Hesperus

I thought the rules were that it needs to fit within the judges 8"x8"x6" cake box, not that you need to bring one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/leyland-daf-camper-/282690688494?hash=item41d1ad95ee:g:wlMAAOSwDZtZ1pfA

I've just ordered some figures for a very silly idea, thread forthcoming if I get anywhere.

Try the number 18 bus if you don't have your own transport, according to http://www.traveline.info/ it should get you there in 16 minutes.

Dapol 16t kits have opening doors.

If the cutting and embankment sides were covered in solar panels it would keep the weeds down.

Being as the best place to put solar panels is on rooftops then it is surely a happy coincedence that some of the most densely populated parts of the country are served by DC electrification. It could power the Metrolink, Tyne and Wear Metro and Glasgow underground as well as the area formerly known as Network Southeast.

Presteigne? Ludlow isn't a big place, so it's more or less all within walking distance

You could do that drinking in Ludlow Brewery which is a topically pre-grouping structure.

Wiring handbuilt points is fairly simple, you simply devide the area into 3. The first area is always on the left of the loco, the second is always on the right. The 3rd area is either on the left or the right depending on which way the point is set. Assuming that you are using pcb sleepers you will need to cut or file an insulation gap on each sleeper where it passes from one area to the next. I have built my points with a bicycle spoke passing through the tiebar to a spdt (single pole double throw) switch, this is a switch with 3 contacts on the bottom. There is a centre contact which connects to one of the end contacts at a time. You simply wire the 3rd area (frog and surround) to the centre contact and the 1st and 2nd areas to the side contacts (the right way round) so that when you change the point the 3rd area changes polarity. Things to note are that you will need an insulation gap between both rails of the 3rd area (point frog) and any plain track it connects to. A DPDT switch would work just as well, you just ignore half the contacts. I have limited experiance of 'wire in tube' but it worked well and was more or less free. I used short lengths of mains electricity cable with the copper wire pulled out as tubes with 0.8mm welding wire inside them and this seemed to work well on a very small layout. I think it would be hard to pull the copper out of anything more than a foot long though.

This is going to look fantastic.

Sorry but I disagree, there is a limited amount of gas and a massive infastructure in the UK that pipes it into millions of homes to run central heating systems. When the gas runs out millions of people will switch to either electric, oil or solid fuel heating. I'm certain that a power station can burn coal in a far cleaner and more efficiant way than thousands of AGA's. Burning gas to make electricity may drop the emmissions this year but it is a foolish short term solution. I'm a huge fan of renewable power and have happily spent slightly more on my bills to support it for years but there isn't enough capacity to support the UK at the moment. I can't decide whether coal or nuclear should be the backup but the only place for gas is as a very short term backup when peaks of demand happen on dark still nights when renewables aren't helping much and the coal + nuclear can't get up to capacity quick enough.

Found easily thanks to Paul and after a minor battle with technology it is scanned ready to email. I also have J.I.C. Boyds volume, Narrow gauge Railways of Mid Wales which has loads of trackplans and rolling stock drawings that can be scanned.

RM did a plan of the month that was a room sized 0-16.5 GVT layout. I'm fairly sure that I have the issue but can't remember which one but will have a look if you think it would be useful.

The Safari Park has a fleet of minibuses for customers who lack suitable cars.

I've just managed to really confuse myself by finding an error or two in my favorite book after reading this post. I have a copy of John Scott-Morgan's The Colonel Stephens Railways A Pictoral Survey that I have read many times. The engine in Sir Douglas' post at the bottom of the first page is the first loco named Chichester which was apparently built as a standard gauge 0-6-0st in 1847 for the GWR by the Longbottom Railway Foundry. After being sold out of service it found itself as the contractors loco during the building of the HM&ST and was taken into service. It is shown during construction running as an 0-4-2st still with 6 driving wheels but with rear rods removed, it was rebuilt with small trailing wheels soon after the line opened in 1897. My knowledge of the GWR is somewhat lacking but would they have owned standard gauge loco's in 1847? The book incorrectly captions a photo of the ex PDSWJR 0-4-2st as being the second Chichester when it in in fact Hesperus (you would think I would have spotted that before). The real second Chichester was a Hudswell Clark 0-6-0st of 1903 The other loco's named Hesperus were an ex LSWR Ilfracombe goods 0-6-0 on the S&MR and a Sharp Stewart 2-4-0t on the WC&PR that started life on The Princes Risborough and Watlington Railway before being absorbed by the GWR.

Great to see improvements on the Hereford line. I've heard so many tales of woe over the years when sevices have been terminated at Ledbury or Malvern in order to get back to Brum on time with no provision for onward travel. Later services and through running at New Street should help a lot. I can't wait to see the Severn Valley used again, it would be even better if they could run right up to Bridgenorth during the week.

The layout looks like it's coming on well. The magnets on that French model look like handbag clasps like these I've used them on my 0 gauge layout to join the boards and conduct the electricity between them. There is a link in my sig.

The 48DS is looking absolutely cracking. Is it going to be available without a DCC chip for luddites like me?

Post up the size of the gear you have ruined, I'll have a dig through the box and see if I've got owt.

I know lots of Daves, Mikes and Andys in real life. I find it a lot easier to remember who is who when the folk I know online have forum names for the most part. On every other forum I use the name catsinthewelder, on this one I decided to be extra anonymous as (aged about 25) I was a bit embarrassed about the toy trains and didn't want it to come up if my username was googled. At the time I worked at a 6th form college so was keen to keep my online activities seperate from my work.

I'm just back from a quick visit (couldn't get there till half two). RTR Y9's on the Furness Wagons stand were tempting as were Alphagraphix's new Col Stephens Brass coach kits. I just bought a s/h wagon in the end, already lettered up for my local quarry. Layouts on show were excellent, particularly the Cambrian Rlys one.

If the only differences you are planning between a 30s and a 50s layout are stock and road vehicles then could you model both? You have built a great set of stock to operate with already, a lot of it would work for 50's era as well so with a few extra bits you could model 2 eras which would add interest at exhibitions. When you change over you could swap the tractor and any figures that stood out as being wrong. If it worked well you could try a 1910s era with pre grouping stock and a horse.

They are just waiting there until a single middle aged man wins the Euromillions and has them and 50 or so classic cars restored to sit on them.

At least they are using an existing coupling type, if they need to be rescued the Thunderbirds are fitted with Delners. With all the DFT meddling over rolling stock procurement It would be nice to see a standard coupling and MW code instigated. Preferably a proper BR(S) style arrangement that let virtually any combination of passenger stock be coupled together and driven as 1 unit.