Andrew Young

Hi Dirk, Yes, you are correct, it’s Roco rather than Bemo. Cheers, Andrew

Not surprised attaching units took an age, not sure why or how they came up with the method of working that they have?!! Different to any other location we attach with mid platform signals, extends the time needed and seems to be a hangover from getting talked past the crosses in the old layout, negating one of the few advantages of the new signalling! Mind you, if the trains are parked in the right/wrong places, you can probably attach before getting to the signal...

Make the most of those conditions whilst you can! Bank Holidays and Saturdays are just normal days for us and whilst Sundays are outside the working week, the hourly rate for a Sunday is our normal hourly rate. Andrew

Yes, last minute change to what we’d been briefed, will be 10mph entering all platforms because Network Rail finally woke up and listened to what the TOC’s have been telling them for years in that the overhang of modern units IEP’s Voyagers etc is greater than the overlap that’s been allowed. Therefore, if you ran in on one yellow to a middle signal, you could meet a train before you reached a red signal! Just like at New St, but then that was resignalled in the sixties, not 2018! Railtrack got mid-platform signals right with Leeds in 2002, yet this knowledge appears to have been forgotten. Add to that the fact that pl 4 when arriving from the west can now only take a four car set rather than the current five cars. Plus the intention of the designers to restrict permissive working to just attaching/detaching moves displays an ignorance to how the Station is worked. Thankfully, once the operators were listened to, this has now been relaxed to permissive for all passenger moves. Utter farce! I’m not surprised though, so far on this project, NR have put the wrong indicators up on Pl 3 & Pl 5, then didn’t change them for a month and put a different banner repeater up at Filton Jn to the one they’d published. Add to that the fact NR western refused to listen to the TOC’s when replacing the signals at Abbotswood Jn putting in a completely unnecessary route indicator, then promptly undid their twisted logic and put different indicators in the following year when Norton Jn signals were replaced round the corner and I’m not surprised at this. Oh, and don’t get me started on Derby resignalling! Off this week, will look forward to my trip back to the sixties when I first go... Andrew

Neil, Looks like the ladders were lost whilst still green. http://rcts.zenfolio.com/diesel/br/shunters/08/hA0FF7A30#ha0ff7cd9 Presume the loco was repainted blue before 1972...? Andrew

7428 continued in GWR livery until withdrawn. Another one on the Cambrian that remained in GWR livery until it was withdrawn was 5801, though that was withdrawn slightly earlier in 1959. https://flic.kr/p/moF1Ac Andrew

Some associations I belong to get the printers to distribute and post the copies because it’s cheaper than doing it themselves so the MRJ method might not be the cheapest. Though probably avoids the need to embrace modern technology. Not being a subscriber, doesn’t matter to me which comes first. However, I agree with the comment that I’d prefer to have MRJ whichever way or time it comes rather than no MRJ and being a small fish in a big publishing pond, whatever works for them is good for me. Andrew

Simply stunning. Looking forward to seeing Arigna Town at the Derby exhibition in a few weeks, hopefully see this there another year. Andrew

Different smoke box door or different cab depending on which one you were after. Andrew

Thanks Chris, will await your announcement. There’s a chance I might get a wagon or an IOU for my birthday. Thanks, Andrew

Evening Chris & Chris, Just wondering whether you’ve got a date these are arriving yet? Thanks, Andrew

Been a few distractions over the last week or two, one being my better half’s birthday which was duly celebrated. However, still managing to get some modelling done. Both the Tonfanau and rectangular tank wagons were finished today: Having given me the tank wagon kit, Liz stated a preference for a clean wagon. Like all good husbands, I only half listened...!! With a fortnight to go before my birthday, hopefully requests for another kit or two, might be well received. Plus, there’s a certain gunpowder wagon due out soon that would fit in nicely. As usual after completing a project, time to clear up the work bench before starting the next one. Andrew

Thanks Chris, thought that might be the case. An order will follow in due course (I have greater patience than Neil it seems!!) when I’ve decided which one to go for. Here’s hoping it warms up between now and delivery... Cheers, Andrew

Knowing that generally Minerva have their timescales pretty much nailed down before making announcements, when might we expect to know what the colours / lining styles are going to be like? Thankfully there’s plenty of time before the pre-order cut off at the end of September. Just undecided currently on which one to go for. Cheers, Andrew

Very nice! Was hoping that you’d produce something small and suitable for a light railway, this will do nicely. Andrew

The club sales stand, that brings back some memories! Sadly I can’t make it this year so hope the show is successful. Andrew

We might give your comment credence if you were to back it up with a reason why. Otherwise it’s just a poor post...!

Very nice metal bashing Dave. Lovely job. Cheers, Andrew

Picked up a copy of MRJ 261 yesterday and have read most of it, plenty to inspire a bodger like myself!! For me, I’ve no objection to people being paid to build models, to be a professional model maker you have to be good at it and MRJ is about showcasing fine modelling. Most of us have bought something we’ve not lavishly fettled from the bare materials at some stage or another, I know I have. I’ll admit to drooling over the photo of 80016 and even my missus was impressed. The combination of an excellent kit (wish they were all like that!) built and finished by some of the best modellers in their fields. The only thing that shouted out that it wasn’t the real Loco was that the hex screw centres on the wheels hadn’t been filled. But then the exquisite lining and detail soon drew the eye elsewhere. One day, I hope that my modelling skills develop sufficiently to tackle and complete an MOK kit to a good standard. Still a little way to go, but that photo is definitely an inspiration to get back to the modelling bench and crack on with some modelling to develop my skills. Andrew

Whilst browsing Smiths on my break this morning I came across the April issue of RM, I rarely buy magazines that I can’t look through before I buy to check the contents are worth buying, but made a rare exception today when the words ‘Royd Hall Drift Mine’ leapt off the front cover at me. Cracking article of a superb (imho) layout, really enjoyed it and one that I’ll keep when the rest of the magazine gets pulped. The ‘Brucie Bonus’ being that the issue also includes an article by Gordon Gravett on how he paints a 16T mineral wagon. Cheers, Andrew

Today has mostly been spent sorting out a platform base. Checking clearances due to the platform being on the inside of a curve, drawing a template and then cutting out plywood to the template. Using a piece of 6mm and another of 12mm thick which I had in stock to form the base. Shall leave it on the layout a day or two to check that I’m happy with it before being fixed down and clad. Well worth taking time now to make sure it’s right before fixing down! Cheers, Andrew

POWSides #582 http://www.powsides.co.uk/www.powsides.co.uk/info.php?p=5&pid=794151&ack=9 Think one would look rather good left to rot maybe in the end of one of the sidings or a headshunt for the camp? With Minerva’s next announcement due, would be thought it’d be you tempting me with models rather than the other way round this week... Cheers, Andrew

Agreed, wasn’t the weather for going far from the log burner in our study!! Sadly the Tonfanau wagon is a bit too old for the period that Tonfanau Camp is set in, but with my Tywyn connections I couldn’t resist one of those from POW Sides. Andrew

Last week was a pretty chaotic time at work, but thankfully have been off over the weekend. We had 3-4 inches of snow here last week then high winds that saw the snow drift around quite a bit making travel from Wednesday onwards pretty hairy. The snow, plus the fact that Tywyn was battered by 80+mph winds on Thursday night meant that we stayed at home rather than go to Wales this weekend. Did mean more modelling got done which was a bonus. The station building is now finished bar glazing. Have also been busy with wagon works. The Foxfield wagon has had a broken brake handle fixed. The Tonfanau wagon has had the base coat paintwork finished and a spray of Dulcote. It will have drawgear fitted and weathered alongside the third wagon. A Slater’s Rectangular Tank Wagon. This I received from my wife for Christmas and has jumped the queue a bit as my birthday is approaching and any requests for further kits may be better received if their predecessors have been built... Cheers, Andrew

When I went onto the Guild website first thing this morning, there was a scrolling banner across the top of the home page saying that the show would be going ahead. Presume you missed that? Andrew