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Sheldon TCC was demolished and the site is now part of Tesco's car park. The ATE expanded in all directions but is still essentially on the same site, opposite Tesco.

The red EF50 reminds me of the 'Viewmaster' TV made by my dad. He modified it so that it could be used as a radio during the day, (TV didn't start up until the early evening). He was quite pleased with that modification because when you switched to the TV position it was almost 'instant start'...

Radio dial circa. 1937 as used on wireless made by my dad. This was our house set until TV, VHF and transistor portables came along. The smell of ironing is forever linked with memories of 'Listen with Mother' - and bad memories of 'The Archers' - "Be quiet!" heard from this radio.

Picture rails, (remember them?) were good for that. I bought a box of single-core insulated cable from Civic in Sheldon for use as an aerial. It was possibly sold just for that purpose. I never saw cable like it elsewhere, the insulation was quite thick and it very strongly smelled of town gas...

I expect every age is the 'golden age' for each generation, after all they know no better, but I think I did quite well. There were a lot of quality toys available at pocket-money prices. We quickly worked out the merits of tin-plate, die-cast and plastic materials, a useful life-skills...

There was a series of model hand guns in half-section given away with, possibly, Shredded Wheat. They were all the same metallic blue plastic and about two inches long. Something else to hang on the walls of our baronial halls, alongside our big cat collection! The 'Lone Star' brand in its...

Until die-cast and plastic models became common a lot of toys were tin-plate with 'internal' details painted on the outside, which looked OK from the front or the side but not from a three-quarter view. The cardboard models printed on cereal packets were similar in principle so quite acceptable...

Bayko was clearly influenced by the 'modern' 1930s house style. Another building toy influenced by its era was Triang's Arkitex range, using a girder framework that was then clad in replica pre-cast panels. It came in two scales, one to match the 00 gauge trains and Minic Motorways, and the...

I think someone brought this in to school a couple of years running, possibly just before Christmas or more likely the final week of the school year. They must have made a few appearances at Church and Scout fairs too as a small fund raiser! Those little wooden pegs ruined many a fine horses...

We had a Minibrix set in Miss Green's class in Mapledene Infants (the class following the reception class). The studs were wider at the ends so the bricks had to be made of rubber. I remember them as being quite hard to put together or pull apart. My friend, a year younger, had a Bayko set. It...

A curious definition of 'equal opportunities' I would have thought! As a rule women didn't operate switchboards on the night-shifts, (old-fashioned chivalry, meaning that 'girls' didn't have to be out on the streets outside daylight hours?). I would have expected Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow...

Well it wouldn't be Christmas without a train under the tree! Merry Christmas everyone and a special toast to our moderators!

It would be useful to know what is going on in that scene - it looks to be beyond inefficient! Is there any idea about workflow? And look at all those doors, they certainly wouldn't have got hot in the summer! If it was some sort of rectification/repair workshop then it wouldn't look so bad as...

There are a few photographs at Disused Stations

I am sorry but whenever I see and hear Nick Knowles I think he should be in prison! Considering that I have never knowingly met anyone who has served time in one of HM's establishments I can only think that Mr Knowles conforms to some stereotype that our national broadcaster has carefully...

Oldbrit's lighter might be based on the WW2 RAF 1,000lb High Explosive Medium Capacity bomb (larger of the two shown). Given the absence of maker's marks and the materials used I wonder if it is a piece of so-called 'trench art' produced by an RAF armourer? These hand-crafted items never seem to...

The 'Whistle Museum' website appears to be quite authorative on the subject of Hudson's whistles. It warns that they didn't always stamp them with the correct address for the date and that the various features such as the loop and mouthpiece shape need to be considered too. Dating of Hudson's...

Your No. 1 contains elements related to the Digby family. No. 2 is an ouch! The lamb is a deer and the emblem represents St. Giles himself. Certainly in the 1960s it was used on the cover of the parish magazine.

I think top hats were only worn on special occasions such as meeting the Royal Train. I doubt if the smaller stations ever had that duty and if they did then the hat would be provided on loan.

It's just two reindeer stencilled on someone else's wall. I believe the vandal trades on his anonymity.