The Bigbee Line

They will do a risk assessment and frig the figures. I have a qualification in Risk Assessment and upset the tutor when I pointed out it was to easy to apply MTF to get the answer you want. He got really upset when I explained that MTF stood for “massage the figures”......

Stupid thought. How about setting a height v width ratio for residential structures over x stories. Then the higher they go the wider they would need to be. Multiple stair / lifts with the opportunity to have horizontal separation. Just a thought.

Hither Green (RAW - relieve and work) to Chislehurst - Sand/aggregate MSVs Ran round at Swanley.

Thinking about things from the past and asking the question, what went where etc. Maybe we should turn the question into; “who went where, when and with what”. Pre 84: Acton - Beckenham Junction. Coal HTVs

I have just ordered a pack of O gauge Bullhead track, placing the order as directed on the website. A phone call then confirmed my order had been received etc. We then had a friendly chat regarding possible future products. Looks like there are some interesting things in the offing. We then talked about business in general. It would seem that a very small minority of the calls he receives are obnoxious and hateful to the extreme. I think people should remember that they are talking to a fellow human being and being a dissatisfied customer is no excuse for such behaviour. As a one man band some encouragement tends to get better results. That's my 2 cents.

7th August 1963 saw 23635 at Eastleigh, without rods, minus chimney. Suggesting it was towed without rods to Eastleigh. It donated a chimney to Waddon https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/10226269833/sizes/k/

The Iron Blocks are correct. 32635 was renumbered from 377S in 1959, so the paint scheme is good for 1959 until scrapping.

We called them sheets. Heavy and stiff.... quite an art to get them over the load and tied down. The load should really be strapped under the sheet. If a big load and 2 sheets were needed, the join was mage to keep it weather tight. Folding them after use was another fun job.

Not wishing to sound ‘pythonesque’ but I have a Minerva Pecket that will keep going for at least 10 seconds. Spooky when it’s still making sounds as it goes in the box.

Yes that’s the one. I visited the terminal at Neasden a couple of times. Might have some pictures.

Mark, Your problem with the sparking could be the godsend for third rail modellers. There maybe scope to replicate the arc when a shoe comes off the conductor rail... This is not sarcasm Thanks Ernie

Looking through my notes - 1998 International Traffic Pool 0184 Hfirrs 3 International - not sure of traffic Pool 0177 Hfirrs 3 and 4 - Evian Domestic Traffic Pool 0183 18 x Habfis2 80 tonne bogie vans - EWS Pool 0195 29 x EVS Pool 0189 3 Habfis 1 - ECC Pool 0101 20 Hfirrs 3 - EWS

I think they lost money on the door. £8000 might sound like a lot of money, but consider what is involved. Purchase of the material (not likely to be sitting on the shelf), working out the sequence on construction (all welded, which involves planning to avoid distortion due to heat), support for the construction during assembly, the amount of welding, fabricating door fittings where they were not recoverable from the damaged door. Fitting door to wagon. Setting up door opening mechanism. Supply and fitting of decals, etc etc etc. So much for a slab sided wagon......

238029290463 at Ely Potter Group showing off a replacement door 10th August 2001. The door was the result of a 'sideswipe' at St Blazey. I dealt with damage claims on PO wagons and had to settle this one. The door cost EWS over £8K, the job was completed by Wabtec who used an 'aluminium fabricator'. They made an excellent job. I will look through my archives and see what I can find out regarding Cornish traffic. I have a couple of industry colleagues who worked down at St Blazey, who might be able to pin down the traffic.

At the weekend I had cut out some cardboard contours and stuck them on one side of the embankment. Some card and 2 layers of kitchen roll fixed with PVA. It has dried well, so tonight I cut out some card for the cess. It will get trimmed and stuck down tomorrow night...

It was sweltering again today, but I wanted to start roughing out the station throat. My first attempts didn't look right as I was not allowing enough distance. I got out a peco curved point (wrong hand ........) and had a re-jig. Looking at the map and 'fag packet' sketch it was clear that the approach and pointwork would be as long as the platform boards.. So I need to order some more track and 2 left hand curved points. Then play about with the alignment until it looks right. Here is a very rough idea of what it will look like....

Chris, Nice modelling, I need to do the same for the bigger versions. I have visited the Buzz Models facebook page, they have some handy looking stuff. Looking forward to their new website. Thanks Ernie

They are doing the 57' version first, I have an all third on order in Crimson. The Hayling Island ran some of the 64' versions in Crimson, then repainted in Green. Looking forward to seeing them,

Simon, Thanks for the tip. Nice huts, I can remember similar ones in the park near where I lived as a child. It had been used by the military in preparation for the Dieppe Raid, then later for D Day. Regarding the Dieppe Raid, the Canadians were billeted near where my Mum and Dad lived. The Canadians did some repairs on his motorbike, he said they were al friendly, great guys, then they were gone........ Very sad. Anyway, the ones I need to model are the 'monster version' used as stores rather than accommodation, Thanks again, the thought is appreciated,

After a weekend in Lydd I collected a couple of coaches from the Post Office. Darstaed Mark 1's that will act as the coaching stock for Hayling Island. The run really nicely, with inertia suggestive of the real thing. My shallow curves look most realistic. I cut the rails at the baseboard joint and added the small shunt release. The bay platform line runs to the joint and the stops will be on the next board Looking from the throat The small neck and adjacent siding are cut to length. The release points need some remedial action to some of the point timbers. The strip wood will be where the platform will stand. The main platform comes almost to the V of the points, with no ramp, the platform just stops. The rear of the train in the main platform road. A couple of general shots The excellent magnetic vestibule connections The second is standing on the very shallow curve, no compromise there. The look of the coaches on the curve has even impressed me. I haven't shunted them with a loco, but the are nice and weighty, having a good feel when pushed along. The metal wheels giving a most realistic click as they go over the rail joints.

We went to the Household Cavalry Open Day at Bodney Camp today. Great day, plus I was able to photograph a Nissen Hut of the type that are adjacent to the sidings at Tenterden. A test tidy up.. Then 3 test copies stood in a row. The hut was 35'3" across the width at floor level. I need to make a better version and print on photo paper

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/124772-tenterden-town-goods-curved-board-extension/ Post 3 refers

I've used the DCC80's. With Roco / Lenz equipment. No problems. Piece of cake to wire up.

I've moved the coal stage further from the baseboard joint. Then curving the siding on either side. I think it looks much better... The release road was also tried with some Peco Buffer Stops and a Terrier. Comments please.

Kevin, Yes thanks. It has some good stuff. You need to explore the links as they do not always pop up when using Mr Google... Any hints appreciated.