tomparryharry

I do like those big Lizzies. It's not too much imagination to have a 'cab forward'. Mind you. streamlined train already. You can already see the gestation of Blue Pullman on the front. Ian.

Oh dear! Not quite correct, I think. GW vans got signwritten with the depot, and what the particular diagram entailed. As others have said, R.U was often not restricted use, but restricted diagram. Conditions of use for the diagrams were quite extensive. These helped to stop imbalance on the diagrams, where you might have no brake vans at the pit-head, and 'thousands of the bu**ers at the port sorting sidings. Ian.

There are literally hundred or more of allocations, covering hundreds of vans. Some are literally singular, to cover a particular diagram, to places like Maesglas (Newport, South Wales) to Pontypool Road (just up the road from Newport). Between these depots alone, we are starting to cover several hundred vans. That's without particular diagrams. A little research will yield much information. A fifteen mile radius of Cardiff brings in some 40-odd different allocations, covering some 1,500 vans. That's just Cardiff divisions, by the way. Ian.

Western steam locomotive, dontcya know? You children! Running around with D10xx numbers! Never a problem in my day! Harrumph! Harumph! Bring back the florin!

In a word, preservation. Things start going awry once these little gremlins get in. "Grandad said the bunker dimension is X" Aunt Flo (who sold the eggs to A shop, btw) said the dimension is Y. Then, to cap it all, it gets measured by a man with a laser. It must be accurate. The laser measures the fault accurately, and so the fokelore continues. I can honestly recount a 20 year old argument, where perso s A&B have argued long & hard over the bunker profile of a Western locomotive. Funny thing is, I think they're are both wrong.... Happy scanning, everyone! Ian.

I'm sorry mate. I plainly fail to see why you would use the term 'ineptitude'. Cheers, Ian.

It irks me terribly to see books going to tip. I love books, and taught to appreciate them. But, what can you do? You can't keep them all. The late Kim Chalkley at Havenstreet used to run a bookshop for some 30 years in an old Chatham coach. Pleased to report that his coach now has a new frame, restored, and looks a picture. Very much a phoenix from the ashes. Ian.

The last time I attended a show, I was enticed by pasties. Bloody good they were as well. Didn't make it to the northbound slip of the M5.... Ian.

Aaah! Miss P! Will I rise to the bait? Well, yes & no, in sometimes equal measure. A poster some time back gave us all a laugh, when one producer was dismissed 'out of hand' for some poor unfortunates inability to get it right. Some of it justified. But, the looking glass views both ways. We laugh, they cry. I've turned down lots of personal work contracts because some parts of the contract won't gel. Customers have demanded (yes, demanded) that I take on the contract before now, and I've walked away. It's little difference with our toy train market. A casual starting off, followed by information gathering. Keep it polite & business like. A bull in the china shop won't really work here. Demons & ghouls? make your own minds up. The bit that gets 'right up' is when the accepted knowledge is ignored. I guess now, we know better. If the new 'must have' is second-rate, then I'll keep my money in the wallet. The great 'we' can look around to entice another producer, with better quality & fidelity. As an aside, I'd guess that if Wild Swan had done the job, it wouldn't be some 30-odd pages of castles, and only some 8 pages across the entire volumes to cover the panniers. After all, it's only about 1,100 locomotives over an 80 year history.... Moving on... It does depend on the subject origin, of course. Lots of us have a significant collection of books, and can locate a photo within a short space of time to garner knowledge. Quite right. On the other hand, I get a 'kick' out of making things work, especially if 'it can't be done'. Quality has to be 100%: It can't be any other way. I applaud quality; it shows someone cared, someone tried. I'll take anyone who wants 100%: It's an asset. Wouldn't you want it any other way? Now , imagine a room full of petulant teenagers. Would you commit to a project like that? No, I'd guess not. Would you rather make another Skalextric car, My little Pony, or a railway locomotive, when the angry mob awaits outside, tar & feathers in hand? My guilty sins have come to haunt me. I have in the past, bleated long & hard about some detail or other, which, if I'm honest, can be worked around. Enough from me. I guess you'd heard enough. Just remember that we can lead. Some will, some won't. Cheers, Ian.

I'd rather thought that it's the publicist's job to advertise 'the show'. He should hopefully choose the correct medium, to engage/encourage the chosen demograph. It is a hard job, publicity. A bit like cycling along a cobbled street, with a cucumber up your bum. Ian.

I did try my "why has an elephant got 4 feet?" joke. Then the censor came along, and said I was a naughty boy....

I must confess feeling slightly disappointed with the prospect of Hornby taking on the Large Prairie model. Hornby have seen fit to fob us off with the Airfix/Mainline example, pretty much 'because it was the only show in town'. If some of our 'readers 'persuade' Dapol to lose interest, then we're back to the stuck on firemans shovel. I can imagine the pages & pages of howls of derision, should that take place. Cheers, Ian.

Disseminating the 'knowledge' is a multi-facetted affair. I still bump into stuff.... "Oh, hello, what do we have here?" Perhaps that's why Western models are sometimes difficult to produce. We've covered this at length only recently. Could you get a rivet wrong, when the bloke in the next county has some thousand-odd photos of those same rivets? As such a friendly bunch of disciples such as ourselves, it's our job to lead the unwary towards the light. "Come away from the light, for that path leads towards damnnation, purgatory, and Doncaster". Come to think of it, it makes a lot of sense.... Ian.

Rough neighbourhood around here. I went to the local medical centre. Whilst waiting, a very pretty nurse approached me. "Are you waiting for the doctor?" "Yes, please". "Do you have a black eye, or a fat lip? "Errr, no" " Do you want one, while your waiting?"

Atkins, Beard, Hyde & Tourret Great Western wagons volumes 1&2 combined. Very much one of my bibles. It helps to research a particular wagon. Sad to say, I find Russel's books on the Great Western locomotives a bit of a let-down. RCTS is the way to go, normally only a couple of quid, they're packed full of information. Ian.

A work colleague would religiously have a flu jab every year, and have a month of work afterwards. Nowadays, if I'm offered a jab, the response is "Thanks for the offer, but no". I don't want to go to hospital, that's where all of the sick people live! Ian.

You could be right, but have a look at those old RODs. Simple to operate, simple to run. If they were fair game, I'd expect the GCR would mount a serious proposal. I seem to recall the last meeting finished with a shotgun being called. Ian.

I've just come down with this 'Australian Flu'. Off to the doctor.... "Describe your symptons"; sez the Doc. "I keep saying G'day!, and a raging thirst for weak lager". "Aaah!! Sez doctor. You've got it bad! I'm going to prescribe some fizzy mineral water. Don't overdo it, it's a bit stronger than what you're used to....". D.R. Doolittle.

I absolutely agree John. However, I'm happy to note that a degree of 'sanity' has pervaded our happy bunch (help! I'm coming down with a dose of Henry V!). To that end, it appears that some producers will liase with clients to produce a top-notch model. If you've got an open-faced producer, then dialogue is fairly straightforward. And painless. However.... if your potential producer is not so 'open', then problems will surface. For example: Does anyone remember Fred, the office boy? He was sent out for toilet rolls, they never saw him again.... Sometimes, we create our own enemies. Happy new year, folks! Ian.

There will be some significant hoop jumping, if you think you can come in 'and whisk it away'. Australia has very strict rules about letting stuff go, once it goes past a certain age. I have an idea it's about 10+ years, but look it up. Pendennis Castle nearly came a cropper when it was repatriated. Canberra put a stop to it because white people were 'looting' aboriginal artefacts. Ian.

That would be 2 or 3 for Llantrisant. On a slightly different note, I wonder what the work involved to produce an early 27xx pannier? Ian.

One for the shunting plank, methinks. Ian.

Am I hearing this right, a van with sound? It's a nice idea, but what about the expletives? Things like 'Yeow! That'll do yer! Give us a squeeze, Louise". Plus, all of the naughty words which will give me a sharp exit off the forum. "Yer drivin' a loco, not bl**dy sheep." "Do me a favour son. go over there, sit down, and stop wasting my bl**dy time". The first time Hornby will release rolling stock with an age-related sticker... Ian.

Slightly disappointed with Hornby. I've been good all year, eaten all of my greens, even done the washing up! If that doesn't earn a early period pannier, nothing will. The longer Hornby continue to 'dole out' the 2721, the longer before they produce a high fidelity, high quality pannier. I can't eat many more Brussell Sprouts....

Don't eat the yellow snow!