BG John

Mine is standing on telescopic trestles at the moment. The cheapest I could find on eBay at the time. Under £25 a pair. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=trestles&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xtelescopic+trestles.TRS0&_nkw=telescopic+trestles&_sacat=0

Never heard of scratchbuilding? Pick a late date, and there are RTR models and kits you can bash. Depending on how accurate you want to be, you could produce some reasonable coaches with Tri-ang clerestories and Ratio 4-wheelers. Convertible wagons built from the mid 1870s were the same basic design as some of the Coopercraft kits, or you could bash RTR wagons into something suitable. Earlier wagons would need scratchbuilding, or major bashing. There was a one-off brake van that is due from Oxford very soon. Chop the chassis in half longways, and fit longer axles. Or rather don't, because I want mine to be unique! If you're any good with CAD, knock up a few drawings for my Silhouette Portrait, CNC milling machine or 3D printer, and I'll run off some for you, and for me . Locos are harder. I have plans for a Hornby 2721 pannier, but it involves substantial violence. Available kits are expensive and difficult to build, but maybe a bit of co-operation between people with various skills could produce something affordable, from a mixture of RTR, available components and computer assisted scratchbuilding. I think it's an opportunity to be creative, not a barrier .

A rather grotty picture of Yeovil Pen Mill in July 1975 Next, another station where there is a passenger platform on both sides of one track.

It depends which bits of it you look at! The bits that need updating are kept up to date! Probably more now than when I dragged the Society kicking and screaming into the 20th century by setting up the original web site . How can anyone on RMweb not know about modelling the broad gauge? There's a link to my current part built layout in my signature, that turns up on quite a few topics, and other people on RMweb are doing it too. There are ways round these things if you're determined enough .

Christow, on the Teign Valley branch in June 1976. No track or trains either . Next, a platform where the edge has been removed.

I went to several exhibitions where Petherick appeared before I got a chance to see it. It was only when the crowds had died down that I could get close enough, and crouch down to be able to get a look in. I'll have to stand on tiptoes to test the whole range of viewer's heights, as I'm only 6' 2½"! It looks as though it may be possible to do some serious forced perspective, so I've got to make sure that anyone who can get their eyes immediately under the proscenium arch won't have the illusion shattered. Of course I've also got the make it work for anyone whose eyes are right at baseboard level, so they don't see the overhead lighting. This is becoming an interesting project without even thinking about the finer details of scenery and other non techie stuff!

64 inches above floor level then!

I've just started building the mock up at eye level. Every part of the real layout, where possible, will be built on the workbench. Only when I've got most of it ready will I build the baseboard, on my normal height workbench. Hopefully I'll have the mock up at viewing height to act as a guide, and the real thing at a useful working level to assemble everything. On the other hand, I broke my 30 odd year old office chair recently, so I could rebuild it for comfortable working at the final baseboard height. I fear I may end up experiencing the problems of viewing a Cameo layout from a wheelchair though if anything goes wrong though .

It's probably best to build the track at normal workbench height, as there's less chance of it going wrong if you're not having to stretch up to baseboard height .

Howls of anguish from very short adults, kids and wheelchair users . Parts for stage one of my trials into a possibly cunning plan to keep them moderately happy, are on the way from China!

I think it could well do. My only experience of Dacias so far is a quick trip to a takeaway in a Duster a friend had just bought, and which seemed to have a problem with an intermittently sticking clutch pedal. I think Dacia make something like a Fiat Doblo/Renault Kangoo sort of thing, but don't sell it here. That could be better, as it might be convertible into a mini motorhome. I'll miss not having a loo, cooking facilities and someone to sleep/put my feet up wherever I go.

You answered your question before you asked it! Although I suppose more cars would have been scrapped long ago if a "market" hadn't been created for them. I'm really not looking forward to the time I need to replace my current vehicle. I want my 1993 Escort 1.8LXi Estate back. It was just about my ideal car. I'd quite like to have had a Mexico or RS2000 at some time, as I only got as far as an Escort Sport (and later a couple of XR3s), but with the price of Escorts and Escort parts now, I think a lot of far more exotic cars might be more affordable! Actually an XR3 would be my second choice after the Estate, as the exhibition layout I had at the time was a perfect fit, so it was a very practical car, with a nice big handle on the back to pull it out of the garage without having to start the engine! Otherwise, I suppose it will be a frustrating search for a bottom of the range modern car, that has the least number of annoying gimmicks I don't want.

I think the sun does shine sometimes, but if I look up to see, I risk slipping over in the mud that I need to concentrate on squelching through .

Are you sure? I thought it was an age of constant sunshine, where everyone was fit, healthy and happy, even those in poverty. The occasional snow on and around Christmas day was a cause for celebration, as it made the joyful season more romantic, and provided the opportunity to ice skate on the village pond.

It looks as though I'm OK here in Wales, at the moment. Considering the number of dogs there are in the country, if the map shows all occurrences, it's nowhere near being a major problem yet. It's very nasty, and needs fast action, so publicity is important, but I wonder what percentage of dogs it affects compared to other things that can harm them. I wonder how many dogs will die this Christmas because they ate a mince pie.

Base your layout in a parallel universe, where the sun and ageing have different effects, and the standard livery for all railways is pink with purple spots. Problem sorted .

I'm adding a current sensor to my Arduino based DIY RC system. I don't know if I'll always use it, as it takes up extra space, but having the option seems useful. It will be wired in series between the battery and the Rx. It might be worth making up a data logger that you can attach to locos you're testing. An Arduino Nano, MAX471 sensor and an SD card data logger board would be cheap, and would fit in an open wagon coupled to the loco. Add a couple of resistors, if you're using more than 5 volts, and you could log the voltage too. With extra sensors, you could log more possibly useful data.

Is the part that "pops up" chocolate too?

Vets4Pets have a map where you can type in your postcode to see if there are local cases http://www.vets4pets.com/stop-alabama-rot/

In 1976, I had a holiday in Cornwall, and came home early because it was so hot. In 1977, I went to Wales, and came home early because it didn't stop raining!

I was shocked by your language when I misread this . Even though it's true .

Just attach a motor driver board. Radio control is only DC without wires, although you need to add a receiver too. One of the layouts I'm building will use radio control, but I'm also wiring part of it for DC. The DC controller will be an Arduino and an L298N motor driver board. It will have a radio receiver, and to the transmitter will appear to be just another loco, but it will actually be hard wired to the track. I could attach a potentiometer to the Arduino for "conventional" control too, if I wanted. Another layout I'm working on is DC, but operated by infrared remote control. The Arduino handles the infrared signals, and will send the appropriate instructions to an L298N board, along with controlling point servos and a signal.

Potentially I might have more space available than you, not in a loft, but in three adjoining rooms, although I think I will be sticking with about a third of that, which is what I'm using at the moment. I've currently got seven small layouts at various stages of development, so that's a way to resolve the problem of choice of prototypes! They're in a mix of 4mm and 7mm scales. Operational interest will hopefully come from the variety of different layouts, one for each day of the week(!), rather than one big layout with lots of facilities. When (or rather if!) they're all finished, I still have a head full of ideas for more . On your point about not being able to have return loops, a train turntable would take up a lot less space, and perform the same function. It could be automated if required. When not it use it would only occupy the length and width of a train, and it could swing across passageways, or above/below other layouts.

It's probably best to ask in Computer Control, where I know more nerdy members hang out. Or maybe in DCC, although as I have no interest in DCC I don't go there to find out if they're equally nerdy! Now if you wanted to discuss using Arduinos for DC or radio control....... .

St Trinians school girls on the pump trolley, and a choice of teachers, baddies or police on the Terrier!