Few parts of the UK have had such a profound impact on the world as the mineral-rich corner of North-East England I’ve picked as the venue for this Tally-Ho Corner rail tour. A pioneering rail network conceived and constructed two centuries ago in County Durham demonstrated the viability of long-distance, loco-reliant, public railways, and in doing so ushered in the Industrial Revolution’s second phase.
This week’s handmade co-op puzzle won’t defox itself. If you’re a whizz at quizzes, lateral thinking, and search engine sleuthing, why not lend a hand.
Several of the units in Bounce the Bogen, THC’s latest play-by-comment Combat Mission game, still need chaperones. If you’re an airlifter and fancy directing Captain Hood’s HQ team or Sergeant Scarlet’s Daimler armoured car for a few turns (you don’t need to commit to playing for the entire battle) then head here, study the screenshots, map, and briefing, and issue your first orders. Not a subscriber? Unless someone gives it a destination by next Sunday, Corporal Much’s nimble Humber scout car is going to do zero scouting during Turn 1.
Fancy getting to know another interesting bit of Britain via a classic train sim? You’re in luck. Having picked up several bargains in the almost-over TSC2024 sale, I plan to spend the remainder of this week exploring unfamiliar lines, researching relevant history, and sourcing appropriate fare for the packed lunches. Join me on Friday for a rail ramble through picturesque To Be Confirmed.
Using the following clues (the map above is purely decorative) in combination with Street View, work out my location.
It’s early April 1945 and, a week or so after ‘bouncing the Rhine’, the Western Allies reach another watery obstacle, the Bogen river. At Mannsfeld a few gung ho US AFVs manage to barrel across the bridge before it is blown. Further south, in the British sector of the front, Monty’s vanguard reaches Nottingheim fully expecting to find its two crossings reduced to rubble and twisted metal. Instead the swashbuckling Captain Hood discovers a golden opportunity and a very helpful banner.
Every Friday, Tally-Ho Corner’s cleverest clogs come together to solve a ‘foxer’ handcrafted by my sadistic chum and colleague, Roman. A complete ‘defoxing’ sometimes takes several days and usually involves the little grey cells of many readers. All are welcome to participate.
If there are no posts on THC on Wednesday or Thursday this week don’t blame Corsica 1764, Ground of Aces, or the first Strategic Command WWII: War in the Pacific expansion. The lull is probably because I’m busy preparing this year’s communal Combat Mission scenario. Having burnt my fingers experimenting with ambitious PvP variants for the past couple of years, I’ve decided to return to a more traditional PvE format for the coming hostilities.