bluebottle

Which Stevenson was that - the author or one of the lighthouse engineers? I always thought that George Stephenson built the line...

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?

From the NRM guide 1978: "[No. 1008] was withdrawn by British Railways in 1954 and after restoration was on exhibition at Tyseley [The Birmingham Railway Museum] before coming to York in 1976. It was repainted in 1977 and is substantially in its condition as first built" The same booklet remarks that "This was the first of 330 similar locomotives that were built over the period 1889-1911, and which were, by the end of that time, working more than half of that railway's (the LYR's) passenger mileage." These were pretty remarkable locos that deserve to be more widely known - which reminds me... I was at a show in deepest West Yorkshire a while back admiring a finescale LYR layout. The relief operator saw me craning my neck to see the fiddle yard, and asked me pleasantly if I was looking for anything in particular. "Well", I said, "I wondered if there was a radial tank?" He looked a little puzzled, and replied: "Er, no, but there's an LSWR layout over there, they might have one..."

There were: The NER. class A (LNER F8), the GCR classes 3 and 9G (LNER F1 and F2) and three ex-Colne Valley and Halsted Railway locos (LNER F9). The first three classes might be possibles for the Aspinall chassis. See: http://www.lner.info/locos/F/f1.shtml

Messrs Bachmann, with these Fowlers, you're really spoiling us... My poor old Airfix 4F, bought after a short honeymoon, the days of which were spent on the KWVR, can look forward to retirement on the shelf! It will be replaced by an authentic model of No. 43924, the engine which hauled the train during those happy days. If I get on with the wiring now, maybe "Burngreave" will be ready in time...

Er... hesitates to argue with Andy... Designed by J.A.F. Aspinall, surely?

Standing stripped to the waist recently, being prepared for a treadmill exercise ECG, my thoughts about being wired up like an astronaut were forgotten as the comely cardiac physiologist shaved my chest, stood close and put her arms around me to gently position her sensor pads on my quivering body... God knows what the cardiologist will make of the readings she got...

This reminds me that, about a year ago on another thread, a well-respected elder statesman of these forums stated that: "... Jenny Agutter looked distinctly dowdy when I came into minor collision with her while alighting from a taxi at Paddington station a year or three back (of course it might have been shock on her part)." I am still in shock from reading that, and would be grateful to hear the opinion of anyone, lucky enough to have had a recent sighting of Ms Agutter, on the lady's enduring charms and the possible failings of the eyesight of the aforementioned gentleman.

Gee, thanks, Beast - that didn't make me feel at all small...

I'm never likely to "make it", having enough trouble making layouts to start with, but in the only field where I considered myself a competitor - club level distance running - a word of praise from an athlete/coach/official whose opinion I respected meant far more to me than applause from the general public.

Are you saying that she was an ugly duckling, Mickey? Not that I'm saying she's a beautiful swan now - a very nice duck perhaps, and ducks are more fun than swans anyway...

Natalie, if I do ever get to meet Julia Bradbury or Kate Humble or Victoria Coren I shall press them closely on those subjects you mention!

For an open day at school, a classmate brought in a stunning three-foot long model of HMS Hood, lovingly constructed from hardwood and brass. A "fag" (first former) asked "Is it plastic?". We had to dissuade my irate friend from dangling the unfortunate youth out of the window by his ankles...

That would do about as much for your hard man credentials as saying: "The English rugby team kick bottom".

The Tay Bridge, August 2009

More retail units (this is Kilner Way Retail Park). I haven't heard of any prospective occupants, though - wonder if Hattons might decide to branch out... Nah, mustn't be greedy; Sheffield's already well endowed with model railway shops. Rails could do with more space, though...

3-4 inches in S Yorks. The building framework is where Wadsley Bridge goods yard used to be.

I've been intrigued by Bacup as an urban branch terminus since seeing a picture of it in C. G. Gammell's "LMS Branch Lines 1945-1965" some years ago, so I'm enjoying your continuing account of the building of a model version. Particularly useful are down-to-earth (pun intended), "obvious once you think about it" ideas such as the above. Thank you. Gordon

Indeed, the use of black humour is recognised by psychologists as a defence mechanism. Some of this that I heard while working as a hospital operating theatre technician would make any of today's "edgy" standups seem tame, and I wouldn't repeat any of it purely as entertainment. All right, a matter of taste; leave it at that.

No, I haven't manipulated the image; this is a billboard as seen nightly beside a bend of Meadowhall Road, Sheffield, nicely placed to catch and distract the attention of passing motorists. I presume that the billposter reversed the ad simply to blank out the board, overlooking the fact that it's a self-illuminated one...

Lay off the cruise ship jokes, lads. Would we be telling similar funnies after a fatal train crash? Just a thought...

First time I've seen "Slawit" used as an expletive... If you know Slawit, the picture was taken looking north from the Huddersfield Narrow Canal where Lees Mill Lane crosses the canal from the south and runs out of tarmac. About 500 metres east of the centre of town.

Spotted near Slaithwaite.

"Yanks", with troop trains filmed at Keighley on the KWVR, hauled by authentic loco types - the 1944 Swindon-built Stanier 8F and the 1945 USA S160.

A reversal of that in "John & Julie" (a charming 1955 film about two children who run away from Dorset to see the Coronation, with a very early small part for Peter Sellers) - We get a glimpse of a Gresley A3 blurring across the screen, then John hanging out of the carriage window exclaiming "I can see the engine! It's a County class!", then the ticket collector (wearing his SR cap badge) behind him saying: "A King class, actually".