queensquare

The Armstrongs, 4Fs, were unlined black, never blue. Bachmanns blue 4F is pure fiction - it also has the wrong tender. Jerry

John Greenwood built it and it’s on loan to the WSLR. It’s scratchbuilt with a 7mm coreless motor and 36:1 gear reduction. I’ve done a few minor mods to it which have allowed me to get a Zimo chip and stay alive in the bunker which have transformed running from very good to exceptional. I will take a couple of pictures with the lid off when I get a minute. Jerry

The S4 natives are very friendly really, one or two have already confessed to being closet members of the Association! 😏 Jerry

All set up at Scaleforum in High Wycombe for a weekends missionary work!! Jerry

Ingenious, many thanks for posting. Jerry

I will be there with Tucking Mill and William Smith's Wharf doing 2mm missionary work. Looking forward to a good weekend, Jerry

Handful of 2mm modelling friends around yesterday and, amongst other things, talk turned to the best way to convert the new EFE Austerity. Between us we managed to muster half a dozenAusterities. The front three are the work of John ‘Doncaster Green’ - untouched Farish, heavily breathed on Farish with an Association chassis and EFE out of the box (though we did whip the couplings off!) The next three are mine - the EFE EP and production blue NCB models ( these will become Ted and Archie for my grandsons), and finally Highbury, P&D Marsh tanks and cab, scratch footplate and chassis etc John’s reworking of the rather lumpy Farish original looks really good, even when compared to the rather nice new EFE model. No firm conclusion was reached on the best way to finescale the new EFE model though favourite is looking like turning down the wheels and fitting new tyres. Jerry

Very little to report on the layout as I’ve been busy knocking down walls, plastering, decorating , hanging new doors etc ….. it just goes on! Anyway, now finished, new floorings and carpet going down and trying to decide what to spend my huge stash of smarty points on before I blow the lot on one ill judged comment!! I’ve got a gathering of friends here tomorrow followed by 2mm missionary work at Scaleforum in High Wycombe next weekend then, with temperatures back down to sensible levels I shall be back in the workshop for the autumn season. On the livestock front, this morning we picked up three new girls for me to talk to through the workshop window - point of lay, nineteen weeks old so should start giving me lovely fresh eggs in the next couple of weeks. Will post some train pictures soon!😊😊 Jerry Ps. The sheds long term residents don’t look overly excited by the new arrivals!!

I’ve received lots of positive feedback about Bob’s articles in MRJ and I’ve asked if he would do a follow up to the diesels article on the 309 emu Jerry

Absolutely agree with everything Will said. This weekends Swindon show was the first time I’ve seen it complete and it is nothing short of stunning. What was even more amazing was that it continued to work really well despite the incredible heat in the big hall - mind you, the operators were wilting a bit! 😊 Jerry

I’m exhibiting at Swindon Steam this weekend so, if the WiFi in the hotel is up to it, I may join later on - mind, I’m likely to have had a couple of pints and a curry by then ……. Jerry

I think it looks very good. MRJ dont do traditional reviews but we are happy to give RTR a going over - see the Accurascale Siphon in the latest issue. I wouldnt mind having one to give a 2FS make over - it would certainly invalidate the warranty so we wouldnt be able to give it back! 🙂 Tom E said it has bearings and split axle so 2mm Association wheels could be fitted and the Association do the correct pattern. Jerry

If I drive the trains fast enough they might just make it…….. 😊 Jerry

Having completed the third and final tunnel mouth required on the layout I was up with the lark this morning to flash a quick coat of primer over them before breakfast. I think with careful painting they should look the part. Jerry

I’m on a roll, this evening I made the short , ‘new’, Winsor Hill tunnel entrance - nice quick job as there are no wing walls thanks to the rock cutting sides. When the line was doubled in the 1890s the engineers found that if they slewed the line slightly to the south they could make the ‘new’ tunnel 110 yards shorter than the old - a significant saving for the cash strapped company. Jerry

Nice, one of those double arch bridges around Cannards Grave was considered as an option but in the end I wanted a tunnel - I like tunnels! Jerry

The S&D had a fine selection of very modelable tunnels. My friend Paul Stephens has included a number of them on his N gauge layout. I built the track, bridges, tunnels and buildings but the scenics are all Paul’s work. Paul has really nailed the north end of Devonshire tunnel and the final drop down the bank into Bath. Mine will be much more compressed but then he isn’t building the rest of Bath! His Chilcompton tunnel is also excellent. If it wasn’t for the fact I’d already built it I would probably have opted for this scene for the new extension - it just screams S&D. Winsor Hill tunnel, north end. If I’d had another few feet of space I’d love to have done this, in the 1920s when the quarries either side of the line were both working unlike Paul's 50/60s period with overgrown sidings and derelict signal box. As seen a page or two back I’ve opted for Winsor Hill south end - wrong end for me really but I do get a quarry siding, small signal box and I can do it with minimal compression. Here are the tunnel mouths on a site visit at least four years ago - mother and daughter Jelly and Jazz in attendance. Jerry edited to add that the excellent model photos are the work of Andy York

A couple of evenings plasticard whittling and I have the north entrance to Devonshire tunnel. I found a really useful picture of the tunnel mouth on the web taken from the centre line of the track, inside, looking out which was perfect for getting the subtle curve right. I printed out a copy to scale (guesstimated!) and used it to make a card template. I used an old Farish coach which now sees service on the grandsons layout to test clearances. It looks suitably snug so I’m happy I’m not far out. I have several more bridges and tunnel mouths to make and they make an ideal subject for my little front room bench. Jerry

Great news, a superb model and a real favourite of mine Jerry

I’d say this is one you definitely need to add to the collection Tim, superb. As for your Jinties and Panniers analogy , I think you have that the wrong way round - a few Panniers is nice but too many Jinties ……hmmmm! Jerry

Thanks gents, I’ve always felt that 2mm was ideally suited to large spaces to really exploit the railway in the landscape feel with its broad brush approach. 7mm on the other hand, is much better in a small space as the intimacy suits the very high level of detail possible. That said, Anthony Yeates tiny Port Jubilee, which he brought down to Wells, is exquisite. Jerry

Thanks Bruce, the layout room is roughly 20'x10' which will now be all scenic, the fiddle yard is moveing onto the far wall of the workshop extension but will otherwise be unchanged. Other than the tunnel mouths there will only be an underbridge, a ground frame and a couple of huts so not too much work on the new bit. It will offer some interesting new views of the colliery and also set it further into the landscape though I will have to upgrade the areas which were previously unseen - starting with those cottage fronts! Jerry

Tempting Nick but this little extension will definitely be it - it’s only a few feet so the line runs into a tunnel when it enters the fiddle yard rather by than exiting via a hole in the sky! Jerry

What else are you meant to do when you’re tidying up the shed and you come across some ply off cuts …….. Jerry

Small or large sir!