Mike 84C

I just been shopping in my 07 2.0 Diesel Skoda Est. 66.9 mpg, what the car is worth would not buy me an electric bike. And the Skoda has done 163000 miles, so even if diesel reaches £10 per gallon I think I shall keep driving it till it will not pass an MOT or I need it for a Viking funeral! Keep the Hyundia Tuscon as the caravan tug. Did anyone pick up on the DVLA changing the driving licence to go up to 10tonnes? I think that opens the door for long range electric motorhomes and maybe the death of the towed caravan.

I'm rather surprised that local drivers of Transit pickups have not removed all the Mold Rly for recycling, obviously without paying for anything. But a few more years and nature will have overgrown the lot!

Darius, such high quality models and your output is staggering! I think you need to sit on the beach with an ice cream or you may have to buy all of our kit stashes to keep going!! Inspirational modelling.

Bantry's trip to Stamford went better than expected, particularly as we had not really had a proper shake down session and the backscene was painted by Mrs 84C that week!! Our club got soo lucky AND I am a lucky husband ; big thanks to my Sheila. Here are some pictures.

Just had a look at the MM Jenny coach & thought HOW much? insane, if people pay that sot of price we are headed into far more money than sense territory. In the same league as women's fashion in the Sunday supplements. Just my opinion.

What an impressive facade Heuston has looks more like a stately house than a railway station.

Brilliant stuff Eoin! have you tried lamps from Lanarkshire Models? I have found them very fine , a good range and lots of other detail parts in whitemetal and good to deal with. Also, you should make and sell those holding jigs. They look like a very well thought out tool and so flexible. Mick

Bantry makes its debut at Stamford Welland Academy this weekend. This is the event held by the Market Deeping club, thats the one that had all its exhibitors layouts vandalised, how long ago was it!!?? But if any of you here on the big island wish to visit and see the heads in hands, and as many aspects of model railway stress that you can think of!! please do show your faces. 10-4pm Sat and Sun full details on the club website.

I suppose the thing to keep in mind with all mills is the grain was taken to the top of the mill once, by elevator, then worked its way down the floors as it was processed. Animal feed had various products added in the mixing process then cooked by steam in the presses with a fat binder to make pellets/rolls. An interesting book is Milled from Golden Fields by Grahame Edge, gives a flavour of the flour milling industry in England but there are a lot of photos of lorries ancient and modern!

Been to a lot of mills in my working life and you are getting exactly the right atmosphere. Are you using a specific prototype or a sort of collage type mill?

I bought a Worsley Works Park Royal kit last year, still in the to do drawer. Projects my love, just projects!! I do like Park Royals they are so different to any other design.

I wonder if a straw poll on this group would give an indication of how many more U & UG's 00 works could sell?. I also regret not buying either model.

Yes, hard wired. You got a discount!! lucky man! Think of all these different ways of paying as part of life's experience's and its how it always happened in the past , will the treasured model sneak in under the customs radar. In the distant past I bought two brass locos one from the USA, paid duty and vat and the b--- PO handling fee made it a rather expensive loco the other one came from Australia, only paid the handling fee. Some you win !! Still got the locos, Colorado Midland 2-8-0's .

I have one , its a very good model and may in later years become more valuable. 00 works only do very limited runs and I believe once only. Just a thought.

That signal at Colooney looks strange/interesting, two arms sharing a single lamp? Mounted on one of those Courtney,Stevens and Bailey posts are there any more pictures of that signal at higher resolution? Can I feel a model coming on?

Well Mark, you had some lovely weather, the L&B has potential to be a fantastic railway and not so much competition in that corner of Devon. I rather like Lynn, for me its a much more attractive loco than the Manning Wardles. They look like a lot of loco with not much boiler but they have their admirers. Mic

I have a 4mm scale Bat to build, if it looks as good as your 7mm Bat I'll be happy. A first loco? it looks fantastic.

Regarding the Puffer, Is it street scenes that do one of those print yourself puffers? I did wonder if splicing two together , bit of a cut and shut job and a longer hold or even a fore & aft hold might work? or would it make the hull a bit too narrow looking? Just chuking balls in the air now.

That looks really first class David, I'm looking hard to see the join!!! And I failed! Please can I come and you know, operate your railway, one day? I can only hope the back scene for Bantry turns out as well as yours, I live in anticipation!

Angus, I worked from a drawing in New Irish Lines for Nov 19 which is 7mm to the ft, I believe its a David Chown drawing. But the article says it could be 8mm/ft! So I used my judgement to get a visual balance. The distinctive "cricket bat " shape I marked up out on N/S sheet, drilled holes then opened them up to form the slots, did the profile of the "bat" with files and soldered 1'5/2mm N/S etch offcuts around the edge of the "bat" I did'nt put the little cross pieces on the "bat" ,that was one step beyond for me! Hope that helps. And thank you for your comments.

Three signals for Bantry. All done from a drawing in New Irish Lines and various photographs of the prototype Bantry station so there is a bit of guestimation in some of the heights and details. They are powered by servos under the baseboard controlled by a GF controls dual servo control unit. I took all the advice and pointers I could get from Steve Hewitt on RMW , he builds excellent working signals and freely gives help and advice. The finials are Scottish one's The arms are L&Y as are the weights Cast lamps are Midland/GCR The ladders and all the above are from MSE/Wizard Models Posts, wires for handrails are things I had in stock plus those handy little bits of saved etches.

First attempt? I look forward to seeing more of your excellent work.

Reminds me of the metre gauge 0-6-0t's that ran at the Wellingborough ironstone pits, maybe the saddle tank top needs to be a bit higher? . I think one was preserved at Hunsbury Hill Northampton. Must be 40yrs since I was last there! Excellent link, wonder why the 0-6-0 Avonside tempts me so much!

Good to see you're back Ernie. Hope all went well at the hospital. You do seem to keep finding unpublished photo's, a bit of a super sleuth!

I was wondering if it was just me!