Hroth

They look reasonably safe, they can't be connected directly to the mains as one is a low voltage (12v aux) controller and the other is a battery controller relying on 4 internal obsolete 3v cycle lamp batteries. Depending on internal condition, the 12v aux controller may be functional. I've equivalent Hornby Dublo and Triang units that still work perfectly.

Jenny Kirk made one of those for a telly programme, it worked very well!

Reminds me of the Top Gear programme where Clarkson and May had to devise an advert for VW. Clarkson was keen on the slogan "Berlin to Poland on one tank"....

Probably all their stuff that is close to "Use By" dates and they'd have to pay to dispose of. Of course, as you say, the next problem is to get some pocket money to restock. The one good thing that the Russian/Ukraine disaster is showing the people in charge is how much materiel will be needed to hold off the Russians* in a conventional bust-up. I should imagine that Treasury Departments are wetting themselves as they find out how much it all might cost, and that the backwoods politicians will be wondering where their electoral bribes tax cuts will be coming from if more has to be set aside for defence. * Other potential foes are available.

Looks like good fun all round!

Whichever end fits the egg-cup currently in use...

As the clock struck two, I got an email from Hattons that my order had been packed for dispatch by RM 48hr tracked. End of an era. :-( Best wishes and thanks to all at Hattons.

The Hattons home page notes that there are 136 items to buy now. I suppose that is by stock code, rather than individual items, as there are still 1891 Hornby R609 curves.

I had a plant-based breakfast today wheatbix, toast and coffee. 🤪

I expect the scousers were well aware that he was a senior cop and thought it was fun to wind him up a little... Also, firemen originated as sworn constables and were often referred to as fire bobbies!

A very Finnish pastime!

There you go. What you expect to see depends on how old you are...

Must have found a box hiding somewhere...

Now, a rank outsider, Baked Potato with Baked Beans is making a good showing! This is beginning to sound like And here comes the winner!!! Baked spud'n'beanz... Weather forecast for tonight: Windy!

One way to remove it, I suppose...

Just had a browse around the website. The shelves are looking very bare now.

New Hattons email. Less than 24 hours to ordering deadline.

But you get a crick in your back with a low-level grill! Must admit, I preferred the high/eye level grill. I was pondering what to have this evening. Scrambled eggs was a firm favourite, but cheese on toast is now coming up on the rail...

No room for a lot of those....

Should have been a frying pan!

I thought a mandolin was something Viv Stanshall mentioned in Tubular Bells...

@The Johnster The current problem with Russia is that Putin was a KGB operative in East Berlin when the wall came down and he takes the "Westernisation" of the former Soviet Bloc as a personal insult and a direct threat to Mother Russia. From his pov all he is trying to do is to recover that precious buffer zone against the capitalist West. Soviet Russia may have had trouble keeping the Bloc in line but they managed to do so for nearly 35 years from '45 to '79 when the walls came tumbling down. The mistake the West made was to see the events of the late 70s/early 80s as a chance to cash in on an illusory Peace Dividend, make swingeing cuts to our armed forces and divert the money into the pockets of greedy, selfish bankers and stock market manipulators. It certainly didn't go to fund equitable social change for the vast majority of the country. I don't know what the solution is, but I fear that trying to upsize our armed forces would cost more than tax-cutting politicians dare divert from a relatively comfy electorate who, like the Oxford Union in the 30s, hasn't the will to fight for King and Country.

That might explain a lot...

You've spent too much time on ebay... 🤪 Actually Hattons missed a trick regarding the track. In the olden days they offered a free circle of track with each 3-rail loco purchased!

Just had an email from Hattons that orders will not be accepted after 2pm on the 31st January. Also that there will be a 75% reduction on some lines... Trunks will also be automatically cleared at the same time/date. Staff shortages are cited for this.