Woo Hoo, I got my new toy! Boy oh boy, am pleased with her, runs like a (chuffing) swiss watch, right out of the box!
Neil. PS - of course it’s raining now…
Now that is pretty , I like the colour , makes a change from the usual black . Reminds me of sugar trains.
Mike
Mike, I understand from Roundhouse its only the second one they have ever done in that colour, the other one is in the States!
I think it has a nice colonial feel, sort of halfway house between UK and US practice.
Neil.
Yes , you’re right .
I hope you enjoy it , and of course you will cosset it more than you would a girlfriend–won’t you ?
Mike
Mike Morgan said:The missus might have something to say about a grlfriend......!!!!!
Yes , you're right . I hope you enjoy it , and of course you will cosset it more than you would a girlfriend--won't you ? Mike
Ah .
This:
Actually started out as a Fowler from Roundhouse. Then Richard at Brandbright weaved some of his magic. It ran really well straight out of the box too. I would buy another one one day. As long as I could have more more modern details such as the headlight and domes.
Ah, that’ll be a ‘Liberty Belle’ ??
Quite like the bangalore Belle version - could be the next one…!!!
Neil
Just taken this nice shot on Saturday, on my newly completed line. I was surprised how much steam plume is visible, it was a hot but overcast day.
She is running really well with a few more hours under her wheels, the 7 cars were nothing to her. Chuffed nicely with the load on though. Neil.
Anyone any idea why this forum always cuts the right side of my pictures off?
Neil.
Seems to happen in the IOM , mate , your cats get tails cut off too ;<)
Mike
Yes, but the cats face the other way…therefore they shouldn’t… 
So the smoke blows down their chimneys then ?
That is a lovely model , any problems ?
Mike
Manx cats have chimneys? No wonder I’m always confused. I thought kippers came from chimneys.
Seriously Mike, the Fowler is a beaut, ran like a dream straight from the box, and is getting better as she gets more hours on her. No issues whatsoever, and smashing folk to deal with. I bought direct from the factory as I had several extras to request, and I don’t suppose they will ever do the improved engine green as a stock item!
Having said that, it has attracted a lot of favourable comment regarding the colour (oops, color) and Roundhouse thought it looked great too!
I should add I have no connection other than as a satisifed customer! They have a reputation as good folk, and I have to agree.
Neil H
Hey , Neil , don’t let these old colony chappies bully you into spelling American . Educate them instead .
Send a gunboat .
Cap’n Morgan , aaarr .
I thought you were RAF not a fish-head?
Send a helo gunship…???
;->
I usually spell Americy when on other forums - so I have kind of gotten used to it! I try to ‘respect’ their spelling, saves confusion, but as I am perpetually confused i don’t suppose it makes any difference.
Ok, probably a silly question …
We know that in automotive practice, that in the British Empire, and former colonies thereof (except for the 13 on this side of the Atlantic and their later-added territory) that its customary to pass to the left. Some say this follows the tradition of jousting knights-in-armor who, being right handed, held the reins in the left hand, and the lance (or sword) in the right, necessitating passing to the left of anyone you wished to thwack. Elsewhere in the world, highway traffic tends to pass to the right, following the custom of … oh … who knows?
With rail traffic, however, it’s always been different. In the US (and Canada?) at least, the engineman sits on the right side of the locomotive cab, and signals governing a particular track are (generally, there are some notable exceptions like the CNW) above or to the right of the track.
I bring this up (assiduously avoiding uses of the phrases “right (meaning: correct) side” and “wrong side”) because I note in both of the Fowler varieites in the photos above, the reversing gear on the Fowler locomotive is on the LEFT hand side.
Was it British (or Colonial) practice to operate a locomotive from the LEFT side? My understanding was that in the United States, early engines were purchased from Britain, or at least the plans for them were, and the customary right hand operator’s position for wagons, carriages, and horses was retained on their locomotives, and thereby on early American varieties, which were then built the same way here.
But… if British locomotives are operated from the left, as the left hand controls on the Fowler et al would suggest, how did the US locomotives end up being operated from the right?
Or, is this just a matter of Roundhouse getting it backwards like Bachmann did on the “Annie” …
Matthew (OV)
Matthew ,
I can say without fear of contraception that the correct side of the road is the LEFT . MOST countries in the world use this convention . Bear in mind that Britain ruled half the world plus a bit ,so put the rules in place .
The logic of this is rrefutable .
Most people are right handed . So , to show that you are not about to knife someone , you shake hands with the right hand–see , my hand is empty .
So it is logical to ride on the left , given that travel in the days when this "rule " came about was a bit on the dodgy side , and you needed your sword hand free and unencumbered .
So you fought to the right , from the left
Have you ever thought about firing off an arrow from horseback ? You would do this firing left . Unless all injuns is southpaws .
If you wish to protect yourself from fire , you would hide behind the horse’s neck , and fire a pistol from under its neck , thus again firing to the left .
Hence the rather ungentlemanly way of riding on the right .
A chap needs to face up to things , not cower behind his horse , dammit .
So , given the logic of left driving , how does this apply to locos ? Well , even in France , in deference to the inventors of the railway , they run on the left with the trains .
So it could be argued that driving on the right is just a means of showing independence . And being bloody awkward into the bargain . So when the British were exporting locos all over the world to their colonies and ex colonies , they sent both , just to keep one lot happy .
Continental Europeans will say that they ALL drive on the right . Well , Sweden only succumbed to this within my later lifetime . They did it quite well , too . Changed the left to right overnight , not gradually like some countries would do .
So there you have it , a conumdrum solved .
Drive safely .
Mike
Excellent explanation …
Now, how about the locomotive? Seems like the logic was, perhaps, reversed when it came to the iron horse…
Matthew (OV)
Neil… if you have not joined, you have advertising taking up the left side of your screen.
You need to run higher resolution on your screen, or get rid of the advertising, or both.
Some people post really wide pictures.
You should be running 1024 x 768 for most everything on the Internet. The picture fabove fits fine in that resolution with no advertising.
Regards, Greg