well it's been a while since the last entry, largely due to making last minute decisions entailing much research and thought.

I finally settled on the Mashima 1020 motor because I was concerned about the space that would be available inside the boiler. This model will have roughly the same proportions as the Dapol pug and the boiler area on that looks positively minute . I took Paul HW's advice and went for a High Level Gearbox I ordered the Compact Plus as that one seemed to be the smallest, but with an articulated final drive carriage giving some adjustment to the position of the motor, plus a nice 54:1 ratio for good slow speed performance, [i hope].

I managed to limit suppliers to three, High Level for the motor and gearbox, Alan Gibson for chassis frames, frame spacers and safety valves and Mainly Trains for Gibson wheels [yeah] coupling rods, smokebox door and dart, loco steps and spectacle plate etches and another pack of Markits vac pipes.

This is all the gubbins, received from both Mainly Trains and High Level in a record 5 days [ is La Poste really coming into the 21st century]?

Alan Gibsons order took another couple of days because he had to mill the chassis frames.

The motor and gearbox as received

and the gearbox bent up and axle and layshaft fitted.

I have a glass plate left over from a set of electronic scales that ceased to work so I glued a sheet of graph paper on the back and trimmed it to suit. I thought it might prove helpful when I came to making up the chassis.

I thought I'd make a start on building the chassis, I couldn't find a suitable spacer so I used 2 flat spacers 10mm wide and filed them down to 9.8mm, the gearbox is 9.7mm wide I marked a line 4mm from one end, part cut along them with a craft knife, bent them at right angles and soldered them at each end. I don't have a plan for this chassis so I'm making it up as I go, fingers crossed.

It was at this stage I discovered the axle bushes I thought were the right ones aren't right, similarly the two lengths of steel rod I'd bought for aligning the frames/axle bearings should be 3mm not the 2mm I have. I now have to sort this problem out and order more parts.

I'm off to the UK soon for a month so the project is on hold for now, I have though, received the name plates from Narrow Planet via my Sisters in the UK so I can get on with that and post an update.

so see ya later.

regards Roly