DavidLong

Yep, completely weird ! David

I still believe that promotion/relegation should be settled by performance over 38/46 games of the season. In the play-off system a team can finish third, one point ahead of team in fourth. Hypothetical but that point could have been gained back in November by coming back from two-nil down on a wet and windy Wednesday night. Fact is they could be in the play off final against that team that finished a point behind them and lose in the one-off game. I don't believe that that is what a league system is designed to achieve. Frankly I don't really care if the teams outside the top three don't have anything to play for in the last few games; if they had played better earlier in the season then they may have been in the top three and promoted automatically. Number one fact about a league system - the table doesn't lie. David

Agree with everything you say about the play-offs. I can't see any justification for them and never have. If you are the third best team in a division (or fourth best in League 2/4th Division) then you should be promoted. However, your comment about real teams and fans is pure inverted snobbery. I started watching Arsenal in the late 1960s and still do despite the fact that in the meantime I have moved to Manchester but I still go to watch them when I can. In those 45+ years I have also watched football through all divisons from the Northern Prem upwards and I would never presume to pass judgement on what is 'real' and what isn't. It's football and I enjoy it. David I also want to add that my wife first went to watch Bolton Wanderers in 1970 and she has watched them through all the divisions including the 4th. In the last few years she has been able to watch them in the Premier League. Are you now going to suggest that she is not a 'real' fan?

Nice call, Bruce. A very under-estimated class, probably because of their limited area of operation and relatively short life. Blue with full yellow ends did them few favours and you're absolutely right that the original green with the red and grey bands really looked the part. David

No way. Pure luck. I'd have voted for anything by Matt Le Tissier, even his ordinary goals were special. Mind you, this whole business of 'twenty years of the Premier League' winds me up. What the top division is called is irrelevant and all records should be expressed in terms of the full history of the league and not some concept manufactured by Sky. David

Mike, this gets better! But I'm a bit confused as to which scale you're working in as I've just been looking at the pictures of your split-box 40 in 7mm scale. David

That's the one! Brilliant, especially like the 02 shunter standing down in the goods yard along with all those lovely ventilated vans David

Thanks for the photos, Mike. Shame that I couldn't see them 'in the flesh (metal)' at the show last weekend but I was on a ferry to Ireland. I always used to enjoy the section of line from Bank Hall through Sandhills to Exchange because it was elevated and you could see such a lot. There is a brilliant shot in 'Merseyside Electrics' which looks over the approaches to Exchange and includes Great Howard Street goods. Some great modelling material there. David

Really like those, Michael. Nice to see someone modelling them. I remember the seats as being big, comfortable, dusty and with proper springs! Is the layout based on somewhere specific - it looks a bit like Atlantic Dock Junction? David

Not a very good picture, Paul. You can't see DP1 very well 'cos that green one gets in the way. David

In line with the fact that I have never had an original thought in my life (60 and counting) then it is almost pointless for me to respond but here they are (UK only): Steam: Original Gresley P2 2-8-2, Original Bulleid Merchant Navy (i.e. as built 1941 condition) and Riddles Britannia Diesel: Western, Warship and Hymek. All in original liveries (GSYE/MSYE) and definitely, absolutely and totally no full yellow end. David

The Clean Air acts basically did for this phenomenon. The use of coal for firing anything (including trains) declined rapidly in the 1960s. I remember attending the Manchester Model Railway Society exhibition in December 1961 or 1962 and observing that the air in Piccadilly Gardens was yellow! By the time I moved to London in 1969 the days of the notorious, killer London smogs had gone. You could argue that the output from road vehicles is more insidious, at least with the smog you could see it. David

Good to see the 'box' out and about, Ian, and that it was well received. The micro lives! David

Looking forward to following this, Pete. Another unusual choice to go along with the J and the T1. David

Definitely worth the effort, Tim! David

I was afraid you might say that it was the new stuff. Shame as it smells lovely! Could be back to the pva then. . . David

Hi Bryn (and Tom), When I tried this with the new incarnation of Kleer (whose name escapes me and I'm not at home so I can't look) it seemed to take alright but when, the next day, I poked it a bit it appeared to have a hard crust but was soft underneath. Have I missed something or is it just that the new, improved version of Kleer is not quite as new and improved as it's cracked up to be? Yours in need of advice David

In the real 2mm scale the 2mm Scale Association has a plastic kit for the welded version both with and without top flaps as well as a slightly iffy Cambrian moulding for the 1/109 riveted version. There are etched kits for the various underframe types. The best option, as has been demonstrated elsewhere on RM Web, are the etched kits from Stephen Harris which will produce all welded versions apart from the 17' 6" (1/099 ?) type on the re-used underframes. http://www.2mm.org.uk/small_suppliers/stephenharris/index.htm Some excellent photos coming up on this thread, Michael. They have also led me to a few new Flickr sites that I had missed and enable me to waste spend time doing valuable research. . . David

In theory it's a 1/105 as it has the either side independent brake with the double V irons. However, as a 1/105 it would have bottom doors but seems to be missing the white V markings on the side door. Is it my imagination or is the paint on the door a slightly different shade from the rest of the sides? This could indicate a replacement door from a 1/109 which wouldn't have these markings. Otherwise they just haven't been applied. So much for livery standards! David

Love that J, Pete ! David