To those RM Webbers I met at Nottingham and to whom I promised a return to more regular updates - my apologies! Only a week since the last one I guess but could do better. Am still avoiding the slightly more major issues that I need to get sorted before Burton in a couple of months but have made a start on some little things that I have been meaning to get down to.

One very 'little' thing is the Lawton Simplex - lovely kit to build, looks great but have never managed to get one to run properly. Nearly got there a few months ago but tiny 6volt motor burned out in one during testing and wires broke of other one. Solution - cram a Mashima 10x15 in! Not quite as elegant but does seem to work and is an awful lot quieter. Can manage a lovely crawl now even with a couple of wagons. Not perfect yet though as still prone to the occasional visit from the hand of God. Attention to pick ups first but am also about to try a fly wheel. It will stick out of bonnet (unless I turn it down a bit), but am thinking of covering with a hollowed out ammo box or something. Not such a bad thing as have damaged the bonnet top a bit as broke through it while milling out some of the lead shot (fixed with super glue!), that seemed like a good idea before! In the pic this has not been done yet so bonnet just sitting on top;

Now, for something to pull. Have in mind a few small, self contained trains that can just be sent up and down to maintain interest for viewers or if our interest in complex movements has diminished! So armed with a Duncans 18 pounder, no instructions, a couple of Wrightlines bolsters and a couple of pictures I set about an artillery rail transport. Here is my first test just to see if things would work;

Actually a surprisingly complicated thing to set up correctly - am sure it could be done with lots of reassuring and planning but it is me who is doing this! So, with trail and error to the fore we have this;

Troughs are from brass section and mounts bent up in one piece to go over the bolsters and then all soldered together. Is not quite right but near enough for now! And here it is with the Simplex;

I also have another much bigger gun (8 inch Howitzer?), that I plan to mount on an F class so I can recreate the picture in the WDLR with a Westinghouse. 'But', I hear you cry - there is no kit for a Westinghouse - my answer to which is 'Project X'! I will write this up shortly.