be on a smaller scale than for a full size farm. This was West Wales in 1967, but kind of what I'm suggesting.

I suspect I was on holiday at Grately on the LSWR with my parents, and we went through Warminster on the way to visiting relatives in Bath, so just quickly stopped off at the station. We must have gone to Salisbury on the same holiday: I've got more of Salisbury from a couple of visits, and apart from that I think I just have a few of Wilton and one or two other stations long after closure. I've still got a lot to scan, and then I need to sort them out and index them properly.

They are all I took unfortunately. For some reason we didn't go on the platform. I think they must have been taken in 1974 or 75. One day I'll dig out my mostly dated index of slides, and get it on the computer!

Any use? I should have the date somewhere, but sometime in the mid seventies. Edit 25/01/13 - Just discovered these were taken in July 1975

A copper just stopped me with a sniffer dog , ...."my dog tells me you're on drugs" he says "ME!"....... I said "you're the one with the talking dog"!

My aunt and uncle had a farm close to the line near Liss around then. It may even have been next to the line, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I saw any trains running, as it was before I got interested in railways, but did have a scary walk along the track with my Mum and aunt, that involved crossing a bridge that had gaps between the decking!

Maybe the wheels are a bit loose on the axles! The flanges look quite fine.

It looks like you kept the original driving wheels, but I'll need to convert mine to EM!