tomparryharry

No doubt talking about the Bristol & Exeter locomotive.....

I hope it's not habit forming (Groan) NUNHEAD

That is Havenstreet, looking towards Newport. Fireman Stuart Butt (on the footplate) looking backwards. Cheers, Ian

You cannot fail to be impressed by the class 26 'Red Devil' on the South African Railway. Down in the dumps? Watch the video! Marvellous! Cheers, Ian.

Chuggington is owned by Ludorum, a part of HiT entertainment. I can expect that nothing will actually change, but with Ludorum using their own characters, effectively closing down the gap between TTTE and the real railway. I forsee that the gap will remain, as if the confusion between TTTE and the real railway continues, then there is a huge loophole that HiT can't close. Naturally, HiT will promote Chuggington above & over TTTE, and that in itself might be a good thing. The demographic is such that children will lose interest after a certain age, and outgrow the format. I'd guess it's down to Hornby to capitalise on this, and actively promote their own product. Cheers, Ian.

"Repent, ye sinner of Alban, or I shall banish you to Milton Keynes!" "Noooooo!"

Good morning Folks. A dull, grey day down here in Newport. Slight dampness, but warm. After much furtling about here, I've finally found my modelling paint boxes. They've been stowed away for 2-3 years, but, like a lot of things, 'temporarily displaced'. This means I will finally start putting some mineral wagons together. The downside is the uncanny knack, whereby Mrs Smith will produce a long list of jobs which require getting done. Swindon beckons tomorrow. A few colleagues & myself are doing some background research on a full-size Pontnewynydd brake van. Some more artefacts have been kindly offered from an unexpected quarter. Have a nice day, everyone. Cheers, Ian.

Bah! Can't find mine anywhere! Oh dear! Ian

A bit early here Folks. The real date is St Edmunds Day, 20th November. St Edmund being the first recorded English saint. Of course, other people have their own saints, and I fully respect that. St Edmund marks the first day upon which brussel sprouts are put in to cook for Christmas dinner. Cheers, Ian.

Sorry Mark, I can't comment on D&E models. Outside of my area of interest. That said, Hornby haven't done a real steam howler since the 42xx, and even there they improved on the original releases. Cheers, Ian.

I couldn't possibly comment on Hornby, and their financial position, the same for any other company. What I do have is experience of another 'entertainment' company, and the hoops some businesses have to jump through in order to obtain 'the license'. I daresay the licence fee was outside the boundaries of good business, and a decision had to be made. Sounds to me like Hornby have a good eye on the market. The quality & fidelity continues to rise, against an competitor who might well put your bum over a barrel. Choices, anybody? Cheers, Ian.

Good morning Folks. A bright day here in Newport. Dog walking beckons. A thought occurs to me; Was the button Fly created in Hampton Caught? Enough of me. Have a good day. Cheers, Ian.

Use a can of red spray. Make a diamond shape at eye level, directly opposite where SWMBO uses the door. She'll never notice the carpet..... Only joking, mind.... Ian.

We used to paraphrase the Ike & Tina Turner song "Nutbush City Limits" to sing Knutsford City Limits. Nowadays, I can't hear it without automatically thinking Knutsford. Cheers, Ian.

Good morning Folks, a beautiful spring day from here in Newport. It's London Marathon day today. Last year, my personal best was 2hours 49 minutes. Then I got up for a cup of tea.... Cheers, Ian.

I don't know yet, old chap. There's a special rate for you....

Sorry Pete, that was yesterday. Tomorrow is "The Ian Smith Caribbean relocation fund". The idea is to send a(slightly) overweight semi-retired drinks taster on a one-way fact-finding mission* to Barbados, and surrounding areas. Naturally, the stress is considerable, so extreme rest is required between bouts of this highly developed skill. Happily for you (Yes, You) the closing date for this fund is open ended, so with your help, I could remain out there for a considerable time. In fact, some of my work-related colleagues have been having a whip-round for me for the past 40-odd years. So, dig out those pound coins, unused Euros, damaged Dollars and dodgy Dinari to my account. You know it makes sense! Cheers, Ian. * Depending on a successful appeal, I might include Brazil: Purely for the corned beef, you understand.....

Popped into the Pontypridd show today. It seemed very well attended, with a good mix of layouts and trade stands. with seating available when you needed to have a bite. Some names I was able to put names to the faces. Up until now, it was just RM Web community. As usual, I just had a bit of 'serious looking at'. The wagon weathering on Sheepwash Lane was pretty spot-on, just what I needed for inspiration! Cheers, Ian.

Is that Triang Hornby, Pete?

Quite a lot gets done because of TTTE. If you've seen the basic checklists, you'll know what I mean. Preserved railways have been dragged, kicking & screaming into the 20th Century. One member of a prominent railway was personally introduced to soap & water, due to Thomas. There was a lot of indifference to the paying public previously, and I've seen it first hand. You're quite right John, it is debatable, but I know which I prefer. Cheers, Ian.

The demographic (at least, here in the UK) has changed. Thomas changed a lot of that. The early heritage railways would be straight out of the stone age. Dirty toilets, indifferent staff, poor catering, very non- marketable. With the arrival of Thomas events, things changed. Clean toilets, and a whole host of improvements that made big railways much more family oriented. Proper dining, friendly staff, clean toilets, clean coaches, that sort of thing. Remember that women (sorry, ladies) makeup a significant portion of the spending public, and will often decide where the family will go to make use of 'inconsequential spending'. Look up that phrase, it means more than you can possibly realise..... So, Mum, Dad, Little Johnny & Little Jenny go to the 'big train'. They like it there, it's clean & tidy, and Mum & Dad (and sometimes Grandma & Grandad) can have a cup of tea, and a cake. But, it comes at a cost. Your day out is running towards £100-odd before Thomas gets involved. If it's a Thomas event, think more £150, per person, per child.... It's a major budget to see Thomas.... So, what's it got to do with Hornby? Any successful business needs to 'keep it fluid'. If the returns to Hornby Thomas products are in decline, there will come a 'break point' where your overheads are greater than your investment. Are you generating goodwill (an essential marketing tool)? No, not really, try selling a Rubiks Cube today.... Hornby have read the market, and acted accordingly. In the meantime, I think the big railways owe a debt of gratitude to poor old Thomas. It's not just money, but making the railways as a whole become marketable. That will help assure the future of both model trains for big kids, and big trains for little kids. Me? I'm off for a cup of tea, with my big blue Gordon mug! Cheers, Ian.

Wrong ones Folks, check the colours.... That's the Hornby team..... Ian.

Sorry Brian, but sometimes not. Some events have so much tied down, that it's easier to stand outside, with a bucket of pound coins, and give them away. Also, cheaper! The overhead costs don't always add up. Cheers, Ian.

I did a marathon once.... The nuts stuck between my teeth.... Hat, Coat, TAXI!!! Cheers, Ian.

Probably a 'rights owner' demanding that you, as a manufacturer, take on a hefty chunk of public liability insurance, in case 'little Johnny' drops a plastic locomotive on the foot of said child, and the parent of 'little Johnny' suing the pants off Hornby. Naturally HiT would like this insurance, but not to actually pay for this insurance. The way to 'pass the buck' is to load it onto people like Hornby. The camel can carry so many straws. Cheers, Ian.