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This is fascinating, because my great aunt (Ida Davis) was involved with this hospital over many years. She was an almoner there in the first half of the 20th century and had a long involvement with its work. She was quite a character and was one of the first women in Birmingham to own her own...

Very interesting to see there is material about Parker Hale on here. My great aunt had a very good friend whose name was Ella Hale. She was of the family and I met her in 1971 at my gt aunt's funeral. A very pleasant lady and I seemed to get on with her very well, even though I was 50 years her...

Could it possibly be that the "custodians" of our rail network have slimmed down the network to such an extent that there is no slack (spare capacity/sidings/loops) anywhere to permit dealing with problems. The train in front has broken down and we can't get past! Durrh! I rest my case, because...

No, I think we have to be realistic about the preservation movement and we should be grateful that there are so many people in the movement who are prepared to put in the time and effort to ensure that locos and stock are as well maintained as they are. I suspect the standards of safety applied...

It is good that City of Birmingham has been preserved as part of the National Collection, but I have to ask whether it's current guardians are serving it well. It is still in the paint job that it got when it was sent for its final "resting place" at the then Science Museum in Newhall Street. I...

That advertising slogan takes us back a while!

It was a fact that passed me by that often, during the weekends, the main line traffic on the west coast main line was diverted via the Grand Junction route and passed through the suburbs of Birmingham via Stechford & Willenhall and back on to the WCML at Stafford. If only I had known how close...

Very good to see these images of the roof gardens at Lewis's. I had vague memories of being taken there when I was little in the early 50s, but memories are often unreliable.

You want accuracy from newspaper reporters!?

Fascinating photos! The first is of a Webb compound 2-8-0 in full LNWR lined livery taken in pregrouping (before 1923) days, confirmed by the dress style of the ladies, and I suspect prior to the first world war, whereas the second is taken, I'm guessing, about twenty years later. The loco is a...

It's always a trade-off. If you model in N (2mm/ft) you get 4 times as much railway in a given area compared to 00 (4mm/ft). However models of any given loco/coach/truck are almost as expensive in N as they are in 00, which always strikes me as a bit of a cheat. Conversely, modelling in 0 gauge...

I think your model is not alone. Some of the more recent Hornby models are beautifully detailed, but some of the bits fall off as soon as you take them out of the box! Worse if you try and take the chassis out of the body (for routine maintenance) you finish up destroying even more of the...

Thanks Mac I'm not going to admit to how many locos I possess, but I believe that we are known as "locoholics!" It's what comes of carrying on building them and not selling any.

Such a joy watching trains passing by at speed. When I was little, circa 1950, on the back of my parents' tandem on Sunday afternoon jaunts, we came through Wootton Wawen quite often and I could never manage to pronounce the name properly!

Yes, I understand that other posts in this thread have given the explanation as to what the "jug handles" mean, but not all Imperial Petrels had them. Mine certainly doesn't.

Mostly because you have to program a loco before it will go. Secondly because you have to allocate a number to the loco and this means you have only 64 to choose from. Thirdly you have to remember which one your chosen loco is and if you have any more than 64, you are in trouble, because you...

Glad you're OK with the baseboard. Yes, I have scratch built quite a lot in 00. Mostly loco chassis to go under kit built or proprietary bodies (all steam). everything from 0-6-0 inside cylinders (nice and simple) to 4-6-0 and Pacifics with outside cylinders & valve gear. Also kit-bashing...

Hi Do you mean the models or the baseboard? If the latter, then the important thing is to ensure the baseboard is good and rigid. Ideally the subframe needs to be of 80 x 20 mm timbers in an egg-box cross braced framing spaced no more than 40mm apart. This will give you a baseboard which is...

You're right, this is an 0-4-4 tank, but it's an Isle of Wight loco, a London & South Western O2. The 0-4-4 I had in mind was an LMS loco, one of only 10 built in 1932 and numbered in the 41900-9 series. Unfortunately the number on the loco in New St is too blurred to read.

It's great to get first hand accounts of these trades (and tools) that have long since disappeared. I'm also fascinated by the New St photo; what looks at first sight to be one of the ubiquitous Jinties shunting stock is apparently something different. Although not entirely clear, it SEEMS to...