highpeakman

I think that there is a great deal of truth in the above and that Hornby will certainly continue in similar form although whether under the same management is to be decided yet. However, as an ex company director who helped to build a successful and profitable business I cannot understand how a business can be developed and prosper without looking after and talking very closely to it's customers - in this case trade retailers and their customers. As others have mentioned, you absolutely need that relationship to maximise your sales and produce the right products. Disconnect at that point and you may as well give and go home. Maximise sales and it brings profits. The most successful companies I worked for were Sales led. i.e. The sales departments were close to customers and provided the feedback on products that were needed. They also had such good relationships that any problems with product or supply could be overcome by working together. However it is also certainly true that good accountants are also vital as firm cash control and forward cash planning is needed to curb the "enthusiasm" of the sales guys and make sure that the product is sold profitably. Anyone can sell anything for a low price, the trick is to sell for a profit. This means a good management combination of various skills working together. My company was sold to a larger group who just did not understand the first principals of cash control or their customers and have seriously damaged an excellent business with a consequent loss of staff. Sad. Cash is King!

I believe work has already started on a large wind turbine manufacturing plant on Humberside with many new jobs projected. The actual turbines and generators will be built in Lincoln I believe. Still German and overseas companies I accept but many UK jobs involved and a lot of investment. https://www.siemens.co.uk/en/news_press/index/news_archive/2014/major-uk-offshore-wind-manufacturing-site-to-be-built-by-siemens.htm http://www.vikingfm.co.uk/localnews/plans-for-second-wind-turbine-factory-on-humber/ Another one: Added later http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/CS-Wind-announces-turbine-tower-factory-creating/story-26017781-detail/story.html There are probably more. Edit: Added links.

As I understand it (and I am open to sensible and reasoned correction if I am wrong of course) it is not just "no wind" days that stop power generation by windmills but they are also turned off when the wind is too strong (presumably a lot recently). I also understand that, in many cases, their power generation ability is taken over by standby diesel generator "farms" to fill in at these times. Not very "green", not thermally efficient and costly! This information came from someone who sells such generation systems and had no points to gain by discussing it. It would be so nice to get sensible and truthfully balanced information on types power generation without it being biased by groups with axes to grind (however well meaning or commercially interested they may well be). Yes, we do have to do something about climate change but we cannot just shut coal burning generation down in the next few years. When the lights start going out, putting lives at risk because we are closing coal fired stations too quickly I hope the people who lobbied for it still think it was the right thing to do. Yes, I do remember the 70s but everyday life now is much more dependent on power generation than it was then with the internet, etc. That includes railways of course!

Re the Harton pictures: Damn! Where is the "triple like" button when you need it? Thank you very much indeed for those pictures. One of the frustrations in my life was that in the mid 80s, when we lived in the south of England, I used to take my wife to visit her mother in Sunderland and I had no idea at the time that the Harton railway existed. How could I have missed that? If I had have been aware I would have been much keener to visit the MIL more often and found excuses to go off and see the trains with my young son! A fascinating railway that I really regret missing.

Just a quick post to advise that the problem is resolved Thanks to "HeeleyBridge" of this Forum who provided the solution. (Change DNS Server and then "flushdns" in Command prompt). I am posting just in case anyone else experiences this sort of problem. I am really pleased to have been helped and to be able to see Jim's pictures again - I was really missing them!

Yes, I can see that one perfectly Thanks. I still have no access to any of your other pictures on this thread on either of 2 PCs, a tablet or my phone (is it something I've said?) although there is no problem with any other thread that I can find. It's either some mysterious problem with photobucket (but nobody else seems to suffer from it?) or with my ISP it seems. Thanks for posting the pic Jim. It helps in trying to resolve the problem although I have no solution at the moment. I do note that the photobucket file number appears in the post (but only after about 30 - 40 seconds). Clicking on that takes me to the photobucket site and the page for the picture but it still won't open it. If I go to the main web site page it displays the main page pictures fine. I am anxious not to divert any attention away from your pictures on this thread so just one last plea in case anyone has any ideas as to the cause of the problem. I so enjoy the pictures and comments it is not so enjoyable reading the comments but being unable to see the pics. Keep posting please and Thanks again for your help and in providing such an interesting thread.

It'seems a real puzzle. Every other thread shows pics OK but all of the pics on Jim' s thread have disappeared - even those I have already looked at. Suddenly started yesterday - no settings have been changed. Same problem using different different browsers (Firefox and Edge with no imports of settings) and, surprisingly, I have same problem on my android tablet and a 2nd PC in the house. Completely confused and baffled at moment. Just getting file names but no pics after long delay in loading. If I click on file name it takes me to photobucket but will not open pic. Any suggestions and ideas welcome please. Jim. Apologies for using your site for this question but I do really enjoy your pics and want to start seeing them again. Edit: additional comment

Have not been able to see any of Jim's pics on this thread for the last few days. Even the older pics that i have seen have disappeared. It does not look like any other thread is affected as I can see the pictures fine. Have I changed a setting I don't know about? Any ideas gratefully received please as I do like this thread and appreciate Jim's photography.

In view of consequent posts perhaps I should qualify my words. "This publicity for one loco, whether accurate or not...............". To be clear I do I think accuracy "within reason" should be the aim although I can already see the arguments about what is reasonable. Of course FS (and any preserved loco) should "look" the part as most people would expect. So number it 4472 and paint it Apple green OR paint it BR green and number it 60103 (with or without blinkers). What I am not sure of is that for most people (including the non railway enthusiast supporters) is whether such detail as single or double chimney is so important. Perhaps it is a bit like the fact that many of us who model accept the inaccuracy of 00 track but are happy to use it as a satisfactory "representation".

I think that to people with an interest in railway history, such as most of the readers of this forum, FS may (or may not, depending on your individual preferences) get much more publicity and attention than it deserves but perhaps the real point is that by stirring up the public interest in preservation of steam it then brings the wider public into the heritage lines, museums and clubs where it benefits the whole movement. Do myths and small inaccuracies matter if this loco draws in much needed resources to preservation projects of all types when the general public visit heritage lines to see the "legendary FS"? This publicity for one loco, whether accurate or not, should not be unwelcome as I think it enables those of us with more knowledge to attain preservation of our own preferences in railway heritage slightly more easily. Yes, my own preference is to see FS in BR green with "blinkers" again but I will be grateful to see it running in any form.

Thank you, Thank you for those evocative shots at Nottingham and Kegworth. Always one of the first threads I look at each day so Thank you again for providing such brilliant and interesting photographs throughout this year. Have a great Christmas and New Year (and please keep the pics coming).

As always, I really liked your pictures of Lincoln but found your picture of Torksey really fascinating as I currently live quite close to the remains of that installation. Any chance of more pictures taken on that day please? Also wonder if you have any pictures of Stow Park station site (on the Lincoln to Gainsborough GNR Joint line), and which was quite close to Torksey, to look forward to? There used to be an MoD depot hidden away just south of the station on the west side and I always hope someone may be able to produce some photos. Not sure when it closed. Stow Park crossing lost it's crossing gates and signal box in the last year or so when the line was upgraded with new auto barriers and signalling. Obviously more "efficient" now but just not the same without the "bobby" winding the wheel to shut the gates.

You do keep doing it! Bringing back so many good memories that is. Spent many an hour on Trent Station between ages of 11 and 15. Fascinating place with trains in all directions. Memories of a never ending series of long trains of 16T coming down the incline out of Toton behind an 9F, 8F or 4F with buffers banging loudly as they braked waiting to be turned out on to the slow lines to go south over the river. Same for those stomping up the incline going into Toton on the way back. Desperately trying to see what was passing Sheet Stores going south from Derby in the distance. Expresses hauled by Jubilees and Scots actually stopping at Trent. With all of the local freight and passenger trains it seemed like something was happening all of the time. Trent even had a nice little tea room at one time although I can't remember if that lasted until the end. Wonderful place to spot. Still can't believe it has gone without trace when I have passed it in recent years. Thanks for the pictures, even if they are from a later era, as it does invoke the memories.

Try ordering one from the Craftsman site and see what happens. We would all like to know that they are still in business and shipping again so keep us posted please. Your money should be recoverable using PayPal if there are any issues, but let's hope not.

Thanks so much (yet again!) for the pics of Radcliffe on Trent. Trips from there to Grantham for a days spotting. So many youthful memories although the last time I was on that station it was still lit by gas lamps!

It appears from another thread that one person has recently received the products they ordered whereas most others gave up and got refunds. Whether this delivery represents an overall response change is anybody's guess so far. Perhaps anyone else who has received their product could let us know? I tried to chase the problems down and, after some time, was given the information that the owner indicated to someone that he had been in hospital recently and his web designer had gone to Thailand for five months. If this is correct then I can be sympathetic but I am a little unsure whether this really explains the total lack of response to orders and enquiries for some considerable period of time now. If the owner is back in business then it would seem logical to post some information about what is happening on the web site (which after ten months still shows old and conflicting contact information) and also to respond to any email enquires/chase ups with an explanation of delays (even if just an automatic email response). People can live with delays if they know what is happening but zero reaction does not help. As I have said before, I would really like to see Craftsman products available again and hope that they can get their act together to let everyone know what is happening.

Those pics at Harpenden really take me back as we lived close to the line at Flitwick in the mid 70s. Good memories.Thanks for the pics. Flitwick Station was always well kept in those days with a lovely garden next to the road down to it. I remember being kept awake during overnight work as the wires went up in the late 70s and those horrible over revving 127s that always seemed on the verge of blowing up (and sometimes did!). It was good watching the Peaks and other trains though.

I'm no expert but I think they were in maroon from introduction (1962) to 66-67 when they went to blue/grey so not long. Happy to be corrected. Have to admit that I was no great fan of DMUs or EMUs in the 60s but for some reason the Clactons really appealed to me from the start. It might be because they were designed for express services and, in spite of the centre corridor, seemed very sleek and smart. My pic was taken when I saw them for the first time.

Re: Above post #274 I am sure that I used to have more pictures from this trip but they have been lost over the years unfortunately. One thing I can remember about that visit was missing the Brits that I used to see on earlier visits to the area. I cannot remember the date of this visit to Liverpool Street and Colchester. Does anyone, better informed than me, want to make a guess at the year? My own thought was 1963.

Digging through some old pics the other day and found these. Not high quality but I was only about 13 or so and could not afford a good camera. They might be of interest to someone. I was only an occasional visitor to Essex for family reasons and it made a change from my usual Nottingham spotting. I used to really like the "Clacton" units in maroon.

Perhaps that explains why there was no one answering in Manchester!