Jamie Douglas

FWIW apparently the Sennachies at the coronations of Scottish kings used to retell the genealogy of the Scots beginning in Skythia, moving through Egypt, travelling along the North African littoral, up through Spain and thence to Scotland and Ireland. Such were the legends but it was repeated in the Declaration of Arbroath 1320. How much belief and how much political expediency, who knows? Best wishes Jamie

Top work again that man. It is really starting to take shape and what a lovely piece of serendipity that the whole of Emily's chassis is usable between the two projects. I have been a Caley enthusiast all my life being born across the road from Central Station and watching all the various pugs shuffling coaches in and out across the overbridge probably sealed my fate. Moving further south still on the WCML but before the split for the Perth services and beyond meant being surrounded by the Caledonian remnants every which way,well pre-Beeching. So your offerings here are just grand. The coach alterations are also proceeding chez moi following your ideas. Being also a Triang enthusiast helps in that I have a superfluity (not what my wife calls them) of Dean clerestories to cut up and re-assemble as per your example. Keep it up you give hope someone like me who cannot build a chassis (working) for toffee. Best wishes Jamie

Funnily enough I too had worked out the nice correspondence between the 76 class wheelbase and that of Emily. What has been holding me back a bit is the lack of a good drawing. I shall be watching this/these with added interest now as your ingenious ability to overcome problems is a bit of an inspiration. Thanks. Best wishes Jamie

FWIW my only observation is that the men's trousers do not appear to have a crease, a fashion I believe only started to become popular sometime in the late 1890's but took some time to really catch on. Best wishes Jamie

I would love to claim the credit for that remark but it, or something very similar, is pinched from Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon stories which I read many years ago Best wishes Jamie

Tut tut indeed but too political to go further on this forum, one of the last bastions of imaginative sanity that I can retire to away from the hurly-burly of normal life. The goings on in a piece of Norfolk otherwise lost in the folds of the map never cease to entertain and intrigue. Also I too rather like Krugers and Aberdares. Best wishes Jamie

Don, Life affirming story about your Grand-father but your reference to Skye confounds me unless it is a reference to the entirely fictitious report made up by the BBC earlier which they have since rescinded after being well skelped by the Police who were not amused. Best wishes Jamie

Perhaps someone ordered a full size K Class but it shrank in the Wash. Best wishes Jamie

The price is around what you would expect, though with the box I would not be surprised if it rises above estimate. The bogies are an interesting mix of old and new, mixed on one of the cars even. I have a fair few of these beasties in various combinations of livery, lettering and colour variations. It is all part of the charm of Triang collecting even if it did take about twenty years to get what I have now being able to run 8,4 3,2 and single car consists. The three car unit I believe is inaccurate though. They do not appear to be as rare as it used to seem before Ebay allowed us easier access to the world though. Best wishes Jamie

Due to commitments yesterday I went today, arrived around 10.30 and got parked in the Centre's car park no trouble albeit in a dirty great puddle. A superb show again even my dear wife was impressed and that does not happen too often before she left me to read her book on the comfy seats at the entrance, an excellent touch. That left me free to spend too much as usual. Some great bargains to be had books, locos and kits. Also a very nice selection of layouts. While not normally something that takes my fancy much I was also as others have said impressed by Thornbury Hill even if no steam was in evidence while I was watching. Ballyconnell Road also impressed. Left about 2.00 for a late lunch well satisfied and special praise to the chaps on the GNoSR stand for entertaining my wife and even getting a sale of some Christmas cards from her. See you all next year. Thanks. Best wishes Jamie

It really depends on what size of layout you want. Super 4 will be good for whatever but Standard/Universal is probably best for smaller train-set type set ups due to the smaller rail size and consequential voltage drop problems. Visually Super 4 has it if you ignore the rail height. The sleeper spacings are better IMO than much of what is available RTR today. The points are also second radius and so most modern stock "should" be able to run through them. Standard has a nice retro feel to it but needs to stick in the main to stock of the period as the points here are slightly smaller than modern first radius. Care as others said needs to be taken about the Acetate earlier track. Even bolting it hard down with wood screws may not be a solution as the gauge also tightens as it warps to 16mm or even less. I would only ever use the very short pieces of Acetate and even then only after careful checking. That said all the fancy stuff required is available,automatic uncouplers, isolating rails,electric points and the Series 3 power clips can be used to provide power wherever required. If buying Standard though care is needed. Run a track gauge through each rail before buying and reject any failures. If the rails lay true on a flat surface is a good indicator of good track and large radius curves only ever seem to have been made in Polystyrene. There are other indicators, removable tabs for instance and underside locating bars running the full width of the rail but of course you then get full nostalgia. I also run Tri-ang demonstation setups at occasional shows and a friend does many more. We always use Super 4 for these and the reliability is not in question though fishplates need to be kept clean. I have been running Tri-ang since Christmas 1953 and cannot see me stopping now. Best of luck and have fun. It is what Tri-ang does best. Best wishes Jamie

2Mbps... well I can dream. Up here in rural Lanarkshire two miles from the nearest village which is all singing all dancing I can manage when everything is properly installed on a nice summer's day to get 1.5. That never lasts as our connection is copper and travels cross country from the nearest town five miles away. The whole lot quickly deteriorates to 0.5-0.75 until after a year or eighteen months it all packs in and so the cycle begins again. Better than dial-up though. Best wishes Jamie

Hi Argos I am sure you will work out your waybill system just fine but just to let you know that wargamers have many types of dice 4,6,8,10 12 and 20 spots if you feel like just modifying your original idea. I believe I even have a couple with 36 spots. There are even some kinds made of clear acrylic with another dice inside to save double rolling. Best wishes Jamie

The devil is always in the detail, so yes it was worth it. Really looking good. Best wishes Jamie