PhilJ W

When an attractive 18-year-old tells you that you remind her of her grand-dad you know your getting old.

Yes its a PMV, but that designation covers a variety of types, try Googling 'Southern PMV'. What makes me think it may have been a CCT is the gap at the bottom of the ends where a fold down flap would be on a CCT.

The shape of the roof frames and size of door openings suggests a Southern utility van. EDIT looking at the ends, a CCT perhaps?

I've posted the BBC report of the tragedy in New York on another thread. Its a miracle that the casualty's weren't higher.

Morning all from a bright and sunny but cold Estuary-Land. Bit of a runny nose last night but it seems to have cleared up this morning but that is nothing to what Jock's friends daughter is going through.

I've just been informed that they are called 'gabions'. The thread in question is 'The end of the Tugs?'.

A photograph on another thread shows something that I have never seen modeled. The 'caissons', wire cages full of stone used to reinforce embankments or cutting sides.

Thats something for the 'Things you don't usually see on layouts' thread, the 'cages' of stone (I think they are called caissons) used to reinforce embankments and cuttings.

I have one of these kits, in fact the length is HO but the width is correct for 00 and fits in well with the tender to the Airfix/Dapol tender. Am I the only one that thinks that the Triang Rocket coaches are a bit too long? I also have an HO model of an 1850's Crampton locomotive which is from an old Atlas part-work and I hope to incorporate it into a diorama probably converted to a tank locomotive but being HO scale it will require a bit of work.

45156 mentioning auctions just reminded me that there was an e-bay item I was winning on and the auction was over. Fortunately there had been no further bids and I obtained the item for a little less than I expected to pay. The item was a 'Code 3' Oxford heavy haulage tractor with some 'custom' trailers. If you want to take a look its item number 161579241159.

A good few years ago I was traveling home through Romford on the A12 when a moped in front of me struck a young girl who ran out into the road. I stopped and 'protected' the accident by blocking the lane with my car. The moped rider was shocked but unhurt and was just sitting at the side of the road. Fortunately the crew of a passing fire engine gave first aid to the child and called an ambulance but once the ambulance had taken her to hospital some people took a bit of convincing that I wasn't directly involved.

As I was considering putting a pair of tender bodies on a wagon underframe to create a passenger coach its nice to see the same thing in 12" to the foot scale, but mine will be on a wooden underframe with spoke wheels.

One of our club layouts, Aldwych, has a building site complete with an unexploded wartime bomb and bomb disposal unit in attendance.

The contretemps outside are over and both cars have gone. A combination of excessive speed for the conditions on the part of one driver and cutting the corner by the other, 50/50 in my opinion.

Morning all from a cold and slightly snowy Estuary-Land. Several cars shooting around the local streets as if the roads are dry and clear. At least not like the Stagecoach bus driver on Facebook who trying to move his bus by by revving the engine in snowy and icy conditions only managed to bounce his bus off of seven parked cars. EDIT The inevitable has happened, just as I was reading the posts here there was the sound of a collision outside, two mums on the school run. Its too cold to stay outside to enjoy the entertainment but voices are being raised.

Possibly, but as it can be considered a safety feature they could be magnanimous and allow the use of it free to other manufacturers. Volvo holds the patent for the seat belts fitted to all road cars but does not and never has charged other manufacturers for using it.

I was thinking myself of a Diorama. I was also thinking of making a 'third class' carriage by putting a pair of the tender bodies facing each other on a wagon chassis. I understand from some literature that some of the early ones had neither doors nor seats, not that it would be difficult to add them.

There are times when I wish my car had a heated windscreen. The trick is to remove as much moisture as possible from the screen that is why sprays or water at whatever temperature is ineffective as it adds to the moisture and it either condenses or freezes again. If you do use such methods wipe the screen with a dry cloth before moving off. As I prefer to scrape ice off before setting off I never have any problems with misting up as I start the car first and let it warm up while I'm removing the ice.

Damn you, at my age that brings on a certain urge. I have a scraper designed for scraping car windows complete with a gauntlet so that your hand doesn't freeze. Spray deicers are useless as they always mist up the windows.

Make that two built kits please.

Just goes to show how old some of these jokes are.

Off to snuggle down soon in bed. No snow , in fact clear skies tonight which means its going to be COLD.

I think most modellers have their eye on the coach, and the tender perhaps as a wagon of the period.

The Marco Polo was in Tilbury just before Christmas, but my cruise was just to Gravesend.

I've been following the thread about the icons and the removal of the 'negative' ones. I find it amusing that those who used to make the most use of them are now 'blustering' on the thread, making the case for their permanent removal. (Andy has removed them for one week only to see if there is any reaction.)