Chris Higgs

I hesitate to mention this, but you seemed to have used shell ventilators (shop item 4-455) on the roof, whereas LNER coaches had torpedo ventilators (shop item 4-456) Chris

A Thompson underframe should look something like this. I haven't put the fittings on this one but hopefully you can see where they go. Worth noting that LNER carriages had a different smaller dynamo than the dome-ended LMS/BR type that the Association sell. There is/was a very nice Ultima casting of this. The dynamo should go on the side next to the voltage regulator - which is that small box on the opposite side to the battery box, there is one of these provided on the LNER Battery boxes etch 4-732. There is a very detailed drawing of this underframe that can be seen in a number of the Harris LNER Carriages books - Harris incorrectly describes it as a Gresley 51' underframe although it is clear from the dimensions that it is a Thompson. Chris

One thing was for sure (back in the day when I worked for him), what stuff we had for kit builders and the like didn't go to shows. People probably don't realise just what hard work it is going to a show as a trader, even when it's close enough to commute there and back in a day. Packing the van, driving to the show, unpacking, setting up, selling all day, and then all in reverse. I remember going to the Model Engineer exhibition in the middle of winter, the water squirters on the van had packed up, and I had to jump out at each red traffic light on the A40 into London (when there were still lots of them) to wipe the windscreen with snow to clean it! Makes you wonder why anyone would want to do shows anyway. compared to receiving emails, payment by bank transfer, packing the order and Royal Mail coming to pick it up. Chris

LMS roofs are mostly a semi-elliptical profile, whereas a BR roof is a triple-arc. LNER roofs were also semi-elliptical, so the LMS will be closer. Chris

The 'box shifters' have the same question. One of my acquaintance, who I worked for many decades ago when a student, commented recently to me on how much stock he has to sell at a show just to pay the stand rental. Not that I like that term (box shifters). My friend is also highly knowledgeable on all things railways, and stocks a pretty good range of books, paints, kits, tools and the like. Chris

I am one of them. At least there were a choice of alternatives to turn to, let's hope it stays that way. Yes, the etched sheets cost more, although in hindsight I would say that they are now priced realistically. But the competitors are better priced for the initial photo tools, so if you only want a few sheets run of something new it works out not so bad. Chris

Indeed, I think it quite likely this is the result of the general economic situation with esclating rents, heating costs and the like rather than a specific result of a decrease in demand for modelling materials. I understand PEC had a healthy order book when they shut up shop. So not down to a lack of people wanting to buy etched kits and the like. Chris

What is that lurking under the bridge and seen in a number of shots? Looks like a Quad-Art in teak livery. Sorry if that is mentioned somewhere later in the video, I have not got all the way through yet. Chris

It's diecast metal and is painted - it seems also inside the hole. Rather a beautiful thing, actually.

Well, it does say anything answered! In the attached photo are two items. The left one is a stepper motor, with a 5mm diameter shaft with flat on it. On the right, the rear wheel hub of a 1:12 Routemaster bus, i/d of the hub is 6.35mm i.e. 1/4". I want to make a sleeve to connect the two. Thoughts are turn something on the lathe (I am wondering if that can be persuaded to grip without slipping), making something in tufnol or aecetyl similar to a 2mm axle muff, or 3D printing an item. Any thoughts would be welcome - I know some of you do rather larger scale modelling. The inner part of the hub does not protrude beyond the outer, so I don't think using a grub screw would be possible. Hopefully the mods will not notice that not only is this not 2mm scale, it is not even railway related.

A quick rummage tonight and I found 4 of the BT(4), the one you modelled, together with various T,C and F. But no roofs. Chris

I did indeed although they sold out a long while ago and in particular I ran out of the resin roofs. Might still have some body etches, really not sure. Chris

With that brake lever I would have half-expected the brake block to be one of the original massive wooden ones. Having said that, this diagram 4 wagon has the brake arrangement you have modelled. https://www.lnwrs.org.uk/Wagons/open/Diag004.php Chris

I know where mine is, in a case in the shed with all the other pre-digital cameras. I remember thinking that digital stuff will never catch on ... until I actually got one. Chris

Yes, the picture is actually a link and if you click on it it takes to a gallery of photos.

Yes, indeed. As someone once said, after a full day running at an exhibition, you could also do a bit of toast on them!

When I was young (in my teens) I built whitemetal kits using a 12V soldering iron running off an H&M Duette with the voltage turned down (trial and error). They came out fine and the soldering iron cost next to nothing. These days I seem to have lost the knack. But the Duette is still going strong 50 years on. One tip, never use an RSU on whitemetal. The one thing is it not is temperature controlled. Mine can happily vaporise brass wire on brakegear if allowed to. But it is only thing I ever use on etched brass/nickel-silver. The regular soldering iron only ever comes out for track and electricals. An extra hand? - more like two. Chris

Heard that in the slightly more snappy form "Never glue what you can solder. Never solder what you can screw"

Another reason layouts don't last is they have not been built with that in mind as a goal. I can say that from experience as I own a couple of them! CF has heavy-duty baseboards, other iconic layouts did not do so and have not stood the test of time. Heckmondwike was junked in the end when its boards warped. And, unless the modelling is of superlative quality, layouts will be left behind by what follows them. With all due respect to that featured in MRJ 292, for example, as a trip down memory lane, it mostly demonstrates how far we have moved on since the 1960s in terms of finescale modelling. Anyway, most large layouts are built to exhibit, and have a certain shelf-life. before moving aside for their successors. Do we really want to go to exhibitions and see the same selection of layouts decade after decade? The only real 'layout' that has lived on for 60 years (no, not Copenhagen Fields!) is actually a museum to a former age, with a permanent home. Chris

Mine is a non-streamlined corridor tender. Chris

If you want use them (and it is optional) they will go onto the top layer, and just use one of them, they are not designed to fold over (it is the rods that are). Indeed it looks like those washer double as both bosses and crankpin washers. My kits used to have three layers, the third being the boss but I tend not to bother now as it produces quite a thick rod at the bosses and often there is not that much clearance to play with. Chris

When I can, I always use a steel ruler bolted to the work as a fence. Chris

Having seen Jay Blades do a straight cut on "The Repair Shop" I came to the conclusion this must be one of those things that divides the human race into two - those who can and those who can't. Chris

There is even video https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/locomotive-testing-station/zv3rf4j

Seagull has the white line too: https://www.facebook.com/1549224832004990/photos/a.1550675501859923/2099497466977721/?type=3