OT: Language for the ages

Well, the mechanical bits are much the same (although I think some have been discontinued), the electromechanical stuff and electronics has been totally dumbbed down from the stuff I learnt on. There are no replacements for the old-series electronic modules, for the analogue (transistors) and digital (TTL) kits (I wish I had the former...) or even som,e of the electromechanical bits. I have had parts fail. In particular, the little gearbox modules used with the mini-motor have nylon gears pressed onto metal shafts. I've had some develop radial splits and then slip and fail to mesh smoothly (like the well-known failure mode of the Alps mini-ballpoint-pen plotter). F-T do not supply such spara parts, so you have to buy the complete module (at least you can sometimes make one good one from 2 dead ones...) -tony