Broithe

I got stopped at a serious checkpoint in Laois in the 70s and was asked for my name. Simple, you might think... But, I have one of those names that it's easier to mispronounce when living on the Big Island - so, I got it wrong and then quickly corrected myself. This got me a funny look, but a few more questions and it became clear that the Guard knew my uncle - so I escaped... To be fair to your Guard, anybody who might be from Leitrim being found in the outside world is likely to be suspect or lost.

Needs a dog, keeping the seat warm..?

An interesting set-up for those into track-building. "The railway networks of Finland and Sweden are now connected for the first time with through rails thanks to Tornio's new bogie switching device, before only through crossings and gauge switching devices. The counter rails keep the narrower Swedish wheelsets on the wider Finnish track."

A chap posts old Portlaoise/Maryborough news items on Facebook - "November 1893 At a meeting in Stradbally, a resolution is adopted to build a tramway between there and Maryborough." https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid027vAqmQwekkYSNcMNecW9fTvXpnwP72iiMztR5Z1tw8YFgyPoNwitiNz2Ah157WmNl&id=100069232693226 I wonder if any information about the actual proposals exists, if it ever did.

It's not always possible, but you can sometimes find 'non-dedicated venues', in places that aren't really intended for that purpose. I used to run a few outdoor car rallies at places around the English West midlands, Weston Park, etc. These, of course tended to be in the 'middle half' of the year, for weather reasons. It was suggested that a mid-winter event would be a worthwhile thing, if we could find somewhere 'indoors' that was viable. I had a bit of leverage at the local RAF station, which turned out to be very efficient leverage, and they agreed to provide us with a large shed, by driving the wagons stored in there outside for the day. Amusingly, given the state of my passport and the fact that the first event took place on the day before the launch of Desert Storm, I was entrusted with the 'security' for the event - this went as far as me being given three armed squaddies to scan the entrants and their vehicles, once I had identified them as verified entrants*. There were a few people I considered having bumped off, but it would have looked bad in the rally report. Anyway, the point is that a bit of thought just might come up with a viable alternative... *There was a small 'alert' when one on the Morris Travellers approaching was not on my registration list, and the chap driving did not have the paperwork I would have sent to his home address, had he been a 'real entrant' - he did however offer me a 1250, an RAF ID card - not knowing him, I didn't read it properly and just called the corporal over with "I think this is one of yours!" - this turned out not to be standard procedure, as the driver was the station CO...

A shocking example of slackness in attitude. Next, you'll be expecting them to waste good modelling resources by actually paying you. I blame the management.

Is this the same thing? https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/LOCOMOTIVES-OF-THE-LONDON-MIDLAND-SCOTTISH-RAILWAY/LONDON-MIDLAND-SCOTTISH-RAILWAY/i-5Brb4HH

For people who like weird stuff, there are three gas turbine locos on here. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165740748298?hash=item2696eb1e0a%3Ag%3AA9wAAOSw3J5jVqsS&fbclid=IwAR3Xqv5YkaSxlfYgzHAHm7sNWQ-ncfhs9Q1jM_oMAgZSFLyUIRSxROAHrOU

A lot of cranes and big machinery - implying a possible dock setting, maybe with a steelworks adjacent?

I had an 'advisory' note about the nearside wiper on last year's UK MOT test - but, I couldn't see anything wrong, so I left it, for a bit, intending to change before this year's, to look like I'd made a bit of an effort. But, I forgot. It wasn't even mentioned this year...

There is a bronze statue of Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise, in France. It's by the river and he is reclining, nude, on a stone slab. One part of the statue is shiny, from decades of passing hands...

Excellent!

I've walked along this bit of reinforced bank a few times, a couple of hundred yards from the WCML, but without noticing the nature of the reinforcing materials.

I'm still not happy with the shade of yellow on the butter, so I'll be selling these kits as seconds, at a good price. I'm also considering doing a much larger scale version, initially for BR Southern region, but using EMU eggs, of course.

I'm thinking of bringing some kits to Bray.

I'm going to hang on now, in the hope of another production run, with the proper colour of butter.

Traffic calming?

https://www.facebook.com/steamtrainsireland/posts/pfbid0eu19LxJFTCsqfAUi5EwW4rqtw2Z8QUDTHQHRQMy7dSUvurkXQwRZpgZFZJtVX7rwl

I did scratchbuild one with lighting.

I was looking to get a full rake of the scones, but the butter was a rather deeper yellow than it should have been. It ought to be more of a 'straw colour' really.

I 'lived' in Lincoln in the early 1970s - I'm still slightly traumatised by the intense dullness of that period of my life.

http://rosslare-europort-news.com/train/