A modelling success this week.  A few years ago, my Farish green Class 31 – one of my favourite locos – had a bit of an accident with the PCB board, and only worked in one direction.  I tried to get a replacement at the time, but Bachmann didn’t have any in stock.  I tried again last week, and a couple of days later a new board arrived, for a very reasonable £22.  An hour’s work replaced the board, and the loco is working again.  And I have a spare blanking chip for Bachmann boards.  A good result.

Put this on your layout and get some interesting comments!  My only criticism of the video is that they have obviously been nowhere near Baku – if they had they’d have realised that this is typical of a rather strange city!  I visited briefly on a site visit to the Baku-Georgia-Turkey gas and oil pipeline.  We drove up-country, to inspect some river crossings, but often BP employees were made to go by train, as the roads were a bit dodgy.  What I saw of the trains, it must have been a difficult choice….

Jago Hazzard is always good value.  Surbiton, next door to Cheam and a haunt of Tony Handcock.  And owner of a rather fine railway station.

Meanwhile, in the east, a Japan bullet train driver has been disciplined for leaving the controls to go to toilet.  A conductor, who was not qualified to drive the train, sat in the driver’s seat during his three-minute absence, in breach of the rules.  Well, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, even at 150km/hr.

Back in February, the Guardian reports a more down-to-earth mode of travel.  Due to covid restrictions, Russian diplomats leave North Korea on hand-powered rail trolley.  Probably better than the usual train!

Finally, not railway connected, but few railway enthusiasts can resist (a) a fry-up, or (b) a cake.  Or you can do both at the same time.  Colin the Caterpillar gets Scottish chippy treatment.

Not good for the system, but a cut above the average fried Mars Bar!