OFFTHE RAILS

The ZTC511 manual is available on the Taunton Controls website. That explains how to slave the 511. Ian

The Dapol M7 (Mk1 & 2) bodies are OK - it's the chassis' (Mk1 & Mk2) that are wrong. The driving wheels appear to be below scale diameter but the driving wheel axle and the splasher should be concentric and on the model (Mk1 & 2) it's way out, that's why I've never bought one. IMO the Mk 1 version was bad enough but Dapol seem to have made the Mk2 even worse.

Great song but what an awful version! The original was recorded by The Crickets post Buddy Holly’s death in 1960 and the song was written by the lead guitarist Sonny Curtis who had been in Buddy’s band on his first big company recordings in 1956. That was the best version [IMO] - the Clash had only heard the 1966 US hit revival of the song by the Bobby Fuller Four (also a great version) but the punk band only managed to turn it into a grungy mess (again IMO)

Err....GWR 4-6-0s did not have any external valve gear. They have Stephenson's or Walschaert's valve gear inside the frames, out of sight. What you presumably want is the coupling rod, connecting rod, cross head with piston rod. Unfortunately many spares suppliers and model manufacturers mis-describe what they sell and cause confusion for all. Rant over.

IMHO this "updated" model and it's predecessor have never looked "right". The body is OK and the chassis is probably reasonable for N but the two don't match - the centre of the front driver should match the centre of the splasher (in the horizontal plane).

The Bachmann N class loco was NOT split chassis - it was one of the first "Blue Riband" models. The chassis is conventional with a Buhler motor positioned vertically inside the firebox

In which case he might have been more explicit....

I have photos of Q1s west of Salisbury: 1. Between Dorchester and Weymouth - passenger train 1950 BR 2. At Bournemouth 1948 3. At Branksome 1948 - passenger train

The good news (possibly) is that the Fowler 4F 0-6-0 is pictured with full daylight under the boiler. The bad new is that it is coupled to a tender with tender drive. I suppose it's another example of photoshopping an ancient ex-Airfix model.

The Granges and Manors had a new type of cylinders - i.e. different to the Halls. The piston valve centre line was raised an additional 2 1/2" above the cylinder centre line. This additional steam space is said to have contributed to the smoother running of the Granges relative to the Halls. (See the Rev. J. Gibson's book "Great Western Locomotive Design - A Critical Appreciation"). The Churchward 43xx 2-6-0 cylinder centre line was 2 1/2" above the driving wheel centres but Collet wanted cylinders in line with the axle centres on the 4-6-0s. So, to be able to use 43xx wheels and motion meant a revised cylinder type.

EBAY UK - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314203501525?hash=item4927fcf3d5:g:3D8AAOSwhAZjWDYn&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0EUdzBrT2r8O6HDnFeNzc%2BGjN0THjn1UQAvKwMjmA7tlMLPUkuPpL19DggGS%2FfQbmP%2Fgm%2BbcgRuP3MXG5RwOtPEicjyJ%2BUEj5DEi7NmwRdBqGpbDgWFcHUrApnJcLDwvLCLmj8bWz6x3ysAua19nkg0DlG8xqlXeBKX6fSIBuSFghHHXxGAZEo2dy7MliT2dS0IyWKm0S%2BZ2rqrV2XDDtdppiuwp%2FMeTI%2BhJPFq46JqcTfH%2B7Te2T3HAq%2FHc6MO5eNNTGCF%2BNpcsnciKWRm4WaA%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR57kppGCYQ TITLED "Dublo large Prairie tank GWRG Chassis’s Dublo N2 POOR RUNNER WOBBLY FOR SPARES" err.... what is it really?

It's now 11 years since Dapol announced their intention to produce N gauge models of the Bulleid West Country/Battle Of Britain pacifics in both air-smoothed and modified form............. I'd like to see anyone but Dapol produce one - How about Sonic/Revolution having a try?

Con rods? I think you mean coupling rods, The real locos con rods are hidden between the frames.

Why put an uninformative heading on a post? It would have been far more useful to have described the subject. What use is "oooo - look at this!" as a heading? IMO - This heading on this kind of original post is uninformative and ruining all forums. Rant over... Ian

A very interesting thread but as a retired chemist I should point out that Butanone and Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) are just earlier common names for what is Butan-2-one - the modern systematic name for this compound. Mek Pak is just a trade name for a proprietary solvent and the Slaters version on offer today says on the label, "contains halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon". This means the chemical contains chlorine and is definitely not Butanone aka Methyl Ethyl Ketone aka Butan-2-one. (also aka Ethyl Methyl Ketone according to wikipedia.) Ian