Hello Chums

The Spey Viaduct, between Spey Bay and Garmouth on the former GNoSR coast line to Elgin, is an impressive structure. Unfortunately, it has suffered a partial collapse.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1m87jlv97ro


With all best wishes.

John

Used to buy a couple of monthly magazines when I was active as a 'biker. Reading an article with a photo i thought something seemed familiar so I looked at the same month but a year earlier - same article exactly but photo reversed!
Not bought a monthly magazine since!

For N gauge there's the N Gauge news, N Gauge Society, UK Model Shops plus newsletters from manufacturers and the - - - - "the N gauge forum", who needs a magazine?

In my teens I had a Saturday job at the main Co-op in Abington Street, Northampton where I worked in the Carpets Department on the 2nd floor.
One Saturday we were called together before opening to be informed some rolls of Co-op stamps had been stolen and given a list of the numbers to sit next to the till. A couple came in, ordered some carpet and paid for it partly with several books of stamps. Yours truly spotted some of the stolen numbers in one of the books so called my Manager who, in turn, called Security. Meanwhile the couple were baffled, upset and annoyed in various turns but were hauled off to the floor below to be grilled under torture (my imagination may have run riot there).
Lo and behold, it transpired that among the stolen stamps were partial rolls and, it seems, the ones they had were not stolen at all but perfectly 'legal'. I felt mortified for the couple concerned but quite proud with the praise from Management and the free dinner I had in the canteen for my observation

remember the strips of stamps to stick into the books

Quote from: Trainfish on December 13, 2025, 09:40:06 PMDes anyone at RM ever read these reviews?

of course not, or they would improve their service.
just wonder how much they make from customers having to wait in excess of 50 mins to get through to complain by phone

Quote from: Trainfish on December 13, 2025, 03:20:51 PM

Quote from: Trainfish on December 12, 2025, 01:32:38 PMIt's supposed to go from A to D. It looked good when it was at B but why on earth is it now at C? 

Well, at least it has made it back to B and apparently now at D which is a 10 minute walk from here:



And it will be delivered by 14:25. It's now 15:20 

glad to know it's not just my parcels that royal snail mucks up. RM 24 seems to mean 'sometime within 24 days' to RS.

Maybe it's time for a new poll? To see what N gauge modellers feel what they want to see. It feels like N gauge is in a state of limbo with manufacturers not knowing what to produce.

Rob.

Quote from: Richard Taylor on December 14, 2025, 10:47:05 AMWell, as this thread started in 2020 and Model Rail have shown no sign of producing the locos in N throughout the last five years then the naysayers may have a point.

Personally I felt that both the J70 and 16xx would have been marginal in N, and that offering a shrunk version of their exclusive Y1/Y3 Sentinel would have sold better (can offer it in all Big Four liveries plus BR & private owners, looks "cute", hits the same niche as the NGS Hunslet shunter but for an earlier time period.)

I too have long thought that the Y1/Y3 would be a good choice, and possibly one for the NGS to do as a follow on from the Hunslet. However, I suspect the reality is that we will see no more NGS RTR projects of any description announced until the much delayed RTR Cowans cranes see the light of day, which seems to still be a long way off (the cynic in me thinking "if they ever even do"), off topic I appreciate, but every time I ask about them, no clarity or assurance can be given about timescales, and it will be the first and last time I make a "contribution" up front for an NGS RTR project.

Would Dapol (who have made one in O and the OO one as a commission for Model Rail) consider one? I suspect with a number of new tool models in the pipeline at present that would be unlikely.

Roy

Quote from: EtchedPixels on December 14, 2025, 11:09:43 AMI don't remember all crisps being plain. I do remember when they tasted good enough without salt that the salt came in a little add on bag, rather than being necessary to hide the other nasty burned oily tastes they acquired.

Ah, yes. Smiths Crisps with the little blue bag (no such thing as 'Ready Salted')

Quote from: EtchedPixels on December 14, 2025, 11:09:43 AMFancy in sandwiches was salad, cheese and ham in one go. Although if you go to the Netherlands you can still enjoy that experience of ham, cheese or both and not much else

Yeah - trips to Holland resulted in mayonnaise on chips
First words I learnt were "Keine mayonnaise"

Quote from: EtchedPixels on December 14, 2025, 11:09:43 AMI didn't half get a funny look last time I talked about tinned grapefruit  though it still exists.

Yeah. I love grapefruit but am not allowed it as it messes with my cardio meds

I don't remember all crisps being plain. I do remember when they tasted good enough without salt that the salt came in a little add on bag, rather than being necessary to hide the other nasty burned oily tastes they acquired.

Fancy in sandwiches was salad cheese and ham in one go. Although if you go to the Netherlands you can still enjoy that experience of ham, cheese or both and not much else

Not sure coke was only put on the fire, you just had to be posh to sniff it back then. Pop also got delivered (like milk).

I didn't half get a funny look last time I talked about tinned grapefruit  though it still exists.