Ian Morgan

Richard, your hand painted lettering is amazing.

I have just found out that my carriages picked up a 2nd place in the annual 2mm Scale Association modelling competitions in the coaching stock section. Having seen the calibre of the other entrants, I truely did not expect to get anywhere, so I am really pleased with this result. Thanks to all who voted.

Thanks. The bodies are etched brass from Etched Pixels. The chassis are based on David Eveleigh N/S etches for GWR coaches, with etched overlays for the solebars, trussing and footboards that I did the artwork for, to make them more LBSCR like. I created 3D models of the battery boxes and buffer beams/buffers that were printed by Shapeways. Roof vents are Ultima (from 2mm Scale Association shop) and interior was created from resized printed images of old Peco interior for Kitmaster coaches that I found on the Internet. A few passengers from eBay (china) are taking a ride. I printed the destination boards that adorn the guard's lookouts, but I not happy with them. I might try doing them as transfers instead. The 4 coaches together are not much longer than a single Mk4 coach.

I finally completed my Stroudley set of 4-wheelers. Took less than 3 years I am quite pleased with my first attempt at etched brass coaching stock. Actually, I completed them a couple of weeks ago, but as I have entered them in the 2mm Scale Association AGM competition, I thought I should wait for voting to close before advertising them. Here is a 'focus-stacked' composite of the set, followed by some unadulterated shots. The magnification is cruel, of course. I will update my Freshwater Blog soon.

I use single strands from multi-strand hook-up wire. It looks like 5 Amp fuse wire so with a strand at each end of the rail, and only being 3 or 4 cm long, I have not managed to melt one yet. The bus-bar beneath that the droppers connect to needs to be more robust, of course, to avoid voltage drops. For bus-bars, I have used stripped mains twin-and-earth copper soldered to brass screws, and I have used copper tape. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

I only file a chamfer of 4 or 5mm length, then bend the end so that side is straight again and the web is at the edge, then I file the longer 'slope' on the other side using the V filing jig. That chamfer is not particularly long either, as the two rails forming the V are staggered, and do not both reach the tip of the V.

This stuff was sold as 2mm/ft scale. As I said, their other products seem to be much more delicate.

I feel the leaves are too large. It I could be a**ed I could make new bushes and transplant the flowers, but life is too short.

It appears the wash hand basins are in a seperate cubicle, which seems odd today.

I have used some of that buddleia on Freshwater. It is a bit 'chunky' compared with some of their other products.

I remember from the one in Brighton that the film would stop, and a man would come out on 'stage' and tell everyone to stop throwing things up in the air to make shadows on the screen. Often there was so much noise you could hear the film. Now, where is my glow-in-dark ABC badge?

Is the cast ID plaque on the other side?

Flashing orange lights on the loader The cows need some gentle weathering to tone down the white. Touch in horns, udders and hooves and add a little mud or whatever, makes a big difference. Plenty of pictures of cattle on the 'Net. Your black and white ones are probably Holstein-Friesians, a good dairy cow. It appears they are mostly 'de-horned' in the UK.

But it is important that there is no connection between either of the rails and the motor. Disconnecting just one feed is not good enough to check that. If the motor is directly connected though the chassis metalwork to the wheels you say are not picking up, it will be instant death to most decoders.

For N scale, a nice Bedford CA van would be nice. Oxford only do it as an ice cream van, making it hard to turn into a plain van. Similarly, the Bedford K cab is only available as a pantechnican from Oxford, albeit much easier to change into other forms.