Harry Lime

Point taken Dagworth, In mitigation, I was always taught from a very young age not to pull the emergency alarm as it was only for emergencies such as fire or worse incidents. However, if an incident like this counts as an emergency, then I will happily do so in the future. Knowing this now, it is still curious that the two Revenue Protection officers did nothing like that too.

Not a problem with picking up the location at all...my fault for leaving it in the footer!

Certainly I could not see any staff on the platform at that time. However, I was also interested to know why the two revenue protection officers did nothing - again, I suppose that they have their roles, too...

Damn, I knew there was too much of a give-away somewhere...yes, it was on the south coast. I think that everyone on board was genuinely shocked at what happened, and I didn't want to get into the DOO debate either. However, this is what I was concerned may have happened.

My only reason for adding the bit about the driver was to find out if there was a procedure, in this case, for the driver alerting the guard to this passenger. As I put in my original post, I was only a passenger and ignorant of much that goes on when travelling by train. However, I am genuinely curious about who checks about such incidents.

Thanks John, I was hoping originally not to give away too many details in case of causing embarrassment to all parties concerned. However, it was on an Electrostar on the south coast between Brighton and Portsmouth.

A curious incident today on my journey home. As we approached a station as part of a local stopping service, a passenger in a mobility scooter was on the platform and had lined himself up with the correct part of the train. The guard/conductor(?) had walked off to deal with something else from the designated entry point. Incidentally, two revenue inspection officers were standing in same part of the train watching the following event unfold. Either the guard did not see the passenger and clearly, the driver didn't either as the train departed without anyone getting off, sorting out the ramp, getting the passenger on board and then stowing the ramp prior to moving off. I am curious (and genuinely ignorant about such railway procedures) about whose responsibility it is now in such circumstances to help passengers aboard. Can anyone help me understand how such an incident might have occured. There were several schoolchildren present who were genuinely annoyed by it as was the passenger, too!

However, tAs someone who has taught Computing/IT/ICT in schools, the best advice for parents is to buy the best you can afford. That does not have to be an Apple Mac as very often, these may not run the software used in your grandson's school. Mac's are very sleek, very sexy and also, very nickable - especially if the laptop is going into school. On the whole, many schools are still using PC/Windows-based systems and software, so buying a Mac is not always helpful. Much of what schools ask students to do is use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint - possibly Access) and if your grandson is doing GCSE Computing, then he can download suitable free software for this, based on the school's chosen exam syllabus and preference. If you or your grandson's parents can, it is worthwhile talking to his IT/Computing teacher before taking the plunge. Ping the teacher an email in the next week or so if you can and ask them what work they will be expected produce using IT. Therefore, a fairly robust Acer, Lenovo or similar kind of laptop would suffice. Bearing in mind that it will be used fairly frequently (and I am guessing on the internet), therefore something that is relatively easy to repair should also be borne in mind too. This is just a selection from one well-known high street dealer - others are also available Hope this helps

As long as you build a fiddle yard on the day, I'm not worried. It'll be up to the next exhibition manager to work out how he's going to fill the remaining 15' of space...

James is right, Mike (#606) More important, your honesty about OR shows how much you care about the standards you are setting and what you want to achieve. We can be our own worst critics and we make it worse by comparing ourselves to others - but you are right when you say that you will never be an Alan Downes or Peter Goss. You are Mike, you are your own person and, therefore, unique. What you see and what you want tp produce is very different from their work. If one day someone compares you with them, that is great, but isn't the reason why we build/exhibit our layouts. We do this for fun and. like anything else, when it stops being fun, stop doing it. However, at this stage, I will say again that I thoroughly enjoyed Oak Road. It will get better as you do more. Just keep going, we'll follow and support you and we cannot wait to see you at Worthing in September 2018.

Looks like the closest we will get is Peterborough in October 2018. Having said that if there are any clubs in the north west who fancy a slice of west London for the weekend, ping us a message - we can be tempted (sound wrong I know but I'll live with that)

We've cleaned up our act since then at Worthing and introduced a one rucksack per person policy too... Having said that, when we have been on the road with LR, I have seen several acts of ungentlemanly conduct involving pushing and shoving to take pictures. Usually "handbags at fifty paces" but still wholly unnecessary.

What James hasn't told anyone is that in order to keep my non-DCC 450 in place for the photos (post #792), we had to use whatever was available to chock up the rear car. This just happened to be a 1:76 scale figure of Michael Portillo which we are supposed to be installing on Loftus Road. I can't think of a better use of a model figure myself...

Now I can show you why I wanted to know about renumbering a 450. The link below takes you to fellow Loftus Road and Worthing MRC member James Makin's workbench. I asked James if he could make one of my 450's more easily identifiable when we run these on Loftus Road. Post number 792 is where all the trouble began... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44066-james-makins-workbench/page-32&do=findComment&comment=2870927 With profuse apologies for the shameless plug for LR and James' work...

Come and see the 'new look' 450 at Fareham Show next weekend...

I want to renumber one of my Class 450s. Does anyone know where I can find out which font was used by South West Trains for the cab front numbers, or better still, if anyone makes transfers of the numbers as part of a set?

Looks really good seeing another modern image roundy-roundy. We'll have to come over and have a play at the Fareham show. Keep going with it; eleven years working on Loftus Road hopefully shows that )t will all be worthwhile in the end - honestly!

Dear 24Grange, I think that you will find that if you look at post 451, we (I) intimated that there is some work being done on Loftus Road by James (and other members of the club) and that there will be some pictures posted here for all to see when these are ready. Whilst we appreciate that news tends to travel faster in this digital age, time spent on modelling means that we are not always able to keep up with the desire for instant news. Therefore, a little patience and the willingness to read previous posts (even if they are two or three earlier than the latest one - and on the same page) may save some disappointment - as well as not haranguing James to post something. If this reply seems a little rude, please feel free to be slightly miffed. Only mild irritation registered when I read your post. Be thankful I answered first and not some of the other members of the Loftus Road team!

We'll let James give you an update on the Earl's Court building end sometime soon!

Many thanks Godfrey, just confirms my worst fears - my wallet will have to suffer!

I am sorely tempted to buy one of these and build a London-based layout for it. Out of curiosity, can anyone tell me the overall length of Bachmann's four-car unit?

We could have the petrol tanker leaving the petrol station and heading over Uxbridge Road bridge. That would make running the indicator lights easier (if these are even used...) as well as blocking the bus lane at the same time - makes for one irate bus driver as well for James to model!

In which case, I'll get out the wheel cleaner, back-to-back gauge and DCC chip tester...all safely packed for sunny Burton Upon Trent

Having waited for just short of 1000 days since placing my order, I don't care about how it arrives, just as long as it does arrive...

Stoppit - you'll only get some of the members over-excited and we know what happens then!!!