Claude_Dreyfus

I am glad they haven't given up on this. By their own admission, their first attempt was too advanced for the technology...too much functionality to fit into such a small body. As such, mark I wasn't a success. I have a couple of their offerings (their Ludmilla is by far and away the best model I have...the sound is exceptional), so this is definitely 'on the list'.

Your pedantry has been duly noted! Transpires I had put the wrong date...should have been the 20th December. Corrected.

The interloper on Gatwick Express services... 387105 at East Croydon - 20th December 2018

I have had 2 Volvo V70 during the last 16 years. Both great cars, comfortable and reliable; both purchased second hand. They have a lot going for them (especially shifting layouts around, as well as useful things like fridges, furniture etc), but both are/were petrol, and with large engines, fuel economy isn't the best. Personally, I only do about 4-5 thousand miles a year (infrequent use, but almost always at least 40 miles minimum), so isn't an issue for me. One thing I found with petrol vs diesel (at least with the Volvo), the tax is considerably higher for the petrol (about £250 a year more), but the actual cost of the diesel car itself (same age, same spec) was anything up to £4,000 more...in some ways I guess due to this difference in tax. One of our club members has the Octavia estate and loves it. It is a nice car, but I just felt a little bit underwhelmed. For me, the build quality in the Volvo was better.

It was Christmas 1981, and my first set was a black 0 gauge Lima 4F, with a selection of wagons; including a GWR Toad.

How about Martin O'Neill caretaker, with Roy Keane as his number 2? Whoever, I don't really care; so long as they keep their hands off our Kenny...

The 'zapped' one - part 3. Not hugely surprised. Will they move for Pochettino in the summer

The last couple of posts I'm afraid do sum the situation up. For crowd-funding it is fundamentally a question of trust. I don't doubt that Dave is more than capable of producing excellent models, but do I trust him with hundreds of pounds of my own money to come up with said excellent models? In a word, No. That is not a personal vendetta, or trolling; simply what I have seen has been a lot of promises unfulfilled, a lot of self-imposed deadlines missed, uncertainty around the financial and personal discipline required to run your own company and to handle other people's money, plenty of excuses for delays and yet still lots of plans and future projects. I see lots of band-wagons jumped on (crowd-funding, coreless motors, even the Q6 (which despite protestations to the contrary, came suspiciously close to Bachmann using it as an example of a 'fringe' model they weren't ever likely to produce)). This is a poisonous combination when statements are made saying effectively you invest at your own risk. Whilst crowd-funding is just that to an extent, you look to the organisers for reassurance they know what they are doing. If that isn't there, then what hope is there? I hear lots of claims to past successes with previous employers, yet for all the bouquets (of which there are plenty), none of the brickbats are acknowledged (a pathological failure to deliver on time, school-boy errors in liveries, suspect QC and plenty of land-grabs without any serious prospect of delivery). Makes you wonder what the previous employers make of these claims for success, were the successes all down to him? I suspect the class 68 has put paid to this argument; they can manage perfectly well thank you. My overall impression here is someone with a great creative streak. Someone who has an obvious talent for conceiving and designing models, as well as the required enthusiasm for producing great models. But one who appears to have no discipline, business sense or organisation. In many ways it would be far better for him to partner up with somebody streetwise and experienced in running a business. Someone who can instill the discipline he needs to gain people's trust. Until that happens, I cannot see the necessary trust from sufficient people to make most, if not all, of these projects succeed. Believe it or not, I too wish him well and hope his projects succeed, but in many cases I feel that unless he makes significant changes to his working practices, that will not happen.

Yes, that was the Toton open day in 98.

146 002 propelling a push pull set across Cologne Sudbrucker.

47201 fits the bill in terms of black headcode, no number on the cab from (at least from the early 1990s) and faded rfd livery. This picture is dated 1996, so distinctly possible. https://www.railpicsgb.uk/p601339499/h970c623b

Hoppers crossing the Cologne Sudebrucke - November 2018

BNSF freight train near Gallup - NM. July 2016

But still the DJM N gauge 92 continues. I think it is make or break time for the N gauge model. Because this whole situation has been so tribal, there will be those who have stuck with DJM for their N gauge 92, purely out of support for Dave. Once the Revolution ship has sailed, I hope for their sakes that the plug isn't pulled on the DJM N gauge version. If Dave is going to take stock of the situation and withdraw the N gauge 92, best do it now. If he leaves it and then meekly announces the N gauge version isn't viable in the new year, then that would create significant damage to his reputation and business, as he would be hurting those who have supported him through think and thin...

Wheetset for a Thameslink class 700 at Three Bridges depot

Apologies, I missed that this was pictured at the number 2 end. For 47236, it was still in the old distribution livery the year before. Not beyond the realms of possibility this picture was taken the the period between repainting and naming. https://mark-beal-tmd.smugmug.com/RetrospectiveRail/Retrospective-Class-47/i-LbzHvsm

Looks like 4723x. I suspect you have the choice of two; 47234 and 47237. 47236 also carried this livery, but was named. My money is on 47237 based on the headcode blanking plate lights; 234 looks to have had the larger lenses at both ends.

I'm sure we'll forgive you! I created an overhead unit thread at the same time as this one, but it fizzled out pretty much immediately. I suspect it was because there is the existing overhead electric thread, which included EMUs. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/113910-photos-of-ac-electrics/page-36&do=findComment&comment=3375544

Didn't think they weren't allowed. So long as it involves a third rail EMU (including Underground and dual voltage running on third rail), anything goes. I must say that in the just over 18 months this thread has been running, there have been some excellent and fascinating pictures posted here; on a subject all too often overlooked by photographers. Thank you to all who have contributed thus far.

Yes, our journey our was the from 10:58 StP. We had two hours at Brussels (plenty of time to grab a taxi to the Grand Place and have a beer), before catching the 16:23 Brussels - Cologne. We got to our hotel at about 18:00. Return was the 11:43 from Cologne, with about an hour at Brussels before onwards to StP. I live about 50 miles south of London, and got home at about 18:00.

Finally, how about some gratuitous tram shots? The classic shot?

Next set! I returned back to Cologne Central, so dropped in for a couple more minutes before meeting up with the others and heading off for dinner. 323 223-9 indulges in a little shunting, as an IC white 146 disappears in the background. The ex DR201 was still loitering around the station when I returned. 146 006-2 rests at Central station later that evening. The following morning was time to go home. I spent the morning wandering around a very quiet Saturday morning Cologne, picking up provision for home (a couple of 'Printenmann' and some bottles of Kleiner Feigling), not to mention a blast from the past when I stumbled across a Woolworths; complete with G gauge display layout outside. As pleasant as such diversions are, I soon found myself back at the station and in the famous location between the station and the bridge to catch a couple of pictures in the morning light. Firstly, just beside the cathedral... Recently there was a little area right beside the tracks, ideal for photography. Sadly, given the number of bottles and other detritus last time, I suspect it was used for other less salubrious purposes and this time is was fenced and locked up. You can still get a decent view beside the fence, so not all was lost. 111 095-6 heads out and across the bridge 101 035-4 obliges for the classic photo at Cologne, with the cathedral in the background National Express Talent 353 rumbles across the bridge Another LINT81 (620) pulls out of the bridge girders and into the station And that was it. We boarded our train and headed back to to Brussels. Although a stop at Aachen provided this DMU... Just outside of Brussels was this little shunter Also just outside was this Vectron - 1884 And that was that. An uneventful change at Brussels - involving chips and beer - before boarding our Eurostar home.

After lunch, the group separated to do their own thing. A couple went back to the exhibition, whilst one had to go souvenir and gift shopping before going off Taurus hunting at Cologne Sud. I on the other hand, when freight train hunting, and wandered down to the Sudbrucker (South Bridge) to see what was going on. The weather was glorious (as it was the entire time we were there), but the sun set at about 4:30, so I only had a couple of hours. A 294 crossing light engine An ELL (European Loco Leasing) Siemens Vectron crosses the bridge with a train of container flats, loaded with what look to be chemical tanker. I was under the impression this was a freight route; however talking to another photographer on the bridge, a few passenger trains were diverted due to the engineering work in the main station. 186 445 caught me a little by surprise! I wasn't in the best location to get this photo of DB Gravita 265 029-9 on a train of covered hoppers. ICE on the bridge 186 492 heads west atop what looks to be a scrap train 185 241-7 heads east with a train of empty container flats 425 106-2 on a Monchengladbach service 155 083-9 with a train of steel carriers. 146 002 propels a push pull set over the bridge. Interestingly, I only saw passenger services heading west during my visit. Heading so close behind the passenger train, that it still hadn't crossed the bridge, this contain train behind E189 091 crossed the bridge running 'wrong road'... ...followed a matter of moments later by fellow class-mate E189 985 on another train of container flats Super-power on what I believe is an iron ore (or it could be coal) train. 145 066-7 leads a trio west-bound 294 682-0 and 294 649-9 rumble east-bound across the bridge Time for another Vectron - this time heading a rake of car carriers (loaded with Suzuki SUVs) By this time the sun was low and the shadows starting to get in the way. Also, it was getting chilly, so I called it a day. Not, however before I caught this one final shot of a 185 cross the bridge light engine

The return tickets were booked via DB. There were four of us, and we had through tickets and seat reservations (on the ICE). Prices were very reasonable - albeit booked 90 days in advance (limit for Eurostar booking). Came to about £120.00 per person for the fares. I always use Booking.com, and the hotel (Hotel Kommerz) was ideally sited, and not too badly priced given the location. It is a 3 star, but clean and warm. We didn't get any rovers, although we did buy a day ticket on the Friday, €9.00 for local trains and trams. There is plenty of interest in the city, aside from the railways. The cathedral is always worth looking at. Final thing, there is a good bookshop in the station itself, with an impressive railway section. There are also a number of model shops scattered around the city.

Day 3 Following a rather good dinner, and an early(ish) night, a couple of hours were spent at Cologne station (again). The station was nice and convenient from the hotel - this is the view from my room window... During the night, the engineering works provided another interesting loco. A former DR V201, now owned by a maintenance company. 143 555 arrives with double-decker stock Now for something a little interesting. This is a Siemens 'EuroRunner' diesel, operated by Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn Gmbh (WLE); number 22. It was hauling a set of charter coaches. It paused for about 10 minutes, giving plenty of time for a few pictures... 111 129 in front of the cathedral Transdev 460 on a regional service My first Taurus 1116 121 - this one being an OBB example on a sleeper/motor rail service NS operated ICE3 on an Amsterdam service Push pull driving trailer 425 599-8 approaches Cologne under a rather impressive mass of wires ICE1, 363 117-3 and Talent in the morning sun Train Rental International (TRI) service leaves Cologne, propelled by 110 469-4 Following this, we ventured off to some model shops. Just up the line, are the main sheds at Cologne. A couple of pictures... The very busy 363 is parked up, with what looks to be a TEE liveried carriage in the background. 218 810-0 lurks in the background. Then it was off to look at some shops and have lunch...