An update.

I was lucky a few years ago - one of my neices rang up "One of the women at work is clearing out her father's house, and they have managed to get rid of everything except the Compactus. She was asking $1,000 for it but I think would take any offer". She only had the woman's work number, so I called at 0900 the next morning, and offered $100. Accepted subject to her husband having not already taken it to the tip. Called back ten minutes later with details, then I had to raise a helper and headed into town with the big trailer.

Eight bookcases 900wide, 1800 high. This occupies the centre of my "library, which also has bookshelves the same height along the walls. And there are bookcases throughout the house.

Focus - several of these. Accounts of small boat voyages, maritime history, aviation, especially history, old technology, history of science and technology, history of English, Middle English, Tolkein, Arthur Ransome, motoring history, including Landrover, Science Fiction, anything interesting!

Compactus's are great for storage,, not much for ambiance-- [smilebigeye]
a good book case beats it hands down,,

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Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Compactus's are great for storage,, not much for ambiance-- [smilebigeye]
a good book case beats it hands down,,

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Yes, but you can fit a lot more books in the same place with one - and as a bonus, if kept closed, they do not accumulate dust to anything like the same extent, a serious issue with books in open bookcases, particularly inland - and have you seen the cost of glass fronted book cases for any reasonable amount of books?

Books are great. I turn mine over through second hand bookshops which keeps the number down to those I'm likely to want again, raises funds for fresh ones and keeps them circulating.

About 15 years ago, when I was poorer than usual, I sold a large number of books to a second hand book shop. I have regretted it ever since. Just one of those books, "Journeys With Gelignite Jack" hardcover, will these days fetch what the entire collection got for me. Not that I would sell it again.

The internet, Kindle, Audible and all the other substitutes will never replace the feel and experience of holding a book, and being able to just go to it for reference. Hold on to them, guys.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

One of the books I have, the autobiography of the man who founded a company that designed and built many of the torpedo boats used in WW2. In one passage he recounts an unreal scene where, during the 'phoney war', when Italy was neutral, he was in Milan trying to expedite the delivery of Isotta Fraschini engines for the boat contract he had - the head of the company was on the phone to Bosch urging them to speed up the delivery of magnetoes, which were the holdup on the engines. (After Italy entered the war, they were unable to complete any boats until Packard started supplying marinised Merlins.)

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g'day JD,

Here is a bit more info about some of the Motor torpedo boats and in the linked article is a bit about machinery for them from Italy...
regards,
Mike.

RN Motor Torpedo Boats: Builders. - World Naval Ships Forums

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Originally Posted by Dopey

g'day JD,

Here is a bit more info about some of the Motor torpedo boats and in the linked article is a bit about machinery for them from Italy...
regards,
Mike.

RN Motor Torpedo Boats: Builders. - World Naval Ships Forums

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Thanks for that link, Dopey ( gee it's hard to call you that after you found this ). I have long been a fan of the Vosper and Fairmile boats. As I said, these were the marine version of the Mosquito, able to take on pretty much any role asked of them. I'm going to enjoy reading what is on that link.

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Originally Posted by Dopey

g'day JD,

Here is a bit more info about some of the Motor torpedo boats and in the linked article is a bit about machinery for them from Italy...
regards,
Mike.

RN Motor Torpedo Boats: Builders. - World Naval Ships Forums

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Thanks, that twigged my memory - the company involved was Vospers, and the man was Peter Du Cane - but I still haven't found the book!

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Originally Posted by johntins

Thanks for that link, Dopey ( gee it's hard to call you that after you found this ). I have long been a fan of the Vosper and Fairmile boats. As I said, these were the marine version of the Mosquito, able to take on pretty much any role asked of them. I'm going to enjoy reading what is on that link.

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"Vosper"!!..When as a boy, I lived in England, we seemed to have different interests than boys of the same age today. Model aircraft (mostly control line at our age), balsa wood gliders, Hornby 00 model trains, metal cars/models etc all made in West Germany, and of course train-spotting, many of us wanted to be engine drivers.
But I digress, "Vosper". Whilst living in England, I bought a lovely motorised model of a Vosper RAF rescue boat, it was battery powered, only one motor, but twin screw. It was still in its original box etc when we came to Aussie & I swapped it for something I can't remember! It would probably be worth a bit now!
Pickles.

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Originally Posted by Pickles2

"Vosper"!!..When as a boy, I lived in England, we seemed to have different interests than boys of the same age today. Model aircraft (mostly control line at our age), balsa wood gliders, Hornby 00 model trains, metal cars/models etc all made in West Germany, and of course train-spotting, many of us wanted to be engine drivers.
But I digress, "Vosper". Whilst living in England, I bought a lovely motorised model of a Vosper RAF rescue boat, it was battery powered, only one motor, but twin screw. It was still in its original box etc when we came to Aussie & I swapped it for something I can't remember! It would probably be worth a bit now!
Pickles.

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I guess we're of an age then, as my interests were the same, apart from train spotting of course... Never did understand that pastime, but I guess we didn't have the trains. The Southern Aurora was about the best we could manage.

The Vosper and Fairmile MGB and MTB were absolutely spectacular. It saddens me beyond belief that nearly all of them were scrapped.