Trevellan

If you scroll through the BBC photos there's one with a caption that says: "The machinery breaking up the road surface, which was built in the 1830s, can remove up to 700 tonnes of tarmac per day." I had no idea the Stephensons had diversified into road planing machinery...

Even British Transport Films were not immune to these sort of problems. One I saw recently was almost wholly shot under 25Kv, yet arrival at the destination was a 47 running into Paddington!

During my time in a highway authority I came across this quite often. Out in my hi-vis coat undertaking surveys people assumed we were there to enforce parking. "I'm only going to be two minutes" was the usual statement. My response was to smile and point out that the next 15 people would say exactly the same...

Reading the review in Hornby mag I was very disappointed to note that the motor bogie is fitted with traction tyres. I thought this was increasingly regarded as an outmoded concept. The Bachmann CEP doesn't need them, so why the VEP? This does seem to reinforce the point above about a Lima design philosophy on this one. Still, I've not heard enough to cancel my advance orders - yet.

Brilliant. I almost choked on my coffee...

Leaving aside the geographical and historical howlers, I was wondering why the loco in the first shot apparently has a loading hopper where the chimney - sorry, funnel - would normally be. As spark arresters go, that one takes some beating.

Groan...

Crikey, Network Rail are taking McNulty seriously in trying to save money. Isn't that the Looe branch?

Heartless swine. You'd do that to a pregnant woman?

Anyone who publicly claims HS2 is a vanity project.

And very nice it looks too...

For some reason I missed this thread when it started and am really pleased that the book is being reissued. I saw an original copy soon after publication and was completely bowled over. Colin Gifford - along with a few other notables - has been one of the strongest influences on my railway photography ever since.

Thanks for revealing the origins of the LT stock. I'm old enough the remember the last Qs in service (on the East London Line), as well as the last few CO/CP stock trains. Photographically, I did better with the 1938 stock on the Bakerloo and the R stock on the District. Model-wise, at present I only have one set of the EFE 1938 stock in IoW condition. I note your comment about bearings for these. Out of the box mine have substantial rolling resistance!

Some lovely images of Torrington there Darren. Personally, I'm looking forward to you getting some shots of a class 22 on the "milk"...

This is coming on nicely. Love the LT stock! The feline interest made me laugh. When I built my nephew's roundy-roundy one of their cats decided to muscle in and was mesmerised by the Bachmann 158 we used to test my wiring. At one point he looked about to pounce on the train, so we gently evicted him soon after!

If it was indeed a smaller version of the W class 2-6-4T it should be straightforward to come up with a suitable drawing.

Ah, but the 22s will look great on Torrington Darren, especially if you apply some of your trademark weathering.

I agree with Ed. The MRJ exhibition was grossly overcrowded but on balance I'm glad I went along because it was definitely a show out of the ordinary. I did queue for Hursley for what seemed like ages before I got five minutes in front of it. A superb model by any standards, so I hope it's still in existence and operational.

The Captain, speechless? Whatever next? But yes, really good stuff.

For most of my major photographic purchases I have used Warehouse Express in Norfolk for several years. Their prices are competitive and the service I've received has always been good. I've no idea whether they'll stock your battery. Have a look at www.warehouseexpress.com

I think the Western looks smart in freight grey. The only reservation I have is that the front end needs some tweaking with the headcode boxes removed - symmetrical lighting perhaps?

Thanks for the latest pictures, which demonstrate the unique atmosphere of your layout. I particularly like the gronk on ECS – a nice bit of weathering. I can almost smell the spilt fuel and accumulated gunge below the running plate!

My model of D8229 arrived from Camborne yesterday, but will have to wait until tomorrow for a run on the Bachrus rollers. Still, coming from Cornwall I’m sure it’s been blessed by a pisky (at no extra charge) and will undoubtedly run like a dream.

In my little group we just called the D82ers and D84ers. I'm sure the drivers and fitters had their own pet names...

Southernman46 asks what the class 15s sounded like. The Paxman engines were totally different to the English Electric and Sulzer-engined locos that frequented my home area. I spent many hours in the mid/late 1960s around my local railway when these (and the class 16s) were still running on trip freights and parcels workings. Memory may be playing tricks but I seem to recall they sounded like a Valenta-engined HST - obviously without so much volume and turbo-scream. I can recall them pulling out of Broxbourne after standing for a while and throwing out some black smoke as the power wound up. Sadly, I never blagged a cab ride in one, but a friend at that time became a secondman shortly before the 15s were withdrawn and he confirmed that the view was never particularly good in any direction. Their duties were, in the main, either lost or taken over by 20s and 31s, so no real contest in terms of reliability, crew comforts etc. Still, like them or not, the 15s and 16s provided some variety for us local spotters and they did have character.