MarcD

I think I might be able to add to this one. I stand to be corrected but your using Haywoods wheels not slaters? The haywoods bearings are smaller than those used by slaters. Did the kit recomend a wheel manufacturer? we nornally recomend a wheel that best fits kit. For most of our kits it doesn't matter which wheel you fit but in some it does really matter. Marc

This is a question I have been asking myself. I have noticed that you can get Highland and Cambrian from fox and M&C from powsides. I was told that HMRS are going to stop production shortly, not sure why? Marc

There are a number of places that trains had to stop and brakes had to be tied down around St Austell and Fowey. This could be the reason that the owners wanted extra bracing on their wagon. The steep gradients was one of the main reasons there was a bit of a one way system for clay trains in and out of Fowey. It was preferred that loaded trains came in from the east along the Fowey river and empties via Par on the old Cornwall Minerals Railway route. The GWR stationed two 2-8-0Ts at St Blazey for that duty. Marc

Does anyone have a photo or drawing of the brake mechanism on a Talyllyn wagon? Marc

With Mrs May off to the palace shortly how about Green Park! ​Marc

I past the shop on Saturday and saw them building it I did wonder what they were doing. Marc

Yes You can have some for a couple of quid. They are white metal not brass. Marc

The kits is but I have all the parts to make the other version. The NBR 4plk can be built into the FR 4plk with the 8ft6 wheel base. I don't advertise it as we alredy do one FR 4plk. Marc

All you have to do is ask? I could have saved you a lot of effort we do a FR 4plk. its our wagon FRWC 26. Marc

It is starting to make James May's program look like an award winner. I'm starting to feel rather lucky my offer of help wasn't taken up, now. If they had aproched this in a away of solving the engineering problems rather than pink and fluffy tv it had potential. I like gardening and growing fruit and veg. I watch gardeners world, Entertaining and educational, I watch Chelsea flower show for the same reason. I thought the great allotment challenge, another from this stable, would be interesting. As my wife now says stop having thoughts your always wrong. She was right. After less than 5 minuets I had lost the will to live. I feel this is the same but with a train. The only winners in this case are the midges who get a fee lunch.

Peter, A bit of a shame would the HMRS take to boards of your hands. I think they have a few layouts at their HQ in Derbyshire. Marc

I built a genuine Inglenook layout about 10 years ago (Ultramarine Works). My father thought it was a bit of a gimmick. Comments like "not much fun in that", "Your going to be board at an exhibition". After one exhibition he was a convert. I have now hidden an inglenook in our current layout "Scratchy Bottom/Lowick". I can run through trains but I can shunt a train. this gives us the option of operating with one person if the other operator goes for lunch. or reducing the total operating length to 8ft from 22ft. Marc

I hope I'm not going to get shouted at for saying this. I'm not brave enough to bring a soldiering iron anywhere near white metal. If I'm using white metal as I have no idea what temp it melts at, I used a super glue to grab and fix the parts and back fill any gaps with 2 part epoxy Marc

The trail of manufacturer's drawings is one of tracking the mergers and buyouts. NRM in York, MS&I in Manchester and Glasgow city libraries are good places to start. Marc

no worries. I can only give you one piece of advice for Telford, if you haven't been before. Saturday is a mad free for all as everyone and their dog runs around like mad people. I think they are desperate to see all the layouts first. Sunday is a lot calmer. If you want something from one of the smaller producers ask them to put it aside for you as it might be the only way you will get one, especially if you are going on the Sunday. Marc

Duncan, I just had a thought as your new to 7mm, the summer Gauge 0 Guild show is on a the Doncaster Dome this Saturday. Its a 7mm only show and some of the smaller manufacturers, Who don't do mixed gauge shows, will be there. There will a number demonstrators and the G0G technical team there who will be able to help you with your modelling. Marc

We are still working on the design, I have just found a that looks like its going to fit. So we should have a good idea when we work out what materials the various parts are going to be made from. The 2-4-2T and the 2-4-0T are the most developed so they will be first and look like the kits will be somewhere around the £250 mark the 2-4-0 and 0-6-0 will be probably somewhere around the £325 mark. I will have an other look at the tenders. Marc

I cheated I bought our base boards in from Grainge and Hodder. www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/ easy to put together, I to use 1/2 inch foam. Apart from the noise reductions it does give you the ability of under cutting the foam and making it look like the track bed is on an embankment. This is what I've achieved so far. Marc

I think high is an issue for a number of reasons. My "Scratchy Bottom/Lowick" layout is 3ft6 off the floor. Its about right for operating 3 link couplings, in 7mm. The only way to increase the high would be to use automatic couplings. If the legs were any higher or lower it would be hard, if not imposable to operate without automatic couplings. It does mean that if you are between 5 and 15 you get a very good view and its not a bad view from a seated position which allows visibility from a wheel chair. If you are above 5ft tall you do look down on the world. I remember watching the St Juliot S gauge layout at York some years back the layout was viewed from a seating area that had been laid out specifically so you could sit and watch it.it was like being sat in a small theatre. Marc

I'm struggling with the dimensions. Iain Rice's books are all based on 4mm either EM or P4, Nothing wrong with that but if your a 7mm working out dimensions of what counts as a Cameo layout. We have a Fenland style layout that is 22ft long with it fiddle yards does this count once I have finished its lighting rig. its not high as we wanted kids to be able to view it without having to climb on a box. Marc

Very hard to find a witness. Post 1919 the China Clay producers started to amalgamat with most independent producers vanishing by 1950. This company vanished into ECC in 1940. Marc

It could red oxide but it could also be grey, dark yellow, orange or even brown. All of these colours are hard to pick out in black and white photos. And they were all used on china clay wagons along with black. Marc

I don't think I could resist. I'm thinking of getting at least one printed. Marc

I have drawings of Furness locos from sharp Stewart the buffers ge higher over time the 0-4-0 (no.20) had 3ft high buffers, by 1870 the height was 3ft 3 and by 1899 the buffer height was 3ft5. When the rebuilding No.20 they had to raise the buffer height by 5 inches to allow it to run with standard stock. Marc

The closest I can get on a date is post 1892 (Cornwall Railway re-gauged to 4ft81/2) and 1914 if the wagon was rebuilt with sprung buffers. As for the location I would say it would be the builders but I don't recognise the builders plate. Marc