introduction Hello all!

[JKB01]

John K. B. from Stockport, Cheshire here. I've been an occasional visitor to the forum over the years and marvelled at some of the restorations and the techniques involved. No military stuff in my fleet at the moment, and in the past I've only had Land Rovers (SIIAs, Air Portables, 101) and an Armstrong MT500 so nothing very armoured or exotic.

Recently retired, I used to earn the monthly envelope working on diesel engines in ships, locomotives and power stations all over the world. As a result I have a profound aversion to airports and air travel which my partner is trying to get me out of so we can go to visit family in Australia.

To get my engineering fix I work on the Talyllyn Railway when I get chance, their small fleet of diesel loco's usually needs something doing, or there's the steam engines and carriages if all else fails.

Having told everyone for years that I didn't need another expensive hobby, I've succumbed to the live steam garden railway bug. There's a tenuous military connection there; one of my two 16mm:1 foot loco's is a Baldwin 4-6-0 built for the War Department Light Railways in WW1 and I'm building a rake of mobile workshop wagons for it to pull.

The reason I've joined rather than just lurking is to do with engines for WW1 tanks, but I'll explain that somewhere more appropriate within HMVF.

Cheers for now,

JKB.