5944

WiFi isn't just for passenger use. The TOCs use it for train info - passenger loadings, faults, pax info display screens, energy usage. So it won't be removed, just not available for passenger use. All the equipment, aerials, SIM cards, etc. will still have to be maintained.

5553 has been down at Bodmin since March and is staying for most of the year I believe, at least until 5552 returns from overhaul.

Black with red wheels, small numberplates on cab side and large oil lamps on front bufferbeam. Loco number was also painted on the rear of the tender.

The Nene Valley have had problems with their water treatment recently. 34081 is currently out of action having big chunks of its thermic syphons replaced (that were only replaced at the last overhaul) due to scale build-up and damage. Hudswell Clarke no. 1800 "Thomas" is also having an overhaul after a few tube failures. When the tubes were removed, big lumps of water treatment was stuck to them! Obviously whatever they were using wasn't dissolving properly and forming solid lumps on the tubes.

The locos don't - the shed does. At least for the modern locos. They're connected to an electric water heater overnight and warm water is cycled through the boiler. They're also fitted with belt driven pumps so they can be operated by one person. Very clever. Shame Snowdon didn't go down that route and instead went for battery locos (which have now been returned as they were useless!).

I don't think there's ever been three tours in a row over Shap. You're probably thinking of 45699 being followed by 70000, in May 2015. Still impressive to see the exhaust of the second loco in the background.

A Barclay on bumpy track? Yes please - at least I can get away with my dodgy track laying skills!

This might be of interest, and not a bad price either. https://www.locomodels.it/it/locomotori-diesel/d445-1017-xmpr/ https://scalaenne.wordpress.com/2023/05/02/arriva-la-nuova-loco-d-445-in-scala-n/ Space for speakers, stay-alive capacitors fitted as standard. Detailing looks pretty good as well - my only criticism is the windscreens look a bit too recessed on the close-up view, but I'm sure they'll be fine at normal viewing distances.

Depending on when in the 80s you want to model it, the tender varied. Until about mid-1982 the tender back still had the cut outs around the corridor connection, from when it was used behind an A4 in the 1948 exchanges. For the next couple of years it ran with 4498's tender, complete with cast LNER on the side. https://flic.kr/p/B6ctpm Then by the time it went to Australia it was fitted with its original tender but with the top corners reinstated. https://flic.kr/p/ejFSWP

It did, with a spare spar leftover from a Shackleton I believe. The B-17 issue is more complex sadly. Hopefully there's a solution available. Elly Sallingboe (B-17 Preservation Ltd) is confident that Sally B won't be affected due to intensive maintenance the aircraft receives annually and the gentle flying programme.

If you scroll your screen down, the lettering is parallel with the rails, even though the running plate slopes forwards. I'm not sure how Dapol have managed it! The lining is slightly out of kilter as well somehow.

From the few side-on photos I've seen, the lettering and numbering is perfectly horizontal even though the body slopes downwards.

Extra single seats by the doors and under-seat sockets. That's basically it. The 85mph restriction is merely electronic - there have been plenty of 100mph test runs with altered software over the last couple of years. For some reason the windscreen wipers don't like the extra 15mph and have a habit of mangling themselves. A 700 is made up of two half-sets. Siemens have classified the vehicles by letter or number. A 12 car is ABCDEF-654321. An 8 car is ABCF-6321. A 717 made up the same way - AF-6321. There's even passive provision for toilets to be added at a later date, as evidenced by the blanking plates at the ends of a couple of coaches. The lower power of a 717 compared to a 700 surprised me though! 1200kW compared to 3300/5000kW for 8 or 12-car 700s. They certainly shift though. Oh, and as an aside, all of the tripcocks were removed from the 717s a couple of weeks ago as the NCL now has TPWS fitted, and is soon to go over to ETCS.

What about trying something in O gauge? https://severnmodels.com/epages/eshop1179816.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop1179816/Products/O21&Locale=en_GB Would probably have to be a cut and shut job, but might be an ok starting point.

It was common until about 2012 at Wolsztyn, after which they started using single deckers. Ol49-7 departing Wilkowice with a service from Leszno to Zbąszynek, 25/10/2011. Even by Polish standards the loco was in appalling condition - I've never seen so much water pouring out of a boiler before! It only lasted in service another two weeks before being withdrawn.

313121 is an odd choice. Yes, it's got quite a lot of the original seats inside still, but I understand the Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board were planning to acquire enough seats from a class 315 to fit out a class 313. The mods inside from what I recall are all easily reversible. The cab desk is very different though. Although they're called dual voltage units, everything runs from 750V DC supply, either from the third rail shoes or from the output of the transformer. There's a changeover switch on each motor coach to swap between the shoes and the transformer output.

Not having the barriers certainly made the Biggleswade show a much more relaxed affair - before, during and after the show. Less faffing around on the Friday, a lot more space to move around on the Saturday, and less to do after the show. It meant I was the first in the pub after the show and didn't have to go with you to Welwyn to unload the barriers again! One layout brought their own and lent a few to another layout, but they didn't seem to be missed by anyone else.

We hope so. Our secretary did a survey of some of the people in the queue in the morning to find out where they heard about the show. Vast majority saw it on UK Model Shops, some on local social media and a few word of mouth. Very few mentioned the posters we had printed and stuck up locally. It certainly seems online advertising is the way to go.

Yes, we're sorry about that. As @5 Chas said, attendance figures were a lot more than anticipated. They've been slowly dropping over the years and last time a lot of food had to be given or thrown away at the end of the show, not ideal for a small club as you can imagine. Hence the amount of food purchased, namely rolls and fillings, was reduced a bit this year. Saturday's attendance was the highest I've known in the last 10 or so shows I've been helping at! The car parks were completely full at one point. The daughter of one our members had been posting the advert on various Facebook groups and other social media, and it seems to have had the desired effect in getting the message out.

It's taking dumpster diving to a new level!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394468349393?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=f94r8mbxqas&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=dltlllrnrym&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY £10 for a Peco point motor and a few offcuts of N gauge Flexi track? You can buy a new motor and a full length of track for 11 quid!

Very nice! Looking forward to seeing it in a couple of weeks. I was pleasantly surprised to see your layout on the list the other day.

Farish do some wheels now as spares, but they generally seem to have pre-fitted bearings which may make chassis construction difficult. You can source some Fleischmann ones from as well, but again, how difficult it'll be constructing a chassis is another matter. Worsley Works do a few kits that include chassis, and N Brass locos too, but they appear to require 2mm SA components to complete.

I think I've probably mentioned this site before, but another useful one that includes modelling info as well is https://scalaenne.wordpress.com/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285113524980?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=fbgi5yhcqwc&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=dltlllrnrym&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Oh wowsers!