Another blurry photo unfortunately. But this shows my first "Permanent" layout.
The loco is the cheaper version of the Tri-ang Princess, which was "Princess Victoria" in black with no representation of the Walschaerts valve gear. It came with 2 red and cream coaches, to which my uncle added a restaurant car.
My dad made up a couple of Airfix kits, some which might be discerned in the picture, including the footbridge and water tower.
We also had an original Tri-ang station set.
I later built up quite a big collection of mainly Tri-ang but also a few Dublo and Wrenn items, which I eventually sold to fund my first sortie into N Gauge.
The frame of this layout lives on underneath part of my N Gauge layout here on the other side of the World 65 years later!

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 26, 2026, 10:20:59 PMApart from the complete lack of dignity in hospitals, the next biggest lack is sleep. There's something about patients sleeping that nurses find worrying so, just when you've dropped off, they wake you up with "It's time to take your pills" or "we have to take your blood pressure" .
Oh no, you're not allowed any much needed sleep

That's exactly right, Mick. Happens all the time. You just get comfy and drop off, then a voice at the door (which I always leave open, goes:"Knock knock! Sorry!"

So you drag yourself upright and mutter, "That's ok" when in fact it's anything but.

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 26, 2026, 10:29:14 PM....... their retailers do so much for them and to bring all that back in house would increase their costs considerably

Now that sounds just like Harry Enfield doing a "loadsamoney" sketch.

All the best George, hopefully you won't be there long.
cheers
Graham

On the basis Heljan do not do N gauge, and Accurascale have very little interest in the 'proper' gauge (IMHO) this news doesn't really make a scrap of difference to me...........

.......unless - the companies I do buy from decide to drop their retailers in favour of direct sales, and I can't really see that happening as, for the most part, their retailers do so much for them and to bring all that back in house would increase their costs considerably

Apart from the complete lack of dignity in hospitals, the next biggest lack is sleep. There's something about patients sleeping that nurses find worrying so, just when you've dropped off, they wake you up with "It's time to take your pills" or "we have to take your blood pressure" .
Oh no, you're not allowed any much needed sleep

Quote from: EtchedPixels on March 26, 2026, 09:33:16 PM

Quote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 04:21:17 PMI'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.

If you've just been stuffed good and proper by one arm of a business do you continue stocking their other products when you expect them to screw you over again later when they do that with those too ?

I think the general answer is no. I don't see vendors bothering to stock anything Accurascale produces.

That's a bit of a knee jerk reaction.

If I were a company stocking Accurascale (and that's not too many tbh) I'd want to hold on to rather than contract that range. The Heljan acquisition is a surprise to us but perhaps not so much to other manufacturers. I've heard that the situation was getting worse and an acquisition was on the cards for a while or the company would have been liquidated.
I don't think anyone would have wanted that.

Bob

Quote from: Bealman on March 26, 2026, 09:30:47 PM[...] I am being treated with multiple lashings of antibiotics delivered by IV drip. [...]

[...] This post has taken me a while to do as I keep getting interrupted by nurses sticking me and putting new canulas in, along with huge helpings of pills. [...]

Just like me last August/September. Take care of yourself and direct lashings of affability towards the staff. And a tin of the Australian version of 'Quality Street'.

You have a better view than I had.

With the very best of good wishes.

John

Take it easy George. It sounds like you are being well looked after so hopefully recovery is the next stage.

Quote from: Bob G on March 26, 2026, 04:21:17 PMI'm assuming you mean Accurascale don't want the Heljan side of the business to go out to retail, and I guess yes that's probably right.

If you've just been stuffed good and proper by one arm of a business do you continue stocking their other products when you expect them to screw you over again later when they do that with those too ?

I think the general answer is no. I don't see vendors bothering to stock anything Accurascale produces.