Phil Bullock

Spot on Tony. What a fantastic mix of motive power Phil

Thanks Paul I think theres a gap in the market here with all these hydraulics flying around. As you say no-one does them..... yet???? Cheers Phil

My CMC (Not GCHQ!) mole tells me they are down to the last one Phil

Michael Looking at the photo on the RT site they have also added the rods connecting the brake shoes - can be seen as silver rod at end under the sole bar. ? worth doing as is easy but conspicuous Phil

Now all we need is the "headcode box fitted as built" later versions please Dave! Phil

Spent the afternoon replacing ratio plastic fencing with laser cut wooden fencing from Ancorton Models - stained with brown shoe polish. What a difference! Have a wooden board crossing from the same source for similar action - no connection with the supplier other than a satisfied customer Phil

Hi Mark Well she's booked on that working through Abbotswood. Just missing the section from there through to your neck of the woods. Wonder what other traffic we might share? Soho Pool and Waterston-Albion tanks also ones for us both... Am also tempted to load up some 16 tonners with scrap from Swindon Works - Warship and Hymek body shell sections - en route to Sheffield for fragmentation as per prototype. Did Wizzo bodies follow the same tortuous path? Phil

Hi John Fascinating gen as always - thanks for keeping this going! To me D9500 and D9502 are of particular interest. See http://www.miac.org.uk/stored85a.htm - I distinctly remember D9500 being outside the shed at Worcester one day - the stored locos were in what had been the goods loco shed in steam days - with fitters climbing over her and her engine running so I suspect that was just before she came back to Cardiff for this final spell of duty. With your agreement will pass this gen on to Andrew Smith who runs the MIAC site for him to update the records - siting of D9500 travelling north through Gloucester reported on that site is also of interest. Both still exist of course - D9502 I think still carries her original Swindon paintwork - a bit weather worn by now! D6320 and D6331 were the Gloucester twins by this stage allocated for local trip workings - D6331 would still have been GSYP at this date, didn't acquire GFYP for another year. Unfortunately now only exist on Abbotswood Junction and the like! And 2 D11xx Brush 4's in the area on the same day? Rocking horse manure!!!! Cheers Phil

Plenty of sand martins and swallows on the River Wye at Erwood today - along with sandpipers and a very conspicuous mandarin duck in amongst the mallards Also an Egret near Tewkesbury Phil

Rather think someone's overdone the gloss varnish here! Brian's Extreme Etchings plates excellent as always. Excellent sound chip though - and that's a very realistic model of Roger Stirling as driver. Phil

A cracking weekend upcoming! Off to Thornbury show this afternoon - following a visit to Henley On Thames for SWMBO's quilting supplies Then over to Ledbury to see Tangmere pass - have a nice phot location lined up Monday its off to 1062's 50th birthday bash Phil

Super! Can I ask where the depot allocation transfer came from please - is it a Replica transfer? Cheers Phil

Sound still polarises in to two camps but we are firmly in the camp because - as you say - of the additional dimension. We had 3 pairs of 20s out at Cheltenham -awesome! But afraid you cant beat a hydraulic, there isn't a decent clip of D1048 available yet but hopefully will be after Newport show 1st/2nd June. And just wait for those Bacchy class 43s.... Yup the bare boards were 5 years ago - we have come a long way since then. Now contemplating more bare boards for phase 2 but having learnt a lot hopefully the build will be more efficient You cant beat a working timetable as a source of gen for a given location and period. Stewart Blencowe is an excellent source - no connection other than a very satisfied customer Kind regards Phil

Hee hee Well spotted that man! Whilst base period is 68 - 71 that has to be 76-77 given 1013 in headocde. The period does get stretched a bit as the clays didn't run this route until 74 timetable, but could not leave out the best excuse to run a Wizzo - along with Merchant Venturer Railtour in May 76 and 1013's famous escape to Leeds - was that Jan 77? So that really is the limit of our envelope. Also of our locos TTG D5382 (now on stud) had gone to Scotland by summer 68 - and D9525 was withdrawn by 69. And D15 lost her nose end doors by 69 too..... So I guess the run what we like rule applies - within that framework. Its a minefield - the boix went in 69 too. Cheers Phil

Very kind Bri - thanks Phil

Hi folks DCC Supplies are your source of the parts - we had an axle failure on D6331, lost drive to one wheel See http://dccsupplies.com/ - no connection other than a happy customer with a company based 2 miles from my childhood home! Replacement wheelsets arrived 2 days later - excellent service. Looks like you'll be needing bogie mouldings too Phil

Nooooooo - this is a proper engine!

That's kind Colin - many thanks Chris's photos certainly add to the atmosphere Phil

Absolutely - Its the wagon weathering that does it for me. Phil

And how about a continental version of a Class 14 - seen on recent trip to Germany. Hang on - those lights are far too bright, and when will the ballasting be completed and weathered?! And that signal box - who makes that I wonder? Phil

The uni-directional lighting says its a model! Hee hee Phil

Page 3 Mike? Cant quite match that fame am afraid! And as always photography can be brutal, made worse by Chris's superb shots.. Noted already - No crew in 1013 (thanks Chris!) Signals are not vertical No number plates on red Mini - should be 829 BOR, belonged to Brian Thomas 1696's body not attached correctly Furthermore latest youtube videos shot in telephoto mode are cruel to the permanent way too.... So plenty to do! Next trip out - show in Newport 1st - 2nd June see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/calendar/event/844-newport-neon-railway-show/, hopefully a 12 coach sound fitted blue Pullman will be performing and perhaps more new power in the shape of 1662, 7577 and 5826. Also got some cracking new oak trees for the front of the layout on order. Phil

Saw a flutterby in Cheltenham today. I was sat in a traffic jam and it was on a bed of nearby pansies. Not close enough to be sure but from its behaviour - continual local aerial sorties with a fast flight - I suspect it was a Comma; they are very territorial. Phil

Excellent taste! Hee hee Have been thinking about improving ops - see posting in DCC forum Phil

Thanks everso Andi - we would have most certainly struggled without you and as always your contribution went far beyond operation See email to follow Cheers Phil