BoD

Further to the posts above I have fitted Layouts4U reed operated lights to the two BSO(T)s. They work from a 3v battery and can be turned on and off by holding a magnet close to the roof of the coach. It only remains to be seen how long the battery lasts in use, as I will need to take the bodies off to replace the batteries as and when they run out. A bit of a pain, so hopefully it won't be too often. I may not switch the lights on during daylight running.

Rain? Oh, blast. That scuppers our chance of winning the test then.

Valerie has already bought next year’s cards and wrapping paper. Any cheaper and the shop would have been paying her to take them away. I just hope we are both still here to use them otherwise it will have been a waste of time.

… with the added challenge of finding other examples to rearrange too. I think you will struggle to beat randy butt I look forward to being proved wrong - with photographic evidence of course.

I like to use smooth casting plaster e.g. Link A dollop of PVA glue, a squirt of black acrylic paint and a few heaped coffee stirrer endfuls of that* gives not only a good consistency to work with but a reasonable grey bark colour as a starting point. * it’s not an exact science.

I suppose it is no longer appropriate to wish that lang may your lum reek, in which case … long may your heat pump thermally exchange. A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to one and all.

It was said, at one time, that if you wanted to be a Headteacher in County Durham you had to: a) be a card carrying member of the labour party, b) be a practising Methodist and c) bank with the Co-op.

When looking at photos it is obvious that, as well as conifers, there are quite a number deciduous trees lineside too and so I have spent time this year creating a selection to be planted as and when. I've tried to create a variety of types. Pictures are cruel - some trimming of loose strands is needed. A small selection of those created thrown together to try and judge overall effectiveness. Difficult to judge without being in situ and with associated undergrowth etc but I'm quite happy with the overall effect

You are of course correct but the computer control software works slightly differently to the real world in as much as if a block senses and entry it is not expecting it can cause problems. It could be a problem if there is a distance between the loco and a detected coach. I may be overthinking this as, at the moment, the removable section for access is 'permanently' lifted as I work on the landscape and I cant run a full automatic sequence. There may not be a problem at all or there may be settings in software that overcome this.

Many supermarkets seem to have them all year round these days.

Andy Y was doing some housekeeping and came across a folder with a small number of unrecognised files in it. He deleted it. Turned out the folder contained a handful of avatars, yours included I would guess.

It is being reported over here by the BBC too. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59834897

Morning all. 03.50 a.m. hundred hours here and I’m wide awake. I haven’t really slept for 3 nights now. The cold which started before Christmas has moved onto my throat and chest and so I have developed a nasty, frequent cough. Every time I start to nod off I have another coughing fit. I’ve given up trying so I’m sitting with a coffee reading the morning paper (downloaded). Well I’m not actually reading it at the moment, I’m typing here, but you know what I mean. Since last Tuesday I have done four lateral flow tests, the latest yesterday, and they have all proved negative. I wonder just how accurate they are as this is dragging on and on. There are noPCR tests to be booked so it seems. I may just go and so some …. ahem …. modelling.

I would have thought anybody with sufficient knowledge to power the frog from a switch (no matter what type) would remove any connection to the blades first. Are there any circumstances where one wouldn’t do this?

Weren’t the ends based on one of Madonna’s costumes?

i don’t have quite as many coaches but it is still a daunting thought - although I suppose adding people to them all is going to be quite an onerous task too. I have the added complication that, if the coaches draw current, they will trigger the block detection. This would cause issues if I wanted to run in semi or fully automatic mode. I’m not sure if the sensitivity of the detectors can be altered. It would be useful if a loco could be detected but a few LEDs wouldn’t. I have bought a kit that includes the LED strip, a ‘button’ battery holder and a latching reed switch that allows the lights to be turned on and off by holding a magnet near. I may install this in one of these coaches to see how it goes.

I noticed that one or two topics that I follow have been updated - so i thought I had better join in. I have in fact been pressing on at quite a rate of knots on the layout but haven't taken any photographs as yet. I will get round it sooner or later. Meanwhile on an evening when I haven't been up in the loft I have been pottering on the workbench on a number of projects. One of these was a couple of Mk1 BSO(T) coaches. There is not that much information about these coaches o be found so I worked from Larkin's Mk 1 Coach books and the couple of pictures already posted on a topic in the Railways of Scotland thread. I ended doing SC9000 and 9016, they are ready to go off to the finishing and weathering shop... I made the attempt to give an impression that there was something inside other that the bog standard BSO seating. Just an impression mind... All painted up now and populated. Not that you can see much - so I'm wondering if it is worth fitting internal lighting., something that I have been mulling over for a while for all coaching stock. Thoughts anyone?

Your concrete looks superb.

Blimey, they just don’t know how to lose do they?

Last Christmas Eve visit done and visitor been. Can relax now. Presents are round the bottom of the tree. Mine all appear to be bottle shaped.

Seasons greetings to one and all.

I have just had a look at Valerie’s TV listing* magazine on the off chance that there might be something I want to watch, or more likely record. Streuth, what a complicated mess. Gone are the days of yore when one waited for the publication of the Radio (two channels) and TV (the other channel) Times with bated breath - and all to find out what film was to be ‘premiered’ on Christmas Day, along with the broadcast times of ‘Disney Time’ and ‘The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show’ **. A good hour or two reading and planning the Christmas viewing. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was the year that I discovered ‘the powers that be no longer considered Mr McGoo’ and ‘Torchy the Battery Boy’ essential Christmas viewing. * My IPad originally decided, in its wisdom, that she had bought a lusting magazine. Good job I spotted that before posting. ** I see that they still have their Christmas show.

… until you try to get it in the oven.

Morning all I have god a heavy code. Just in time for Christmas. Blast. I’ve already done a couple of lateral flow tests and they confirm that, so far, it is just a cold. Hope that they are correct and it also stays that way. Have a safe and enjoyable trip @chrisf